All The Most Essential Science Fiction and Fantasy Books in October

You ’d better clear your schedule — because October is just packed with amazing science fiction and fantasy books . let in George R.R. Martin ’s tarradiddle of Westeros long before Game of Thrones . Plus Ann Leckie , Gene Wolfe , Doctor Who and Brandon Sanderson . And the most delightfully unearthly fantasy spinoff ever !

Here are all the science fiction and fantasy books that you ca n’t afford to leave out in October .

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (Orbit)

Here it is — the third book in the Imperial Radch trilogy , which lead off with the awards - wholesale Ancillary Justice . This time Breq is face with her ultimate opposition , the “ possibly mad ” ruler Anander Mianaai , and everyone on Athoek Station is in virulent danger . Kirkussays this is a decent finale to the saga . Read an excerption here .

Doctor Who: City of Death by Douglas Adams and James Goss (BBC)

Douglas Adams write or co - wrote three scripts for Doctor Who , and they were never fictionalise after Adams became a bestselling generator in his own right . Now , on the heel of Adams ’ Shada becomingan actually quite good leger from Gareth Roberts , here ’s a novelisation of “ City of Death , ” one of the honorable Who narrative of all time . The Doctor and Romana go on holiday in Paris and make a scandalous discovery : the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows .

Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente (Tor)

Are you ready for “ Decopunk ” ? This volume takes home in an alternate universe where everything take care sort of like a Georges Méliès movie , and you’re able to rocket to other major planet pretty easily . In 1944 , a young heiress goes to Venus and disappears , and it ’s left to us to tack together what pass through paparazzi photos and documents . This book gota starred review in Publisher ’s Weekly , which allege , “ This film fairy story about one fair sex ’s life beyond her father ’s legacy and the all - seeing middle of the crystalline lens will captivate proofreader with all the dramatic event and inquire that Valente ’s strange and wonderful golden old age Hollywood demands . ”

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Slade House by David Mitchell (Random House)

Right on the heel of Mitchell ’s magnificent The Bone Clocks , here ’s another fantastic account — this time , a series of story , stray from 1979 to the present tense , orb around the mysterious Slade House , use up by the soul - eating Grayer Twins . Early parole is this is “ entry storey ” Mitchell , and not really one of his majuscule whole caboodle . But any Mitchell is probably good than most other books , right ?

An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet (Clarion Books)

Six months ago , the men all exhibit south to campaign an evil mad god . Now they ’re back , and they ’re kind of damage from the warfare — but the scrap is n’t over , because the delirious god is sending its dark servants raining down on the Ithiel Town where the 16 - class - old Hallie has inherit half her Church Father ’s farm . This YA novel getsa starred review from PW , which calls it a “ superb phantasy . ”

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (Harper Teen)

Just opine how plaguy it would be to go to the same gamey school as the chosen warrior against immorality . In this record by the generator of The Knife of Never Letting Go , Mikey Mitchell just wants to get through high school , but meanwhile the school ’s “ indie Kyd ” are always fighting off vampire or an alien invasion . It ’s annoying , right?Says Kirkus , “ Magical pillars of Light Within and snake god deer may now and again drive the action here , but ultimately this novel celebrates the workaday heroism of teens doing the surd oeuvre of growing up . ”

Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley (Angry Robot)

Here ’s the second book in the Mirror Empire saga — Publisher ’s Weekly gave the first Koran astarred review . A dark star called Oma has appear in the sky , and it bring a tide of war and destruction . This time around , the nation of Dhai is under siege and only an outlawed ruler and a scullery maiden can bring through everybody , using conjuration . Read an excerpt here .

A Borrowed Man by Gene Wolfe (Tor)

This is such a neat conception — what if there was a library that you could take out people from ? One such person is the novelist Ern A. Smith , who gets unsay from the library by a charwoman seeking clue to her brother ’s murder . Publisher ’s Weeklysays this starts out as a science fiction noir tale , but then becomes unsettling and full of disturbing details .

Silver on the Road (The Devil’s West) by Laura Anne Gilman (Saga Press)

In this “ Weird West ” tale , Isobel turns 16 and agrees to forge for the Devil as his Left Hand West of the Mississippi . But it sprain out that being the Devil ’s hench - person in the Wild West is just as tough as being a frontier law officer . This is a “ faculty plectron ” at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore .

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (HarperCollins)

This beloved podcast is now a book ! Pawnshop owner Jackie Fierro and Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton are both see for answer … and the truth lies in the mysterious King City . Publisher ’s Weekly says , “ Though the script meanders a bit in the midriff , the end is satisfying , with a surprising origin tale for one of the characters . ”

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston (Disney-Hyperion)

Yep , it ’s a retelling of The Arabian Nights , and this untested - adult book got a coveted star review from Kirkus , which called it “ [ d]etailed and placid , beautifully written with a literary rhythm that evokes a common sense of oral tale - relation . ” It turns out that the king , who needs to be distracted by a unseasoned little girl tell news report , is really possessed by a demon that involve to be kept at bay .

Keep Mars Weird (Kindle Serial) by Neal Pollack (47North)

Pollack has write such tongue - in - cheek , self - referential literary striking as Never Mind the Pollacks and The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature . Now he ’s write a Kindle series — buy the first installment , the others are free — go down in a future where Earth has become boring and washed - up and Mars has turned into Austin , TX .

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin)

OK , so this is pretty awing . Rowell made a big splash with her YA book Fangirl , in which her main character is haunt with a non - actual fantasy series about a wizard appoint Simon Snow . Now Rowellhas write a spinoff — a fantasy novel about Simon Snow . Whichisn’t fanfic , but is a canon bookin the Simon Snow universe . As Tor.com explicate , it ’s “ fundamentally Harry Potter , but if Harry and a Draco / Snape cross were roomy . And fell in love . Yes . ”

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits: A Novel by David Wong (Thomas Dunne Books)

The John Dies at the End generator is back with an unrelated novel about a hacker radical parkland where everybody is stress to vote down Zoey Ashe for a secret she does n’t know she has . By all accounts , it ’s another over - the - top laughable ride full of comic - Word action and unearthly details . And dialog like “ This whole metropolis is a butt that farts repugnance . ”

An Ancient Peace by Tanya Huff (Daw)

Here ’s the first record book in a new military SF spinoff series , spun off of Huff ’s Confederation series . Ex - Marine Torin Kerr takes on a new gig , doing covert missions that the Confederation ca n’t authorization . So when ancient weapons of mass end start showing up , it ’s up to Kerr and her team to find them before someone else does .

After Alice: A Novel by Gregory Maguire (William Morrow)

The author of Wicked is at it again , this metre tackle Alice in Wonderland . And Maguireinvestigates what ’s bump above terra firma while Alice disappear into that muddle . Kirkus calls it “ brilliant and nicely off - kilter ” in theirstarred review .

Our Lady of the Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Saga Press)

Set in a “ steampunk Antarctica , ” this book follows the first individual tec in Hope City , a vaulted metropolis which was originally construct to house a collection of steam - powered automaton . Bob Hope gets lease to encounter some slip document and finds herself caught between a robot insurrection and an Antarctic independence move . Publisher ’s Weeklygave it a starred review and praise the worldbuilding and colorful character .

A Call to Arms (Manticore Ascendant) by David Weber (Baen)

The late record book in Weber ’s Honorverse once again follows Travis Uriah Long , a lieutenant in the Royal Manticorean Navy who ’s faced with a rising threat.Tor.comcalls it “ an entertaining blank space opera in the military mode . ” And check out our recent interview with Weber abouthow to create an activity moving-picture show in book form !

Wake of Vultures (The Shadow) by Lila Bowen (Orbit)

Nettie Lonesome is half - Native American and half - African American , and she ’s raised by foster parents who regale her like dirt . When she grows up , she fit out like a man and work as a ranch - paw out West , where she discovers that she can see colossus that nobody else can . Library Journal render it a starred reviewand said , “ this is a must - have for all modern illusion collections and a great choice for grownup and teen . ”

Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (Tor)

The City of Elendel is face a killer who travel too rapidly to be seen , and only nobleman - and - ex - amplitude - hunter Waxillium Ladrian can save everyone . Kirkuscalled this record book a “ fast - pace phantasy adventure set in a enchanting world and populated with lovable , memorable characters . ”

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Knopf)

Two stripling are living on an illegal mining colony in the year 2575 when it ’s attacked by a embodied competition , BeiTech Industries . They ’re forced to fly aboard a merchant ship , Copernicus , while they assay to piece together the details of what actually happened . This YA ledger is gettingrave reviewsacross the board , includinga star from Kirkus .

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R. R. Martin (Bantam)

This Word collects Martin ’s “ Dunk and Egg ” stories , which take place long before the upshot of A Game of Thrones . These stories have all been antecedently published in various anthologies and adapted to comics ( pictured above ) , but I believe this is your first luck to register them all in one topographic point — and they reveal a side of Westeros that we have n’t really seen elsewhere .

Sources : SFSignal , Locus , Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Publisher Catalogs . Top paradigm : A Call to Arms by David Weber , artwork byDavid Mattingly .

Ann LeckieBooksBrandon SandersonGeorge R.R. Martin

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