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I've finished the five main books of A Song of Ice and Fire, but since there won't be any more books, I want to start another series. Which series similar to A Song of Ice and Fire would you recommend?
#fantasy
https://redd.it/1r5dl8p
@r_fantasy
A story about a world where God is actively trying to solve problem of evil?
like imagine living in a world where there's no crime cuz God stops it? is there a story like that?
https://redd.it/1r56xj6
@r_fantasy
Fantasy series with massive wars and politics?
Hey, I'm new to reading fantasy (well, to reading novels in general i have read only a few over the years). So, i'm looking for something with kingdoms, wars (world and character depth), and politics involving dark manipulation like your life depends on it weight. Feel free to go beyond this, into anything with high-stake politics for power and survival
https://redd.it/1r56unw
@r_fantasy
RPGs’ influence on fantasy fiction?
Hello all, after some years mostly enjoying anime for my fantasy fix, I return to reading fantasy novels (mostly ones initially written in English). A trend I see in recent fantasy anime is the use of RPG or game mechanics and settings: dungeons to explore and clear, “leveling up”, system dialogue boxes, etc. I am curious if you see a similar trend in recent written fantasy (say 10+ years?). If not, what trends *do* you see in recent fantasy works?
I will recommend the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Delicious in Dungeon for offering fresh takes on the RPG fantasy sub-genre.
https://redd.it/1r4zy16
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Fantasy series with protagonists that are part of the nobility and actually feel like it?
I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for fantasy series or books with protagonists that are part of the noble class in more than the occasional dialogue here or there referencing it.
I'm specifically looking for protagonists that actually have some duties or roles they have to fulfill as a result or even better if the protagonist is a land holder and has to actually run his fief.
https://redd.it/1r4fbp0
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Happy Valentine's Day! What's the best exploration of love or romance you've ever read in a fantasy novel, and why?
For me, nothing compares to The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. There's something so unique about the way the connection between the main characters underpins the entire novel without quite being the focus of it. It's not the whole plot, but it is more or less the point. Does that make sense? As we learn: "This is a love story to the blade-dented bone."
Jimenez takes a narrative fraught with violence and terror and challenges the characters within it to actively resist succumbing to those forces. Love becomes a driving force of the story, but it's not some superfluous thing that magically makes it all better. It's a choice the characters make, towards themselves and one another, despite the circumstances. I could talk forever about this, but I just genuinely think it's really cool to see a fantasy author exploring love, belonging, and intention with such detail and care. I've never read anything quite like it.
https://redd.it/1r4yhvf
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I hate when the protagonist is so dumb for the sake of dragging it out
I'm reading this book, and the big evil guy basically has shadow superpower (or he is shadow itself), and he has been terribly hurt before. We know this through the protagonist. Then the protagonist went to an old prison with only one jail cell and found a journal that says "the prisoner keeps screaming", "they tortured him with light" and "he likes the dark". And still the MC was asking himself "What were they keeping down here? hmm."
Why do authors love dragging stuff out? Just let him think "So this was what they do to him". That's it. Why make him seem so dumb just to prolong the mystery for another 2 pages?
Edit: I'm enjoying this trilogy, and this is the last book. But the more you read, the more you get annoyed with stuff.
https://redd.it/1r0p4wf
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Struggling with Assassin's Apprentice...
A while back I started reading Assassin's Apprentice, because I was really drawn to its reputation as being a very emotional read. I had started it before, got through the half of one chapter and concluded it wasn't the right time.
I've finished 5 chapters now, roughly 23% of the whole book, but I find myself really having to force myself through it.
I read about Hobb's beautiful writing, but so far I honestly don't see what everyone means. To me it meanders in the same way classic literature does. It makes it hard for me to follow sometimes. Can someone tell me if I just have to push out a few more chapters in order to 'get it', or should I just stop? Does the writing change or does it stay pretty consistent throughout?
