Lists
by Powell's Staff, December 5, 2018 9:32 AM
For so many reasons, 2018 had us running to the sci-fi and fantasy sections of our stores (or perversely seeking horror). From hog-riding orcs to bloodthirsty pretty girls, here are our 2018 obsessions.
My Sister, the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede is her sister's keeper. Managing beautiful, impulsive Ayoola would try anyone's patience, but recently she's started ending her relationships in a more permanent manner — and it's up to dutiful Korede to dispose of the bodies. Is there any emotion as subtly suggestive of violence as jealousy? It's a closely held hatred turned inward and its sufferers burn and seethe with it. Korede certainly does, as time and again she is overshadowed by her beloved sister. But, as the brilliant ones too often forget, a smart person can do a lot in the shadows. Smart, cutting (pun intended), and funnier that it has any right to be, My Sister, the Serial Killer is battery acid disguised as a cocktail! — Lauren P.
The Hunger
by Alma Katsu
The story of the Donner Party is one we all think we know. This book twists and tilts the story away from the strictly real, but the characters and setting feel authentic. The thrills are not cheap, the characters are multidimensional, and all in all, the scariest parts of The Hunger are the parts that are true. — Emily F.
The Cabin at the End of the World
by Paul Tremblay
I absolutely LOVED The Cabin at the End of the World! I was holding my breath, as this fast-moving horror novel was very graphic and scary. But wait! Bad things happen!! Maybe you should NOT read this!!! Enter at your own risk — I cannot be held responsible... — Adrienne C.
Someone Like Me
by M. R. Carey
M. R. Carey's newest novel is one of the most gripping books I've read all year. Like The Girl With All the Gifts and Fellside, Someone Like Me wrapped me tightly in the world of its characters. Fran, Liz, and Zac stole my heart, and I cared what happened to each of them as they fought for their lives in more ways than one.
— Emily F.
Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik
This beautiful book is so much more than a simple reimagining of a well-known fairy tale. The plot is driven forward by a cast of strong, intelligent women who, while trying to simply survive themselves, also end up saving their loved ones and at least two nations. As with any good fairy tale, the treacherous and beautiful faerie elements live just at the periphery of the mundane, and slip into the lives of the characters in frightening and enticing ways, just like this book will slip into yours. — Janelle M.
The Grey Bastards
by Jonathan French
I was more curious about this book than truly drawn in by the description before I started it, but once I did, I read through the day and cursed those real-life moments that intervened (like making dinner and going to the bathroom and stuff like that). The Grey Bastards is a fast-paced read, dark but full of adventure and camaraderie. I don’t know where the second book will take me, but I can guarantee I’ll be along for the ride. If only I could find a hog of my own to ride… — Beth C.
Children of Blood and Bone
by Tomi Adeyemi
Every part of this book, from the writing down to the end papers, is so detailed and imaginative that I know I'll have to read it a couple more times to fully appreciate its beauty. Fast-paced scenes, a unique magic system, and the complicated family dynamics that spur a lot of emotion kept me turning page after page. This is such a well-rounded debut, anything that comes after is sure to stun. — Brianna B.
The Tangled Lands
by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S. Buckell
Cautionary tales from a fantasy land, and what a well-built fantasy land this is! This quartet of stories has me hoping for more novels set in this class-driven world where the rich dominate and the poor must submit (or fight back!). The two authors' stories blend easily together, and strong feminist characters provide welcome perspective. — Tracey T.
An Easy Death
by Charlaine Harris
Hooray! This is the Charlaine Harris I fell in love with at the beginning of the Sookie Stackhouse series. An Easy Death had me putting off chores so I could spend my whole weekend with my new gun-slinging, ass-kicking girlfriend, Lizbeth. I am so looking forward to the rest of this alternate history series. — Tracey T.
Monster Portraits
by Del Samatar and Sofia Samatar
Reading Monster Portraits was like being initiated into some forbidden magic — requiring you to give every part of yourself as it both overwhelms and elevates. This phenomenal sibling duo bring us both poetic and imaginative prose interwoven with philosophy (Sofia Samatar) and absolutely stunning portraits of the monsters that are as gorgeous as they are grotesque (Del Samatar). Every page brims with it's own unique cosmos — meditating on how power and the monster relate, and what it means to exist between worlds yet never be welcome in either. This is a sacred book, gifting us with a vibrant mythology for anyone who exists outside the margins. — Cosima C.
