Here's the October SF/F book list!
23 new SF/F books from the first half of the month to check out
September is finally behind us: good riddance to it. It's been an incredibly awful and stressful summer, and the month very nearly did me in. But things are looking up as we head into fall, especially with this next batch of books that are hitting bookstore shelves in the coming weeks. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of reading again, and fortunately, I've got plenty of things to choose from.
October has a TON of books: this first list is a little longer than usual as it is, and there are even more coming later this month in the second list.
As usual, here are some housekeeping notes:
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And with that, here are 23 (!) new books that you should check out in the first half of October:
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu (October 3rd)
In this far-future tale, Shantiport was once a vibrant city that was the gateway to untold wonders deep in space. It's fallen into decay under its current rulers, the Tiger Clan. One of the city's residents is Lina, the daughter of a missing smuggler, has gained a reputation for taking on spying and retrieval jobs around the place, while her brother, a monkey bot, wants nothing more than to leave everything behind to explore the galaxy.
When she takes on a job from a tech billionaire to retrieve a priceless artifact with the power to shape reality, it sets into motion forces that have persisted in the city and puts the siblings in the middle of a long-simmering plot.
Publishers Weekly says that "Basu’s sharp social commentary and sense of pageantry enhance this wild romp."
Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher (October 10th)
In this new installment of James J. Butcher's Unorthodox series (preceded by Dead Man's Hand), Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is now an Auditor in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, a magical law enforcement outfit in Boston. It's not nearly as glamorous as he'd hoped it would be; sorting out paperwork and mundane problems that have cropped up in the city.
That changes when he takes on another case intended for another colleague about a strange ritual that resembles a case that his partner, Leslie Mayflower, tackled two decades ago. Grimsby pulls Mayflower back into the field to investigate, coming across werewolves, artifacts, and a mysterious city under Boston to crack the case.
Publishers Weekly says "the message that determination trumps ability will please fantasy readers who love to cheer for the little guy. Butcher proves that this series has legs."
The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu (October 10th)
Wesley Chu brings out a sequel to The Art of Prophesy with the aptly-titled The Art of Destiny. In that first installment, a prophecy says that a chosen one will someday defeat the Eternal Khan, an immortal god-king that has ruled for centuries. The child at the center of the prophecy is Wen Jian, who was raised and trained to fulfill his destiny. That prophesy didn't turn out as expected: the Khan was already dead, and Wen's mentor, sets out to find out why.
Once a chosen hero, Jian is now just a regular guy trying to figure out his place in the world. He encounters a grandmaster named Taishi, who teaches him about her family's war art, aided by a group of her former colleagues to try and get him into shape. Along the way, there's Qisami, an assassin tasked with guarding a noblewoman from her enemies. When she goes undercover, she finds something that's eluded her for years: a new family, friends, and a purpose in life. There's also Sali, who thought she had a purpose in seeking out the next Khan, only to be exiled with her clan. As she and her compatriots look for a new place to call home, she ends up where she never expected to be: a leader and revolutionary.
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson (October 3rd)
In this new novella from Delilah S. Dawson, Rosemary encounters a soap maker in a farmer's market, Ash. She finds herself enthralled and obsessed with her – she wants to be with her and to be her, and it's a passion that becomes all-consuming, and as she learns more, Ash's darker secrets come to light.
Library Journal praised the book, saying "This quick and compulsively readable fairy-tale nightmare from Dawson (The Violence) will have readers gasping for breath and hungry for more."
Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs (October 3rd)
Sharon Emmerichs reimagines the classic story Beowulf, following a young aspiring shield maiden named Fryda. A childhood injury has left her unable to serve, but when a new power awakens within her, she might have a second chance. As her uncle, King Beowulf, celebrates his fiftieth year on the thrown, she realizes that some of the guests to the celebration aren't what they seem, and she has to figure out how to protect her family and home.
Kirkus Reviews says "the intricate plot thrills and inspires, fashioning a hidden history that at once honors the original Old English poem and re-contextualizes the tale, conferring new relevance."
Menewood by Nicola Griffith (October 3rd)
in 2014, Nicola Griffith published Hild, a sweeping historical fantasy about a young woman's rise to power in 7th Century Britain. Hild was the niece of a king with a sharp mind: someone who was observant of the natural world and who seemed to have supernatural powers, and has her uncle plots his own conquest of the island, she becomes a useful ally.
Now, Griffith has returned to the world for a sequel, in which Hild is no longer a young girl: she's the Lady of Elmet, who's been working to consolidate power in a stronghold in the valley of Menewood. Rivals have started to hone in on her uncle's hold on power, and a war is brewing. When she's recalled to Edwin's court, Hild begins to understand the problems that she'll face in the coming fight, and will have to draw on all of her knowledge of the natural world, her community, and her allies to survive.
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand (October 3rd)
Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is a major classic in the gothic horror genre: a terrifying haunted house story about four people who arrive at Hill House to investigate its paranormal nature, only to get more than they bargained for.
