About This Cursed House: In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.

Fall reading can be cozy and cute, but I prefer creepy. What better time of year to sink into a good, chilling story than this one, when October ends with the spookiest night of the year? Compiling this list of scary tales wasn’t easy, but there’s something here for every fright fan – from straight slasher to alt history to Southern Gothic, and much more. If you’re looking for your next terrifying read, any of these 13 horror novels may have you sleeping with the lights on.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Horror master Stephen Graham Jones includes all the slasher elements this movie genre’s fans are familiar with (particularly if their favorites include household names like Freddy, Michael, and Jason). The title alone tells you what this novel is about. But there’s more to it than slashing. The friendship between Tolly and Amber drives this story forward. In spite of the murder and mayhem, it’s their relationship that will keep you invested, right to the shocking conclusion.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates

What happens when a woman inherits not only the family business but the haunted land on which it sits? The past plagues the present in this spooky tale by Darcy Coates. This novel has things that go bump in the night and things that won’t rest until they’re satisfied.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Victor LaValle turns a Lovecraftian work on its head with this novella. LaValle uses H.P. Lovecraft’s racist The Horror at Red Hook as inspiration for a story featuring a Black protagonist who hustles to survive. This is a wonderfully dark cosmic horror tale that uses its source as a starting point into an uncanny journey that cannot end well.

The Girl With All the Gifts by Mike Carey

This take on a zombie apocalypse is frightening and heartbreaking in equal measure. Melanie is one of the most memorable characters in scary fiction. She’s equal parts innocent and deadly, and yet you can’t help but root for her and the people who care for her. In her world, survival is a priority, but there’s still room for friendship and love.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Alexis Henderson’s debut is a creepily atmospheric story of one young woman’s discovery of her true self. Set in a fictional world that has echoes of Puritan New England mixed with A Handmaid’s Tale, this witchy book is bloody and shocking. But it’s perhaps the similarities with real women’s issues (both past and present) that make The Year of the Witching so chilling. 

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

At the heart of many Southern gothic stories is family. Bizarre and weird, but family. That’s what makes this horror novel by the late Michael McDowell so fantastic. Set on sandy Alabama shores in a remote locale, there’s a lot to unpack with the Savages. And as events progress and the sand rises, things get stranger and then downright terrifying.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

A vengeful ghost and a haunted teenage boy whose tattoos are much more than ink on skin captivate in this horror book from Rin Chupeco. The title may call to mind Japanese movies like Ring (U.S. version the Ring) and Ju-On (The Grudge in the U.S.). The story is based on Japanese folklore, and this Young Adult novel has a tension that only increases in its terror.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

In this alt history novel, P. Djèlí Clark uses real-life terrorist group KKK as devilish inspiration. The characters who fight back against the terrors of racism in Prohibition-era Georgia are an eclectic mix of badasses who give the “Ku Kluxes” just some of what they deserve.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

This book about four friends getting lost in the woods is like Blair Witch Scandinavia – and is about 100 times scarier. Although the story takes place in a forest, there’s a claustrophobic vibe that permeates and gets under the skin. Adam Nevill’s descriptions of mangled bodies and ancient rites make this one of the scariest books I’ve ever read.

The Good House by Tananarive Due

Spoiler alert: The home at the heart of The Good House isn’t really good. Instead, there are some dark forces at work here. Add in voodoo, a sinister atmosphere, and memorable characters, and this is one of Tananarive Due’s books that’s a solid can’t-miss.

Bag of Bones by Stephen King

He’s the King of Horror for a reason. While much of Stephen King’s repertoire falls somewhere on the frightening spectrum, this ghost story is one of the most terrifying he’s ever written. However, the scares from the ghost pale in comparison to the tragic events that took place in the past. This one is equally scary and sad.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Morena-Garcia

What appears to start as a visit to a family member, perhaps to rescue her, soon turns into a creepy trip that quickly goes downhill. Silvia Morena-Garcia’s protagonist Noemí isn’t your typical 1950s young woman looking for a husband – but that doesn’t mean the weird Doyle family at the heart of the story isn’t looking to make her a wife, for the worst reasons ever.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

No horror story listicle would be complete without mentioning this menacing gem from Shirley Jackson. Widely considered the best haunted house novel ever, the scares are more subtle, so if that’s more your speed vs. being clobbered over the head, this is the book for you. It’s a great introduction to one of the best authors to ever write in the genre.

The post Top 13 Horror Novels To Scare You This Halloween appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Releasing on March 26th 2024, Dead Girls Walking is a shocking, spine-chilling YA horror slasher about a girl searching for her dead mother’s body at the summer camp that was once her serial killer father’s home—perfect for fans of Friday the 13th and White Smoke.

Reading Devolution by Max Brooks immediately after reading Near the Bone by Christina Henry entirely by accident, without really knowing what either book was about when I read them, was one of the best weeks I’ve ever had in my life. To everybody who hasn’t lived it, it may seem like it’s an obvious choice–two wintry Big Foot creature features by well-established authors, what’s not to like?

But it goes deeper than that. Two years ago, I was looking for fun time horror specifically. I blasted it out on twitter, and lucky me NYT Bestselling author of Blood Debts Terry J. Benton-Walker recommended I read Devolution by Max Brooks. Personalized recommendation by The Moment?

Me being me, immediately I did not read it (#wastehistime2022andbeyond).

I’ve got this chronic condition where I ask you what book I should read and then I ignore that suggestion for as long as I can.

However, one year later, I had this intense reading streak.

I was reading books left and right! I think that I was finally returning to that monster that I once was, that little girl that pulled into the Bladensburg Library parking lot and had the librarians closing the shutters and hitting the panic button. I ripped through 10 books in two weeks, and couldn’t get enough. And because I’d developed a catastrophic TBR from years of NOT reading, I knew just what to read each time. One of those books was…

Near the Bone by Christina Henry. I really wanted to get into Christina Henry’s recent releases, and I chose a great one to start on. Immediately, this book FUCKS. Intrigue, fear, characters you can get behind and tension that had me at the edge of my seat. It was one of the best reading experiences I’d had so far, and I was on a roll.