Smoke Eaters
by Sean Grigsby
Killer dragons, fireman, and menacing droids = a fast-paced, hilarious book you need to have in your life. The antics and camaraderie of Cole Brannigan and the other rookies had me laughing out loud frequently on my bus commute. I sincerely hope there are follow-up books that will give us closer looks at the other team members. I get the feeling that Renfro must have some hidden secrets I just need to know more of.
— Mecca A.
Pinky and Pepper Forever
by Ivy Atoms
I never thought a surreal comic about gay puppygirls in love and in art school (and, after their tragic suicides, in hell) would ever make me cry, but here we are. Pinky, the performance artist of the relationship, literally gives her life to art and Pepper (the painter) follows soon after. There's something so brilliant about a depiction of hell that leans into the worst of Catholic guilt so as to thoroughly subvert it: a hell where queer artists, through vivacious masochism and dedication to each other, thrive. Ivy Atoms says so much with so little, and has created something that could help anyone who gives their life to love and art to flourish. — Cosima C.
Monstress, Volume 1
by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
The plot of Monstress is thick, and the art is breathtaking. The intricate details of the art style reflect the dark depths of the plot. Throughout my entire reading I felt as if there were secrets just below the surface. I can't wait for further volumes to reveal even more of this world. — Junix S.
Home After Dark
by David Small
David Small's gripping graphic novel, Home After Dark, is both gritty and tender, a look into a young teen's life as he navigates a tumultuous, dysfunctional relationship with his father and burgeoning friendships, which in 1950s California has undercurrents of violence, racism, and homophobia. Although it's set decades in the past, the prejudices and cruelty have an all-too-real feeling in the modern day, which makes reading books like this so important. — Maya M.
Saga, Volume 9
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Going too far is not something Brian K. Vaughan believes in. He has, and I assume will always, push the boundaries of genre and storytelling, particularly in this ninth volume of Saga. There's still the same mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and realism; the same gorgeous illustrating by Staples; the same rich world full of the crazy, interesting characters that I love; and the same storylines that are firmly planted in their world, yet hit on real issues we face today. But everything is elevated a couple notches. Though the ending wrecked me, it's a reminder that life is beautiful, yet often terrible, but love always wins. — Michelle L.
The Book of M
by Peng Shepherd
This is beautiful magical realism; accept the story premise that you are dropped into and then let all the emotions flow. This dystopian story starts out quiet and small then snowballs to a Big Bang ending with a heartbreaker denouement. I’ll think about The Book of M for a long time. — Tracey T.
Iron Gold
by Pierce Brown
You need to have read books 1-3 of the Red Rising series for Iron Gold to make much sense (why are you still reading this? Get those books!), but as good as those books are, Iron Gold is more finely crafted; Brown’s laser focus on the internal lives of his characters, and on the ambiguity of war, turns what could be a slam-dunk sci-fi epic into a slam-dunk sci-fi epic that’ll make you cry. — Moses M.
Space Opera
by Catherynne M. Valente
This book is like if Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy had a baby with Ziggy Stardust and Eurovision. Valente's use of language is beautiful, funny, and it will not stop for you in this glitter- and stardust-strewn story of when aliens first come to earth. The universal community has decided that wars are stupid and instead they hold a music competition to work through the competitive nature of civilization. The punishment for last place is the destruction of the planet, so you had better rock your heart out. I cannot overstress how fun this book was to read. — Shayna O.
Semiosis
by Sue Burke
The only thing wrong with this spectacular debut is that it isn’t long enough. In Semiosis, a group of humans land on a new planet lush with sentient plant life. Burke’s descriptions of the people and plants are so detailed and fascinating that you don’t want to let them go — but you’ll have to, because the book races through several generations of settlers, exploring how they learn to communicate and coexist with the hostile plants. The world building is extraordinary; Burke’s an author to watch. — Matt K.
Blackfish City
by Sam J. Miller
A fiercely imaginative book that inhabits an intriguing narrative space between utopia and dystopia, Blackfish City is the story of a post-climate change refugee settlement in the Arctic Circle run by algorithms and oligarchs, but soon under the thrall of a threatening woman who rides an orca and keeps a chained polar bear at her side. A parable for the 21st century, Blackfish City comments cogently on issues like technology, inequality, corruption, and identity while telling a thrilling, creepy, and kind of hopeful story of survival for all against the odds. — Lucinda G.
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