I really want to like this, it'd be a bummer if I had to conclude that it's just not for me. Then again, I'm not gonna force myself through a book if I'm not enjoying it.
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What are some clear examples of "soft" magic or the absence of a sufficiently defined "magic system" resulting in dei ex machinae which are tangibly detrimental to the story?
I notice that every time "hard" magic and "soft" magic and "magic systems" are discussed, one point that is invariably raised in favour of the "hard" style magic and the level of detail in the "system" is that it prevents any deus ex machina.
By the same token, I feel that, in these discussions, dei ex machina can sometimes be treated as inevitable outcomes or intrinsic flaws of "soft" style magic or the lack of sufficient detail or definition in the "magic system" more generally.
I don't think I have much preference between the alternatives myself. However, I find myself a bit hard-pressed to think of really clear examples where the use of "soft" style magic or the lack of detail in the "system" actually results in a deus ex machina situation, specifically one which is detrimental to the story that is being told.
(To be honest, this has become one of those comments which kind of feels more like a meme people repeat because it feels true than serious critique at this point, but let's not get into that.)
Anyway, obviously I understand the criticism in principle; I just realise that no particular examples occur to me. As such, I'm curious to hear (naturally I anticipate and appreciate that there will be spoilers involved!) of any really notable examples of this phenomenon which come to r/fantasy's minds?
https://redd.it/1r00wtp
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Who would you chose from fantasy to be your champions in a trial of 7?
I just watched the new kotsk episode and can’t get the theory crafting out of my head.
My 7 would be
Benedict of Amber, chronicles of Amber
Dassem Ultor, Malazan book of the fallen
Brys Beddict, MBoTF
Iron Bars, MBoTF
Lan, wheel of time
Galad, wheel of time
Adolin Kholin, Stormlight archive
https://redd.it/1qztuox
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Having trouble with Malazan
Everybody recommends this series as some great fantasy that you must read, but I don’t get it so far, around a quarter way into book 1. I don’t get confused with books a lot, but I’m very much having issues tracking malazan, should I drop it, or is it worth pushing through?
https://redd.it/1qzpr4l
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Occult detective books set in a historical time period
I'm a big fan of TTRPGs like Candela Obscura and Call of Cthulhu.
I also really like traditional mystery fiction like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Lord Peter Wimsey.
I'm looking for mysteries that incorporate supernatural elements while also being set in the past (or a secondary world inspired by the past). Works that feel like they could have been written during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction are especially welcome, but not a requirement.
Edit: Please don't suggest books set in a contemporary era such as The Dresden Files. Like I mentioned above, I would like to read books with a historical (or historically inspired) setting.
https://redd.it/1qzk9m4
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Series Where It's Obvious The World Is Highly Advanced But The Population Treats It Like It's From Gods/Ancient Civilization Because It Has Been Reduced To A Medieval One
So I'm referring to worlds where the characters see their world as your typical fantasy landscape but the cities and weapons are so powerful they think it must be from an ancient civilization or just simply work from the Gods. But it's actually just ancient technology that has warped to fit the modern society because of apocalypses/war.
So something like Shannara and there's another series but I don't want to say in case new readers don't know. Hell I didn't know till I watched a video recommending it. (Yes, that one). I only mention Shannara because mostly everyone knows it's set in a post-apocalyptic Earth.
But are there any other series like that? Especially if we the reader are already given the information beforehand and experiencing the world from characters who don't know. So maybe don't recommend a series where the reveal is that it's actually Earth thousand of years in the future. But a series where we already know the information since the first page. It doesn't have to be Earth too just any advanced civilization/world reduced to a medieval world .
https://redd.it/1qzfqkb
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The Raven Scholar- Did anyone else want Yana as the MC?