Five stars, easy.

I wanted to keep riding that high, and as luck would have it I had been avoiding my recommendation from The Moment. It almost seemed too perfect that Devolution by Max Brooks fit the vibe I was riding, a whole year later. At least by the cover, which had me “hmm”-ing about how it just might be my next read.

It was a coincidence that changed me.

I love novels with letters and excerpts and journal entries, I love a Bad Bitch at the helm, and I was fresh off a book hangover with Near the Bone so it felt like I’d given myself another puff of the stuff. This was life.

I started to wonder what other books would evoke this feeling. An aftershock of story, like if addiction was strictly for absolute dorks. There’s no turning back from that experience.

And now that I’m addicted, I’ve made it my life’s mission to convert others.

So, thank you for accepting my invitation to this introductory dinner. I know we haven’t talked since high school, but I’m different now and I think you can be different, too. Let me take you through the menu of horror double features that pair so well together you’ll add them to your charcuterie board.

Let’s dig in.

NEAR THE BONE BY CHRISTINA HENRY & DEVOLUTION BY MAX BROOKS

NATURE FUCKS BUT GIRLS GET IT DONE

Bigfoot. Women. Snow. That’s what this double feature is made of. While you can see the resemblance just from the pitches (adult horror Bigfoot creature features, duh), there are also thematic consistencies that really make the experience feel full and satisfying when you finish. Compassion between strangers, which you often find in survival stories. Strength in womanhood, not to be confused with Girls Can Do Anything. There’s also one of my favorite themes: these big dumb animals are not fucking around.

The only thing I’m not sure of at this moment is if order matters here – is it better to read the stress of Mattie’s life early in Near the Bone so that you can feel the release of Kate’s growth in Devolution afterward? Or feel the dread of Devolution ratchet up from one book to the next, like a frog in a gumbo pot?

Either way, choose this double feature on a day when you’re stir-crazy from a blizzard and need a thrill to get through the slog.

THE SCOURGE BETWEEN THE STARS BY NESS BROWN & DEAD SILENCE BY S.A. BARNES

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND NOT IN A MICHAEL JACKSON WAY

This is another pair of books you can see relate in their pitches – two space horrors about something going wrong on an isolated ship. However, once again, it’s the themes that carry throughout that make this much more enjoyable. Leadership and meeting expectations, even when you don’t want to and protagonists that feel fear but tell that fear to kiss their ass.

I would recommend Scourge Between the Stars first. It’s a little bit denser than Dead Silence, much more rooted in Sci-Fi – but it’s shorter. It’s like an umami-bomb appetizer that balances out Dead Silence‘s horror-focused romp.

When you want nothing more than to relax underneath the stars with your definitely-charged Kindle and a campfire, this is the exact perfect pair for you.

BAD WITCH BURNING BY JESSICA LEWIS & DELICIOUS MONSTERS BY LISELLE SAMBURY

BAD BITCHES HAVE BAD DAYS TOO

Peace and love makes the world go round, but summa these bitches out here need to be put in their place. Bad Witch Burning and Delicious Monsters are both about teenaged Black girls with a lot to be mad about. And as the president of A Hateful Bitch fanclub, them my girls and I’mma stick beside them.

Curl up with some fucking revenge after your enemies spark your rage. Sometimes the bad guys are the shit that should get blown up, and these two books are not sorry about it.

I would read Delicious Monsters first with this one, as it’s a very slow start that ramps up to three-hundred whereas Bad Witch Burning slams its foot on the gas and keeps it there like it’s an unofficial sequel to Speed (Speed VI: Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems).

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES BY LATANYA MCQUEEN & RING SHOUT BY P. DJÈLÍ CLARK

BLAXPLOITATION BUT MAKE IT SPLATTERPUNK-LITE

Okay, I don’t like calling these two “splatterpunk-lite” because they’re both metal as fuck gore-fests, but I don’t want any genre purists to hate me for invoking the name of splatterpunk in vain. These two stories are toted around as Southern gothic, Southern horror, Southern etc., and I feel like those descriptors – while accurate – do not even begin to address where the story takes you.

Calling When the Reckoning Comes “Southern Gothic” is like saying Nightmare on Elm Street is Magical Realism.

“…okay,” Nene Leakes says.

Even though When the Reckoning Comes is a novel versus Ring Shout‘s novella, I think it should be read first. It’s just a taste of lore before you truly jump off the cliff into the deep end of Ring Shout. Both books toe the gore line harder than a lot of present-day horror (traditionally published, let’s be clear – indie and self-published horror has never met a disembowelment they didn’t want to include), and are the perfect duo to read for any of my people who were scheduled to work on Juneteenth.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD BY TIFFANY D. JACKSON & THE HONEYS BY RYAN LA SALA

HORROR FOR THE GIRLS THAT AREN’T GIRL’S GIRLS

Horror is no stranger to femme friendships, but rarely does genre fiction deeply engage with it. The idea that saying the wrong or right thing, being the wrong or right person, is a tightrope to walk even in the midst of the unspeakable happening around you. Themes of anger, acceptance are explored from intersectional lens while still delivering on the creepy, gory, and outrageous.

While these two are very alike, and almost obvious, this recommendation is specifically for their audiobooks. Listening to The Weight of Blood‘s full cast first, then ending on the atmospheric sounds of The Honeys is the perfect way to spend a cinematic Saturday – at 3x speed because we’re all gonna die someday. You get to feel the rage of Jackson’s Carrie-toned ending and then dive headfirst into the quiet rage of The Honey‘s opener.

Only the girl’s girls know that girls getting mad is a beautiful thing to witness.

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT BY KALYNN BAYRON & DEAD GIRLS WALKING BY SAMI ELLIS with THE BLACKENING PLAYING IN THE DISTANCE

HORROR LOVING UNSERIOUSNESS FOR BLACK HORROR LOVERS

I have to end on myself – it’s, like, contractual (editor’s note: it is not). And while it’s hard for me to see myself objectively, I read a LOT of Black horror. There are quite a few of them I thought matched Dead Girls Walking‘s energy – one of glee in the gore and delight in the death.

