Released August 6, 2024, The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley traces the first century in the life of a little girl born during World War I who mysteriously ages just one year for every four.

All fiction takes us outside of time—we lose hours and days from our own lives to enter those of others. Some of my favorite all-time reads are anti-chronological, putting the onus on readers to piece together the story arc of the novels’ protagonists, echoing the messiness of memory and emotion. But I especially love books that directly challenge or subvert our notions of regular time as a central theme or plot device. Here are my five favorite time-bending novels.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Published in 2004, this groundbreaking book has been made into a movie and more recently a TV series, but neither recapture Niffenegger’s ingenious plotting, managing to cross-stitch Clare and Henry together, over decades, while sustaining the unbearable sense of pending tragedy that drives the book forward. Henry is an involuntary time traveller who zags forward and back through time, which takes a tremendous physical toll. Clare knows a 36-year-old Henry from her childhood (in ‘real’ time), long before she encounters a younger version of him before he has travelled back in time to meet the girl he will later come to love as a woman, a predicament that is as outlandish as it is rich. The result is a mind-scrambling mess that makes for a read as challenging as it is heartfelt.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Atkinson’s novel begs the “what if” question of her principal characters and plot, then asks it over and over again. Time in this novel loops back then inches forwards, hitting one dead end (quite literally) before reforging a new path over familiar but subtly altered terrain. Initially, Ursula Todd dies the moment she is born, only to get some different chances at survival—a doctor arriving sooner, the timely provenance of scissors that can cut the cord that’s strangling her. As she grows older, Ursula comes to sense death’s imminent arrival and for the reader, the repeated sense of tumbling backwards becomes both soothing and fraught. As Ursula’s life is recast, again and again, happenstance meets agency pushing us to rethink the roads not travelled or the choices made that might have led to a different ending. Or, as often proves to be the case, a fresh start.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

I had been working for 10 months on The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley, about a little girl who ages one year for every four, when Haig’s novel was published, about a slow-ageing, 439-year-old man whose one rule is to never fall in love. I was crushed. Determined not to be unduly influenced, I waited until my own novel was finished, sold, and heading to the printers before delving into this book. To my relief, Haig’s tale proved very different from my own, even as it grappled with some similar themes: the fragile ties that bind, the dangers of being different, the risks we take in forming lasting connection. But Haig’s book steers mostly clear of medical explanations and follows a unified and propulsive plot arc that makes for a fast, fun read. I especially loved the situational comedy woven into the drama, provided largely through Tom’s sardonic perspective on mod-cons, his second-hand distrust of science, and some of his bumbled interactions with celebrated historical figures, including everyone from Shakespeare to F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

In a dusty, sun-soaked, lakeside valley that looks uncannily like my own (in British Columbia’s sunny Okanagan), Odile Ozanne is a normal teenager with normal teenaged struggles: what’s unusual are the identical valleys to the East and West. One valley is 20 years in the future, the other 20 years in the past. With special permission from the “Conseil,” petitioners can anonymously visit the other valleys to see loved ones from their past, or view those they will never get to meet, decades hence. Time, in Howard’s telling, exists in duplicate, but with temporal shifts that should not be tampered with. On one level this novel is a coming-of-age story with familiar agonies, hopes, and doubts, but for Odile who accidentally glimpses visitors from the future in her valley, there are darker layers. Howard asks, if we were given the brief chance of connecting with our own past or our future, could closure be easier? Can grief be assuaged?

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Zevin’s novel has been hailed as a timely and imaginative book about work—we so seldom see books about jobs!—as well as a tribute to the power of collaborative creativity, in this case, between two best friends who become video game developers and weave in and out of each other’s lives, over three decades. I’m not a gamer, but I loved what I learned about game-based storytelling and second chances in this novel. Of all the books on my list, this is the only one without a speculative element or plot device related to disordered time. Instead, by juxtaposing video-game “lives,” where you can save your level or die and play again, this book holds up a mirror to real-life time’s inexorable passage: how we’re prone to repeating our mistakes, even as we learn from them. And the human instinct to berate ourselves for our worst moments and decisions, longing for a do-over. “That’s the gamer in you,” says Sadie Green. “trying to figure out how to beat the next level.”

The post Five Books That Challenge Our Notions of Normal Time 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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Michael Crichton meets Marvel’s Venom in award-winning author Seth Dickinson’s science fiction debut

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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.