22 new SF/F books to read this October
This month brings new books about fantastical empires, horrifying pasts, and epic space adventures to add to your TBR
One of the books that I've been enjoying lately is Chris Kampshall's The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, an in-universe history of the story of the Star Wars franchise. As the title suggests, it's an overview of how the Empire rose from the Galactic Republic, plunged the galaxy into a devastating Civil War, and transformed into the First Order. It's a really interesting story, one that feels like a good overview of the franchise as an actual reference text. It's definitely a book that speaks to my background.
It's made for a good read this fall: I've been enjoying reading it while on the road the last couple of weekends, and while sitting in my backyard for a short while after work while I let the chickens roam around the yard.
With the turning of the month, we have a new crop of books to check out. October brings a whole bunch of horror reads, a long-anticipated science fiction anthology, stories of fantastical empires, and quite a bit more to add to your TBR. I usually do two lists a month, but this time around, I've gotten everything into a single list.
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Okay, here are 22 new books that you should check out this October:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Suzanna Clarke (October 22nd)
One of the greatest fantasy novels of modern history came out 20 years ago this year: Suzanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. If you haven't read it, it's a phenomenal read about two magicians who find themselves at odds with one another, and work to change the course of England's future through their efforts during the Napoleonic War. To mark the anniversary, Bloomsbury is issuing a new edition of the novel, which features an introduction by V.E. Schwab.
Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes (October 15th)
Years ago, I was an active member on a Star Wars message board, particularly their books section. It was big enough that many of the authors of the novels would swing by to chat and interact with readers, sometimes to ask questions. One of those authors was Steven Barnes, who was writing The Cestus Deception, a novel set during The Clone Wars era between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. I ended up chatting with him by phone to answer some nit-picky questions about Asajj Ventress, and ended up with a credit in the acknowledgements.
After a long hiatus from the Star Wars universe, Barnes is back with a new story, one about Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss. Set after The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu works to come to terms with the death of Qui-Gon Jinn, whom he had some disagreements with. Mace gets a final request from the slain Jedi master: help an Outer Rim planet called Metagos, which had been transformed by a violent solar flare that transformed its surface into irradiated glass, forcing its surviving inhabitants underground. Qui-Gon had once undertaken a mission there, and promised to return if needed: a promise that Mace will now have to undertake.
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke (October 22nd)
In this debut book from H. A. Clarke (author of The Scapegracers, writing as August Clarke), introduces us to a fantastical world where those who control ichorite, a durable metal that's underpinning the growth of a nation, controls the world. Industrialist Yann Chauncey overseas production of the metal and exploits the workers who work in his forges.
One such worker, Marney Honeycutt, has gone on strike with her family, only to see them die when strikebreakers fire on the crowds. A decade later, she finds the opportunity for revenge when Chauncey begins looking for a suitable heir to marry off to his ward. Marney works to disguise herself as an aristocrat to enter that gilded world carry out her mission.
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review and says "lyrical prose, meticulous worldbuilding, and steamy lesbian sex scenes make this a surefire hit."
Livesuit by James S.A. Corey (October 1st)
Over the course of The Expanse series, James S.A. Corey wrote a series of shorter novellas, novelettes, and short stories that told smaller stories around the edges of the main narrative, which they eventually collected into a single volume, Memory's Legion. Their latest novel is The Mercy of Gods, and while it kicks off a longer, it seems as though they're going to be following a similar model, releasing shorter stories along with the series.
The first such story is Livesuit, a novella in which the human forces fight in a vast war by melding their bodies into technologically advanced suits, becoming something more than human. After reading Mercy of Gods, I'm not entirely sure where this'll fall in the larger story, but I'm very eager to see where it takes us.
Andrew Liptak
American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond by Jeremy Dauber (October 1st)
I picked up Jeremy Dauber's American Comics: A History a couple of years ago and found it to be an excellent overview of the medium and was excited to see that he's got a new history coming out this fall: American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond. I've been listening to the audiobook and as the title suggests, it's a wide-ranging history of the horror genre here in the US.
