2021 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Recommendations
Black Sun
Rebecca Roanhorse
I LOVED this book. It may have been my favorite of the year, because I certainly couldn’t stop talking about it. The first chapter was intense enough that I had to put the book down for a couple days. (Not gory but emotionally loaded for reasons I won't spoil.) Once I picked it back up however, I couldn't stop reading. The characters were both vivid and completely distinct from the 'usual' cast you'd see in fantasy, and thanks to Roanhorse pulling from the cultures of pre-Columbian Americas, the magic, mythos and general background were also entirely new (to me) and absolutely captivating.
Separate from how good the story overall was - look at that cover! The gold just glows in person. It was worth buying hardcover because it now lives in a place of pride on my shelves as art. Possibly my favorite cover of all time.
Go find this book. Right now. You need it in your life.
The Broken Earth
N.K. Jemisin
One of the best trilogies I've ever read. The writing style won't click for everyone, and you have to commit to the full trilogy - books one and two pose more questions then they answer. That being said, the characters, world building, and foreshadowing of twists are all incredible and this is a series that you should absolutely buy and read asap. I'll be re-reading it again sooner rather than later.
Two items that really stood out to me -
There was an ongoing theme of people harming others "for their own good". Parents hurting children, authority figures hurting their charges, all in the name of strengthening them or making them understand that “this is how the world works”. This is something we see in real life more than we should, where everyone will acknowledge that society is failing in some key way but won't make an effort to change, or will even actively enforce it because 'this is how it is'. Watching not just one but multiple characters slowly realizing that they didn't have to follow this pattern was wonderful. Three cheers for self-improvement and breaking cycles of abuse/ generational trauma!
Diversity and representation - No individual character's gender identity or sexual orientation matters to the plot. Instead we just get a rich cast of characters both major and minor with some of the broadest representation I've seen. Straight, bi, gay, cis, nonbinary, trans, able-bodied and disabled, I loved it. It makes the world feel so much more real to show the full range of the human experience rather than just focusing on one thin slice.
Binti
Nnedi Okorafor
Incredible. Binti is comprised of 4 short stories that come together into a cohesive whole. Each can stand on its own, but I don’t know why you’d resist reading them all together. Okorafor does a wonderful job balancing a futuristic sci-fi feel with technomagic - not real magic, but technology so advanced that it may as well be. Binti was my first introduction to the subgenre of African Futurism, but wow! I immediatly went out and bought another of Okorafor’s books, and can’t wait to explore more of this genre.
Uprooted
Naomi Novik
Uprooted triggers strong opinions - you either love it or hate it. I loved it. There is little I like better than an author starting with a well known fairy tale, adding in a large helping of local folklore (eastern European I believe), and then going rogue. The writing style was a pleasure to read and every word felt as though it had been carefully chosen. I deeply enjoyed the slower pace, as it felt very in line with a fairytale being passed down around the winter fire, reveling in the details because what else are you going to do when its so dark and cold out.
There’s a lot of underlying commentary on the intersection of gender and academia throughout the book, which was absolutely top-notch. There’s also an age gap relationship which I didn’t love, but have chosen to ignore/accept since I enjoyed the rest of it so much.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman
I love Neil Gaiman's writing. It consistently hits the sweet spot between 'excellent creepy fantasy' and 'I totally believe this could have actually happened'. His characters always feel so real it seems more like I'm reading memoirs than make-believe, and this book is no exception. I particularly liked the twist of having the adult character remembering the story from his youth, as it gave Gaiman the chance to have several 'layered' scenes, where he could tell it from a child's perspective with the adult in the background pointing out what he realized about those moments after the fact.
All the Murmuring Bones
A.G. Slatter
Mermaids are real in A.G. Slatter's world, but how I expected. This was also my first exposure to gothic fantasy, and I loved it. The creepy background environment, twisted family relationships and traditions, and elements of various fairy tales woven throughout created an intense atmosphere while reading.
The book is first person POV which not everyone will like, but I really enjoyed it. Getting to hear her internal narrative as she grows to meet the challenges coming her way was very satisfying. I especially liked the fact that she isn't 'good', and the woman who set events in motion wasn't entirely 'evil'. Instead we get to follow a morally grey character as she does the best she can to escape a shitty situation set up by other desperate people trying to salvage their own scenarios.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the prose as well - the writing itself flowed beautifully and would make the book worth reading even if it hadn't also nailed interesting characters and vivid ambiance.
If you like fantasy, go get this book. If you like dysfunctional family stories, go get this book. If you like horror, go get this book. If you like beautiful prose, go get this book. Basically, go get the dang book.
Thud!
Terry Pratchett
Who watches the watchman? What happens when trusted figures of authority begin to abuse it, even if they think what they're doing is for the common good? Hidden under twin investigations of theft and murder is excellent commentary on progress vs tradition, with Terry Pratchett taking aim at gender norms, racial conflicts, and blind trust in authority. This is one of the best Discworld books, although if you care about reading in the ‘correct’ order start with Night Watch.
A Deadly Education
Naomi Novik
Harry Potter meets Hunger Games, with a dash of enemies to friends thrown in for good measure.
A Deadly Education has a slow ramp-up during the initial worldbuilding, but boy is it worth it once the action starts going. We follow El as she tries to navigate her education at the Scholomance, half school half murder-dungeon: the school will provide you with an education, but only if you survive its near-constant attempts at murder. El was born with the natural talent to be the next dark overlord, but... doesn't want to be. Instead she spends half her time trying to convince the school to give her effective cleaning spells instead of yet another spell to flatten a city block.
Woven into the underdog story is a solid examination of the impact of generational wealth/class systems in a 'fair' system. The book is excellent as pure escapism, but it also offers a great look at the impact of systemic biases on the 'have-nots'. Watching one of the privileged students slowly figure out that his experience isn't universal was excellent character growth and very satisfying to read. I have two Novik books on the list this year - they have very different styles so don’t write off one if you don’t like the other.
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
"Despite herself, Coraline nodded. It was true: the other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as a miser loves money, or a dragon loves its gold. In the other mother’s button eyes, Coraline knew that she was a possession, nothing more. A tolerated pet, whose behavior was no longer amusing."
Its quickly becoming a Halloween tradition for me to read and then immediately watch Coraline. Both the book and the movie are absolutely incredible. Gaiman doesn't waste a single word, and has crafted a story that gets creepier with age. As a kid its a fun adventure similar to Alice in Wonderland. As an adult its uncomfortable with a constant undercurrent asking, ‘what makes a healthy relationship?’ As a parent I suspect this book would give me nightmares.
If you've been wanting to check out Neil Gaiman's work but aren't sure where to start, Coraline is a great entry point to his work.