Was anyone else hoping that Yana would be the main character and not Neema? I admit this is my fault for not reading/remembering the blurb but I really thought that Yana was going to be the main character, and like many others online it seems was waiting for the twist that >!she was alive (albeit she may be in book 2 or 3)!<
While I think due to the book's popularity the hate posts are also overblown, I do agree with some not liking Neema but for me it was because I thought Yana would have been much more interesting trying to win the throne and avenge her father etc.
https://redd.it/1qzcvjw
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accepted views of either their race or the wider interstellar culture. Despite, or sometimes because of, their differences the group bonds into a found family, even if only for a short time. The story is essentially a character study; relatively little happens while they wait but, through a series of small events (and one potentially serious accident), we learn a great deal about each character, their background and their history. This is a timely reminder about the value of differences and the importance of caring and kindness in spite of any differences, and I encourage everyone to read it.
Generic Title
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
I've read my fair share of Arthuriana over the years, some books of enduring quality and more that were not. My initial reaction to The Bright Sword is that it's going to join the list of books of enduring quality. The book has a complicated structure, but one that is representative of the traditional "Tales of King Arthur and his Knights"-structure popular in the 19th century and drawing from Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur. There are stories-within-stories, diversions and flashbacks, all focusing on various characters that provide multiple perspectives on the core story of the rise and fall of Arthur and Camelot. Comments and reviews online indicate that some readers had a problem with this structure, preferring a more linear narrative, but from my perspective Grossman's style and the book's structure worked, and worked well. The story features a diverse cast of characters, in all senses of the word diverse, and provides an inclusive version of the story of Arthur tailored to modern tastes. The main protagonist is Collum, a naïve young man but a talented fighter who aspires to be a knight of the round table. He steals a suit of armour and runs away to Camelot, but with an exquisite sense of timing he arrives shortly after the last battle; Arthur and most of his knights are dead. The round table now consists of a handful of survivors: Sir Bedivere, Sir Palomides, Sir Dinadan, Sir Scipio, Sir Dagonet, Sir Constantine, Sir Villiars and Nimue, Merlin’s apprentice. In the words of Bedivere “We’re not the heroes, we’re the odd ones out. The losers.” They accept Collum as one of them, at least initially, because they need all the help they can get as they set out to find a new king and restore Camelot. Over the course of the book we learn more of the stories of these characters, and of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and Morgan Le Fay. Collum’s story is the thread holding everything together but there’s so much more than that. A key point for me is that Grossman’s book is a study in contrasts. It successfully blends the two traditional Arthurian settings of faux-Medieval and post-Roman Britain and in doing so it contrasts ancient Britain with the post-Roman ‘modern’ world that is forming, the old gods, faery and paganism with the new Christian religion, and even the ideals of knighthood with the rather more sordid reality. Grossman makes an interesting point that the medieval Arthur arises from stories adopted by the French-Norman nobility that had only recently conquered Anglo-Saxon England; stories of a British hero fighting against Saxon invaders may have had a certain political resonance.
This was a thought-provoking read which is an excellent book in its own right but will be significantly enhanced if the reader has even a little familiarity with the works that Grossman is building on. Thinking about it, it would be an interesting exercise to read The Bright Sword alongside T.H. White’s The Once and Future King and Lavie Tidhar’s By Force Alone to compare three very different stories that are all told with a deep understanding of the source material.
Not A Book
Flow (movie), Screenplay by Gints Zilbalodis & Matiss Kaža, directed by Gints Zilbalodis (Dream Well Studio)
Flow is the Latvian movie that won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in March 2025. I had expected it to be a good movie but was surprised by just how good it
Jam Reads: Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead (The Loyal Opposition #1), by K.J. Parker (Review)
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Review originally on JamReads
Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead is the first book in the newest fantasy trilogy written by K.J. Parker, The Loyal Opposition, published by Orbit Books. A story told with the classical cynicism that characterizes Parker's narrator characters, resulting in a fun novel that is not only great at examining almost any concept related to religion, power and history while demolishing them with an astonishing logic, but also managing to keep the reader engaged at all times.