There’s No Way I’d Die First, for example, is an exhilarating take on a horror lovers’ weekend gone wrong story. The Taking of Jake Livingston may be beautiful (and thus def not like me lmao), but it weaves themes of otherness with horror so intentionally much like Temple’s story in Dead Girls Walking.

If I just chose by theme, I’d never choose right.

So I went with tone.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is witty, full of banter and teeming with heightened tense scenarios, gleefully horrific set-pieces, and splashy scenes of gore you can FEEL a smile behind. Both YA Horror novels are more than horror stories – they are horror odes, explicitly inspired by pioneers of the genre while also injecting a much needed dose of Black culture, Black conversations, and just plain stannage.

These books are written for a Brenda and a Preacher.

It’s for anyone who remembers the moment Bone Thugs N’ Harmony started playing in Fear Street 1666. For the ones who watched The Blackening and got exactly what they wanted. For any Black readers that finish a scene and go—“That was a good kill.” And I think, when read back-to-back, You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and Dead Girls Walking absolutely serve Mo’ Murder beat drop.

(author’s note: I, Sami Ellis, was in fact the editor that said it was not contractual to end on myself. I am sorry for the deception.)

The post Horror Book Double Features appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

If you’re ready to escape 2024 for a little while, then look no further than these upcoming January to June 2024 fantasy and science fiction book releases! With releases from the likes of Sarah J. Maas, Mike Chen, ST. Gibson, Micaiah Johnson, Hannah Kaner, Taran Matharu, P. Djèlí Clark, Hannah Whitten, Veronica Roth, and many more, along with some very exciting debut novels!

Read on to discover some wonderful new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2024 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, our Swoonworthy Romance, and Anticipated YA lists!

JANUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty

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An epic reimagining of the Mahabharata and a blend of House of the Dragon meets Succession.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

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In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

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Told through the eyes of a murdered scientist whose consciousness has been implanted in a resurrected wooly mammoth and this story speaks to the folly of forcing nature down an unnatural path.

Mislaid In Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

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Portals and danger, and a girl who can find both in the next book in the Hugo and Nebula Award–Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

Unbound by Christy Healy

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For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore.

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

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Slip into a lush world of magic, stardust, and monsters in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy from debut author Georgia Summers.

The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

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A love letter to Black readers of science-fantasy, The Principle of Moments is a symphonic, centuries-spanning adventure – unmissable for fans of the spacefaring found family of Becky Chambers, the alternate London of V. E. Schwab, and the virtuosic climate-craft of N. K. Jemisin.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

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Two elven sisters become imprisoned in the intoxicating world of the fae, where danger and love lie in wait. Faebound is the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife.

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

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It’s an average Thursday for Carter Cho… until the particle accelerator explodes and sends him back in time. Carter continuously relives the week never making it to Friday. Lonely and in need of help, he manages to pull Mariana into the time loop, and together they must find a way to finally reach the end of the week.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

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The Atlas Complex marks the much-anticipated, heart-shattering conclusion in Olivie Blake’s trilogy that began with the New York Times bestselling phenomenon, The Atlas Six.

Exordia by Seth Dickinson

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Michael Crichton meets Marvel’s Venom in award-winning author Seth Dickinson’s science fiction debut

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

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An imaginative new space opera for fans of Gideon the Ninth filled with sapphic romance, space pirates, a blind witch and powerful priestesses.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

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Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond

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A magically gifted con artist must gather her estranged mother’s old crew for a once-in-a-lifetime heist, from the New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

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A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

Medea by Eilish Quin

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Discover the full story of the sorceress Medea, one of the most reviled and maligned women of Greek antiquity, in this propulsive and evocative debut in the tradition of Circe, Elektra, and Stone Blind.

Exit Black by Joe Pitkin

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Die Hard meets The Martian–with a dash of Knives Out–in this action-packed sci-fi thriller.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

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Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood. 

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

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Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depths of maternal love, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

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The third novel in Richard Swan’s acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy triumphantly concludes the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one. 

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

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For fans of David Mitchell, Ruth Ozeki, and Kazuo Ishiguro, an elegant and exhilarating literary speculative novel about an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future, and a young girl who spots two elderly visitors from across the border: the grieving parents of the boy she loves.

MARCH 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison

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Luck is its own kind of magic, in this first book in an electrifying new contemporary fantasy series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows novels.

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

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The gods are at war in the highly-anticipated final installment of the Hades and Persephone story, from bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair

Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

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Faced with a coming apocalypse, a woman must reckon with her past to solve a series of sudden and inexplicable deaths in a searing sci-fi thriller from the Compton Crook Award–winning author of The Space Between Worlds.

Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

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Return to the world of Godkiller in this thrilling sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut, where Kissen and her companions must navigate lands of gods and demons to unravel a dark truth at the heart of their world.

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene

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Set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

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A compulsively readable queer sci-fi novel about a marriage of convenience between a Mars politician and an Earth refugee.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

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An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

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The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia,

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

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This cozy debut science fiction novel tells a story of misfits, rebels, found family—and a mystery that spans the stars.

Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang

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From the Hugo Award­–winning author of Folding Beijing comes a gripping science fiction thriller in which three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.

Baby X by Kira Peikoff

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When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder–or the craziest stalker–in this propulsive thriller. With a vivid imagining of the future, Gattaca meets Black Mirror in Kira Peikoff’s Baby X.

Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

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L. M. Sagas’s debut, Cascade Failure, is a high-octane, sci-fi adventure blending J. S. Dewes’s Divide series with Firefly. It features a fierce, messy, chaotic space family, vibrant worlds, and an exploration of the many ways to be―and not to be―human.

APRIL 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu

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Discover a rich world of magic, warriors, and dragons, in which a fearless orphan and an ambitious handmaiden flee from the empire that would imprison them, with a dream to return to their homelands and a determination that’s unbreakable…

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

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Once a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, she’ll have to fight to keep herself—and the woman she loves—safe in this stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale “The Selkie Wife.”

