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Eagerly Anticipated Sci-Fi & Fantasy Adaptations
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
It's been a stellar year for science fiction and fantasy adaptations—and we're only halfway through the year!
Summer television has brought us Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), Neil Gaiman's American Gods (Showtime), and Stephen King's The Mist (Spike). And with George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones (based on A Song of Ice and Fire series) back on HBO for its seventh season, why even bother with the beach this season?
Check out some of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations below. Which ones are you most excited about? And which books do you still need to catch up on?
COMING SOON:
The Dark Tower
August 4
Get ready: This is the movie many of you have been eagerly or anxiously anticipating. Stephen King's epic fantasy will star Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, and Katheryn Winnick.
Death Note
August 25
Based on the Japanese manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, a high school student comes across a supernatural notebook that has the power to kill. The movie stars Lakeith Stanfield and Willem Dafoe.
Outlander (Starz)
September 10
Season three of Diana Gabaldon's adapted series will follow Voyager, as Claire and Jamie struggle to reunite with each other across time (the 1960s and the 1700s, to be more precise). It stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.
Blade Runner 2049
October 6
Based on Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (and a sequel to the classic movie now 30 years old), a young blade runner (Ryan Gosling) discovers a secret that leads him to a former blade runner (Harrison Ford, who reprises his role as Rick Deckard).
The Shannara Chronicles (Spike)
October
Season two of this Terry Brooks' adaptation is moving from MTV to the Spike Channel and picks up a year after the events of the first season with The Four Lands in chaos as magic users are hunted down.
Black Panther
February 16, 2018
The Marvel character recently got an update from Between the World and Me author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Next spring the black superhero gets his movie starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong'o.
A Wrinkle in Time
March 9, 2018
Director Ava DuVernay (best known for Selma) brings Madeleine L'Engle's classic alive in this Disney’s fantasy epic starring Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey.
Ready Player One
March 30, 2018
Steven Spielberg will direct Ernest Cline's homage to the 1980s and video games set in a very bleak American future. It stars Tye Sheridan, T.J. Miller, and Simon Pegg.
AWAITING RELEASE DATES:
Annihilation
2018
This film is based on Jeff VanderMeer's 2015 Nebula Award-winning book about a biologist who signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition; it will star Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Good Omens (Amazon)
2018
The world ends on Saturday and the armies of Good and Evil are amassing in this comic novel by two of fantasy's favorite authors, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is adapting the novel into a six-episode series.
Altered Carbon (Netflix)
2018
The first book in Richard K. Morgan's 25th-century world of the Takeshi Kovacs series—where people's consciousnesses can be stored and downloaded into new bodies—is slated to air on Netflix next year.
The Expanse (Syfy)
2018
The Syfy Channel’s adaptation of James S.A. Corey's solar system colonization series, The Expanse, will return for season three in early 2018.
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
TBD
Matt Ruff's novel that imagines Jim Crow America melded with Lovecraftian horror and fantasy is getting the TV-series treatment with Get Out director (and comedian) Jordan Peele heading up the adaptation.
Who Fears Death (HBO)
TBD
Nnedi Okorafor's supernatural fantasy of post-apocalyptic Africa is slated to air as an HBO series with none other than George R.R. Martin signing on as an executive producer.
The Witcher Saga (Netflix)
TBD
Many know of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher saga because of its wildly popular video game adaptation. Next, the mutated monster hunter is coming to Netflix.
The Terror (AMC)
TBD
The AMC network is poised to turn Dan Simmons' creepy thriller into a 10-episode TV series that will follow explorers in 1847 seeking the Northwest Passage—and instead finding a mysterious predator.
Watership Down (Netflix)
TBD
The BBC is partnering with Netflix on this new animated mini-series based on the beloved Richard Adams classic. It will star James McAvoy, John Boyega, and Ben Kingsley.
The Kingkiller Chronicle
TBD
Kvothe may have a long journey to a movie or TV screen near you. But the Patrick Rothfuss' series has been picked up by Lionsgate and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who are working on the adaptations.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Author Kim Harrison's Favorite Fantasy Series
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
It's been a stellar year for science fiction and fantasy adaptations—and we're only halfway through the year!
Summer television has brought us Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), Neil Gaiman's American Gods (Showtime), and Stephen King's The Mist (Spike). And with George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones (based on A Song of Ice and Fire series) back on HBO for its seventh season, why even bother with the beach this season?
Check out some of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations below. Which ones are you most excited about? And which books do you still need to catch up on?
August 4
Get ready: This is the movie many of you have been eagerly or anxiously anticipating. Stephen King's epic fantasy will star Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, and Katheryn Winnick.
August 25
Based on the Japanese manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, a high school student comes across a supernatural notebook that has the power to kill. The movie stars Lakeith Stanfield and Willem Dafoe.