Brother Desiderius and Sister Svangerd are both first-rate practitioners, doing the dirty work needed by the Church of the Invincible Sun. Their new mission: making a princess permanently disappear, taking the opportunity given the legendary Ecumenical Council; but the things become much more complicated once they discover how the Council is more akin to a nest of vipers than a reunion of pious men. A mission that escalates from a simple assassination to a theological debate that might threaten to create a schism, complicated by a small business with corpses that refuse to stay dead.
Brother Desiderius is kinda the classical lead that you could expect from a Parker book: really smart, tired and aware that how history is made is really different to how it is told. His sarcastic voice is the perfect one to tell this story, especially after the mission escalates into something bigger. Sister Svangerd is a bit the counterpart: proficient at wielding weapons, a hard believer in the Church's doctrine, but with a very practical way to see the world. Their friendship works pretty well, taking into account how they are basically the opposite.
The Ecumenical Council is the perfect setting for this kind of story: while in appearance is the reunion of the most pious and brilliant minds of the Church, a place for intellectualism, in reality hides a fight for power, for the destiny of the Church. It also serves as the perfect excuse for Brother Desiderius' examinations in religion and history, an atheist going over concepts to refute them with a dose of logic and cynicism, creating a dark philosophical tale in the process.
The pacing is quite on the spot, including certain action scenes that help to elevate the tension after some passages that are more dense.
Sister Svanger and the Not Quite Dead is a great way to kick-off the Loyal Opposition series, a perfect choice if you like your fantasy dark and sarcastic, but still want to have a ton of fun in the process.
https://redd.it/1r4wgyc
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Fantasy books with a protagonist like Fitz from the Farseer trilogy, but female?
To elaborate more on what I mean, Fitz’s introspection was my favourite part of the trilogy (I still have to read the rest of the instalments in the same universe). He can be a difficult character to like sometimes. He deeply hates himself and you can see how his poor self-esteem reflects on his relationship with his closest friends. Weirdly enough I really like that in a character.
https://redd.it/1r57c4j
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I'm halfway through The Bonehunters (Malazan Book of the Fallen) and this might be the greatest work of fiction I've ever read...
Anyone else feel this way? I never thought that something would come along that would challenge my love for Lord if the Rings, but along comes something that I can't even fathom how this story was constructed and communicated...
Nothing, stormlight, wheel of time, ASOIAF, literally nothing else comes close and there are more emotional and more mind-blowing moments in Malazan than I thought possible. I just don't get how Erikson did this. AMA
I just want to talk about these books, honestly
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REVIEW: A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter
TL;DR: if you like a good story, dark and grim (but not so much so that it becomes bleak), adult fairy tales, and great writing, you should read this book.
A.G. (Angela) Slatter has become my all-time favorite writer. Most of her novels and short stories are in the Sourdough universe, something reminiscent of Europes High Middle Ages (but only roughly), where magic is a pervasive, but witches are also hunted down and killed. The magic wielders are almost always women, from the simple herbswoman to incredibly powerful witches. There are monsters aplenty. They'll be familiar to you, but in Sourdough, they all come with a twist.
Ms. Slatter started her writing career and the Sourdough universe with short stories, and she truly is a master of the craft of this genre. In 2021, she published her first full-length novel, All the Murmuring Bones, and essentially has published a novel a year (The Path of Thorns, The Briar Book of the Dead, The Crimson Road). You can gain entry into this world with any book. They are standalones, but they all are part of this wondrous world.
In A Forest, Darkly, Ms. Slatter tells the tale of a middle aged witch, Mehrab, who has long since grown tired of the world and has carved out an existence close (but not too close) to a village (big, but not big enough to have a church and its attendant witch-hunting priests). Her life is upturned when what basically is the Underground Railroad of Witches brought her a young witch to foster. Events then also happen in the village. Mehrab is crabby, wants to be left alone, but does she really?
