The best new sci-fi and fantasy books to read in fall 2023

Fall 2023 will be a great year for sci-fi, fantasy and horror releases. Next few months will see a return of Red London as well as two deeply unsettling homes and giant cat wearing suits.

Below you’ll find 12 highly anticipated sci-fi and fantasy titles hitting shelves soon.

Sept. 12

Cover art for Sim Kern’s The Free People’s Village, which depicts a person smashing the heck out of a robotic police dog with a bat.

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like today if Al Gore won in 2000 and declared war on climate changes? In Sim Kern’s upcoming novel The Free People’s Village (the first adult title to be published by Levine Querido, previously known for its diverse, award-winning children’s literature), the answer is considerably greener and more eco-friendly, but not for everyone.

When the historically Black neighborhood in Houston where she teaches — and where the queer punk band she’s part of meets to play – is threatened by the development of a new electromagnetic hyperway, disillusioned Maddie Ryan decides it’s time to take a stand. In an effort to keep her band together — and, importantly, to spend more time with her crush — Maggie joins a local, Black-led movement on the brink of an anti-capitalist revolution that will change history forever.

It’s a story so timely that it feels as if the headlines could have come from this. The Free People’s Village One could fall victim to the “white savior” trope. Kern makes Maddie face her own whiteness in order to understand the harm she unintentionally caused the community.

Sept. 12

Cover art for Mona Awad’s Rouge, which features a rose against a black background.

Don’t plan on starting RougeIf you need to complete any tasks in the next few days, this is a great way to get them done. Mona Awad is an expert when it comes to crafting surreal (and often horrific) gothic tales that suck you in from the very first page and stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

You can also find out more about the following: RougeAwad takes on the beauty industry, its often impossible standards, and Tom Cruise, among others. Rouge’s protagonist, Belle, is lured to a reportedly transformative and undeniably cultlike spa known as La Maison de Méduse (a name that should be enough to raise a few eyebrows) after her glamorous mother’s mysterious death. Once there, Belle learns of her mother’s unhealthy obsessions and the monsters (both of the fairy-tale variety and otherwise) that seemingly lurk around every corner.

Inspired by the skinfluencers that populate TikTok, Awad has crafted a cinematic and gripping tale about the relationship between mothers and daughters, and what we’re prepared to do to “fit in.”

Sept. 19

Cover art for John Scalzi’s Starter Villain, which features an adorable cat wearing a suit and tie with the caption “Meet the new boss.”

Following in the footsteps of sci-fi greats like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, who embraced the absurd and tackled larger subjects like workers’ rights, trade unions, and late-stage capitalism, John Scalzi is truly a must-read no matter the subject. Scalzi’s new novel, Starter VillainThis is not an exception.

Divorced and living alone with his cat, it’s fair to say Charlie’s life hasn’t gone exactly according to plan. It’s not a bad life, but it’s not a particularly remarkable one, either. All of that changes when Charlie’s estranged uncle, a notorious supervillain, passes away and leaves him his business. Being a supervillain isn’t all sunshine, secret lairs, and super-intelligent spy cats. Charlie’s uncle had enemies, and now it’s up to him to put these soulless goons in their place and follow in his family’s footsteps. Starter Villain is a madcap, hilarious adventure and a truly delightful story of a villain you’ll end up rooting for.

Sept. 26

Cover art for Christopher Rowe’s The Navigating Fox. It is a colorful image, with shades of blue, pink and yellow. A blue fox sits at the top, above what looks like a scepter crossed with an arrow, and below a sun.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but Quintus Shu’al, the world’s only navigating fox, learns the hard way this isn’t always the case.

In Christopher Rowe’s novella, animals are divided into two categories: “knowledgeable” and “voiceless.” Quintus, being knowledgeable, has been gifted with human intelligence and the ability to communicate using spoken language, and he can maneuver his way through a network of mysterious pathways otherwise invisible to the human eye. Quintus, after a disastrous trip to hell’s gates, is forced to lead a second mission (which includes a sinister bison ambassador and twin raccoons) to save himself.

This alternate North America is inspired by Roman history. The Fox NavigatingThis book is ideal for those who have grown up with a constant diet of RedwallEnjoy complex philosophical discussions about creation. It’s part tall tale, part intricate heist novel and, quite frankly, downright weird in the best way possible.

Sept. 26

The cover for Courtney Smyth’s Undetectables, which features four figures in a newspaper ad in front of a star with a circle around it. The ad reads “Be Gay. Solve Crimes. Take Naps.”

What’s the result when three witches in cat costumes and a haunted ghost who has been trapped for all eternity join forces to unravel supernatural mysteries? Courtney Smyth’s downright delightful and unapologetically queer new novel, Undetectables.

Wrackton, an occult village in the United States has a major problem. There’s a serial killer on the loose, and the hypnotic whistling that heralds their arrival is causing victims to chew off their own tongues in a truly gruesome act of violence. With very little evidence to go on, virtually no leads, and a less-than-stellar track record when it comes to solving mysteries — their first case is technically still open — the job of catching the killer falls to Mallory, Cornelia, Diana, and Theodore (the aforementioned unlucky ghost). It is an absorbing race against time to find a killer and stop them before they strike once more.

Sept. 26

Cover image of V.E. Schwab’s The Fragile Threads of Power, with a figure in a cloak, tinted with blue lighting, pulling strange mesh threads from a box.

Everyone’s favorite world-hopping magicians are back in the start of a brand-new series from V.E. Schwab, the author of Shades of Magic and other books.

