14 new SF/F books to check out this December
A big stack to close out the year with
December is usually a time of the year when we don't usually see a ton of books hitting stores (publishers usually want to get them out ahead of the holiday shopping season), but 2024 seems to be a bit of a different story: there are a whole bunch of new SF/F titles hitting stores in the coming weeks.
A couple of other things: Audible is holding a big sale right now, with some huge discounts on books. If you use it and have been looking for a good time to pick up something on your TBR, this is a good time to do that. My own book, Cosplay: A History, narrated by Eunice Wong, is marked down to just $8, a steal! I'm combing through my to-read list to snag a couple while they're cheap.
Cosplay: A History is also marked down on Amazon to $18, which is an excellent price. I also have a bunch of copies at home: if you're looking for a good gift for someone, I'd be happy to personalize it for folks. Reach out to me directly if that's of interest.
If you're looking for other gifts for someone, here's this year's gift guide:
Andrew Liptak
You can also check out past installments of this book list series by hitting up the Book List tag.
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Here are 14 books to check out this December:
Queen of Fury by Natania Barron (December 3rd)
Natania Barron continues her Queens of Fate trilogy (started with Queen of None) with Queen of Fury, in which Hwyfar has returned to Avillion, only to find that her father, King Leodegraunce has gone mad and someone is attempting knock him off the throne.
She takes up the title of Queen Regent to protect the kingdom, but needs allies. King Arthur has pledged his support, but only if she marries one of the members of the round table and she gives up her crown. Arthur's knight is Gawain of Orkney, who Hwyfar is soon drawn to. But there are some complications between their growing connection and Arthur's orders.
Blacklight Born by Alexander Darwin (December 3rd)
Alexander Darwin closes out his Combat Codes trilogy with Blacklight Born (preceded by Combat Codes and Grievar's Blood) in which the Grievar War has overtaken the Empire of Kiroth. Silas the Slayer has begun a revolution to lead his warrior companions out of slavery, while Cego has been released from prison onto an alien world with choices a head of him: he can follow in his brother's footsteps, or remain with the family that he's surrounded himself by.
Publishers Weekly says "The martial arts scenes are as expertly devised as ever, and the riveting plot keeps the pages flying. This sends the series out on a high note."
Rebel Blade by Davinia Evans (December 3rd)
Davinia Evans also rounds out a trilogy with Rebel Blade (preceded by Notorious Sorcerer and Shadow Baron) in which Siyon Velo has brought magic back to the Mundane, but that came at a cost: his actions have drastic consequences: monsters have reawakened and are chasing chaos in Bezim. It's up to him to try and contain the resulting mess before he's arrested and the city is burned to the ground.
Publishers Weekly says "Gratifyingly, the breakneck plot leads to a thrilling climax where all three story lines beautifully converge. Series fans will be well satisfied."
Neuromancer (40th anniversary edition) by William Gibson (December 5th)
William Gibson's Neuromancer celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and to celebrate, UK publisher Gollancz is releasing a snazzy special edition. There are a couple of variants: the signed Emporium Exclusive boxed edition retails for £250, but this volume comes with a special box, is signed by Gibson, and is limited to 200 copies. The other Emporium edition runs £100 and is limited to 500 copies.
Both editions come with a dust jacket and endpapers designed by Daniel Brown, 25 interior illustrations by Marco Luna, a holographic foil blocked real-cloth case, sprayed edges, and a bunch of other bells and whistles. I ended up splurging for the unsigned version, because up until now, I've never really found a copy of Neuromancer with a cover that I really liked. This one looks really cool, and I'm looking forward to adding it to my shelves. (And giving it a re-read to see how it holds up.)
The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn (December 3rd)
In 2041, the United States is in upheaval: storms and wildfires cause plenty of problems, while political tensions have turned the country into a powder keg. It's a dangerous time for a road trip and Kelly is undertaking one regardless, trying to reach her estranged daughter after leaving her years ago for a cause that she's now having doubts about.
Fast forward four decades and Ava and her daughter Brook are on the run from a climate change relief program that experimented on them. As they escape and meet a mysterious woman from Ava's past, they embark on a journey that'll take them into the wilderness, coming together with others in some unlikely circumstances. This is set in the same world as Korn's other novel, Yours for the Taking.
Kirkus Reviews says "Korn’s worldbuilding and character development (especially Kelly) breathe life into the novel as it explores societal collapse, political conspiracies, and the pliable nature of historical narratives. The novel ends with a perfect blend of sadness and hope that refuses to downplay the dangers of climate change nor discount humanity’s desire to survive."
Breath of Life by L.H. Moore (December 17th)
This looks like a fascinating short story collection from L.H. Moore, which includes a number of her stories inspired by history and Afrofuturism, following characters who deal with strange crossings, underwater experiences, discoveries and family legacies.
How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis (December 3rd)
Beth Revis follows up her novel Full Speed to a Crash Landing, with How to Steal a Galaxy, in which Ada Lamarr had been trying to salvage a wrecked spaceship, only to be rescued by a government salvage crew. She comes face to face with agent Rian White, who begins to think that there's more to Ada than meets the eye. There's some attraction there, but they both have their differing motives that put them at odds.
In this installment, Ada had been hired to work for a rebel group to steal some secret government plans for a climate cleaner, but they've stiffed her on payments. She wasn't keen on pulling any more jobs for them until they offer another bit of compensation: a mission to infiltrate a gala where Rian will be attending. He's counting on her to arrive: he's set out some rare items that he hopes he can use to trap her in the act and bring her to justice.
Publishers Weekly says "The result is an un-put-downable page-turner helmed by a lovable heroine who is clever and passionate beneath her armor of sarcastic quips."