The novel is a quick read, and I loved it because you really can revel in Sourdough. If you like books by Alix Harrow, T. Kingfisher, Sarah Beth Durst, Garth Nix, you would like A.G. Slatter (maybe even more than those other authors).
I hate that I read the book in a day, because now I have to wait for probably another year to get my fix. But now I'm onto Pretenders to the Throne of God, which is also a novel I anxiously awaited. But that's another review.
https://redd.it/1r4wqmc
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The bumbling, friendly, kind, all wise, very powerful, deus ex machina wizard
So how often did this guy actually show up in fantasy literature? And does he still show up?
Gandalf
Elminster
Fizban
Zifnab
Allanon
Belgarath
Morgenes (Sortof. Doesn't Deus Ex Machine)
Can you name more?
https://redd.it/1r4lut7
@r_fantasy
Series that dwindle in quality over time
Some series are consistent in quality, while others dwindle over time. What is a long-running series that you initially loved, but over time, book after book, it just got worse.
https://redd.it/1r4uj1x
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Bingo 2025 Check-In: (a little less than) 2 months left!
Our Book Bingo challenge ends in a little less than 2 months (I know, we can't believe it either!), and while u/happybookbee is getting things ready for Bingo 2026, we wanted to check in with you all and highlight some resources.
If you're looking for that elusive Generic Title book or if you've just found out that an author is planning an additional book in a series you thought was finished, check out these threads:
[Recommendations list](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1jowxu1/the_2025_rfantasy_bingo_recommendations_list/)
The Reverse Bingo Rec Thread
[Compilation of Past Bingo Squares](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1jtnh71/compilation_of_past_bingo_squares/)
Bingo Focus Threads
So - how is bingo treating you? Have you already finished your card(s) or are you starting to panic? Which squares have been easiest/hardest? Have you found a new favorite book you want to recommend? Let us know in the comments!
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - February 09, 2026
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**Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!**
Stickied/highlight slots are limited, so please remember to ~~like and subscribe~~ upvote this thread for visibility on the subreddit <3
——
This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.
Check out [r/Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/)'s [2025 Book Bingo Card here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_book_bingo_challenge/)!
As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The [r/Fantasy wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/recommendations) contains links to many community resources, including "best of" lists, flowcharts, the LGTBQ+ database, and more. If you need some help figuring out what you want, think about including some of the information below:
* Books you’ve liked or disliked
* Traits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy
* Series vs. standalone preference
* Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc)
* Complexity/depth level
Be sure to check out responses to other users' requests in the thread, as you may find plenty of ideas there as well. Happy reading, and may your TBR grow ever higher!
——
[^(tiny image link to make the preview show up correctly)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ITpGPzWOOd7MHhCY2d6Zv_6MWsntfT3s/view?usp=sharing)
art credit: special thanks to our artist, [Himmis commissions](https://himmis.carrd.co/), who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.
https://redd.it/1r03nwe
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Fantasy readers - Making Fantasy reader friends/or recommendations?
Hi guys (and girls!)
Uh, I've never done this before? (The whole asking for friends on a sub thing) But this year I want to be exposed to more opinions and discussions of interests and I’m hoping to meet some people here who enjoy fantasy and science fiction and might be open to becoming friends. If not it's totally cool!
I’m a big Brandon Sanderson fan, I’ve read the first three books of The Stormlight Archive and Skyward (guys trust it's so peak), and I’m planning to start Mistborn soon. I also enjoy R.F. Kuang. On the sci-fi side, I really liked The Three-Body Problem and I’m planning to read Project Hail Mary next.
Some other books on my TBR are The Will of the Many, Red Rising, Circe, The Dandelion Dynasty, and The Poppy War. I also occasionally read mystery/thriller and light novels, I’m just starting Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint and Lord of the Mysteries, .
