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84 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Recommendations for (Nearly) Every Kind of SFF Fan
The brain wants what the brain wants. Every serious book person runs into this truism sooner or later. Even within a particular genre, certain kinds of books latch onto the inside of our skulls and we find ourselves seeking out more of the same.
That’s the concept behind today’s collection in our continuing coverage of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Week here at Goodreads. We’ve sorted 84(!) sci-fi and fantasy recommendations into loosely organized categories based on reader types. Perhaps you’re the kind of reader who likes a good school of magic story. Or SFF road trips. Or historical fantasy. Then there’s the self-explanatory glory of “Here be dragons…”
We’ve deliberately cast a wide net with this collection. You’ll find old books and new books. (And, indeed, red books and blue books). We’ve included cerebral genre classics from Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guin along with more playful SFF titles concerning space nuns, draconic family drama, and Roswell. There’s even a little bit of sexytime here, if you’re in the mood.
Adventurous readers will appreciate the many instances in which inventive authors find new approaches to traditional SFF concepts. For instance, Martha Wells’ fantastic Murderbot series provides delightfully weird insights into robot psychology. Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation takes the weird fiction aesthetic into new territories. And Nnedi Okorafor rethinks postapocalyptic genre designations with Who Fears Death.
Have fun, click through the book cover images for more details on each title, and add any interesting leads to your Want to Read shelf. Feel free to add additional category suggestions in the comments below. And please play nice! Be the comments section you wish to see in the world.
I like big books, I cannot lie
I'm obsessed with messed-up magic schools
Beep-boop, robots!
Here be dragons
Give me lovable found families, please!
I'll read any story set on a spaceship
I'm a sucker for an unconventional vampire story
I like books that feel like a weird fever dream
How about an SFF-inflected road trip?
Science fantasy! I love when the genre boundaries are blurred
I'm always up for reading philosophical, thought-provoking SFF
Tell me an old story in a new way
Give me your wackiest, campiest premises
I like a good ol' "let's overthrow the empire" plot
I like SFF that's a little quite sexy
Tell me about the books that other SFF readers can't stop raving about
Give me an unassuming protagonist who really would rather be left out of this narrative, thank you very much
Historical fantasy is my jam
Time travel? Time travel!
I'm always in the mood for a speculative short story
I'm more of a literary fiction reader. Can you help me dip my toes into SFF?
Now it's your turn! What type of SFF reader are you? Which books would you recommend for the categories above? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more recent fantasy and science fiction articles:
Comments Showing 1-50 of 86 (86 new)
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Law
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Jul 17, 2023 02:11AM
The only book I've read that's on this list is The House in the Cerulean Sea and it was ok but not the best one ever and by the way, where's Aurora Rising, it should be on here.
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Great list! I have read some in almost every category and am now curious about the ones I didn't know about yet. :)
gosh, such great list.. did I add like 20 new books to TBR shelf? ohh, hell yes :D :D :D :D I'm marking this page and in the words of someone very famous: I'll be back!
Law wrote: "The only book I've read that's on this list is The House in the Cerulean Sea and it was ok but not the best one ever and by the way, where's Aurora Rising, it should be on here."Agreed! I was unimpressed with it.
Everything in this article that I either want to read or have already read is already somewhere in my lists. I didn't see anything new to me.
The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings is the first title in this series) is hands down, the most addictive and amazing book series I have ever read. So much so, I recently got two characters from the books tattooed on my arm!
A historical Fantasy could also be "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman. I also really enjoyed "Divine Rivals" for a war journalist tale in a high fantasy world with 4 gods.
For the "Tell me an old story in a new way" I would add The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. It's a retelling of Hamlet with nature gods, a transmasc Horatio and second-person narration. Great book!
I love how they added The Hobbit to this list! Such a great book with and even great finale!!! <3I, too, am also very EXCITED for starting any Brandon Sanderson book!!!
The SPFBO contest is also ongoing right now, lots of new books, many are misses, but there are some hidden gems like Galaxy of Thorns: Rise of the Empress or The Traitors We Are: Crown and Tide Book 1 orDaughter of the Beast
I do hate when lists like this are based more on the author or social statement than the quality of the writing or story.
Some good ones in there.Sorely missing the Red Rising saga!!
I could do with an entire list on unconventional vampire novels
Time Travel - Reply by Ken Grimwood (5 star book)
I've read all 4 of the big books listed, a few others, and have many on my TBR list, and added a few more!
Next time you make this - I implore you to include a "SFF with a horror twist" category (or vise versa).
Christie wrote: "Next time you make this - I implore you to include a "SFF with a horror twist" category (or vise versa)."I think this is an up-and-coming hot genre; I am enjoying these stories.
Heroic/epic fantasy: Brandon Sanderson, Michael J Sullivan, and my new favorite, Tyler Whitesides.