September 10
Season three of Diana Gabaldon's adapted series will follow Voyager, as Claire and Jamie struggle to reunite with each other across time (the 1960s and the 1700s, to be more precise). It stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.
October 6
Based on Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (and a sequel to the classic movie now 30 years old), a young blade runner (Ryan Gosling) discovers a secret that leads him to a former blade runner (Harrison Ford, who reprises his role as Rick Deckard).
October
Season two of this Terry Brooks' adaptation is moving from MTV to the Spike Channel and picks up a year after the events of the first season with The Four Lands in chaos as magic users are hunted down.
February 16, 2018
The Marvel character recently got an update from Between the World and Me author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Next spring the black superhero gets his movie starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong'o.
March 9, 2018
Director Ava DuVernay (best known for Selma) brings Madeleine L'Engle's classic alive in this Disney’s fantasy epic starring Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey.
March 30, 2018
Steven Spielberg will direct Ernest Cline's homage to the 1980s and video games set in a very bleak American future. It stars Tye Sheridan, T.J. Miller, and Simon Pegg.
2018
This film is based on Jeff VanderMeer's 2015 Nebula Award-winning book about a biologist who signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition; it will star Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
2018
The world ends on Saturday and the armies of Good and Evil are amassing in this comic novel by two of fantasy's favorite authors, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is adapting the novel into a six-episode series.
2018
The first book in Richard K. Morgan's 25th-century world of the Takeshi Kovacs series—where people's consciousnesses can be stored and downloaded into new bodies—is slated to air on Netflix next year.
2018
The Syfy Channel’s adaptation of James S.A. Corey's solar system colonization series, The Expanse, will return for season three in early 2018.
TBD
Matt Ruff's novel that imagines Jim Crow America melded with Lovecraftian horror and fantasy is getting the TV-series treatment with Get Out director (and comedian) Jordan Peele heading up the adaptation.
TBD
Nnedi Okorafor's supernatural fantasy of post-apocalyptic Africa is slated to air as an HBO series with none other than George R.R. Martin signing on as an executive producer.
TBD
Many know of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher saga because of its wildly popular video game adaptation. Next, the mutated monster hunter is coming to Netflix.
TBD
The AMC network is poised to turn Dan Simmons' creepy thriller into a 10-episode TV series that will follow explorers in 1847 seeking the Northwest Passage—and instead finding a mysterious predator.
TBD
The BBC is partnering with Netflix on this new animated mini-series based on the beloved Richard Adams classic. It will star James McAvoy, John Boyega, and Ben Kingsley.
TBD
Kvothe may have a long journey to a movie or TV screen near you. But the Patrick Rothfuss' series has been picked up by Lionsgate and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who are working on the adaptations.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Author Kim Harrison's Favorite Fantasy Series
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Essay: Author N.K. Jemisin and 'The Idea' Problem
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
The conclusion to N.K. Jemisin's award-winning fantasy series The Broken Earth hits stores on August 15. The first book in the series, The Fifth Season, won the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Jemisin the first black writer to win the esteemed science fiction and fantasy prize. Before the third book, The Stone Sky, is released, the author shares her thoughts on creating art and how we think about ideas.
Probably my least-favorite interview question is the one I get most often: "Where do you get your ideas?" I've tried repeatedly to figure out if there's an easy way to answer this question that doesn't come off as patronizing or glib, and there just isn't.
There are no easy answers because it isn't actually an easy question, though lots of people apparently think it is.
Here's the thing: When people ask this question, I think they're actually asking something else. See (gets out soapbox), there's a fundamental failure to understand art in American society. This is partly because we've basically eliminated art education for all but our wealthiest class, but some of it is just endemic to a capitalist society that views everything in terms of commodities. That's what we think of, when we think of art: Things produced, demonstrating skills learned, and sometimes materials used. This is why it's a lot harder to earn a living as a verbal storyteller, for example, than as a writer—even though storytelling requires just as well-honed a skill set. Writing commodifies more easily*.
This becomes a problem when we start to think of ideas as commodities. Pretty much every pro writer I know has encountered some random stranger who "offers" an idea, usually in a conspiratorial whisper and with a wink, if only the writer will do the minor, minor work of turning that idea into a story.
In forums and online writing workshops, it's common to see new writers worrying that someone will use their idea to write a bestselling book, leaving the originator unrecognized and in poverty.
News flash: Artists don't need other people's ideas. Why? Because ideas are everywhere. At any given time, all of us are drowning in them. The measure of an artist lies in the ability to encapsulate these ideas and give them form in a way that others can share.
So when people ask me where I get my ideas, I think they're actually trying to figure out what, exactly, makes me an artist. How is it that I read news articles about supermassive black holes and envision them as a lonely god? Why do I dream about mountains and come up with a magic system based on seismology? Everyone dreams, after all. Everyone reads articles about the physical world, or encounters interesting people, or has unusual experiences. This is a mundane, everyday thing.
So why do artists' mundane experiences become art?
