Though this is later than usual, I once again scoured the internet looking for information on speculative fiction books that are scheduled for release this year and put together a list of works that I wanted to highlight. Just like the last few years, it was hard to keep the number of books featured in this annual post to a somewhat reasonable number given that there is so much coming out that sounds interesting. Yet after finding as much as I could on various titles when looking through descriptions, articles on the book or author, excerpts, and early reviews, I managed to narrow down this year’s list to 17 fantasy and science fiction books coming out in 2024 that look especially compelling to me.
As always, this is not even close to a comprehensive list of all the speculative fiction books being published this year: these are just the books I came across that sound most intriguing to me personally. (There are always books I hear about later in the year that I wish I had known about when putting one of these posts together!) Given my particular interests, this list includes fantasy inspired by legend and folklore, books that promise morally gray and/or villainous characters, novels with dark magic, stories containing dragons and/or other mythical creatures, a science fantasy, and more. I hope that those of you with similar tastes find some books here that sound appealing to you too.
These books are ordered by scheduled publication date, and these are US release dates unless otherwise stated.
Due to the length of this blog post, I’m only showing the first 6 books on the main page. You can click the title of the post or the ‘more…’ link after the sixth book to read the entire article.
Cover images link to Bookshop. As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Medea by Eilish Quin
Read/Listen to an Excerpt
Out Now
This debut novel reimagining the story of Medea sounds excellent, and I was even more interested in it after reading this interview with Eilish Quin on The Nerd Daily. She discussed how she’s been fascinated by Greek myths and this particular character from a young age, what to expect from her first novel, her inspirations, and more. I especially loved what she had to say about retellings:
In my mind, the whole purpose of the retelling as a distinct genre is that it serves as a kind of radical reorientation. Retellings allow historically censored protagonists the space to break free from the contexts and biases which might have previously ensnared them, and permit readers the ability to exalt in novel forms of complexity. Retellings are meant to make us question the reliability of the narrators we are given, and consider the other elements of form which we might normally consume passively. I hope that my Medea makes people think critically about how storytelling, when proliferated in the interest of existing powers of oppression, can compound harm– that by doing something as simple as recentering a traditionally marginalized experience, exhilarating and vivacious narratives can spring up.
My fondness for retellings stems from how they can make us question the reliability of narrators and think more deeply about storytelling, so this sounds fantastic.
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.
Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, the Argonauts leader Jason, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories.
But what if that isn’t the full story?
The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery, but soon finds it may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud.
As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband, but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she had never conceived of, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall.
In this propulsive, beautifully written debut, readers will finally hear Medea’s side of the story through a fresh and feminist lens.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods #1) by Molly X. Chang
Scheduled Release Date: April 16
Molly X. Chang’s debut novel is supposed to feature tough choices, magic that comes at a cost, and a heroine who makes awful decisions because she cares so deeply—all elements I love to see explored in stories. The author discusses her book further in her note to booksellers on Instagram, including writing a flawed protagonist, drawing inspiration from the stories of the her Siberian-Manchurian ancestors, and refusing to make her heroine into more of a heroic “girlboss” than the desperate survivor she is, despite being told it would make it easier to get her novel published.
She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?
“A thrilling tale of magic and murder, intrigue and betrayal.”—Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sword Catcher
The gorgeous first edition hardcover of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods will feature a poster, color endpapers, a custom-stamped case, and a foil jacket!
Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.
Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.
When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.
Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
Scheduled Release Date: April 16
This science fiction novella set in a university on a generation ship sounds fantastic, and I’ve heard such wonderful things about World Fantasy Award winner Sofia Samatar. Editor Emily Goldman discussed power as a theme and described The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain as “‘The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas’ taken to whole new level” in the book announcement. Sofia Samatar also shared a bit about it there, starting with:
This book is for people who sit in meetings wondering why words like diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and even justice do not seem to be adding up to anything real. It’s for people whose time and energy are devoured by proposals and projects they hope will transform the places where they live and work, and who wind up drained and bewildered, gazing at the same old walls. It’s for everybody who experiences these things, in any kind of workplace, and especially for people who study and work in universities, because this story is set at a university on a spaceship.