A View from the Stars by Cixin Liu

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A View From The Stars features a range of short works from the past three decades of New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu’s prolific career, putting his nonfiction essays and short stories side-by-side for the first time.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

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Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Wicked Problems by Max Gladstone

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Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone’s Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

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Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first book in a new swashbuckling fantasy series by the bestselling author of The Greatcoats.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

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Discover this creepy, charming monster-slaying fantasy romance, which is Beauty and the Beast meets The Shape of Water by the Nebula-award winning author of Open House on Haunted Hill.

The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang

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A determined young woman in 1950s Los Angeles walks a darker city than she ever imagined in a spellbinding novel about the power to make dreams come true―whatever the sacrifice.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier

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From the subversive voice behind The Phlebotomist comes a story that combines the uncanny atmosphere of Don’t Worry Darling with the narrative twists of The Last House on Needless Street.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

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A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

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Celebrated author Sofia Samatar presents a mystical, revolutionary space adventure for the exhausted dreamer in this brilliant science fiction novella tackling the carceral state and violence embedded in the ivory tower while embodying the legacy of Ursula K. Le Guin.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten

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In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush romantic epic fantasy series, the glittering and dangerous world of the Sainted King’s royal court is upended when Prince Bastian seizes control and a mysterious dark force begins to take over.

MAY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

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The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

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Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.

Road to Ruin by Hana Lee

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An electrifying, gritty fantasy from debut author Hana Lee that takes a royal messenger on a high-speed chase across a climate-ravaged wasteland, featuring motorcycles, monsters, and magic.

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J.

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Fantasy author Marlow has been haunted by what she believes is a figure of her imagination: a mysterious and alluring man she calls Caliban. But when Caliban disappears, her quest to find him throws her into the very world of gods, demons, and monsters her books have been based on for years.

Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi

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A vibrant, action-packed and empowering South Asian fantasy epic. An underdog story like no other – Kavithri will remind you of fantasy heroes like Arya Stark, Fang Runin or Gideon the Ninth.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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Evocation kicks off the Summoner’s Circle series, and follows David, a psychic medium and hotshot lawyer, who must team up with his sorcerer ex-boyfriend and the ex’s witch wife to break a family curse. Forced proximity, magic lessons, and polyamory ensure, all against the moody backdrop of Boston. 

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

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A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

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Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

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The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

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A twisty new near-future genre-bending thriller: Knives Out in space with a Parasite twist. A decades-old murder looms over the glamorous clientele of a high-end space hotel . . . while an unforeseen threat percolates in the service corridors. The guests are about to experience the hospitality they deserve.

A House Like an Accordion by Audrey Burges

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A woman searches for her missing father in order to reconcile the many strange and fantastical secrets of her past before she loses herself completely in this deeply profound and magical novel by Audrey Burges.

JUNE 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse

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The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

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The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice in genre fiction.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

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In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton weaves a suspenseful, charming, and irresistibly joyous tale of fierce friendship, improbable love, and wonder as vast as the universe itself.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba

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In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people’s struggle against colonization.

Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow

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Hearts will race and anti-grav boots will fly in this sapphic sci-fi rom-com, perfect for fans of Winter’s Orbit and The Red Scholar’s Wake, Lady Eve’s Last Con.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

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From the acclaimed author of The Deep Sky comes a thrilling anti-colonial space heist to save an alien civilization.

Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin

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Genres collide in this dark and atmospheric reimagining of 1930s Shanghai for fans of Nghi Vo and S. A. Chakraborty.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

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From the author of A Taste of Gold and Iron – Our Flag Means Death meets Six of Crows as a merry band of misfits attempts to get away with treason on the high seas.

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

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Rakesfall is a groundbreaking, standalone science fiction epic about two souls bound together from here until the ends of time, from the author of The Saint of Bright Doors

The Knife and the Serpent by Tim Pratt

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From Hugo Award winning author Tim Pratt comes a new, high-concept space opera, exploring technology, family and the price we pay to follow our destiny, perfect for fans of Peter F. Hamilton and Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez

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By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

What SFF books are you looking forward to releasing in 2024? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Devour These Anticipated 2024 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We’re halfway done with 2021 and what another wild year it has been! But despite all that, we’ve had many positive things to love forward to, including more Sapphic representation in SFF Books, yes you read that correctly! Read on to discover 10 Sapphic SFF books that have released this year and you can’t get in your hands ASAP!

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
A space opera that is very queer with a high-stakes adventure! Hugo Award Nominated author Stina Leicht creates a world full of POCs and Queer characters within the science fiction genre, friendships with representation, and exploration of gender.

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
From the author of Unnatural Magic comes a new historical sapphic bodyguard romance. Full of action, and Victorian feels, witches and necromancers, and a band of strong women to fight against the bad.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
This is a reimagining of Dracula’s brides, in a lyrical and dreamy way. A story of desire, obsession, and anticipation. Sapphic yearning at opera with a gothic backdrop, a blood soaked tale where the heroine embraces monstrosity, kisses in Cathedrals, polyamorous relationships, and vengeance all await you.

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth
A wholesome Queer found family within this Toronto based urban fantasy! This is a story of revenge, vengeance, love, and friendship. A Dark and Hollow Star follows four Queer teens as their paths and worlds collide. Full of mythology, it’s blended perfectly with the modern era, fae court politics, and fury revenge.

Sweet and Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley
This novel follows Tamsin, a witch who is cursed to never love, when she meets meets Wren who is willing to provide her all the love she needs if she can save their Queendom from the magical plague. Love bargains with life-or-death consequences!

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
An incredible epic fantasy that is politically charged, about choosing sides, and loyalty. It follows Touraine, a soldier who is off to put down a rebellious colony, and in between assassinations and murders, war rooms and politics, two girls haggle over the price of the nation and what price everyone has to pay when their destinies entangle.

Malice by Heather Walter
A sapphic queer, dark, magical retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but this time the princess doesn’t fall for the Prince, but instead she falls in love with the evil sorceress. A tale of forbidden love, a darker side of a fairytale…

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy
A sapphic retelling of the Russian folktale The Firebird with plenty of political intrigue, a Queendom without a queen, and the sisters left with the mystery of the dead queen. Destructive magical powers, richly detailed, court politics, and a bodyguard romance will cause you to devour this book whole!

