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Fantasy and Science Fiction December 2020 Explore other worlds and realities with our Fantasy and Science Fiction newsletter! These mind-expanding stories present endless opportunities for escape, fun, and new ideas. Try one today!
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White Trash Warlock
by David R. Slayton
Adam Binder has the Sight. It's a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam's life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father's rage. Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby's wife. It isn't long before Adam becomes the spirit's next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings ... including his first love.
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| The Burning God by R.F. KuangWhat it is: the highly anticipated conclusion to the Poppy War trilogy, which finds warrior Rin facing off against colonizers, corrupt rulers, and the gods themselves.
Is it for you? This ultra-violent military fantasy, set in a world reminiscent of 19th-century China and starring an opium-addicted heroine struggling with PTSD, does not pull any punches.
Should you start here? Due to the complexity of the plot and world-building, newcomers should start with The Poppy War, followed by The Dragon Republic. |
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The Resisters : a Novel
by Gish Jen
The time: Some thirty-five years hence. The place: AutoAmerica--governed by "Aunt Nettie," an iBurrito of AI algorithms and the internet, in a land half under water. The people: Divided into the angelfair "Netted," whose fate it is to have jobs and live on high ground, and the mostly coppertoned "Surplus," whose jobs have been stripped and whose sole duty nowis to consume, living in plastic houses that talk and multi-colored houseboats at the water's edge. Neither group is happy. The story: A Surplus family--he was once a professor, she is still a lawyer--has a girl child, Gwen, who's born with a golden arm. By two she can throw her toy animals straight to the same spot every time. When AutoAmerica and ChinRussia decide to revive the Olympics, suddenly Gwen, who's been playing in the Resisters League her parents have organized, is in great demand. Soon she's at Angelfair university, Net U, falling in love with her baseball coach and facing questions of "crossing over," while her mother and her "group" are bringing charges before the botjudge about Surplus rights. An amazing story of a world that looks only too possible, and a family struggling to maintain its humanity in circumstances that daily threaten their every value as well as their very existence
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| The Fires of Vengeance by Evan WinterWhat it is: the sequel to The Rage of Dragons, which follows warrior Tau and exiled queen Tsiora as they plot to reclaim what's rightfully theirs.
Why you might like it: This 2nd book in the Burning series boasts plenty of action, a growing cast of intriguing characters, and a vividly depicted, Africa-inspired setting.
For fans of: the inventive system of magic in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novels, the gritty battles of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, and the world-building of Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy. |
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Chaos Rising by Timothy ZahnBeyond the edge of the galaxy lies the Unknown Regions: chaotic, uncharted, and near impassable, with hidden secrets and dangers in equal measure. And nestled within its swirling chaos is the Ascendancy, home to the enigmatic Chiss and the nine ruling families that lead them. The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that leaves no trace of the enemy.
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Books You May Have Missed
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| The Unwilling by Kelly BraffetStarring: Judah, a foundling whose special abilities put her in danger of becoming a pawn in the schemes of powerful people.
Is it for you? Life is nasty, brutish, and short in this violent, verging-on-grimdark fantasy novel, which regularly subjects its characters to abuse and torture.
Reviewers say: "Suspenseful, magical, wonderfully written, and never predictable" (Booklist). |
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| A Beginning at the End by Mike ChenWhat it is: an introspective post-apocalyptic novel that follows four people as they attempt to put their lives back together in the aftermath of a pandemic.
For fans of: Yoko Tawada's The Emissary, Kimi Eisele's The Lightest Object in the Universe, or Lily Brooks-Dalton's Good Morning, Midnight.
About the author: Mike Chen is the author of Here and Now and Then, as well as the forthcoming We Could Be Heroes. |
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| Finna by Nino CipriWhat it's about: Ava and Jules used to date, but now just work together at LitenVärld, a retail superstore containing an interdimensional portal. When a customer disappears in the store, the ex-lovers are volunteered for the rescue mission.
Think: SCP-3008: Lone Survivor meets Mark Uwe-Kling's Qualityland.
Want a taste? "Here was the habitat for the Pan-Asian Appropriating White Yoga Instructor, complete with tatami mats and a statue of Shiva; next to it huddled the Edgelord Rockabilly Dorm Room, with black leather futon and Quentin Tarantino posters." |
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| The Seep by Chana PorterIn a world... where a benevolent alien presence known as The Seep has transformed human society into a peaceful, post-capitalist utopia where now-immortal people can "recreate" into any form they wish, Trina Goldberg-Oneka, a middle-aged trans woman, mourns the loss of her wife, who has chosen to be reborn as a baby.
For fans of: the ambiguous alien invasions of Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End and Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series; the lyrical prose and dreamlike atmosphere of Jeff VanderMeer's Dead Astronauts. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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