Last year, Shirley Jackson's family authorized a return to that story with a new novel written by Elizabeth Hand: A Haunting on the Hill, in which a playwright named Holly Sherwin has earned a grant to develop a new play. It's a relief: she's struggled for years, and this seems like it'll be a big break. To get away and finish her production, she heads upstate and stumbles upon Hill House, and realizes that it's the perfect place for her to work.
She and her girlfriend Nisa rent the mansion for a month, and accompanied by some actors, begin their work. Once they arrive, the house begins to make its presence known bringing out not only supernatural phenomena, but their own ghosts.
Writing in The New York Times, author Emily C. Hughes says "It’s a compelling and frightening novel, but did it need to take place in Jackson’s universe? Probably not — and that’s why it works. A lesser writer might’ve paid more overt homage to “The Haunting of Hill House,” or tried to imitate Jackson’s singular prose style. Hand, wisely, does no such thing, opting for resonance over replication. In a landscape of soulless franchises geared toward quick, shallow hits of fan service, she has the maturity and talent to deliver the follow-up that Jackson’s novel deserves (even if it didn’t necessarily need one)."
Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction by Margret Helgadottir (October 10th)
I'm always eager to see new fiction from around the world, and this anthology looks as though it'll be very intriguing. Edited by Margaret Helgadottir, it brings together 16 stories from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden for stories that range from dystopian futures to horrifying monsters.
Here's an interview with Helgadottir over in Clarkesworld Magazine in which she talks about what went into this anthology.
Princess of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (October 3rd)
Warner Bros. pushed the release of Dune: Part 2 off until 2024 because of the writers and actors strike, but there will be some Dune content coming this fall: Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have a new installment of their long-running series of sequels and prequels. They just wrapped up a trilogy set on Caladan (The Duke of Caladan, The Lady of Caladan, and The Heir of Caladan), and are now returning to Arrakis to explore the story of two women: Princess Irulan (who Paul Mua'Dib would eventually marry) and Chani, the Freman woman that he would truly love.
Set a couple of years prior to the events of Dune, Irulan has been trained from an early age as a Bene Gesserit sister, and in the ways of the Imperial court. From her vantage point, she can see the machinations working behind the scenes, and is determined to avoid becoming a pawn. Across the galaxy, Chani has endured House Harkonnen's rule of the planet, and accompanies her father – Imperial Planetologist Liet-Kynes – as he works to bring about a new ecological era for the desert planet.
Silent Key by Laurel Hightower (October 10th)
A former detective named Cam Ambrose is coming to terms with her husband's death, chiefly in how she's discovered that she really didn't know him at all. There's an entire fantastical world that she's discovered that he was a part of, and now she has to fight to keep her daughter safe from the dangers that it's brought to their family. With help from a friend and a reclusive neighbor, she's dragged into a long-running mystery that involve her late spouse, his mistress, a killer, and some hauntings before it destroys her family.
The Dead Take the a Train by Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw (October 3rd)
Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw team up for the first installment in a new duology, Carrion City. In it, a 30-year-old magician named Julie is having a rough go: she's burned out, coked-up, and figures she'll never make it to retirement. She gets by working the worst jobs that come her way, making any sort of deal with gods or fighting off demons. Her toughest gig comes in the form of her friend Sarah, who's fleeing an abusive partner. To help, she summons an archangel of justice to try and solve the problem, but that proves to have some harsh consequences that could threaten everything she's worked for.
Publishers Weekly awarded the book a starred review, saying "Khaw’s and Kadrey’s styles are a perfect match throughout, melding Kadrey’s knack for punchy action sequences and Khaw’s talent for gorgeous descriptions as they maneuver their enormously fun cast through a filthily rendered New York."
The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey (October 10th)
Another book from Richard Kadrey this month: this short book is about a pair of detectives, Ford and Neuland (one living, one undead), who make a living of dealing with the paranormal. When a job in New York goes sideways, they head out to California to let things settle down.
Out there, they meet a woman named Tilda Rosenbloom, who's representing a landowner named Shepherd Mansfield hires them to deal with a demon that's inhabiting a remote mansion. When they take on the job, they're forced to confront the house's darker history, and that the monster they're after might not be the most scary thing there.
In the Cold, Cold Ground: An Anthology of New England Horror edited by Ed Kurtz (October 6th)
Growing up in New England, I've always enjoyed how the environment (especially the fall and winter months) is conducive of horror stories, something that no shortage of authors like H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King have picked up on. This new anthology features stories that showcase all of New England from the authors who live there: the book's six authors William D. Carl, Kristin Dearborn, Ed Kurtz, Errick Nunnally, Kyle Rader, and Morgan Sylvia have each written a novella in the state in which they reside (Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, respectively).
Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama, translated by Jeffrey Angles (October 3rd)
The University of Minnesota Press has published some cool SF/F gems over the years: not just scholarly books about the history and character of the genre, but translations of novels (like Yoshio Aramaki's The Sacred Era or Kawamata Chiaki's Death Sentences) that might not otherwise make it into English.