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
A stunning fantasy story that is set in an alternate universe Cairo and comes from Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-Winner P. Djèlí Clark. The novel follows a lesbian detective amidst murder, chaos, and magic, whilst trying to restore the peace to the city from the imposter who is trying to create unrest.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
A bold, lyrical, queer reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty and can be described as Mulan meets Song of Achilles. This is powerful, brutal fantasy with war and an appealing anti-heroine who will do anything to achieve her goal. Emotionally charging, unforgiving, brutal, and blood soaked.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Recent Sapphic SFF Book Releases You Will Love appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
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A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller
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In Blade of Secrets, the first book in Tricia Levenseller’s exciting new YA fantasy duology, a teenage blacksmith with social anxiety is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
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Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

How to Mars by David Ebenbach
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What happens when your dream mission to Mars is a reality television nightmare? This debut science-fiction romp with heart follows the tradition of Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles, with a dash of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a hint of The Real World.

The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood
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A deliciously gothic story of wishes and curses – a new dark fairy tale set against a Victorian backdrop full of lace and smoke.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
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For fans of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and David Mitchell, a genre bending, time twisting alternative history that asks whether it’s worth changing the past to save the future, even if it costs you everyone you’ve ever loved.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
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Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland is a genre-bending work of Gothic fiction. Here, monsters aren’t just individuals, but entire nations. It is a searing, seminal book that marks the arrival of a bold, unignorable voice in American fiction.

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
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Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
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Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
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One young woman faces down an all-powerful corporation in this all-too-near future science fiction debut that reads like a refreshing take on Ready Player One, with a heavy dose of Black Mirror.

Spells Trouble by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
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Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker
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From award-winning author Sarah Pinsker comes a novel about one family and the technology that divides them.

What May fantasy and sci-fi releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post May 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Despite 2020 being a wild rollercoaster ride, it brought us good things as well. And by good things, I mean queer science fiction and fantasy books! Throughout 2020, we saw glorious queer rep in SFF books, both in YA and Adult. Now the year is over after blessing us with great queer SFF books, but 2021 also has tons of surprises for us. Here are 15 queer SFF books to look out for in 2021!

 Want even more 2021 releases? Check out our list of Most Anticipated releases, Fantasy and Sci-Fi releases, Young Adult releases, Romance releases, and Queer releases.

In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland
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Not only does this book look absolutely stunning, the synopsis is also enough to stop you in your tracks. Here’s the first line of the synopsis: A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead. Sprinkle in dark magic, more queer representation, and a polyamorous relationship, and you get In the Ravenous Dark!

Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders
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If you like a) LGBTQ+ heroes who get to save the world and b) the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope, then this YA debut is for you! Victories Greater Than Death is a thrilling adventure set against an intergalactic war, from internationally bestselling author Charlie Jane Anders.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
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Okay, here’s the vision: mechas, cyberpunk weaponry, sapphics, enemies-to-lovers, and sword fights. Gearbreakers already sounds fantastic! In this queer SFF book, two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose, all the while growing closer and falling for each other.

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
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Get ready for a queer space opera with high-stakes adventure from Hugo award–nominated author Stina Leicht. Persephone Station features a cast that is mostly made up of women of colour, heists, a touch of Northern Irish Crime, and a feminist take on The Mandalorian.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
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TJ Klune is back with another fantasy creation told with his signature warmth and humour! Under the Whispering Door is about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with. And if this has the same vibes as The House in the Cerulean Sea does, we all better get our tissues ready. 

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
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The Witch King sounds downright delightful with its trans witch main character, royal faes, impending gay marriage, and a fae kingdom in need of saving. In this debut YA fantasy, Wyatt Croft needs to face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind, and decide between his people or his freedom.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
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Winter’s Orbit is described as a mashup between Ancillary Justice and Red, White & Royal Blue and, yes, it sounds exciting! Expect romantic space opera, interplanetary wars, arranged marriage for political advantages, and more from this debut.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
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After crafting two novellas for his popular alternate Cairo universe, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark is now making his fantasy novel debut with A Master of Djinn. It features a steampunk alternate version of Cairo, Egypt, supernatural forces, strong female cast, queer romance, and a murder to solve.

Girls at the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson
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With dangers of an epic apocryphal flood, teen girl romance, and a “healthy mix of bad puns and classic lit references”, this romantic fantasy debut is something to look forward to! Girls at the Edge of the World features an aerial silk performer hell-bent on survival and another who thirsts for revenge.

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth
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A Dark and Hollow Star sounds captivating all throughout. With four different queer point of views, a sapphic romance, court intrigue, faes, a magical underworld in Toronto, a serial killer, and a brewing war, this thrilling fantasy novel is mashup of The Cruel Prince and City of Bones.

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
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Two boys lost in space in a sentient spaceship. Doesn’t that already sound riveting? The Darkness Outside Us is a queer science fiction novel about two teen boys from warring countries who needs to embark on a rescue mission to save an astronaut, and also face their spaceship who might be their enemy.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
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A political fantasy like no other in a queernorm world, The Unbroken sounds like a fantastic debut novel from author C.L. Clark. This North-Africa inspired fantasy debut features rebellion, espionage, assassinations, and a sapphic romance between a soldier and a princess.

Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora 
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In the dystopian world featured in Fragile Remedy, Nate is a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population, but also has a genetic failsafe himself. Now, has to choose between working for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay (and die) with the boy he loves.

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy
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These Feathered Flames is a queer #ownvoices retelling of the Russian folktale “The Firebird”. You can expect sapphic romance, enemies-to-lovers trope, court intrigue, and a sisterhood reminiscent of Game of Thrones’ Sansa and Arya Stark.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
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Here’s a wonderful vision for A Marvellous Light: Edwardian England, conspiracies, murder mystery, hidden magical society, and queer romance! This book features a civil service liaison to a hidden magical society who discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

I’m already reeling from this round of queer SFF books, and I know there are more of these coming out in 2021!

