Hi, Molly! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! Sure! I’m a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I’m the author of the weird western Vermilion, Creatures of Will and Temper, and lots of short fiction. Recently, I’ve been working with the estate of C.L. Moore to revive the first woman S&S heroine, Jirel of Joiry. I’ve written three Jirel stories so far, for New Edge Sword & Sorcery magazine, and more are coming!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My first publication was when I was still in elementary school—a poem in the local newspaper—so I’d say pretty much forever! My parents were both big readers, and so was I from a young age. I started writing more ambitiously in middle school, but never pursued publication until about twenty years ago.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading:
  • A “Little Golden Book” called Toad Flies High, based on The Wind in the Willows
• The one that made you want to become an author:
  • Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about:
  • Neuromancer by William Gibson

Your latest novella, And Side by Side They Wander, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Philosophical art heist in space!

What can readers expect?

A fast-paced far-future museum caper that focuses on why people would want to pull of an art heist to begin with (apart from remunerative rewards). It’s a short book—only about 100 pages!—but there’s a little bit of everything, when “everything” means thinking about what art means, the reasons we’re fascinated but repelled by forgeries, the culture of the copy, a love story…bug-eyed aliens…a sentient mycelium…and more!

Where did the inspiration for And Side by Side They Wander come from?

Back in 2020 I read an article about some tech guys who decided they could solve the problem of the repatriation of the Parthenon marbles by digitally scanning the marbles, quarrying stone from the same quarries, and using lasers to perfectly reproduce them. That way, the UK and Greece could both have them. Predictably, Greece was like “we don’t want reproductions, we want our originals back,” and the UK was like “we’ll see you in court.” The strong reaction to the idea of trying to use technologies to try to make perfect reproductions of works of art really grabbed me.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really enjoyed constructing the alien pilot/getaway driver, Tchik-Tchik. The characters don’t know if Tchik-Tchik is this being’s name, or the name of their species, due to translation issues. I wanted to create a truly “alien” alien, so that was a lot of fun!

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I got the idea for this in 2020, as I said, but I didn’t start writing it until early 2023. It was strange to write and revise this as generative AI was starting to (try to) take over creative spaces. I also did a bit of revising after the 2024 election here in the US. The book always dealt with irresponsible billionaires and their political and social ambitions, but Elon Musk’s involvement with the election and the DOGE stuff in early 2025 meant I went back in to change some things as I did my final tweaking with my editor.

What’s next for you?

I mentioned the Jirel revival project, and right now we’re gearing up to launch the crowdfund for the first-ever Jirel of Joiry novella. It’s called Blue Fire, and if any readers are interested in campaign updates, they can sign up here! I also have a novella out next year called Ferry-Loupers, which is a folk horror story based on a real-life incident…in 1814, on Christmas Day, a person informed the newly appointed sheriff of Orkney that a tenant farmer was destroying the Standing Stones of Stenness. The sheriff rode out that instant to put a stop to it, but the story didn’t end there. I heard about this while traveling on Orkney a few years ago and knew there was a story in there!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I just read and enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new noir, The Intrigue, which will be out soon! I also managed to get an advance copy of Robert Jackson Bennett’s new Ana and Din mystery, A Trade of Blood. It was, unsurprisingly, super good. I think Joe Abercrombie is writing a sequel to his The Devils, which I quite enjoyed, so I’m looking forward to that, and W.P. Wiles’ sequel to the fabulous The Last Blade Priest, The Dead Man’s Empire, just came out. In terms of not-new books I’m reading, I’m finally making my way through Moby-Dick, and it’s fabulous! So funny.

Will you be picking up And Side by Side They Wander? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Molly Tanzer, Author of ‘And Side by Side They Wander’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you have or will be reading one!

Artemis by Andy Weir | Goodreads

Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. Smuggling helps when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But it’s just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit riskier than the first.