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson (December 6th)
The fifth installment of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive has arrived. It's the latest doorstop in the epic fantasy series is set in his Cosmere universe following The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Rhythm of War.
This book is the climax of what he's call the first arc of the series, and The Knights Radiant have only days to prepare for an epic conflict as Dalinar Kholin challenges the evil god Odium to a contest that will decide the fate of Roshar.
Alter Ego by Alex Segura (December 3rd)
A while back, I picked up Alex Segura's novel Secret Identity, and really loved it: the story of a woman working for a second-tier comic book publisher called Triumph Comics in 1975 who dreams of writing her own line of comic books about a female heroine, the Lethal Lynx. She gets the opportunity when one of the publisher's writers brings her on to write the company's first female hero, only to insist that she work as a silent partner. When he winds up dead, she has to figure out what happened to him and keep working on the book. It was a fascinating read that involved intellectual property rights, sexism in the comic work, and a set of fantastic characters.
In this next (standalone) sequel, Segura introduces us to Annie Bustamante, a filmmaker, author, and comic book artist, who's long wanted to take on the Lethal Lynx, now a cult comic that's hard to track down. When the rights become available, she's skeptical of the person behind it: Bert Carlyle, the son of the founder of Triumph Comics who claims ownership over the title. But when she gets anonymous messages urging her to not trust anyone about it, she has to raise her guard and figure out how to find a way to tell the story about her favorite character.
Publishers Weekly says "Segura’s plotting is vivid and fast-paced, and his experience as a comics artist lends depth to the proceedings, with gorgeous excerpts from Annie’s in-progress Legendary Lynx comic sprinkled throughout."
As a fun aside, Segura also wrote a comic version of the Lethal Lynx.
Dust by Alison Stine (December 3rd)
Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley in Southern Colorado after her father has a premonition. They're hoping to make a fresh start, even if the land has turned arid and barren. Her parents keep her trapped at home and isolated, afraid of the outside world. When she's allowed to work in a cafe in town, she meets a deaf kid named Ray, who begins teaching her sign language, and in doing so, introduces her to a new community that opens up her world.
Publishers Weekly notes that "Stine pulls from personal experience, as detailed in an author’s note, to craft an atmospheric, speculative exploration of climate change through the lens of one deaf teen’s experiences."
Mechanize My Hands to War by Erin K. Wagner (December 17th)
Decades in the future, artificial intelligence has become commonplace, and plays a pivotal role in a political crisis in the country. Wagner brings together a blend of stories in unconventional ways: Two farmers hire a pair of androids after their GMO crops have failed, a government raid against an extremist results in the death of a child, the acting director of the ATF navigates his connection to a political extremist, and an android named Ora has been trapped in a room for month refusing diagnostic tests.
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "Throughout, Wagner exhibits a flair for realistic worldbuilding, imagining a future in which, among other changes, health insurance companies charge lower premiums to those whose home health needs are provided by a skilled humanoid robot rather than another human being. The result is a sharply imagined and all too plausible exploration of the future of AI."
Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye by Alex White (December 3rd)
Alex White follows up their novel August Kitko and the Mechas from Space with a sequel, Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye. In that first book, a jazz pianist named Gus Kito was preparing for the end of Earth at the hands of an invasion of extraterrestrial robots known as the Vanguard, only to be saved at the last minute, selected to join a group of mech pilots to try and save humanity.
In this new adventure, Ardent Violet was hoping to get some alone time with their boyfriend August after they defeated the robot invasion, but the arrival of aliens at the request from their mecha allies has upended those plans. As humanity begins to set up relationships with the alien Coalition and the arrival of a new, all-powerful AI, a new discovery could turn the tide of the war.
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "White finds plenty of room for dry humor, tenderness, compassion, and fabulous music amid the chaos and violence."
The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams (November 12th)
Tad Williams closes out his Last King of Osten Ard series with The Navigator's Children (preceded by The Witchwood Crown, Empire of Grass, and Into the Narrowdark), in which the Norns have beseigned the Hayholt, a fabled castle once home to the imortal Sithi and which is now the capitol for humanity. While the eyes of the world are on that conflict, the Norn's witch queen Utuk'ku has turned her attention to a valley called Tanakirú—the Vale of Mists.
As Queen Miriamele has fought to save the Hayholt and capture a traitor, Prince Morgan and Nezeru in Tanakirú have found that their bond has deepened into something more profound than they could have anticipated. As they go deeper in to the valley, they discover an ancient secret that had rekindled the war, something that could destroy both humans and immortals alike.
Sarah Jones, writing for Vulture, says "To Williams, a wise ruler knows when to give up power, and he leaves readers to imagine what that new world might become. There’s something reassuring about that uncertainty. I don’t look to Williams — or to the fantasy genre — for easy comforts, and indeed there are none in Osten Ard. Instead I find a challenge, and that is useful now. When I feel the pull of despair, I remember the work of progress is long and uneven. Our happy ending might not be definite, but neither is our doom."
The Icarus Needle by Timothy Zahn (December 3rd)
Timothy Zahn continues his Icarus series (kicked off with The Icarus Hunt back in 1999, and recently continued with The Icarus Plot, The Icarus Twin, The Icarus Job, and The Icarus Changling) with The Icarus Needle, in which Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene have been recruited to seek out ancient artifacts from a long-vanished alien civilization, the Icari. They've been working for the Icarus Group, and it's recently had a management shakeup, with new leaders that Roarke finds himself at odds with.
When they're dispatched to a distant world with a handful of portals and some aliens known as the Ammei, they're faced with some new challenges: figure out what they're up to and hold off the alien Patth who want to control the portals for themselves.
That's all for today: thanks for reading, and thanks for following along with this column of book lists over the past year. Let me know what books caught your eye over the last 12 months, and what you're looking forward to reading next.