Sometimes the sequel is nearly as good as the original. For all of these fun books, I recommend that you read the original first, and then lower your expectations just a wee bit for the sequel.
26 Best Grimdark Books
Art by Kai Lim
Grimdark is a fantasy subgenre that is particularly dystopian, amoral, or violent. Its protagonists tend toward the conflicted antihero, and its worlds are often brutal and nihilistic. The writing also tends to be much grittier and realistic. A whimsical quest to get the magic doohickey this is not.
The slightly overwrought term is inspired by the tagline of the tabletop strategy game Warhammer 40,000: “In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.”
Review: Hearts of Oak by Eddie Robson
There’s a sub-sub-sub genre of books out there I’ll call “Baffling Worlds.” The main character is in a world so bizarre and with such strange rules that it’s not clear whether they’re on an alien planet, in a magical landscape, or in a surreal dream. The focus of the book is not on character development or having adventures, but in the reader slowly learning about how this strange world works. Hearts of Oak is one of these books.
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Best Indie Science Fiction Books
These books are all self-published, or at least began their life as self-published.
Review: Redshirts by John Scalzi
In the way that Galaxy Quest is my favorite Star Trek movie, Redshirts is my favorite Star Trek novel. That is, they don’t technically take place in the Star Trek universe, but close enough. And they’re hilarious.
Best Science Fiction Books with Numbers in the Title
15 Best Weird Fantasy Books
Weird fantasy has to leave me with a “That was great, but what the hell did I just read?” feeling. The books below all fit the bill. Continue reading
The Best Space Battle Books
Sometimes you just want big ships with big guns going after each other. And if there are whole fleets of ships doing the same thing, so much the better.
22 Best Mundane Science Fiction Books
“Mundane” science fiction focuses on already-existing or very plausible technology. No ray guns, warp drives, or time travel here. It’s an unfortunate name, since “mundane” also means “boring,” and these stories are anything but.
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