Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series, the Carve the Mark duology, The End and Other Beginnings collection of short fiction, and many short stories and essays. Chosen Ones, available now, is her first novel for adults.
Veronica shares with us a list of five books that are perfect for readers who want a dash of the futuristic or fantastical in their books, but aren’t quite ready to go to another planet or another world yet! And better yet, all of these books are available to read on Scribd! Plus, she also answers a few questions that we had for her!
Q: When reading a fantasy or science fiction novel, do you find there is a certain element that really hooks you into the story, such as the characters, setting, or something else?
Honestly, what hooks me initially is usually the premise—that central idea, or twist on reality, or vision of the future with which the book is primarily concerned. But over time, I’ve found that to be a less reliable measure of whether I’ll actually enjoy a story than character. I don’t care about likability, particularly, but I do care about whether the character is interesting. So now I rely more on recommendations from friends or trusted sources than my own instincts. A good writer with a compelling protagonist can sell me on an idea I wasn’t originally on board with.
Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey
A private investigator takes a job investigating a murder at a magic school in California. Our PI never developed magic ability, much to her dismay—so we enter that world with the same longing for specialness that she does. Whether it’s the “murder investigation” part of that summary that grabs you or the “magic school” part, this winsome, clever book will definitely engage you.
Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
A young woman gets recruited to attend a magic school known as the Institute of Special Technologies—but “magic” in this book is less whimsical and more dark, strange, and twisted…and comes at a high cost. This book is just as much about existential questions and the psychology of its main character as it is about its fantasy trappings. Unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
The School for Wayward Children is a place for the young people who went on adventures in fantasy realms (think Alice in Wonderland) to readjust to our world again—with varying degrees of success. This novella (the first of a series that can be read in any order) strikes a great balance between taking the emotional reality of its characters seriously and winking at the reader. If you yourself want to keep one foot in reality and one foot in fantasy, this series is the perfect way to do it.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
In a perfect future—one without hunger, disease, or war—one of the biggest problems is population control. That’s where the Scythes come in: they perform the necessary service of culling the population at random. But any group of flawed human beings comes with corruption. A fascinating series that offers a fresh take on “dystopia” for those who are craving one—or those who didn’t know they were.
Want by Cindy Pon
In a futuristic Taipei, there’s a huge gap between the “haves” and the “have nots”—if you’re wealthy, you can afford a special suit to protect you from pollution and disease, and if you’re not…well, you can’t. A young man determined to fight for change tries to infiltrate the upper echelons of his society, and things get complicated. This is a unique and engaging look into the future—but not so far into the future that you won’t recognize where you are.
And on to the last few questions!
Q: As a fantasy and sci-fi writer yourself, what attracted you to write within this genre?
It’s kind of a mixture—I love the escape of it, on the one hand. I love being able to pretend for a little while that the impossible is possible and just go on an adventure. But the ideas are important, too. Science fiction and fantasy explores ideas through exaggeration—I don’t mean it’s necessarily lacking in subtlety, just that certain things have to be dramatized for them to become science fiction and fantasy, like a trip becoming a quest, a society’s tendency becoming an oppressive system, a development in AI becoming a fully functional robot, etc. And that’s what grabbed me about science fiction and fantasy. It’s like magnifying something in a microscope, it gives you a different way of looking at something.
Q: Is there anything you hope to see more of in future fantasy and sci-fi releases?
Humor! Even in a serious story, I’m really growing to appreciate humor. Even beyond just, you know, wanting to laugh—I find it provides a story with helpful contrast. A higher high, so that you can feel a lower low if you need to.
Q: You’ve previously written YA novels and released your first adult novel (CHOSEN ONES) this year. Do you have any advice or recommendations for YA readers who find themselves wanting to begin reading more adult fantasy and sci-fi books, but don’t know where to begin?
Sometimes when people get their feet wet in a new genre, I think they feel the pressure to go to the mainstays of that genre first. And there are certainly worthy works in the canon of science fiction and fantasy, but if they don’t interest you, don’t put obstacles in front of yourself when it comes to reading. Science fiction and fantasy is more inclusive now than it used to be—so look at what’s come out more recently, to get started. (You can also look for books that have “crossover appeal,” meaning they are likely to appeal to both YA and adult readers—there are so many lists online.) And if you have an independent bookstore near you, ask your booksellers. Tell them what YA books you like, and ask them what you should read next. I’d also personally recommend, in addition to the authors on my list here: Charlie Jane Anders, Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor, Tamsyn Muir, Rebecca Roanhorse—all very good writers, whose books are certainly adult, but have some younger characters that might be more relatable to YA readers looking at the adult space.