The press's latest release are the first English translations of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama, which I didn't know existed. The films have gotten no shortage of press and attention over the years, but these translations should provide a new way to look at the classic kaiju stories.
Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird edited by Jonathan Maberry (October 10th)
Weird Tales is one of the horror genre's best-known and most influential publications. It's had a long and complicated history, and in March, turned a full century. This new anthology from Jonathan Maberry chronicles that history with stories from authors such as Ray Bradbury, Laurell K. Hamilton, H. P. Lovecraft, , R. L. Stine, Tennessee Williams, and plenty more. It also includes art from throughout the magazine's history.
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele and John Joseph Adams (October 3rd)
This is one of the books that I've been looking forward to ever since I learned of its existence: Jordan Peele is the mastermind behind Get Out, Nope, and Us, and now turns his attention (with help from John Joseph Adams) to the literary world with an anthology of Black horror. The table of contents includes an amazing group of authors: Maurice Broaddus, P. Djèlí Clark, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Cadwell Turnbull, and a ton of others.
Library Journal gave the book a starred review, saying "while some readers might be drawn to this book by Peele’s star power, this is a well-crafted anthology that’s perfect for introducing readers to emerging and established Black authors."
Foundry by Eliot Peper (October 11th)
I've long been a fan of Eliot Peper's work: he's got a keen eye for what the future might have in store for us, whether it's technologies like social media, inequality, or geoengineering. In his next book, he's taking a look at the geopolitics of semiconductors and how the struggle for power over some of technology's most basic tools can help shape the world for good or bad. I'm looking forward to digging into this one.
A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett (October 10th)
When Terry Pratchett died in 2015, he ordered his unfinished manuscripts steamrollered so that they wouldn't be published, and it seemed as though what had been released was it. Not, there's a new book of Pratchett's stories that have come to light that had long gone undiscovered: he wrote them under a pseudonym "Patrick Kearns" for British papers in the 1970s and 1980s. This book contains 20 stories, which fans uncovered after a lengthy search through the newspaper's archives.
Library Journal says that "the stories are very short indeed and don’t quite reflect the writer Pratchett became during the magnificently long run of the “Discworld” series, but the development of his authorial voice and the earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style."
Edenville by Sam Rebelein (October 3rd)
In this debut novel from Sam Rebelein, an author named Campbell P. Marion is trying to find some inspiration after his own debut novel doesn't catch on like he hoped it would. When a college invites him to serve as its writer-in-residence, he jumps at the chance, over the objections of his girlfriend Quinn. She grew up near the school and has serious reservations about returning.
When they do arrive, Campbell begins to recognize that the picturesque small town that they've arrived at harbors some horrors and deeper secrets that threaten everything. Library Journal notes that it's "a story that explores the cosmic and folk horror tropes to their furthest reaches while also providing a scathing critique of academia, especially MFA programs, all wrapped up in one wild ride of a read."
Joanna Russ: Novels & Stories by Joanna Russ (October 3rd)
Library of America has a new entry in its iconic series: a collection of stories and novels from Joanna Russ, one of the genre's most influential authors. The publisher's been steadily adding new SF/F titles to its lineup in recent years, and this volume includes Russ's 1975 novel The Female Man, We Who Are About To ..., On Strike Against God, and for the first time, all of her short stories featuring Alyx, an adventurer-for-hire for the Trans-Temporal Authority, as well as "When It Changed" and "Souls."
Fear of Seeing: A Poetics of Chinese Science Fiction by Mingwei Song (October 3rd)
A number of years ago, I was working on a longer reported piece about the history of Chinese science fiction. I don't think I ever finished it (I should track down my notes for it), but one of the folks that I interviewed for it was Dr. Mingwei Song, a professor at Wellsley College in Massachusetts. It was an enlightening talk, and I was pleased to see that he's written a new book about the history of Chinese science fiction.
Chinese SF has been one of the more exciting segments of the genre: I've loved books like Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem and Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds (not to mention the plethora of short fiction published by outlets like Clarkesworld), and this looks like an in-depth look at the state of the genre over there, and what's inspiring its authors.
Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart (October 3rd)
There's no shortage of memoirs from the legions of actors who've been part of the Star Trek franchise, but one person who we haven't heard that much from on that front is Patrick Stewart, the star of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In this aptly-titled memoir, he traces his career as a Shakespearean actor to his performances at the front of some of entertainment's biggest franchises. (This strikes me as an ideal audiobook selection.)
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (October 3rd)
One of the books that I've had on my to-read list since... mid-high school is Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky. I've lugged that chunky mass-market paperback from move to move, and now, I've got a new reason to try it again: it's one of the latest entries in Tor's Essentials lineup, following Vinge's other entry in the series, A Fire Upon the Deep (which came out in 2020).
This one's on my "Year of Catching Up" list, which I've been woefully behind on, and a ton of you (and Facebook followers) have told me that I should bump it up on my list.
As always, thanks for reading: I really appreciate it, and I hope that you find something interesting to pick up from this list. Stay tuned in a couple of weeks for the second October installment. There's lots of other books hitting stores to check out.
Andrew