15 BookTok creators recommending great SFF books

With so many excellent fantasy and science fiction books out each year, it can be hard to know what to read next. But dozens of BookTokers — TikTokers who focus on books, from sharing favorites to critiquing classics — are here to help.

We’ve made a list of some of our favorite BookTokers who either focus on SFF, or have broad taste that includes a lot of speculative books. Fear not; this list expands beyond the much hyped books like Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six or Sarah J. Maas’s numerous fantasy titles. This isn’t an exhaustive list either — the wide world of BookTok is full of creators who do excellent work. We’ll add to this list as we find new favorites.

@fayestephensonn

To kick things off, Faye has SFF recommendations galore — especially books with queer representation — along with lots of lighthearted comedy about genre tropes and the inevitable haze of coming out from reading a long fic. You’ll be there for the great hairstyles and the incredible selection of colors.

@camilletealatte

Camille Kelly’s TikToks range from recommendations — like this list of books with a “fanfiction-y feel” — to jokes about their own bookish habits or bits about classic literature and fantasy. You’ll find science fiction, fantasy and other books in these videos. They’re great to follow not just to broaden reading recommendations, but to add more humor to your feed.

@book_reviews_kill

Evan’s focus is on SFF, though his taste leans fantasy. He has a variety of TikToks that range from the thoughtful analysis and discussion of specific titles such as V.E. Schwab’s Addie laRue: The Invisible Life and Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Elder RaceTo the best books of 2018, all-time favourites, and book hauls. His videos can tend toward the longer side, since they’re analysis-heavy — but they’re very accessible, and a great choice for those just starting to get into SFF or seasoned readers who are looking to dig deeper.

@aresreads

Ares suggests tons of SFF, including graphic novels and comics as well as fantasy books. SagaAnd MonstressManga, as well. Ares shares his resources with readers to diversify their selection of authors. (And when I see someone who loves Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty, I You can find it hereTo feature them

@thoughtsontomes_

If you love SFF tropes and are looking to add to that to-read stack, you’ve come to right place. Sam makes lots of specific recommendations based on tropes and themes like female rage, hero to villain, or dark academia — along with sharing queer readings of SFF.

@chaptersofchi

Adannia’s taste is broad and fairly omnivorous, including literary fiction like Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom as well as romance or YA. Of course, she also features tons of science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on an inclusive range of reads — featuring lots of SFF heavy hitters like Octavia E. Butler and Nnedi Okorafor. Adannia’s TikToks also touch on subjects like anti-Blackness in BookTok (and in publishing and criticism more broadly).

@books.with.lee

Lee’s taste is also very broad, but with a focus on international authors — especially with her current 2022 focus, the “Reading Across Africa” challenge. (In her Storygraph, you can find books she’s read, organized by the country the book is set in or the country the author is writing from.) Throughout the year, she’s also shared her favorite speculative books written by African authors, along with books published in America that were inspired by African mythology. She also originated a trend where BookTokers share images of their favorite books in the thumbnail — browsing these is a great way to quickly find other creators to follow.

@melissas.bookshelf

Melissa Blair is the author of A Broken BladeThis book recommends an extensive range of books. It includes science fiction, fantasy, and even indigenous authors, such as Karen McBride. Crow Winter, A speculative work of literary fiction. I’d recommend watching her tour of her local bookstore, where she points out great books from indigenous authors in Canada and the United States.

@libraryofclaire

If you were looking for queer recommendations, you’ve come to the right place. Claire champions books from across genres — with a frequent focus on science fiction — but they do an excellent job of highlighting queer SFF as well as sapphic books of all types. (Hello, Gideon, the Ninth.) They also have an excellent list of books to read if you like D&D.

@johannawithbooks

If you’re looking to add more Latinx authors to your shelf, you can’t go wrong with Johanna’s recommendations. This book haul alone has a ton of excellent books to dig into (Fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow rise up!!!).

@limmadi8

Madi Lim loves books from all genres. Science fiction and fantasy are her favorites. She also makes “BookTok News” TikToks dedicated to news — and BookTok tea — from movie adaptation announcements to conventions gone wrong. Some of her recommendations include Sue Lynn Tan’s Goddess of the Moon, Daughter and Aiden Thomas’ Cemetery Boys.

@asthebookends

If you’re in the mood for lots of SFF lists to dig through, especially centered on granular themes — like urban fantasy or fallen heroes — or simply books with a certain level of “spice” (BookTok speak for how explicit or hot a book is), Erin Fehres’ account is for you. Peppered with lists and individual recommendations, there’s lots to choose from.

@amivireads

Amivi runs a bookclub called “Sapphic and Proud” with queer favorites across genres, including science fiction and fantasy. They share tons of sapphic must-reads and fantasy recommendations from Black writers, with favorites that include Ayana Gray’s Beasts of PreyN.E. Davenport’s The Blood Trials.

@bookwormbullet

Ayushi champions a number of books that haven’t taken off on BookTok, but still deserve the love and attention of readers. She also highlights YA fantasies written by women of color, and reps lots of Desi authors — both SFF and outside the genre. (If you’re also a romance reader, Ayushi has got you covered.)

@sayde_reads

Last but definitely not least, Sayde’s taste also runs the gamut, and SFF books are in regular rotation (often while Sayde wears these cool elven ears). These featured titles are books that have been beloved by mythology children, including Circe Ariadne, to “existential horror manga” that would spook even the most stalwart readers. Sayde offers excellent suggestions for people who’ve enjoyed many BookTok titles, and are looking to switch to adult fantasy books.