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter | Goodreads

Ten years ago Abby Williams left her small town and now works as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, but a new case takes her back home. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town’s most high-profile company and economic heart, she discovers connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good. As Abby tries to find out what really happened, she unearths a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.

The Night Language by David Rocklin | Goodreads

Prince Alamayou of Abyssinia is taken from his home to the court of Queen Victoria, a world he knows nothing about. With him is Philip Layard, a young apprentice to one of the doctors on the battlefield, who becomes Alamayou’s guardian, only friend, and eventually, the love of his life. When Parliament accuses Alamayou of murder, he is sentenced to return to Abyssinia, where he will be executed. His only hope comes from the very thing that cannot be uttered: the unexpected and forbidden love between Alamayou and Philip.

Jade City by Fonda Lee | Goodreads

Magical jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon with the Green Bone warriors, including the Kaul family, using it to enhance their abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion. A new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon’s bustling capital city and they care about nothing but protecting their own. When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone—even foreigners—wield jade, causing the Kauls and the rival Ayt family to erupt into violence. The outcome will determine the fate of all Green Bones and of Kekon itself.

American Drifter by Heather Graham and Chad Michael Murray | Goodreads

River Roulet, a young US Army veteran struggles to shake the horrors of his past, as the memories remain. In Rio de Janeiro, it seems he is pulling his life together at last when he meets the enchanting Natal, an impassioned journalist who lives with the gangster that rules Rio. They two flee together into the interior of Brazil, where they are pursued by the drug lord, Tio Amato, and his men. River is forced to kill one of those men, the chase becomes even deadlier and the Brazilian government jumps on their trail as well.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer | Goodreads

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they are a symbol of hope and courage…except to the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. Closing in on her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Murder In The Lincoln White House by C.M. Gleason | Goodreads

At the inaugural ball, Lincoln’s entourage is on their guard, but trouble comes nonetheless when a man is found stabbed to death. Lincoln dispatches Quinn, his assistant and jack-of-all-trades, instead of Allan Pinkerton, the head of security, to discreetly investigate. New to Washington, he must navigate through high society, political personages, and a city preparing for war in order to solve the crime. He finds unexpected allies in Sophie Gates, a female journalist and Dr. Hilton, a free man of color. With their help, he must make haste to solve the murder if he is to protect the president he’s pledged to serve.

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada | Goodreads

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. In her world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. Her father is a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague but he was kidnapped by a shadowy organisation called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own. When Cole, a Cartaxus soldier arrives with news he has been killed with a message he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it.

The Overneath by Peter S. Beagle | Goodreads

An odd couple patrols a county full of mythological beasts and ornery locals. A familiar youngster from the world of The Last Unicorn is gifted in magic but terrible at spell-casting. A seemingly incorruptible judge meets his match in a mysterious thief who steals his heart. Two old friends discover that the Overneath goes anywhere, including locations better left unvisited.

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris | Goodreads

When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on. After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded kids. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they’ll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso’s villainous clutches.

A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake | Goodreads

After the sudden death of her troubled mother, struggling Harvard grad student Kate Drayton flees to Charleston, South Carolina, the place where her parents met. Convinced it holds the key to understanding her family, she’s determined to unearth information on a failed 1822 slave revolt—the subject of her mother’s own research. Nearly two centuries earlier, Tom Russell grappled with a terrible choice: arm the uprising or keep his own neck out of the noose and protect the woman he loves. Kate’s attempts to discover what drove her mother’s obsession with Charleston’s history are derailed by a horrific massacre in the very same landmark church.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg | Goodreads

Arthur, a widow, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who is avoiding school by hiding out at the cemetery, where Arthur goes every day for lunch to have imaginary conversations with his late wife, and think about the lives of others. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation. Maddy gives Arthur the name Truluv, for his loving and positive responses to every outrageous thing she says or does. With Arthur’s nosy neighbor Lucille, they create a loving and unconventional family, proving that life’s most precious moments are sweeter when shared.

Find more November releases here!

The post November Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.