Books. Everybody loves books, and this includes science books. As yet another year winds down, it’s traditional to review the best books of the past 12 months, using varying criteria. One such criteria is science books, an ever popular subgenre of nonfiction.

But while everyone is looking back, why don’t we get ahead of the game by looking ahead? Based on existing trends and reading habits, what science books promise to be enlightening, entertaining and informative in 2016?

Obviously we don’t have in-depth knowledge of the schedules of every publisher in the marketplace, but there’s no harm in speculating. So here are some predictions for the more interesting science book prospects for the coming year.

Kanye Dig It

(Mark Markenson, £12.99, Chaotic Shed)

One for fans of geology and related issues, Mark Markenson’s debut book is an in-depth yet accessible and entertaining look at the materials and minerals that make up our planet.

Part science book, part travelogue, part celebrity biography, “Kanye Dig It” is an eye-opening account of Markenson’s experiences as an assistant to rap megastar Kanye West during his one-man attempt to tunnel to the centre of the Earth, to prove once and for all that it does literally revolve around him.

Pride and Prejudice and Fermat’s Last Theorem

(Jane Austen and Samson McBride, £9.99, Oddity Books)

The growing trend for mashup novels, combining classic literature with more modern genres, finally crosses over into the nonfiction field with this entertaining novel of manners and maths.

It follows the story of young Elizabeth Bennet, daughter of a landed country gentlemen who neglects her traditional duties of finding a suitable husband in favour of her constant search for a solution for the (at the time) two-centuries-old puzzle Fermat’s Last Theorem.

Elizabeth’s efforts frustrate her socially conscious mother and attract the icy judgement of Mr Darcy who keeps coldly telling her that Diophantine equations are all mathematicians really need, before getting his frilly shirt all wet in a lake for some reason.

Dark Matter Matters

(Dr Helen Van Amsel, £11.99, Goose)

A revolutionary new book which promises to provide a comprehensive, detailed but easily-understood and intriguing story of the most mysterious substance in the universe: dark matter.

What is it? Where does it come from? What is it for? How does it work? All these questions and many more can be answered in Dr Van Amsel’s book. Even more revolutionary, the book itself is printed using cutting edge processes that utilise ink made of 100% dark matter, so you need to develop the ability to observe dark matter yourself before you can read it.

The publishers assure us that this makes Dark Matter Matters the most interactive and inspiring science publication to date, and not just a cunning ruse to sell thousands of copies of completely blank books.

You’re all wrong, so shut up!

(Richard Dawkins, £17.99, Faber and Faber and Faber and Faber and Faber and Faber)

Celebrated scientist and atheism figurehead Richard Dawkins takes a break from evolution and genetics with this book covering some of his more memorable online rants, such as those concerning teenage boys making clocks, airport security, women, and many more.

The latest bombastic offering from a scientist still at the top of his game when it comes to saying upsetting-yet-ridiculous things in a public forum then seeming surprised that people might object to this, this book proves that Dawkins still has plenty left to say. Whether he should say it or not is another matter.

OCD on a Thursday: true cases of self-proclaimed mental illnesses

(Professor Katie Fantworth, £8.99, SomeWorld books)

Following on from the success of books that explore in-depth the real issues of mental health problems, like Neurotribes or The Man Who Couldn’t Stop, comes this enlightening text from renowned psychologist Professor Katie Fantworth, which focuses on shocking cases of real-life individuals who have decided that they have some sort of mental illness for no real reason.

Fantworth presents to us an array of colourful characters, like the woman who insists that she has OCD because she makes people take her shoes off before coming into her house, or the accountant who claims to be “certifiably insane” due to his owning at least 11 novelty ties, or even the twentysomething advertising executive who tells you he is “on the autistic spectrum” because he is regularly rude to people.

Both shocking and fascinating, OCD on a Thursday shows how easy it is to assume a severely debilitating mental health concern purely to avoid scrutiny for some annoying aspect of your personality.

Dissected Frogs

(Eugene Schmembly, £2.99 (Kindle only) Ryeman and Rooster)

Everyone knows science isn’t funny, but with his latest book Eugene Schmembly attempts to tackle this notion head-on, by taking over a hundred classical jokes and updating them for scientific accuracy.

The real reason why a horse has a long face, exactly how to treat a patient who reports to be feeling like a pair of curtains, and the truly terrible consequences for a dog of having no nose, all these and more can be found in the most rational, exhaustively researched and, if we’re honest, pathologically unfunny joke book to ever hit the shelves.

The Idiot Brain

(Dean Burnett, £12.99, Guardian Faber)

The Idiot Brain, released in February 2016, is the debut book from Dean Burnett, prolific writer of Guardian science blogs of varying quality. Indeed, he is not above using an entire post as a long-winded set-up to plug said book during a quiet time of year when most of the Guardian people are on holiday.

Exploring the more ridiculous and baffling aspects of the brain and how they impact our day to day lives, The Idiot Brain features thousands of words, most of which you’ll recognise, and all of which are presented in an understandable fashion following some judicious editing.

Statistically unlikely to be the worst book ever, The Idiot Brain stands apart from all the other books on this list by virtue of it actually existing.

Dean Burnett actually considered pitching some of these ideas to publishers for real, before common sense and his agent took over. Feel free to remonstrate with him on Twitter, @garwboy