I see the world this way because I was taught to. My father is a visual artist, himself the son of a musician, and throughout my childhood he showed me how to be intentional about observing the world around me. But this is a learnable skill, not something inherited; most writers aren't lucky enough to grow up with an artist parent, after all. Some picked it up in school or other structured environments, but others are self-taught.
That's just how it happens sometimes: Somewhere along the way, every artist notices something as mundane as a rock and thinks about it. Considers its scent, its texture, its weight. Wonders where it came from, and where it will be in ten thousand years, assuming it hasn't been worn down to sand by then. Envisions the people who have held it, skipped it across the surface of a lake, thrown it at their enemies.
Try it, sometime. Look around, wherever you are as you read this, find something mundane, and think about it for a while. Bam! Now you've got an idea, too. Do something with it, and you're an artist.
Have fun!
*Although nowadays, thanks to hip hop and podcasts and structured storytelling events like open mic nights, it's getting better.
Be sure to add N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth series to your Want to Read shelf.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
The conclusion to N.K. Jemisin's award-winning fantasy series The Broken Earth hits stores on August 15. The first book in the series, The Fifth Season, won the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Jemisin the first black writer to win the esteemed science fiction and fantasy prize. Before the third book, The Stone Sky, is released, the author shares her thoughts on creating art and how we think about ideas.
Probably my least-favorite interview question is the one I get most often: "Where do you get your ideas?" I've tried repeatedly to figure out if there's an easy way to answer this question that doesn't come off as patronizing or glib, and there just isn't.
There are no easy answers because it isn't actually an easy question, though lots of people apparently think it is.
Here's the thing: When people ask this question, I think they're actually asking something else. See (gets out soapbox), there's a fundamental failure to understand art in American society. This is partly because we've basically eliminated art education for all but our wealthiest class, but some of it is just endemic to a capitalist society that views everything in terms of commodities. That's what we think of, when we think of art: Things produced, demonstrating skills learned, and sometimes materials used. This is why it's a lot harder to earn a living as a verbal storyteller, for example, than as a writer—even though storytelling requires just as well-honed a skill set. Writing commodifies more easily*.
In forums and online writing workshops, it's common to see new writers worrying that someone will use their idea to write a bestselling book, leaving the originator unrecognized and in poverty.
News flash: Artists don't need other people's ideas. Why? Because ideas are everywhere. At any given time, all of us are drowning in them. The measure of an artist lies in the ability to encapsulate these ideas and give them form in a way that others can share.
So when people ask me where I get my ideas, I think they're actually trying to figure out what, exactly, makes me an artist. How is it that I read news articles about supermassive black holes and envision them as a lonely god? Why do I dream about mountains and come up with a magic system based on seismology? Everyone dreams, after all. Everyone reads articles about the physical world, or encounters interesting people, or has unusual experiences. This is a mundane, everyday thing.
So why do artists' mundane experiences become art?
I see the world this way because I was taught to. My father is a visual artist, himself the son of a musician, and throughout my childhood he showed me how to be intentional about observing the world around me. But this is a learnable skill, not something inherited; most writers aren't lucky enough to grow up with an artist parent, after all. Some picked it up in school or other structured environments, but others are self-taught.
That's just how it happens sometimes: Somewhere along the way, every artist notices something as mundane as a rock and thinks about it. Considers its scent, its texture, its weight. Wonders where it came from, and where it will be in ten thousand years, assuming it hasn't been worn down to sand by then. Envisions the people who have held it, skipped it across the surface of a lake, thrown it at their enemies.
Try it, sometime. Look around, wherever you are as you read this, find something mundane, and think about it for a while. Bam! Now you've got an idea, too. Do something with it, and you're an artist.
Have fun!
*Although nowadays, thanks to hip hop and podcasts and structured storytelling events like open mic nights, it's getting better.
Be sure to add N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth series to your Want to Read shelf.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Great Audiobooks That Bring History To Life
Posted by Cybil on August 01, 2017
This post is brought to you by Audible.
Be swept away this August with an audio tour of amazing moments in history. We've rounded up eight of Audible's current bestsellers in the history genre, from the heroic acts of Dunkirk to the space race to one of the FBI's earliest cases. Learn something, enter a new era, and pass the time wisely with these fantastic listens.
Have a great history audiobook recommendation? Share it with us in the comments! And if you'd like more audiobook inspiration, check out Goodreads' audiobooks page, brought to you by Audible.
What's your favorite history audiobook? Recommend it to your fellow readers in the comments! Then check out Goodreads' new audiobooks page, brought to you by Audible.
Check out more recent blogs:
Nina LaCour's Ultimate Pride Month Reading List
How to Get Inspired by Dreadful Movies: An Octavia Butler Origin Story
June's 8 Hottest New Memoirs
Posted by Cybil on August 01, 2017
Be swept away this August with an audio tour of amazing moments in history. We've rounded up eight of Audible's current bestsellers in the history genre, from the heroic acts of Dunkirk to the space race to one of the FBI's earliest cases. Learn something, enter a new era, and pass the time wisely with these fantastic listens.