It has been seven years since Kell and his Antari friends saved the planet from destruction. Kell and Lila are now living at sea as privateers while Kell is struggling to deal with his loss of magical powers. Kell, Lila and their brother are forced back to Red London when they hear of an attempted assassination. It’s there that they learn of a precocious new Antari, Kosika, who has claimed White London’s throne in Holland’s absence, and of a rebellion set on tearing down the monarchy in its entirety. In the midst of all this political and magical intrigue and chaos, a young burglar discovers an invention that can bring together friends and foes and even change the way they see things.

What is the fragility of power?This is an enchantingly nostalgic new addition to V.E. Schwab’s creations are still fresh, with new characters introduced and the promise that more stories will be coming.

Oct. 3

Cover art for Alix E. Harrow’s Starling House, which features a ton of starling birds, some with keys in their mouths, some with flowers.

As sumptuous and romantic as it is sinister, Alix E. Harrow’s foray into Southern gothic literature is a perfect book to ring in the start of spooky season.

Eden, Kentucky is a rapidly decaying city. Starling HouseThis story tells of the struggles and sacrifices made by Arthur Starling, the heir to a manor home that is haunted by Opal. Arthur Starling, despite his handsomeness, has remained stubbornly self-sacrificing. Destitute and desperate for work, Opal takes a job as a house cleaner for Arthur despite her initial misgivings about him — he’s far too broody — and the Starling House, both of which are fueled by small-town rumors about a reclusive 19th-century author who mysteriously vanished years ago. Opal’s relationship with Arthur, which began as one of mutual distrust, soon becomes a tenuous partnership and an undeniable chemistry as the two spend increasing amounts of time together.

Oct. 3

Cover art of Nicola Griffith’s Menewood, a beautifully painted image featuring a woman holding a sword and wearing a knight’s outfit as war rages on around her.

After ten years of the release, Hild, Nicola Griffith is finally returning to the meticulously researched and gorgeously rendered seventh-century Britain that St. Hilda of Whitby — known for turning snakes into stone and leading one of the most important abbeys in Anglo-Saxon history — called home.

It is identical to the predecessor. Menewood continues to expand upon the canon of what little is known about Hild’s life and her rumored otherworldly abilities. Hild has changed from a young, bright-eyed child to a woman who is still determined and fierce. She faces a world that’s on the verge of war. She must navigate a community built around her, and her former alliances will be tested.

Just over 700 pages. MenewoodThe book is long and it will surely keep you reading throughout the fall and the winter.

Oct. 3

Cover image for Sharon Emmerichs’ Shield Maiden, featuring an ornate cup in front of a black silhouette of a woman’s face, against a red background with dragons on it.

If you’re someone who can’t resist a story based on epic mythology or who couldn’t put down Maria Dahvana Headley’s recent, powerfully feminist translation of BeowulfYou might also want to consider putting Shield MaidenYou should add Sharon Emmerichs’s book to your TBR.

Oct. 3

Cover art for Elizabeth Hand’s A Haunting on the Hill, featuring a spooky image of a red-tinted house, with its reflection extending below almost like an iceberg.

With three Shirley Jackson awards to her name, it should come as no surprise that Elizabeth Hand’s upcoming novel, Hauntings on the hill, is “the first-ever authorized novel to return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House” And what better time to read a chilling tale of isolation and madness than when the weather grows suddenly colder and the sun begins to set earlier in the day. It’s incredibly creepy, and will have you jumping at every sound your house makes at night.

Holly Sherwin is desperate to get the right space for her play and rents Hill House as soon as she sees it while on vacation. The old mansion — massive and unsettling — speaks to her the moment Holly sets eyes on it. Holly’s girlfriend, who is not as sure of the idea, agrees to go with her to see it. Strange things start to happen as they begin their stay. The time begins to trick them and strange sounds echo in the halls. What began as a retreat for writers soon turns into an epic battle with something sinister and ancient that won’t leave them alone.

Oct. 17

Cover art for Molly McGhee’s Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, a ghostly mix of greens, reds, and yellows with a figure appearing out of a group of flowers.

Death is present from the first page in Molly McGhee’s hotly anticipated and surprisingly touching debut novel, Jonathan Abernathy, You Are Kind. It’s a delightfully searing critique of late-stage capitalism in which McGhee examines what might happen if the worst of the worst in our society figured out a way to audit dreams.

Jonathan Abernathy is a victim of bad luck. He’s lonely, broke, and spinning his metaphorical wheels in the mud. Jonathan is excited to have a chance to make a change in his life when a new job comes through a vision (literally). Jonathan finds himself removing anxieties from white-collar worker’s dreams. This is fine until the line between work and life becomes increasingly blurred..

Nov. 7

Cover image for Freya Marske’s A Power Unbound, featuring the pink silhouettes of two people dressed in suits against a green background filled with trees.

The trilogy I would choose to force everyone to read is the one that you have chosen. The Last Binding, Freya Marske’s phenomenal (and extremely spicy) fantasy series. Marske’s fantasy series is a masterpiece of combining sexual tension and squeals with tender human interaction between the characters. Consider your favourite romance trope. What if they were rivals? Is it rivals or lovers? Sun and grumble? Forcible proximity? Chances are you’ll find it in one of these books.

You can also find out more about the A-Team here. Power UnboundThe series ends in a way that is deeply satisfying. Jack Alston, not long after his twin’s tragic death, finds himself drawn to a world filled with magic and mystery that he doesn’t want to be a part of. Alan Ross, an eccentric group of unlikely and bizarre friends and a strange London townhouse are waiting for Jack Alston. Alan is a thief and writer by profession. He finds Jack insufferable. Jack on the contrary finds Alan both insufferable as well as very attractive.

When Jack’s ancestral home and the very foundations of magic are threatened, the two are forced to join forces and work out some kinks (both literally and figuratively, thanks to some clever pamphlets).

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