What 2021 queer SFF books are you excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 15 Queer SFF Books To Look Out For In 2021 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to get a little history lesson from Clark (who is also an academic historian!), learn more about the vast influences which came together to produce Ring Shout, gain tips on worldbuilding in your writing, and much, much more!

Hello Mr. Clark and thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for The Nerd Daily! To start with, tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your upcoming release, Ring Shout. 

Hi everyone. Glad to have the time to answer some questions. My name is Phenderson Djeli Clark (P. Djeli Clark) and I write speculative fiction set in diverse worlds, sometimes a bit steampunk, sometimes a bit monstrous, often with a touch of magic. Ring Shout is my latest novella, out on Oct 13^th from Tordotcom Publishing. It’s a fantasy tale set in 1920s Macon, Georgia, complete with a sword-wielding heroine and so, so, so many monsters—plucked from our own world, and those in between. I think fans of Lovecraft Country (both Matt Ruff’s original and the HBO adaptation reconceived by Misha Green) or Victor LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom might find it up their alley.

Ring Shout was my most anticipated read of 2020 and it did NOT disappoint! Congratulations on another phenomenal book! What originally sparked the idea for this new novella?

Thank you! The idea for the novella started bubbling up in 2015, although it didn’t start coalescing until I pitched it in 2019. But elements of the story date back to research I’d done over a decade ago in the WPA ex-slave narratives, the ring shout tradition and the music that accompanies it, time spent teaching a course on slavery in cinema (which forced me to watch Birth of a Nation a lot), a childhood spent devouring Madeleine L’Engle novels, Beyonce’s video for Formation, some H-Town (Houston, TX where I grew up) Hip Hop… I threw a lot up in there! Had no idea if that mashup was gonna work. So, I’m delighted when I hear it does!

Over a year ago I did my first Q&A with you and I asked if you were working on any new projects. You responded: “A Southern gothic fantasy. There’s a movie. A sword. Spirituals. Stuff gets weird.” I smiled looking back at this obvious reference to Ring Shout. It also made me curious … How did the story change over time as you developed and fine-tuned it?

Oh wow! That’s perfect. I should keep that description. That was back in May 2019. I’d just pitched Ring Shout to my editor Diana Pho, then at Tor. She’d loved the idea and told me to get started. But I didn’t really sketch out the bones of a story and start typing actual words until mid-August and finished a first draft in mid-September. So, although the main themes I told you about remained, lots of details were worked out afterwards. I even visited Georgia between that time. My first draft, I chopped off like 10k words thinking I was too wordy. My editor chided me to add them back! Then, she provided great advice on things she thought needed more description or fixing. My wife was instrumental in pointing out a glaring missing element I worked in later. Had other readers help me out with my Gullah, etc. And all along, with each reading, I found things I wanted to change or snip or enhance. Some things got lost altogether, for instance these quotes from the WPA narratives by former slaves describing their encounters with the first Klan during Reconstruction. Powerful stuff, but the passages interfered with the flow of the story. So away they went. Also, I had actual song lyrics in there from artists and my editor was like, errr…copyright issues, so nope. Had to become a songwriter on the fly. Then, I was forever dancing on the edge to keep the narrative under 40k words, because that’s often the novella cut off. Think I ended up at 39,980+ words. Altogether though, from the time I started to the final copyedits, the overall shape of the story (its main themes, characters, plot and ideas) remained steady—even as they were more fully fleshed out. In writing, consider yourself blessed when that happens.

I really enjoyed how you incorporate stories about different ring shouts throughout the book as if they are being reported via interviews with older members of the community. As a historian with a specialization in studying “comparative slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic World,” I feel certain you have studied this tradition long before starting to write the book. For those who have not read Ring Shout yet, or who may not be familiar with what a ring shout is, could you talk a bit about this tradition and how you used it as a critical piece of your story?

Yeah, I don’t know when I first learned about ring shouts. I feel it’s something I first saw at some cultural event, then learned more about in classrooms, and finally through research. I came across them again when I was reading those ex-slave narratives, and investigated further to find their collections in the Library of Congress. I was immediately drawn to them: their clear African roots while being a creation of the “New World”—practiced by enslaved people throughout the American South, with similarities to traditions from the Caribbean and throughout Black communities in the Americas. The shout is a way of preserving and enduring, often part of spiritual practice but also having secular meaning. And once you’ve seen a shout, witnessed it, heard its rhythm and watched its movements—it stays with you. It’s not something you can forget. When I started thinking up this story, I found that the soundtrack playing in the back of my head was the shout. Soon I was listening and watching ring shouts wherever I could find them. When I had long drives, I’d play one or two shout songs over and over as I dreamt up scenes in the story. So, the shout began to take this central role in my storytelling, becoming in many ways its beating heart.

You have such a unique way of taking key pieces of history and making them fantastical in your writing. With Ring Shout the most notable way you do this is by turning the monstrous humans who were members of the Ku Klux Klan into actual monsters that must be destroyed. Could you talk a bit about the creation of these monsters and how you use this device throughout the novella? 

It was history and the archives that first gave me the idea. In the ex-slave narratives I’d gone through long ago, former slaves who lived during Reconstruction described the first Klan as monstrous: as haints, dressed with horns, etc. There were stories of Klan members attempting to terrorize victims by pretending to drink seemingly inhuman quantities of water. And while enslaved people revealed that they saw through this sleight-of-hand, they also spoke of the terror the Klan induced and the brutalities they inflicted. It’s not surprising then that some of these narratives begin to prescribe semi-supernatural means to stop the Klan: laying vines out on the road, throwing hot coal in their faces, etc. There were also stories of Black people defiantly taking on Klan members ten and a time and surviving, or tricking them to make their escape in ways that mimic a Br’er Rabbit or Anansi tale. By the time I started thinking up my novella, I’d had these ideas of “monstrous” Klan members in my head for years—thanks to those stories and folklore. It wasn’t a big leap to reimagine all that and fit it into a new story I wanted to tell.

To say 2020 has been a hell of a year would be an understatement. The core theme of the horrors of racism in Ring Shout sadly continues to be just as pertinent today, almost 100 years after the time period your novella takes place. What do you hope Ring Shout will do to help the continued fight against racism and discrimination?