Have a great history audiobook recommendation? Share it with us in the comments! And if you'd like more audiobook inspiration, check out Goodreads' audiobooks page, brought to you by Audible.
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What's your favorite history audiobook? Recommend it to your fellow readers in the comments! Then check out Goodreads' new audiobooks page, brought to you by Audible.
Check out more recent blogs:
Nina LaCour's Ultimate Pride Month Reading List
How to Get Inspired by Dreadful Movies: An Octavia Butler Origin Story
June's 8 Hottest New Memoirs
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
"I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room."
-Ray Bradbury
Don't pack up your dinosaurs, fellow sci-fi readers. You're among friends here.
When we set out to uncover the top science fiction books on Goodreads, our journey—searching through hundreds of books and thousands of ratings and reviews—was a spacewalk down memory lane, from revisiting the sci-fi heroes we grew up with, like young brainiac Ender and hapless (and homeless) Arthur Dent, to returning to beloved worlds created by Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler, and many more.
The bar needed to be high. Every book on our list has at least a 4.0 average rating from Goodreads members. Unfortunately, this means that dinosaur king himself Michael Crichton failed to make the cut, along with other big names in the genre like Kim Stanley Robinson, William Gibson, and H.G. Wells. But while some classics may be missing, recent favorites from Emily St. John Mandel, Nnedi Okorafor, and Pierce Brown round out the list.
Without further ado, let's boldly go where many readers have gone before. Tell us how many of the top 50 sci-fi books you've read in the comments!
What's your favorite science fiction book? Share it with us in the comments!
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
-Ray Bradbury
Don't pack up your dinosaurs, fellow sci-fi readers. You're among friends here.
When we set out to uncover the top science fiction books on Goodreads, our journey—searching through hundreds of books and thousands of ratings and reviews—was a spacewalk down memory lane, from revisiting the sci-fi heroes we grew up with, like young brainiac Ender and hapless (and homeless) Arthur Dent, to returning to beloved worlds created by Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler, and many more.
The bar needed to be high. Every book on our list has at least a 4.0 average rating from Goodreads members. Unfortunately, this means that dinosaur king himself Michael Crichton failed to make the cut, along with other big names in the genre like Kim Stanley Robinson, William Gibson, and H.G. Wells. But while some classics may be missing, recent favorites from Emily St. John Mandel, Nnedi Okorafor, and Pierce Brown round out the list.
Without further ado, let's boldly go where many readers have gone before. Tell us how many of the top 50 sci-fi books you've read in the comments!
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What's your favorite science fiction book? Share it with us in the comments!
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Top 10 YA Science Fiction Books
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
Readers of young adult science fiction are used to the world ending. In the wake of The Hunger Games (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, The Giver), dystopian worlds have dominated the genre. The sky may be the limit, but not many characters are going there yet.
Our hunt for the best YA sci-fi books on Goodreads reflects this partiality to the post-apocalypse. We set the bar high, only including books with at least a 4.0 average rating. The result? A sometimes grim, always thrilling peek into the future—where young women and men have the power to change their fates.
How long will dystopia continue its YA reign? Already the tides are shifting, as Veronica Roth ditches the end of the world for space travel with her Carve the Mark series and Marie Lu seeks to put a cyberpunk twist on The Hunger Games with her upcoming Warcross.
Check out readers' top 10 YA sci-fi books and let us know how many you've read in the comments!
The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
What to look forward to in the future: distasteful reality television!
To save her sister, Katniss willingly enters the Hunger Games, an annual televised event where 24 children must fight to the death.
Divergent
by Veronica Roth
What to look forward to in the future: a life-changing personality test!
Welcome to the Chicago of the future, a city where everyone is divided into five factions based on one aptitude test they take as teens.
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
What to look forward to in the future: the absence of color!
Jonas' world shifts from utopian bliss to dystopian dread when he becomes his society's Receiver of Memory.
The Maze Runner
by James Dashner
What to look forward to in the future: puzzles that can kill you!
In the center of a towering, ever-shifting stone maze, a group of children must figure out how to escape—and how to survive.
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
What to look forward to in the future: cyborg heroines!
A sixteen-year-old cyborg tries to save her stepsister in this futuristic update on the classic Cinderella tale.
Legend
by Marie Lu
What to look forward to in the future: perpetual war!
After a brutal murder, a military prodigy and the country's most wanted criminal form an uneasy alliance to uncover the truth.
The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey
What to look forward to in the future: waves of misery!
As one of Earth's last survivors, Cassie knows she must stay alone to survive…until a mysterious boy shows her a different way.
Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi
What to look forward to in the future: a literal kiss of death!
Accused of murder because of her fatal touch, Juliette struggles to understand if she possesses a gift or a curse.