He goes beyond just the textual influence of the genre, exploring how the nation's original sin of slavery and the beliefs of the original colonists have played a big role in the genre's foundation, up through how social unrest and real-world horrors bounce into the genre. I'm finding it to be a fascinating listen so far, and I'm excited to see how he covers the rest of the story.
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman (October 22)
Earlier this year, Ace Books acquired the hardcover rights to Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series (a self-published series that blew up in recent years), and after releasing the first installment, Dungeon Crawler Carl and Carl's Doomsday Scenario this summer, they're moving on to the third installment in the series, The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook. The series follows Carl, a Coast Guard veteran and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut, who're contending with a world transformed by aliens into a video game-like dungeon for the amusement of an intergalactic audience.
In this installment, Carl and Princess Donut have reached the fourth level: The Iron Tangle. It's a super-complicated subway system that forms a complicated maze, and they have to try and get out.
Last Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison and J. Michael Straczynski (October 1st)
For decades, Harlan Ellison promised that he was hard at work on Last Dangerous Visions, a massive, final installment of an anthology series that he had begun with Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions. It was supposed to be out in 1974, and at the time of his death in 2018, it remained unfinished. J. Michael Straczynski, known for shows like Babylon 5 and Sense8 (and an author in his own right) was a good friend of Ellison and his wife, and became executor of their estate. He's been hard at work ever since, promising that he would finish that anthology, and doing some additional work to bring out Ellison's works once again, first with Greatest Hits back in March.
Last Dangerous Visions is the culmination of years of broken promises, heartbreak, and work, and despite the drama and lore around it, it should make for an interesting read, loaded with a table of contents with unpublished stories from A.E. Van Vogt, Cory Doctorow, Robert Sheckley, Dan Simmons, Adrian Tchaikovski, James S.A. Corey, and many, many others.
It is a bit of a far cry from the original plans for the book: Ellison acquired more than 100 short stories to include in it, only 13 from the original list are in this volume. You can see the original TOC here.
And the Sky Bled by S. Hati (October 15th)
The city of Tejomaya is powered by a magical fuel known as calor – collected after the blood rains that fall from the sky. A months-long drought has brought the city to a standstill, prompting a trio of treasure hunters to seek out a hidden stash of the stuff.
Library Journal gave the book a starred review, saying "this compelling stand-alone fantasy explores both personal and societal costs of reliance on a dwindling resource."
Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions by Nalo Hopkinson (October 29th)
SF Grandmaster Nalo Hopkinson's latest is a collection of her short fiction, following cyborgs, the exploration of a giant alien lifeform, nanotechnologies, and quite a bit more.
Library Journal says "Hopkinson’s stories hold deep messages at their core, yet flow with a dreamlike etherealness, even when they’re nightmares."
Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim, translated by Anton Hur (October 8th)
The Empire runs on necromancy, relying on dead sorcerers that are drained of their magic to further its expansion across the world. Arienne is a magical user and has resigned herself to this inevitable fate when she hears the voice of a long-dead sorcerer, which tells her that there might be another future in store for her. At the same time, a woman seeks out a dragon that the Empire has chained up under a volcano in a distant land with a desperate plea for help, while an orphan in the Imperial city tries to avenge his slain friend.
Publishers Weekly says "Kim avoids saddling his characters with the well-worn “chosen one” narrative, finding ways to make their destinies more a product of actions taken than of inheritance. Readers seeking an exciting new fantasy world to sink into will find this hits the spot."
The Mad Mountains by Joe R. Lansdale (October 15th)
Joe R. Lansdale pulls inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft for his latest collection of short stories, skewering the late author's mythos and tropes. Stories include tales of haunted records with horrifying songs, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer embarking on their own adventure to Dread Island, detectives, and more.
Publishers Weekly says "Lansdale fans and Lovecraft devotees alike will be impressed."