As I’ve said, when I first started thinking about Ring Shout as a story it was 2015. While I can’t point to the many issues leading up to that time directly influencing my novella (Trayvon Martin, Ferguson, Sandra Bland), I’d be surprised if it wasn’t all seeping in there—even if the story is set in the 1920s. That’s how writing is. You’re always pulling in from what’s around you, whether you’re aware or not. It’s either coincidence and kismet I keep saying, that the novella is coming out right now. Certainly, there are themes in there that speak to this moment or any other: resistance, hate, trauma—and how they can be intertwined. Yet, you know I have less to say about what readers can or should take from my story, as much as I’m greatly interested in seeing how they might interpret and apply it to current movements and struggles. This is a case where I really want to listen more than I want to instruct.

Your work is known for centering Black voices in a genre like speculative fiction which often does not do this. Another of the things I most admire about your writing is how you incorporate such strong female characters front and center. What has led you to continue making this choice in your work?

In the case of this particular novella, every character fit the story I wanted to tell. I knew that Maryse was going to be wielding that sword in Ring Shout before I’d even given her a proper name. She arose almost organically. Same with Chef and Sadie. But I didn’t just want strong female characters—I wanted characters that were also complicated and well-rounded, who were imperfect and sometimes frustrating, who just got effin’ tired sometimes and fed up. Because hell, who can be “strong” twenty-four hours out the day? These were the types of Black women I’d known throughout my life. And I wanted them to have the adventurous fantasy story they deserve.

The protagonist in Ring Shout, Maryse Boudreaux, is a real badass woman. She obviously needs a weapon to fight off the monsters known as the Ku Klux, so you’ve given her a sword. I have to ask (because this isn’t the first weapon people would imagine a young woman wielding in the 1920s) … Why a sword?!

Because at the heart of it, this was imagined as a fantasy story. And what says fantasy heroine more than a sword—a mystical one at that? I like Eowyn. But I felt someone like Maryse needed a turn.

In Ring Shout, as with your other work, you build a surprisingly well-developed, three-dimensional world in such a small space as compared to a full-length novel. What are some strategies or techniques you find particularly effective to do this?

Hmm. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. I think you worldbuild to fit your story. If you’re doing a short story, your worldbuilding has to be slighter. So, you’re strategic with it: what really needs to be in there, what builds depth and gives your world character without overdoing it. You enter novelette and novella territory, you’ve got more space to build. You can give your readers larger slices of the world you’ve imagined, and glimpses at things you might not even explain. Sometimes less is more. Make it so that a reader feels that if they could just pull back a curtain, there’s an entire world to explore.

While reading Ring Shout I felt a real cinematic quality to your writing … I could see the characters and scenes and events unfolding so clearly in my head. Would you ever think about optioning your work for the big or small screen?

Sure! Is anyone listening?  *Taps mic *

One last question … When we last chatted you referenced how balancing your full-time career as an academic historian and your writing was a work in progress. (No doubt!) What have been some highlights from each career over the past year? Any new lessons learned about how to balance wearing both hats?

Yeah, it’s really odd that both of these careers “took off” at the same time. A Dead Djinn in Cairo was probably my first really big sale (certainly my first with Tor) and the day it was published I was crossing the stage to get my PhD. So, the juggle and struggle have been real! Time management has really been the big lesson learned—and one I continue to work at. Keeping up with both has been challenging, but also rewarding. It was exciting to return to long form writing and complete my first novel A Master of Djinn, which will debut from Tor in 2021. I also got that much cherished book contract on my academic manuscript, which will probably be out in 2022. It’ll be great to have both in hand at some point.

Will you be picking up Ring Shout? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: P. Djèlí Clark, Author of ‘Ring Shout’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
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In the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Life After Life, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is New YorkTimes bestselling author V. E. Schwab’s genre-defying tour de force. 

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
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Olivia Dade bursts onto the scene in this delightfully fun romantic comedy set in the world of fanfiction, in which a devoted fan goes on an unexpected date with her celebrity crush, who’s secretly posting fanfiction of his own. 

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
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With her distinctive “delightfully fresh and subversive” (SF Bluestocking) prose and the strange, sinister wonder found in Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, The Hollow Places is another compelling and white-knuckled horror novel that you won’t be able to put down.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
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Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror.

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
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A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
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The award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post makes her adult debut with this highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered around a cursed New England boarding school for girls—a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love, and the rebellious female spirit.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
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In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
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For fans of Steven King, The Devil and the Dark Water brings a chilling new spin to the Sherlock Holmes detective duo in a thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
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Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself. A new blockbuster series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma
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Created by New York Times bestselling authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, Foreshadow is so much more than a short story collection. A trove of unforgettable fiction makes up the beating heart of this book, and the accompanying essays offer an ode to young adult literature, as well as practical advice to writers.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
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In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in a Hugo award-winning author’s powerful novel of magic amid the suffragette movement.

What books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post October 2020 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Clark is back in October 2020 with a new release likely to be just as successful with fans and critics alike: Ring Shout. Tagged a “dark fantasy historical novella,” Ring Shout tells the story of Maryse Boudreaux and her band of badass women as they storm through early 1920s Georgia on a quest to find and eliminate the monsters she calls “Ku Klux.” The physical embodiment of racism, these Ku Klux are embedded among the well-known Klan, using their superhuman size and strength to spread hatred throughout the nation. And it appears they are adapting and evolving day by day to become even more dangerous…

Not everyone has “the sight,” the ability to see the Ku Klux for the monsters they really are, but Maryse and her team of women surely do. Merely 25 years old, Maryse is hell-bent on stopping this virulent expansion, no matter the cost. She has already lost too much to give up now. She is aided in this calling by a sword that appears magically when she draws it to mind. A sword that sings. A sword that calls on the long dead enslaved, the spirits of the ancient chiefs and kings bound to the sword as penance for selling these individuals into slavery, and the power of the mighty African gods. Maryse is accompanied by Sadie, a young woman of just 21 who fears no man (or monster, for that matter). Sadie’s favourite companion is her Winchester 1895 and she’s one hell of a shot. Chef rounds out the team, the oldest and the most experienced in combat, having served in World War I with the Harlem Hellfighters, one of few combat regiments composed of Black soldiers. She isn’t known for her culinary masterpieces, though; rather her nickname derives itself from her ability to cook up quite the effective bomb.