It sounds as though it really delves into ideas related to power and academia, and I’m excited for this story’s release in April.
“I am in love with Sofia Samatar’s lyricism and the haunting beauty of her imagination. Her stories linger, like the memory of a sumptuous feast.”—N. K. Jemisin
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 boy was raised as one of the Chained, condemned to toil in the bowels of a mining ship out among the stars. His whole world changes—literally—when he is yanked “upstairs” and informed he has been given an opportunity to be educated at the ship’s university alongside the elite.
Overwhelmed and alone, the boy forms a bond with the woman he comes to know as “the professor,” a weary idealist and descendent of the Chained who has spent her career striving for validation from her more senior colleagues, only to fall short at every turn.
Together, the boy and the woman will embark on a transformative journey to grasp the design of the chains that fetter them both—and are the key to breaking free.
The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills
Read an Excerpt
Scheduled Release Date: April 23
This debut novel by the author of the Nebula and Locus Award–winning short story “Rabbit Test” sounds excellent, plus I enjoyed the prose in the sample (linked above). Science fantasy tends to appeal to me, along with stories about characters coming to realize the truth about their world and the systems with which they were raised.
A loyal warrior in a crisis of faith must fight to regain her place and begin her life again while questioning the events of her past. This gripping science-fantasy novel from a Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus Award-winning debut author is a complex, action-packed exploration of the costs of zealous faith, ceaseless conflicts, and unquestioning obedience.
[STARRED REVIEW] “A triumphant debut novel.” —Booklist
[STARRED REVIEW] “This cathartic adventure will stay with readers long after the final page.” —Publishers Weekly
[STARRED REVIEW] “VERDICT Mills’s debut novel is complex and haunting, filled with beautiful prose and timely themes of political and religious upheaval and personal journeys.”—Library Journal
Zenya was a teenager when she ran away from home to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanized wings and protect the people and city she loved. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial, charismatic leader, Zenya became Winged Zemolai.
But after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai is disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is cast out and loses everything she worked for. As Zemolai fights for her life, she begins to understand the true nature of her sect, her leader, and the gods themselves.
Five Broken Blades (Five Broken Blades Trilogy #1) by Mai Corland
Scheduled Release Date: May 7
This is Mai Corland’s first adult novel after having published YA and children’s books as Meredith Ireland. Her upcoming fantasy novel draws some inspiration from Korean myths and legends, and she discussed Five Broken Blades a bit on Goodreads, including the following:
My killers are all morally grey. They are guided by love and/or revenge and please do note the trigger and content warnings, as there are many. However, the story pulls from my experiences as an adoptee, as someone queer, as someone with the same hearing loss described in the book. The diversity and global elements in the story reflect the diversity in our world and in myself.
She also clarifies that this book does not technically fit into the fantasy romance genre: although it includes multiple romances, it would work without those storylines.
The deception and betrayal mentioned in the book description and aforementioned morally gray characters driven by love and/or vengeance sounds right up my alley, so I’m rather excited about this one!
It’s the season
for treason…
The king of Yusan must die.
The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.
He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.
And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.
They can agree on murder.
They can agree on treachery.
But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.
Let the best liar win.
I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
Scheduled Release Date: May 14
This upcoming fantasy novel just sounds delightful. It’s described as whimsical, and I love the idea of a dragon exterminator who hates the job he inherited—especially the idea of this concept as written by New York Times bestselling author Peter S. Beagle.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Unicorn comes a new novel with equal amounts of power and whimsy in which a loveable cast of characters trapped within their roles of dragon hunter, princess, and more must come together to take their fates into their own hands.
Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouse-like vermin all the way up to castle-smashing monsters. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased dad’s job as a dragon catcher/exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart in part because he likes dragons, feeling a kinship with them, but mainly because his dream has always been the impossible one of transcending his humble origin to someday become a prince’s valet. Needless to say, fate has something rather different in mind…
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