Unwind
by Neal Shusterman
What to look forward to in the future: forced organ donation!
Risa, Lev, and Connor band together to avoid "unwounding," a legal process where all of a person's organs are transplanted into different donors.
The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
What to look forward to in the future: a disease with super side effects!
After Ruby escapes a government rehabilitation camp, she discovers a safe haven for other kids with frightening abilities.
What's your favorite YA sci-fi read? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
Readers of young adult science fiction are used to the world ending. In the wake of The Hunger Games (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, The Giver), dystopian worlds have dominated the genre. The sky may be the limit, but not many characters are going there yet.
Our hunt for the best YA sci-fi books on Goodreads reflects this partiality to the post-apocalypse. We set the bar high, only including books with at least a 4.0 average rating. The result? A sometimes grim, always thrilling peek into the future—where young women and men have the power to change their fates.
How long will dystopia continue its YA reign? Already the tides are shifting, as Veronica Roth ditches the end of the world for space travel with her Carve the Mark series and Marie Lu seeks to put a cyberpunk twist on The Hunger Games with her upcoming Warcross.
Check out readers' top 10 YA sci-fi books and let us know how many you've read in the comments!
by Suzanne Collins
What to look forward to in the future: distasteful reality television!
To save her sister, Katniss willingly enters the Hunger Games, an annual televised event where 24 children must fight to the death.
by Veronica Roth
What to look forward to in the future: a life-changing personality test!
Welcome to the Chicago of the future, a city where everyone is divided into five factions based on one aptitude test they take as teens.
by Lois Lowry
What to look forward to in the future: the absence of color!
Jonas' world shifts from utopian bliss to dystopian dread when he becomes his society's Receiver of Memory.
by James Dashner
What to look forward to in the future: puzzles that can kill you!
In the center of a towering, ever-shifting stone maze, a group of children must figure out how to escape—and how to survive.
by Marissa Meyer
What to look forward to in the future: cyborg heroines!
A sixteen-year-old cyborg tries to save her stepsister in this futuristic update on the classic Cinderella tale.
by Marie Lu
What to look forward to in the future: perpetual war!
After a brutal murder, a military prodigy and the country's most wanted criminal form an uneasy alliance to uncover the truth.
by Rick Yancey
What to look forward to in the future: waves of misery!
As one of Earth's last survivors, Cassie knows she must stay alone to survive…until a mysterious boy shows her a different way.
by Tahereh Mafi
What to look forward to in the future: a literal kiss of death!
Accused of murder because of her fatal touch, Juliette struggles to understand if she possesses a gift or a curse.
by Neal Shusterman
What to look forward to in the future: forced organ donation!
Risa, Lev, and Connor band together to avoid "unwounding," a legal process where all of a person's organs are transplanted into different donors.
by Alexandra Bracken
What to look forward to in the future: a disease with super side effects!
After Ruby escapes a government rehabilitation camp, she discovers a safe haven for other kids with frightening abilities.
What's your favorite YA sci-fi read? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
Being a normal human can be overrated. Young adult fantasy offers irresistible escapism, letting readers step into the shoes of demigods, demons, witches, and assassins. Sure, these heroes possess supernatural abilities and supernatural luck, but they're also intensely relatable as they grapple with growing up and falling in love (and saving the world).
As we searched for the best YA fantasy on Goodreads, we stuck to books with at least a 4.0 average rating. This meant that popular titles with big film adaptations like Twilight, Eragon, and The Golden Compass missed the cut. While The Boy Who Lived made it in, surprising no one, the list is dominated by powerful girls with no time for evil royals or rampaging monsters.
Take a look at our top 10 YA fantasy books and let us know how many you've read in the comments!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
You could've been…a wizard!
The muggle struggle is real for young Harry until he's swept away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
You could've been…the child of a Greek god!
Percy, son of Poseidon, realizes he must travel to the Underworld to stop a war between the gods.
City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare
You could've been…a demon hunter!
After witnessing a terrifyingly bizarre murder, Clary enters a new world of vampires, werewolves, and demons.
The Selection
by Kiera Cass
You could've been…a princess contestant!
One girl gets the chance to compete for a prince's affection in this fairy tale with a light dystopian twist.
Hush, Hush
by Becca Fitzpatrick
You could've been…a fallen angel!
Nora doesn't have time for romance, let alone a romance with an angel, but handsome Patch turns her "normal" world upside down.
Vampire Academy
by Richelle Mead
You could've been…vampire royalty!
Where do vampires learn about their powers? St. Vladimir's Academy, an exclusive school for the creatures of the night and their guardians.
Red Queen
by Victoria Aveyard
You could've been…a commoner with god-like superpowers!
In a realm divided by blood, one red-blooded girl discovers she possesses the same unnatural abilities as the silver-blooded elite.
Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas
You could've been…an assassin!
Celaena Sardothien, a famed assassin, competes to become the king's champion in a contest that quickly turns deadly.