The foundational concept of Ring Shout is ingenious — Clark turns the monstrous humans who were members of the Ku Klux Klan into actual monsters that must be destroyed. However, there are also many other historical counterpoints which Clark creatively twists and moulds into his unique fantasy world of prohibition-era Georgia. Take D.W. Griffiths, for example. In Clark’s world, he is not just the filmmaker who created the ultra-racist propaganda The Birth of a Nation; he is also a sorcerer who brings about the second coming of the Ku Klux Klan. Through this film, he lures white people into thinking the Klans are heroes, and thus hatred seeps further into the fabric of the country. Then there’s the use of the ring shout: a traditional religious ritual full of song and movement which gave strength to the enslaved and now gives strength to fight back against the return of the Klan in the world Clark has created here. History buffs will also take note of references to places like Tulsa, the setting of a historically significant race massacre, and key historical figures like Marcus Garvey, a well-known Black nationalist who led the Pan-Africanism movement.

Simply put, Ring Shout is a brilliant piece of speculative fiction. In just the length of a single novella, Clark presents a history lesson, copious amounts of action and adventure, social commentary that is critically important in the United States today, and all the elements of fantasy one could desire. The core theme of the horrors of racism sadly continues to be just as pertinent today, almost 100 years after the time period this novella takes place. Clark also cleverly examines the line between anger and hatred. While so many characters in this story have experienced horrible hatred and tragedy in their lives, they do not turn to feed on hatred as do the monstrous Ku Klux. In fact, this hatred is rejected by characters like Maryse, in favour of embracing the continued fight against that which is fundamentally wrong. Centering strong Black voices and tenacious women at the helm of this story, Ring Shout — like Clark’s body of work at large — fills a gap in the genre, delivering a story readers won’t soon forget.

There are so many more layers readers need to unfurl for themselves as this cleverly crafted, vastly moving novella builds in intensity until the very end. So, I will simply leave you with this … go grab a copy of Ring Shout!

Ring Shout is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 13th 2020. Many thanks to Tor.com Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this phenomenal novella. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Will you be picking up Ring Shout? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror.

D. W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.

Luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and a head full of tales. When she’s not running bootleg whiskey through Prohibition Georgia, she’s fighting monsters she calls “Ku Kluxes.” She’s damn good at it, too. But to confront this ongoing evil, she must journey between worlds to face nightmares made flesh–and her own demons. Together with a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter, Maryse sets out to save a world from the hate that would consume it.

The post Review: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

“As Good As New” by Charlie Jane Anders (originally published in 2014) takes your basic genie in a bottle tale and adds a delicious twist. The world has come to an end but a lone female by the name of Marisol has survived, hidden in a panic room, subsisting on a diet of frozen dinners and old episodes of The Facts of Life. Years later, when she finally works up the courage to venture out of her safe haven, she stumbles upon a genie in a bottle … but this is not your average genie and Marisol is not your average wisher. Afraid to waste her three precious wishes (and perhaps just glad to have someone to talk to after years of silence!) Marisol begins to engage the genie in conversation, in hopes of learning more about what happened to the world around her. Anders presents an intriguing tale that engages the reader in asking: Will three wishes be enough to reverse the apocalypse and prevent it from happening again?

“A Dead Djinn in Cairo” by P. Djèlí Clark (originally published in 2016) tells the tale of paranormal investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi, who joins forces with the police in Cairo to examine the death of a djinn. This death is puzzling, as djinns are nearly immortal; and when they do die, it is not by suicide. As the investigation unfolds, Clark builds a vast, stunning world where fantastical creatures such as ghouls live alongside real-life terrors. Fatma comes to learn, however, that more than just solving the death of this genie is at stake. The fate of the world lies in her ability to unravel this mystery.

“The President’s Brain is Missing” by John Scalzi may have originally been published back in 2010, but considering the current political climate in the United States it remains as relevant today as ever. As the title oh-so delicately suggests, the foundation of this story is that the president’s brain literally goes missing. One day it is there. (Well, if you can call what the man has in his head a “brain.”) And the next – poof! – just an empty space in his skull. As one may imagine, this news would be devastating if released into the wrong hands. Scalzi details the efforts of the president’s staff to solve this conundrum with dry humor and a satirical edge. However, these staffers uncover more than they bargained for along the way.

“This World is Full of Monsters” by Jeff VanderMeer (originally published in 2017) centers on an alien invasion, as a “story-creature” inhabits the narrator’s body, essentially killing him by placing him in a deep slumber for a century. He awakens to find the world as he knew it completely overtaken, transformed. He also soon finds himself being used as a terminal for memories and information, which others download from him in order to learn about the world as it once existed. As memories of the narrator’s previous life begin to flow into him, VanderMeer viscerally relays the pain of what he has lost and the shocking realization of how the world is forever changed.

The final piece in this collection is “Warm Up” by V.E. Schwab (originally published in 2013). In this prequel set in the same world as Vicious, a man named David dies. And subsequently comes back to life with unimaginable powers. Inexplicably his death resulted from an avalanche, however now everything he touches seems to burn. After hiding in his home for hundreds of days, David finally decides to go out into the world … but is he prepared for what he may face? Schwab packs a great deal of action and introspection into this short tale which explores what happens when one cheats death.

Tor.com is consistently known for their bold and innovative science-fiction/fantasy works, and you won’t find a better array of award-winning authors than those in this carefully curated collection. From the Hugo and Nebula Awards to the Locus and Shirley Jackson Awards, the authors included in this grouping of audio short stories represent the best in their genre. So what are you waiting for? Go take a listen!

My sincere thanks to Tor.com Publishing for the gifted audio of these short stories to review for The Nerd Daily. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Will you be checking out any of these short stories? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Review: Five New Tor.com Sci-Fi Audio Short Stories appeared first on The Nerd Daily.