James wrote: "What about some portal fantasy!"Ooh, yes! Have you ever read Meghan Ciana Doidge? Her Dowser series (book 1 is free - Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic), such a fantastic series with nine books with portals. Enjoy, she's one of my fave authors.
A very good mix in the Genre. Gave me a few I am really interested in.
Piranesi is very good. Since Parable of the Talents is on here, Parable of the Sower should be as well
I've read almost all the ones that interest me in these lists, and the ones I haven't read were already on my TBR. I loved Master of Djinn, and in that category I would highly recommend The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. In the what the heck did I just read? category (or what you call science fantasy), in addition to everyone on the planet reading Gideon the Ninth, I would highly recommend The Library on Mount Char by Scott Hawkins.I want more like these. I want irreverent, wtaf characters dealing with bonkers crazy situations - animated articulated skeletons? Heck yeah. A sentient library? Yes please. A crazy messed up mentor disappearing and leaving his kids to fend for themselves? Sign me up. I am surprised that Illuminae (or any other Kristoff/Kaufman collab) is not on this list! That whole series is insane.
I want insane. I want more insane crazy plot twists and settings and creepy dead things that help you. Just, like the opening to Gemina (I think that's the one where her and her bf break up as the ice planet comes under attack?). AIDAN. Mr. Kindly.
Oh, and for comfort, Sorcery of Thorns. I want more love letters to books, with crazy life or death situations and sentient libraries and houses. Thank you.
I def. put a lot of these books on my to-read list. For history or dragons (or both) I recommend the Temeraire-series by Naomi Novik. Napoleonic wars and dragons, oh my!
Can someone explain to me what SFF is? Kinda confused, and thank you!
just want to say, i appreciate this list so much thank you for the effort into the category names
Zaynab wrote: "Can someone explain to me what SFF is? Kinda confused, and thank you!"science fiction fantasy (sff) :)
Some I've read and some here are on my TBR. I didn't add anything new but that's okay. I love mysteries that take place on space stations and ships so recommend: Dead Space by Kali Wallace
Places in the Darkness by Christopher Brookmyre
and right now I'm reading an ARC of Generation Ship by Michael Mammay (publishing later this year)
Amber wrote: "Everything in this article that I either want to read or have already read is already somewhere in my lists. I didn't see anything new to me."Great! That just means you're someone who's read a lot.
I will literally read anything with a messed-up school in it regardless of genre so those are definitely going on my TBR.
Zaynab wrote: "Can someone explain to me what SFF is? Kinda confused, and thank you!" Science Fiction and Fantasy. Sometimes including Speculative Fiction too.
Where's the Queer SFF? And Space Opera? And Military SF? And quest fantasies? And Space Pirates (like R E Stearns Shield Runner series)? What about Urban Fantasy with authors like Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), Seanan McGuire (Cryptid Files), Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels "Magic" series), Patricia Briggs (Mercy books)?
I have read and/or want to read 36 on this list! I even added a few more (although they were mostly ones I thought I'd already added). SFF has become my go-to genre for the past year, so this was a great list to check out!
Can you please make a list with female writers from every country in the world with 2-4 options for each! No genre limitations since some countries don't really have female authors.
Read 9. TBR pile 8. Suggest "Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
For "Anything Set on a Spaceship" need to include "The Spare Man" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Just read it and it's delightful.
Kay wrote: "Where's the Queer SFF? And Space Opera? And Military SF? And quest fantasies? And Space Pirates (like R E Stearns Shield Runner series)? What about Urban Fantasy with authors like Jim Butcher (Dr..."
Stuff I'd consider Queer SFF on this list (that I've read, probably more that I haven't): House on the Cerulean Sea, Sisters of the Vast Black, Legends and Lattes, Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Light from Uncommon Stars, Left Hand of Darkness.
I can't remember if A Memory Called Empire or The Goblin Emperor feature queer relationships, but would say they are queer-friendly at least.
There is too much fantasy here and not enough hard science fiction. I realize it's supposed to be an article for both, but it seems to heavily favor the fantasy genre. (Places that mix the two genres into one section are evil.) Okay maybe the "Robots" section...
Want to reads:A game of thrones
The way of kings
Babel
Fourth wing
The deep sky
The hobbit
Project Hail Mary (read 5/5 stars)
LOVE the category names!!! More of this please :)
Definite contender in the Sci-Fantasy genre (space opera, no less... with magic!): You gotta try the Beyond the Outer Rim series. First book of the prequel is Knights of the Inner Rim by Reiter . Incredible world-building, genuine characters (... and sssssshhhhh - even some kick-ass female characters!), and thrilling story-telling. It's amazing.
Dolly wrote: "... Suggest "Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss"Yep. Hands down, Name of the Wind is the best book I've ever read.