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
You could've been…the king's thug!
Born with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands, Katsa finds herself the unwilling pawn of her uncle, the king.
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
by Laini Taylor
You could've been…a demon in love!
A young art student with a mysterious past gets caught up in a brutal otherworldly war between angels and demons.
What's your favorite YA fantasy? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction on Goodreads
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on July 29, 2017
Being a normal human can be overrated. Young adult fantasy offers irresistible escapism, letting readers step into the shoes of demigods, demons, witches, and assassins. Sure, these heroes possess supernatural abilities and supernatural luck, but they're also intensely relatable as they grapple with growing up and falling in love (and saving the world).
As we searched for the best YA fantasy on Goodreads, we stuck to books with at least a 4.0 average rating. This meant that popular titles with big film adaptations like Twilight, Eragon, and The Golden Compass missed the cut. While The Boy Who Lived made it in, surprising no one, the list is dominated by powerful girls with no time for evil royals or rampaging monsters.
Take a look at our top 10 YA fantasy books and let us know how many you've read in the comments!
by J.K. Rowling
You could've been…a wizard!
The muggle struggle is real for young Harry until he's swept away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
by Rick Riordan
You could've been…the child of a Greek god!
Percy, son of Poseidon, realizes he must travel to the Underworld to stop a war between the gods.
by Cassandra Clare
You could've been…a demon hunter!
After witnessing a terrifyingly bizarre murder, Clary enters a new world of vampires, werewolves, and demons.
by Kiera Cass
You could've been…a princess contestant!
One girl gets the chance to compete for a prince's affection in this fairy tale with a light dystopian twist.
by Becca Fitzpatrick
You could've been…a fallen angel!
Nora doesn't have time for romance, let alone a romance with an angel, but handsome Patch turns her "normal" world upside down.
by Richelle Mead
You could've been…vampire royalty!
Where do vampires learn about their powers? St. Vladimir's Academy, an exclusive school for the creatures of the night and their guardians.
by Victoria Aveyard
You could've been…a commoner with god-like superpowers!
In a realm divided by blood, one red-blooded girl discovers she possesses the same unnatural abilities as the silver-blooded elite.
by Sarah J. Maas
You could've been…an assassin!
Celaena Sardothien, a famed assassin, competes to become the king's champion in a contest that quickly turns deadly.
by Kristin Cashore
You could've been…the king's thug!
Born with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands, Katsa finds herself the unwilling pawn of her uncle, the king.
by Laini Taylor
You could've been…a demon in love!
A young art student with a mysterious past gets caught up in a brutal otherworldly war between angels and demons.
What's your favorite YA fantasy? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction on Goodreads
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Author Kim Harrison's Favorite Fantasy Series
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
Author Kim Harrison thought she'd said goodbye to her best-selling Hollows series with the publication of The Witch With No Name, but found she missed writing about magic so much she returned to it this year with a prequel, The Turn. In her latest novel, the familiar characters of the Hollows emerge from the shadows to save humanity in the wake of a world-wide, tomato-born pandemic.
Harrison took a break from the paranormal genre for several years to write a Bond-meets-Jason Borne thriller series, the Peri Reed Chronicles. Now she's back to writing urban fantasy, and plans on juggling several series since having fallen in love with her new work featuring older characters fighting age, the system, and those annoying "new hires" in order to get the job done.
Harrison's pleasure reading is a scatter shot within the wider scope of fantasy. Here are the debut books of five of her favorite character-driven, binge-worthy, series that have stuck with her.
What's your favorite urban fantasy novel? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Author Terry Brooks' Guide for Fantasy Readers
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Harrison took a break from the paranormal genre for several years to write a Bond-meets-Jason Borne thriller series, the Peri Reed Chronicles. Now she's back to writing urban fantasy, and plans on juggling several series since having fallen in love with her new work featuring older characters fighting age, the system, and those annoying "new hires" in order to get the job done.
Harrison's pleasure reading is a scatter shot within the wider scope of fantasy. Here are the debut books of five of her favorite character-driven, binge-worthy, series that have stuck with her.
Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock) by Faith Hunter
"Saddled with a past she doesn't remember, Jane can pull on her native American heritage to shift into a mountain lion—which comes in handy when she's trying to both survive and work with the New Orleans' vampire families. The big cat's soul vying with Jane's for control makes for surprising reading. This series sits at eleven, and has spawned a sister series, allowing for binge reading at its finest."
Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson
"The superhero mythology superimposed on a zodiac backbone all amid the lights of modern Las Vegas: What's not to love? Not your usual urban fantasy, but that's what I liked about it. Joanna Archer is one tough woman, and I enjoyed watching her make the hard decisions. The series run six books."
