Sci-fi and Fantasy for Adults
While I mostly read books “for kids,” my teen is now mostly reading books “for adults.” We’ve had fun discovering some awesome sci-fi and fantasy reads together. The picks below range broadly from fairy-tale inflected to horror.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)
A historical fantasy set in New York where the main characters are a golem and a jinni who become friends. The writing is gorgeous, the descriptions are captivating, and the characters believable even in their fantastical beings. Written by a fellow Carleton College alum! Go Carls!
Lock In by John Scalzi (2014)
A pandemic has changed the world. Many died from the illness, and others survived only to be “locked in” their bodies, alive and thinking but unable to move or communicate. The government provided funding to create technology to make the world accessible to these victims. That funding is about to end. And then the murders begin. A riveting read.
Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire (started 2016)
What happens to children who have gone through doors to magical worlds and then returned to this reality? One option is to attend a boarding school for others like them, where they try to cope with being stuck in this world and wait for the day when their magic doorway reappears. The series follows many different characters, sometimes in this world, sometimes in the magic worlds, and sometimes in between.
Ninth House series by Leigh Bardugo (started 2019)
Bardugo’s horror series involves New Haven, Yale, and the occult, imagining a world where the secret societies of the University aren’t just networking tools for the elite but portals to the demonic. I read the first in the series while homebound during the early pandemic and loved getting to “visit” New Haven through Bardugo’s book.
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal (2022)
A murder mystery on a spaceship bound for Mars. Kowal pays homage to The Thin Man with this suspenseful romp — there’s even a lovable pup. Tesla Crane is on her honeymoon. She’s traveling incognito since her notoriety as an heiress and inventor could attract unwanted attention. But when her husband is accused of a murder on the ship, she sets out to solve the crime and prove his innocence.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (2022)
A fresh take on the fairytale genre. Although at times dark, this book has warmth and heart. Marra is the third-born princess. Her sisters are married off for political connections. She realizes that the matches are not happily-ever-after endings and seeks magical help to save them.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023)
One of my favorite books of 2023. Violet believed she would grow up to be a scribe, like her beloved late father. But when she comes of age, her mother (the commanding general of the military) demands that she enter training to become a dragon rider. The training to be a rider leaves many dead even before graduation, and Violet must use her cunning, instincts, and alliances to survive. Book 2 of the series is already out!
The Future by Naomi Alderman (2023)
This book manages to be about the power and danger of social media and the internet, love in the modern world, and religion and belief. When Martha and Zhen meet, the attraction is immediate but both are keeping secrets. Martha is the daughter of a cult-leader, a community she escaped as a teen. She is now the assistant to the man who runs one of the three most powerful tech companies. Zhen is a refugee who has turned her survival skills into internet fame.