Enica/ October 24, 2019/ Walker's Bookshelf

With its ability to take one from a different place or a different time, science fiction and fantasy novels are for those who are looking for the ultimate escapist reading experience. Here are some of the new titles we recommend.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

What happens: Assigned to the case of a suicide victim who claimed her son’s existence had been erased, investigator Barry Sutton follows leads to the outbreak of a memory-altering disease and the technological innovations of a controversial neuroscientist.

Why read it: For those who would like to introduce themselves to the science fiction genre, this is a thought-provoking and riveting book that reads like a suspense.

Who would like it: Long-time Michael Crichton fans will enjoy Blake Crouch.

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

What happens: A mysterious epidemic of sleepwalking accelerates societal collapse as sufferers and their caregivers traverse a deeply divided near-future United States.

Why you might like it: 
Unfolding from multiple perspectives, this sprawling yet suspenseful apocalyptic novel combines action with explorations of contemporary social issues.

For fans of: Stephen King’s The Stand.

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

What is it about: When a wise-cracking, curse-spewing narrator identifies himself as a Seattle-born talking crow named S.T. who’s just witnessed an eyeball popping out of his “MoFo” owner’s head, readers willing to get on board this bizarrely captivating debut novel will know they’re in for a bumpy ride, seat belts not included (Booklist).

Would you like it: If you’re looking for quirky stories or a good adventure story with engaging characters, Hollow Kingdom might be for you.

For fans of: Nora Robert’s Year One and Jeff VanderMeer’s Borne.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

What happens: After 18-year-old Casiopea Tun accidentally reanimates Hun-Kamé, Lord of Shadows, she must accompany the Mayan death god on a quest to regain his stolen body parts and defeat his brother.

Why you might like it: the evocative 1920s Mexico setting; a slow-building romance; and a quest storyline that unfolds like a dark fairy tale.

About the author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things.

Meet Me in the Future: Stories by Kameron Hurley

What it is: a short story collection by speculative fiction writer Kameron Hurley, containing “16 hard-edged pieces that gleam like gems in a mosaic” (Publishers Weekly).

Don’t miss: “When We Fall,” a prequel to The Stars are Legion, and “The Light Brigade,” which became the novel of the same name.

Reviewers say: “These are stories that pack a punch” (Booklist).

A People’s Future of the United States

What you’ll find: 25 dystopian and utopian visions of the future by writers of color, LGBTQIA writers, Muslim writers, and other underrepresented voices in speculative fiction.

Includes: stories by Charlie Jane Anders, Omar El-Akkad, N.K. Jemisin, Seanan McGuire, Daniel José Older, and Charles Yu, to name just a few.

For fans of: anthologies such as Octavia’s Brood, edited by Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha or New Suns, edited by Nisi Shawl.

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