Sandman Slim (Sandman Slim)
by Richard Kadery
"Nicotine and octane in equal parts might come close to the high-energy buzz that seeps through Richard's writing. Crisp world building, recognizable and fully-realized characters, and a refreshingly unique storytelling style make for an absorbing read. If you like your urban fantasy gritty, this might be for you. And it just keeps getting better with the series standing at nine books."
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson) by Patricia Briggs
"Shapeshifting urban fantasy with weres and vampires in modern America. Lots to love here, with a strong female lead and plenty of angst. The series stands at ten books."
Dragonsong (Harper Hall of Pern series) by Anne McCaffery
"A blast from the past, and not urban fantasy, but urban fantasy wasn't a thing when I was ten. Thanks to Anne, I have been dreaming of dragons for a very long time, and when they show up again in my writing, I know I have Anna to blame. Menolly was my hero, and the idea of a small, winged protector sitting on my shoulder has haunted my own work—you don't have to look close to see it. Dragonsong is an offshoot series from the Dragonriders of Pern, which has been out for ages and spawned many side series, but my favorites are the first six or so."
What's your favorite urban fantasy novel? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Author Terry Brooks' Guide for Fantasy Readers
Author Terry Brooks' Guide for Fantasy Readers
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
The bestselling epic fantasy author Terry Brooks is best known for his Shannara, Magic Kingdom of Landover, and Word/Void fantasy series as well as the novelization of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. His debut novel, The Sword of Shannara, spent 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and launched his prolific career.
The first season of The Shannara Chronicles, an MTV series adapting The Elfstones of Shannara, premiered in 2016. Season 2 begins in October.
Brooks' latest novel, The Black Elfstone, the first book in The Fall of Shannara, hit stores in June.
Before becoming a full-time author, Brooks was a practicing attorney. Although he credits his interest in the fantasy genre to reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in college, Brooks says his main literary influence is William Faulkner.
With these impressive credentials in mind, Goodreads asked Brooks to select the books (some old, some new) that are must reads for fantasy devotees.
What book would you say is recommended fantasy reading? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Essay: Author N.K. Jemisin and 'The Idea' Problem
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
The first season of The Shannara Chronicles, an MTV series adapting The Elfstones of Shannara, premiered in 2016. Season 2 begins in October.
Brooks' latest novel, The Black Elfstone, the first book in The Fall of Shannara, hit stores in June.
Before becoming a full-time author, Brooks was a practicing attorney. Although he credits his interest in the fantasy genre to reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in college, Brooks says his main literary influence is William Faulkner.
With these impressive credentials in mind, Goodreads asked Brooks to select the books (some old, some new) that are must reads for fantasy devotees.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
"This talented author, marketed as YA but clearly every bit as good as anyone working in 'adult' fantasy, has some of the most original and intriguing concepts and storylines of anyone I read. Lush, beautiful prose and characters you cannot help but become emotionally involved with combine to make her work a true pleasure. Check out her earlier work as well, in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy.
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
"Not out yet, but will be in a couple of months. A follow-up to her wonderful debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale—which you should read in the meantime—it captures the wonder and intrigue of the Russian fairytales it emulates. Her first book was the best fantasy book I read all of last year, and I am waiting eagerly for this new one."
Half Resurrection Blues from The Bone Street Rumba series by Daniel Jose Older
"All three are out and available, and they explore fresh territory in urban fantasy. The protagonist is a half-dead enforcer for an organization that 'helps' the dead who don't want to crossover to do so anyway. It looks closely at the latino culture in NYC with a weather eye towards its unusual protagonist and a series of plotlines and character studies that are truly a joy to read. Step outside your usual reading parameters and be prepared for an emotional roller coaster of a ride."
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
"Fantasy for the most discerning readers, it demands a love of words and concepts and a willingness to be prepared to spend some time thinking about what you have read. Three books, all equally compelling, track the adventures of a series of students at a college for budding magicians (I know, but it isn't) where life and death live side by side in uneasy companionship. A skilled wordsmith and a great storyteller, Lev does things with his writing that make me jealous of his talent."
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
"Have I been waiting for this book or what? Along with many others, I am sure. Not a sequel but a prequel, but Philip Pullman
at his best. This one isn't out yet either, but His Dark Materials is one of the best fantasy series of all time, and The Golden Compass is a classic. Don't miss out Philip doesn't turn out books every year, so get on board and keep watch for it!"
What book would you say is recommended fantasy reading? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Essay: Author N.K. Jemisin and 'The Idea' Problem
The Martian's Andy Weir Picks Space Colonization Sci-Fi
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
Author Andy Weir is definitely a rising star in the science fiction world. His debut book The Martian nabbed the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for best science fiction, has an average Goodreads' reader rating of 4.39 stars, and was made into a blockbuster movie starring Matt Damon.
So, what's up next for the author?
This November he'll be returning readers to space with Artemis, a heist story set on the moon.
"I’ve always loved the idea of humanity expanding outward into the solar system. The Martian is a near-future look at those first steps," says Weir. "But it’s one thing to visit a place, it’s another thing entirely to build a civilization there. Dropping a flag on a planet and going home hardly constitutes an expansion."