The Mountain Crown by Karin Lowachee (October 8th)
Any time a new Karin Lowachee story surfaces, you've got my attention. Karin's Warchild novels are amongst the most influential in my own personal canon, and I've been looking forward to a new story from her for ages.
That new story? The Mountain Crown, the first novella in a trilogy that is set during a war between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor. Meka's people have been driven from their homes from the Kattakans, and after a truce a decade later, returns home to perform a necessary rite: cull a king dragon from the Crown Mountains to help keep the balance in the wild country. But when she shows mercy to an imprisoned dragon and a Kattakan soldier, she draws the ire of the authorities and leads to the addition of Raka, a traitor, to the mix.
Andrew Liptak
Hell, Ink & Water: The Art of Mike Mignola by Mike Mignola (October 15th)
I'm a big fan of Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, and in conjunction with a gallery exhibition at the Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City (Which runs through October 26th), there's an exhibit catalog being published: Hell, Ink, & High Water: The Art of Mike Mignola. This book features 31 new watercolors by the artist, and a number of other illustrations from throughout the Hellboy series.
Batman: Resurrection by John Jackson Miller (October 15th)
Tim Burton's Batman films, Batman and Batman Returns remain some of the more influential films about the character, and in his latest novel, John Jackson Miller's explores what happens in the aftermath of that first film. The Joker has apparently been killed, and Batman is now the symbol of hope for the beleaguered Gotham City.
While The Joker has been killed, his lackeys are still out there, and have been wrecking havoc on the city, while the survivors of the villain's chemical weapon attack are crowding hospitals. To save the city, Batman is forced into action, getting help from a scientist, all while his obsession with saving the city begins to fracture his relationship with Vicki Vale.
The Great When by Alan Moore (October 1st)
Alan Moore launches a new trilogy with The Great When, a fantasy set in 1949 London. When 18-year-old Dennis Knuckleyard, stumbles into a used bookstore, he discovers a book that shouldn't exist, yet he's holding it in his hands. It's an artifact from the Great When, a magical version of London where stories have come together in a reality-blurring world. He realizes that this world needs to be kept secret, and has to find a way to return the book without exposing it to the real world.
Writing on Boing Boing, Thom Dunn says "Once the story reaches that other world and the plot becomes clearer, The Great When becomes a gripping and exciting crime thriller and moves much more swiftly. But that opening stretch can be a slog. Still, I enjoyed the book overall, and I'm excited to see where he takes the Lovecraftian horrors of Long London in the next installment, whenever that might be."
Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris (October 15th)
A woman named Samantha Harker – daughter of Jonathan Harker, Dracula's killer – has been working as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. She has a secret: nobody realizes just how different she is, and has a unique insight into the minds of the world's monsters. When she's assigned to a case with the notorious Helena Moriarty, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, on an investigation to try and stop a beast on a rampage in the depths of Paris.
Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts (October 8th)
My good friend and former bookstore colleague Amber Roberts launches her next romance novel, Haunt Your Heart Out, a spooky romance set in Stowe, Vermont. Lex McCall enjoys her job at a bookstore, and has one rule: she won't date tourists, newcomers, or anyone else who might eventually leave. When the opportunity to buy the bookstore – located in a supposedly haunted building – she jumps at the chance.
When a stranger named James arrives, she assumes that he's just a regular tourist. As it turns out, he's a ghost hunter working on a documentary and wants to learn more about the ghosts that haunt the town. Lex is excited to get involved, but she has a secret: most of the ghost stories from around town are ones that she's made up, and she sees this as an opportunity to mess with their results and save her reputation. But, the most time she spends with James, she realizes that she's falling for him, and learns that his mission isn't as empty as it seems.
Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier (October 8th)
Gaming journalist Jason Schreier takes a look at the troubles that have plagued Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind Diablo and World of Warcraft. Once seemingly unstoppable, it came under scrutiny when it canceled a hotly-anticipated game, Titan, prompting Activision (Blizzard's parent company) CEO Bobby Kotick to crack down on the company and tore it apart. Schreier looks at the downfall of the company, drawing on hundreds of interviews to figure out what happened and what it means for the future of gaming.
Publishers Weekly says "Animated by thorough reporting, this deep dive into the gaming industry’s dark side unsettles."
Dark Space by Alex Segura and Rob Hart (October 8th)
I really enjoyed Alex Segura's 2022 novel Secret Identity and I'm looking forward to its sequel, Alter Ego, when it comes out in December. But in the meantime, he's got another book coming out, co-written with Rob Hart: Dark Space.
I've started listening to the audiobook, and it's a fun space opera that follows a pilot named Jose Carriles, who's piloting a massive interstellar starship called the Mosaic on a mission outside of the solar system. His estranged friend Corin Timony works back on a lunar colony and while had been a promising spy, has been demoted to a desk job – something she blames Jose for.
When the Mosaic experiences some malfunctions and Jose takes drastic measures to save the ship, he begins to wonder if the mission has some other covert reasons behind it, something that Corin also begins to suspect when the distress call she receives is wiped from the logs.
Kirkus Reviews called it "gritty, bombastic space pulp" and that "the stakes steadily escalate, the action-packed plot consistently entertains, and a ping-ponging third-person narrative kindles suspense and keeps the pages turning. Explorations of humanity’s hubris and myopia lend depth."
Model Home by Rivers Solomon (October 1st)
As children, the three Maxwell siblings, Ezri, Eve, and Emanuelle, moved to a predominantly white gated community in Texas. They were the only Black family there, and while their neighbors were pleasant, strange things began happening in their house. The family refused to leave, and years later, the siblings return after the deaths of their parents. There, they have to confront their family's past and figure out what happened in their absence.
The book earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, which said "the twists and turns are carefully drawn, with the tension mounting toward a shocking end. Readers should be aware that the novel features themes of grooming and child sex abuse, and Solomon is thoughtful in their treatment of these heavy issues."
Polostan, Volume One of Bomb Light by Neal Stephenson (October 15th)
Neal Stephenson kicks off a new series with Polostan, which follows the life of a woman named Dawn Rae Bjornberg, a woman born in the American West and raised in Leningrad after the Russian Revolution before moving back to Montana. She's drawn to the revolution that's brewing during the Great Depression, and before long, she gains the attention of the US government, prompting her to return to Russia and join the predecessor to the KGB to work as a spy.
Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review and says "Dawn/Aurora’s early life is captivating on its own, but Stephenson manages to set her up with a brilliant cliffhanger that will have readers begging for the next volume."
Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer (October 22nd)
Jeff VanderMeer returns to the world of his Southern Reach trilogy (which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year) with a new installment, Absolution. The trilogy (made up of Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) introduced us to a world where a piece of coastal territory has been cut off from the rest of the world by a mysterious barrier, and explored by a series of expeditions to try and figure out what's behind the phenomenon. In the first book, a team of four women enter Area X to make observations, and discover that life within the place has transformed in uncanny ways. In the second book, the Southern Reach – a secretive government agency) is trying to make sense of the situation, while in Acceptance, a new team enters Area X to find a missing team member, all while the threat to the outside world has increased.
The trilogy is fantastic and strange and well worth picking up, and I've been excited to see what VanderMeer has in store for a final chapter to the story. In this new book, he follows a trio of new expeditions and their inability to comprehend the alien nature of Area X.
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying that VanderMeer draws "heavily on bioresearch and scientific extrapolations, this foray into the human cost of bureaucratic paranoia and the abandonment of logic to 'hope, prayers, and blessings' provokes, mystifies, and challenges readers in turn. VanderMeer’s horrifying declaration of the impossibility of knowing the other is a knockout."
Thanks for reading. As always, let me know in the comments what catches your eye, and what you're reading this month.