I'd love people apart from fantasy or sci-fi too. Perhaps those who're into mystery/ contemporary romance/oh and horror.
Outside of reading, I like learning new skills such as crocheting and fashion styling, and I game a little (mostly Hollow Knight) and love cardio :).
If you’re into fantasy or sci-fi and want to talk books, share recommendations, feel free to comment
https://redd.it/1qzvfz4
@r_fantasy
Books abt Witches
Nothing too crazy just books abt magical women who go Quests to defeat the villain or whatever. like Agatha All Along (If someone has seen that)
https://redd.it/1qzs01c
@r_fantasy
Opinions on Book of the New Sun?
I’m thinking about getting into it. I love Dune, Sun Eater, Malazan, etc… so I think I might like this.
https://redd.it/1qznnga
@r_fantasy
Book Rec for overly charismatic MC
Looking for series with an MC who embodies the DnD charisma build maxed out. Thinking like a Commander Shepherd or really any protagonist that you can dump charisma points into. I’m currently on Book 8 of The Expanse and Holden has just been my favorite character in the series. That overly earnest and charismatic what he dances through hard conversations is what I’m looking for.
Not saying that I want everything to be solved with the perfect words, but I hope you get my meaning.
Also doesn’t not have to be sci-fi even though I know both examples of characters are.
https://redd.it/1qzebq8
@r_fantasy
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs feels like a classic isekai story
Despite being over 100 years old at this point, A Princess of Mars feels like it can fit in with a lot of the isekai stories coming out over the past decade. It carries with it quite a bit of the similar story beats seen in isekai stories, such as an overpowered protagonist with unique abilities, a beautiful main heroine who falls for the protagonist, the protagonist being worshipped by the people of the new world, and the protagonist having to overcome so many odds to save the day and reunite with the heroine.
However, just because A Princess of Mars has these elements, it does not make it bad. Instead, A Princess of Mars feels like a breathless adventure that executes a lot of these trappings really well. Even though it does feel dated at times (which I imagine would be one of its biggest criticisms nowadays), A Princess of Mars is a classic tale through and through. And this is not to say all isekai stories are bad either, since there are quite a few I do enjoy too. I just thought how it is interesting that despite all these years apart, similarities can be found in completely different stories written at completely different times.
https://redd.it/1qzaaaf
@r_fantasy
actually was. This engaging and touching film tells the story of a cat and its friends in a flooded world abandoned by humans. We never learn why the world is flooded or where the humans have gone, but it really doesn't matter because the story isn't about the disaster but about friendship. The cat and a small group of other animals (a capybara, a lemur, a labrador dog and a secretary bird) escape the flood aboard a small sailboat. Over the course of a series of adventures they learn to work together and support each other as their boat drifts through the beautifully rendered flooded world. What really makes the movie special is the perfect characterization of the animals, especially the cat. There's no dialog, but each animal has its own voice, expressions and behaviour that leaves no doubt about what they're thinking. As a cat owner I was constantly laughing at the way the animators had captured the cat's emotions and opinions in just a few expressions and actions. There was a Ghibli-like quality to the movie at times, and I mean that in the best possible way; the artwork, music and storytelling all came together in a way that made me forget that this was an animated movie and let me simply focus on the story. Flow is just a perfect movie, slow and contemplative, that can make you forget about more pressing problems for a couple of hours.
Pirates
Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon
Trading in Danger is a straightforward coming-of-age adventure. A young woman is dismissed from a military academy following a well-intentioned act that proves to be a costly mistake. Determined to retrieve her reputation and find a place for herself, she is offered command of a decrepit merchant ship on its last journey before being scrapped. When an unexpected opportunity for a profitable business venture arises, she seizes the chance to try and restore the ship to something like a functional state and set up as an independent trader. Unfortunately, this leads to her and her ship being caught up as bystanders in a small military conflict involving mercenaries and pirates. In command of an old and unarmed ship in desperate need of repair, and responsible for the lives of her crew, she must use all the skills she learned at the academy to try to keep everyone safe. Trading in Danger is a quick and entertaining read, nothing too profound but certainly worth the time invested.