"My second book, Artemis, plays with what that expansion might actually look like, taking us into a city on the moon," Weir says. "So when Goodreads asked me to recommend a few books featuring a science-fiction theme that’s close to my heart, of course I chose early space colonization."
What's your favorite out-of-this-world novel on space colonization? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction Books
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
So, what's up next for the author?
This November he'll be returning readers to space with Artemis, a heist story set on the moon.
"I’ve always loved the idea of humanity expanding outward into the solar system. The Martian is a near-future look at those first steps," says Weir. "But it’s one thing to visit a place, it’s another thing entirely to build a civilization there. Dropping a flag on a planet and going home hardly constitutes an expansion."
"My second book, Artemis, plays with what that expansion might actually look like, taking us into a city on the moon," Weir says. "So when Goodreads asked me to recommend a few books featuring a science-fiction theme that’s close to my heart, of course I chose early space colonization."
Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein
"In this 1950 Heinlein juvenile, colonists on Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede, face a life just as harsh as early European settlers did in North America. And they endure similar results: the majority of them die, and the remainder manage to eke out a sustainable colony. It’s not a happy story, but it’s certainly an exciting read."
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
"Robinson’s Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars) is usually talked about as a single entity. But for this list I’m just going to talk about Red Mars. This book features the early colonization of Mars by multinational cooperation. Almost immediately, the colonists break into factions, disagreeing about how best to grow their colony. But their petty disputes are quickly mooted by political strife between Mars and Earth. This is a political thriller as much as it is a science-fiction book, and shows the dark side of a colony’s relationship with its original countries."
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
"This sequel to Ender’s Game takes place after the events of the bugger war. Ender Wiggin has taken a new alias and moved to the remote colony of Lusitania. It’s inhabited by a small population of settlers, mostly Brazilian Catholics. But the settlers suffer from a virus that threatens to kill all the humans on the planet, and have strained relations with the native intelligent life already present. An ambitious follow-up to Ender’s Game, and an entirely different experience, more anthropological science fiction than thriller."
Runaround by Isaac Asimov
"Okay, I’m stretching the theme a little on this one. Runaround is a short story, not a full-length novel. But it’s from my favorite novel of all time, I, Robot. It tells the story of a mining operation on Mercury that had once been thriving, but has fallen into disuse. Two recurring characters in the robot stories find themselves tasked with getting it started up again. But a robot with a slightly adjusted set of Three Laws proves to be problematic when they give it an order it can’t correctly follow. Good fun all around and one of my favorite short stories ever."
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
"How could I end this list with any other book? This is the gold standard of lunar-colonization tales. And no doubt it will be the impossibly high standard that my own offering will be compared to. Mistress features a full-blown revolutionary war as the lunar population severs ties with Earth. That goes about as well as can be expected (lots and lots of people dying). It’s an absolute classic, and one of Heinlein’s greatest novels."
What's your favorite out-of-this-world novel on space colonization? Share it with us in the comments.
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Science Fiction Books
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Top 50 Favorite Fantasy Novels on Goodreads
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
Sponsored by Ready Player One. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.
"They can keep their heaven. When I die, I’d sooner go to Middle Earth."
-George R.R. Martin
Within these pages are legends, heroes, myths, and magic. When you really need to escape, is there any better place than an entirely different realm? Always in search of a great book, Goodreads recently set out to uncover readers' all-time 50 most-loved fantasy novels.
These titles were chosen based on reader reviews, so every single book had to meet at least a 4.0 average rating from the Goodreads community. Then, for good measure, we looked at how many ratings each book has received. We also decided to select the first book in a series (although it's worth noting that the entirety of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as well as George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire have the rare distinction of being above a 4.0 rating).
It's time to unveil the top 50 fantasy books on Goodreads, conjured up in alphabetical order. How many have you read? Tell us in the comments.
Tell us how many you've read in the comments!
See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Author Terry Brooks' Guide for Fantasy Readers
Posted by Cybil on July 29, 2017
-George R.R. Martin
Within these pages are legends, heroes, myths, and magic. When you really need to escape, is there any better place than an entirely different realm? Always in search of a great book, Goodreads recently set out to uncover readers' all-time 50 most-loved fantasy novels.
These titles were chosen based on reader reviews, so every single book had to meet at least a 4.0 average rating from the Goodreads community. Then, for good measure, we looked at how many ratings each book has received. We also decided to select the first book in a series (although it's worth noting that the entirety of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as well as George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire have the rare distinction of being above a 4.0 rating).
It's time to unveil the top 50 fantasy books on Goodreads, conjured up in alphabetical order. How many have you read? Tell us in the comments.
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See the complete coverage of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Week including:
Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads
Top 10 YA Fantasy Books
Author Terry Brooks' Guide for Fantasy Readers
