Five Fantastic Fantasy/Sci-Fi Stories You May Not Have Heard Of
29 May 2017In no particular order:
1. Shards of Honor (and Barrayar)
Lois Bujold is both an MC and a master when it comes to word choice. Her finely crafted prose never outstays its welcome in my book. Shards of Honor is a gripping space opera love story told from the point of view of a 33 year old woman, and Barrayar follows that up with a flawless political thriller centered around her unborn son. Also on the plus side, if you like being invested: Bujold has written something like 20 other stories in this series, so this is something you could get into for a while. (But start with these two)
2. Airman
You may recognize Eoin (pronounced ‘Owen’) Colfer as the author of the famed young adult series Artemis Fowl. What you may not know is that he wrote a steampunk novel set on an island kingdom off the coast of Ireland, and it is beautiful. I would call it an easier to read Count of Monte Cristo. I would…and I just did.
3. Now Showing
I’m not sure if this is available outside the Rogues anthology, but you should get the Rogues anthology anyway because it’s full of amazing stories. One of my favorites is Connie Willis’ Now Showing. In other stories of hers I have gotten tired of her habit of using long lists of names as part of the setting, but Now Showing uses that feature to evoke the frenetic experience of the setting perfectly. Also, it’s probably the least “Fi” Sci-Fi can get.
4. The Emperor’s Soul
If you’re going to hitch your cart to one fantasy author, pick Brandon Sanderson. There may be better writing out there, but none being published as quickly as his. He must spend all his waking moments writing, revising, or at least thinking about his Cosmere, the grand idea that links every single one of his novels. Luckily, you don’t have to care about that to enjoy any of his works, and I believe The Emperor’s Soul is the best standalone short story I have ever read. It weaves a thinkpiece about the definition of art into a mysterious, magical tale featuring a forger…excuse me, a Forger.
5. Schools of Clay
I don’t agree with the title “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015″ for this anthology, since I would expect more like an 80% hit rate on story likability rather than the 1 or 2 stories I actually enjoyed. Nevertheless, Derek Künsken’s Schools of Clay makes this one worth your time and money. In it, we meet aliens who are truly alien, not just humans wrapped in different skin. And yet their problems and the story’s arc are relatable enough to keep you invested throughout. Also read it for the majestic word pictures that your inner eye can watch.