The 2021 Hugo Awards

Drawing inspiration from the folklore of Indigenous cultures of North and Central America, this sweeping series starter is a fantasy thriller, weaving celestial prophecies and magic with political intrigue and revenge — it’s perfection! The lush world-building and complex character dynamics will entrance you from the start, and the exploration of power and societal confines in a Pre-Colombian Americas-inspired setting make this epic a refreshing addition to the fantasy space. “Rebecca Roanhorse … [is one] of the Indigenous novelists reshaping North American science fiction, horror, and fantasy — genres in which Native writers have long been overlooked.” —The New York Times 

N.K Jemisin absolutely crushes her readers by mixing real-world themes of cultural conflict and the human condition with hauntingly reimagined worlds — The City We Became is no exception. Book one of this new series is a joyride of magic and myth set in contemporary NYC. A newly awakened force is on the attack, and five people — one that delightfully personifies each of the city’s five boroughs — are called on to come together to protect it. Touching on cultural identity, privilege, and gentrification, this perfectly weird and witty fantasy adventure is a love letter to NYC and the power of standing up for each other in times of great darkness.

It’s been just about 16 years since Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell brought a little magic back into our lives and it’s probably an understatement to say that fans have been eagerly awaiting something new from the enchanting imagination of Susanna Clarke. Set in a dreamlike alternative reality, Piranesi is a stunning metaphysical fantasy, an intricate labyrinth of epic proportions that will haunt you long after the final pages. “What a world Susanna Clarke conjures into being, what a tick-tock-tick-tock of reveals … what beauty, tension, and restraint … Piranesi is an exquisite puzzle-box far, far bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.” —David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas 

Lesbian necromancers in space! This wonderfully queer, chaotic, laugh-out-loud, macabre gothic fantasy is the second installment in the Locked Tomb series. If you’re looking for an incredible journey, this genre-bending epic is one for the ages. “To read Harrow the Ninth is to enter a labyrinth haunted by loss and sacrifice and a truly top-tier selection of memes. But don’t bother with breadcrumbs or red threads— you won’t ever want to leave.” —Alix E. Harrow, author of The Once and Future Witches 

Hugo and Nebula Award–winner Kowal continues her alternate history saga with this stellar third installment of the Lady Astronaut series — prequel novels to Kowal’s award-winning novelette The Lady Astronaut of Mars. After witnessing an ELE — an extinction-level event — on a cold spring night in 1952, mathematician and former military pilot Elma York knows that for humanity to survive, we must look to the stars. The Restless Moon continues the story of humanity’s race to develop sustainable habitats off Earth. This series is hard science fiction, infused with mystery, political intrigue, and sabotage … IN SPACE! With strong inspiring female protagonists, this outstanding novel (and series) is not to be missed.  

Network Effect may be the 5th in the Murderbot Diaries series, but it’s the first full-length novel — and it’s about time! This heart-pounding space opera thriller not only gifts us epic battle sequences with a sentient murder machine, but it’s also hilarious and surprisingly relatable. Our deeply flawed protagonist, Murderbot, is sarcastic, enjoys soap operas, and is blatantly honest with a general disdain for humanity. NPR may have captured it best when they said, “we are all a little bit Murderbot.” You may come for space action, but it’s Murderbot that steals the show. And while you really should not miss the four novellas that came before, you can also just jump right in with Network Effect.