A few basic statistics for those of you who have read this far:
In a strange duplication of my 2024 card, only eight books were by female authors, but eleven books were by new-to-me authors, who ranged from well-established authors that I simply hadn’t read before to first-time novelists that I probably wouldn’t have read at all if it wasn’t for Bingo.
Fourteen books were primarily science fiction, nine books and the movie were primarily fantasy, and one book was primarily horror (although several books blended genres to a significant extent). Average book length was 426 pages, and average time taken to read a book was about 10 days. All books were read as text in ebook format.
Particular highlights from this year’s card were the movie Flow, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty, and The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. I highly recommend all of them.
https://redd.it/1qzby8p
@r_fantasy
last forty years, responsible for The Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies that ran from 1984 until his death in 2018. I looked forward to these anthologies every year but had read very little of Dozois’ own work, so chose this book as a chance to fix that. Like many collections the stories were of mixed quality, and unfortunately there were more misses than hits. A few stories, for example A Special Kind of Morning and Solace, had an evocative writing style and some memorable scenes. Dinner Party, published in 1984, about a then near-future USA on the brink of a civil war, is profoundly disturbing in the light of current events. Other stories worth noting include Down Among the Dead Men, set in a Nazi concentration camp where one of the prisoners discovers there are worse things in the camp than the guards and the gas chambers, and The Peacemaker, about an alien invasion in which it is revealed that humans are not the most important inhabitants of the planet. Overall, I’m glad that I read this collection, but too many of the stories just didn’t work for me and my final impression is that Dozois made the correct decision to focus on his career as an editor.
Stranger in a Strange Land
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
Station Eternity is an entertaining tongue-in-cheek whodunnit set on an alien space station. Mallory Viridian, a famous but reluctant amateur sleuth, tired and burnt out by the seemingly endless stream of murders that occur in her vicinity, flees to an alien space station where she is one of only three humans amongst a large and diverse population of aliens. Her hope is that by isolating herself from the rest of humanity people will stop being killed around her. Unfortunately, the universe doesn't seem to care about her hopes and chaos ensues. Lafferty parodies whodunnit murder mysteries by recognising that the amateur detectives involved are essentially murder-magnets, involved in far more violent deaths than any reasonable person could expect to encounter, and asking what effect this has on the detective's life and mental health. This was a relatively light but fun read, perfect as a break between heavier fare.
Recycle a Bingo Square
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
I used the Bingo 2021 “Mystery Plot” for this book, which is an immersive and disturbing pre-apocalyptic murder mystery with noir elements. Set in a small US city (Concord, New Hampshire) six months before a civilization-ending asteroid impact, a newly appointed police detective encounters an apparent suicide. All his colleagues are eager to dismiss this as just one more suicide at a time when the suicide rate is understandably higher than ever, but something just doesn't seem quite right. The Last Policeman asks why anyone would even bother investigating a death when society is breaking down, most people will be dead in six months anyway, and nobody cares about one more apparent suicide. Beyond the murder mystery and the science-fiction scenario the book examines the different reactions of people to the imminent end of the world as they know it and how this affects the behaviour and motivation of all involved. I really enjoyed this book; it's an easy but not a light read that addresses some interesting questions. It manages to provide some satisfying answers whilst also working as a well-told mystery. Definitely recommended.
Cozy SFF
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
The final book in the Wayfarers series features a new cast of characters but continues some of the themes developed in the earlier books. It is a relatively simple yet moving story about the importance of being different and the worth of non-conformists. Following a major disruption to the local planetary satellite network, three strangers from wildly different races and cultures are stranded at a rest stop for a few days, along with the owner of the facility and her child. As they get to know each other it is slowly revealed that each in their own way refuses to conform to the
