Margaret's 2023 Science Fiction & Fantasy Picks

This list will be maintained alphabetical by author and consists of books which have already been published in January-December 2023 and which previously appeared on my New Releases and Forthcoming Books list.

Fantastic Futures Books, in association with Amazon.com Books, brings you the best in Science Fiction and Fantasy.


Aaronovitch, Ben
Deadly Ever After
(bk 10 of the Rivers of London graphic novel series. Sequel to Monday, Monday.)
Urban fantasy.
Titan Publishing / Titan Comics
Jan.2023

Aaronovitch, Aaron
Here Be Dragons
(Rivers of London graphic novel series Book 11. Boxed set. Sequel to Deadly Ever After.)
Urban fantasy. Police procedural.
Titan Comics
Dec.2023

Aaronovitch, Ben
Winter's Gifts
(bk 9 of the Rivers of London. Direct sequel to Whispers Under Ground (same FBI agent).
[NOTE: This is NOT a Peter Grant book and is NOT set in London. Instead, it is set in the United States. The action happens in Northern Wisconsin. This is the second Rivers of London book set outside the UK. The first was the October Man, set in Germany. Again, this is a novella.]
Urban fantasy. Police procedural.
Subterranean Press. Deluxe edition.
Dec.2023

Anderson, Taylor
Devil's Battle
(bk 3 of the Artillerymen. Sequel to Hell's March)
Hard sf. Alternate history.
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
Sep.2023

Archer, C.J.
The Untitled Books
(bk 3 of the Glass Library. Sequel to The Medici Manuscript.)
Urban fantasy. Murder Mystery.
C.J. Archer
Sep.2023

Atwood, Margaret
Old Babes in the Wood: Stories
(Short story collection.)
Penguin Random House / Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group / Doubleday
Mar.2023

Beaulieu, Bradley P.
Dragons of Deepwood Fen
(bk 1 of the Holt series. "Beaulieu's intricate world-building and complex characters are quickly becoming the hallmarks of his writing, and if this opening volume is any indication, [this series] will be one of the next great fantasy epics." —B&N SF&F Blog, as seen on Amazon.com)
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Dec.2023

Basu, Samit
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport
("From international bestseller Samit Basu, The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is an exuberant new sci-fi adventure with heart that reads like a mash-up of "Aladdin" and Murderbot?with gloriously chaotic results." [Amazon.com blurb]. Novella.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tordotcom
Oct.2023

Beagle, Peter S.
The Way Home
(Collection containing two novellas set in the world of his beloved [Last Unicorn]: "Two Hearts" and "Sooz".)
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
Apr.2023

Blackgoose, Moniquill
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
(bk 1 of the Nampeshiweisit series. "A young Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy—and quickly finds herself at odds with the "approved" way of doing things—in the first book of this brilliant new fantasy series." [Amazon.com] Trade pbk.)
Fantasy
Penguin Random House / Random House / Ballantine Books / Del Rey Books
May 2023

Bodard, Aliette de
A Fire Born of Exile
(bk 6 in the Xuya Universe series. Sequel to the Red Scholar's Wake. Author says "sapphic Count of Monte Cristo/Nirvana in Fire in space".)
Space Opera. Romance.
JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Oct.2023

Boop, David, editor
High Noon on Proxima B.
(Sequel to Gunfight on Europa Station. Themed anthology of original stories.)
Hard sf. Space Western.
Baen
Feb.2023

Britain, Kristen
Spirit of the Wood
(bk 8 of the Green Rider series. Sequel to Winterlight.)
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Nov.2023

Brooks, Terry
Sister of Starlit Seas
(bk 3 of Viridian Deep. Sequel to Daughter of Darkness.)
Fantasy.
Penguin Random House / Del Rey
Nov.2023

Brust, Steven
Tsalmoth
(bk 16 in the Vlad Taltos series. Sequel to Vallista.)
Fantasy.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books
Apr.2023

Buckell, Tobias
A Stranger in the Citadel
("At the revolutionary crossroads of magic, betrayal, and long-forgotten truths, a naive, compassionate royal and a determined, hunted librarian discover a dangerous world of mortal and ancient menaces." [Amazon.com])
Fantasy
Tachyon Publications
Oct.2023

Butcher, James J.
Long Past Dues
(bk 2 of the Unorthodox Chronicles. Sequel to Dead Man's Hand.)
Urban Fantasy.
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
Oct.2023

Butcher, Jim
The Olympian Affair
(bk 2 of the Cinder Spires series. Sequel to The Aeronaut's Windlass and the novella Warriorborn.)
Fantasy.
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
Nov.2023

Butcher, Jim
Warriorborn
(bk 1.5 of Cinder Spires. Novella. Sequel to The Aeronaut's Windlass. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy.
Podium Publishing
Sep.2023

Card, Orson Scott
Wakers
(bk 1 of the Side-Step Trilogy. Young Adult. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf. Parallel worlds.
Simon & Schuster / McElderry
Feb.2023

Carey, M.R.
Infinity Gate
(Either standalone or bk 1 of new series. Trade pbk)
Thriller. Parallel Earths. Inter-dimensional travel with AI threat.
Orbit UK / Orbit US
Mar.2023

Cherryh, C.J.
Defiance
(bk 22 of the Foreigner series. Sequel to Divergence.)
Hard sf. Space Opera.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Oct.2023

Clark, P. Djeli
Abeni's Song
(bk 1 of Abeni's Song series. Middle grade fantasy. Reading age: 8-12 years / Grade level: 4-6)
African Fantasy
Starscape
Jul.2023

Clarke, Neil, ed.
Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven
(Anthology of short fiction. Trade pbk.)
Nightshade Publishing
Apr. 2023

Cogman, Genevieve
Scarlet
(bk 1 in new series. Scarlet Pimpernel retelling in the world of the French Revolution where many of the aristocrats are vampires. Trade pbk.)
Alternate history urban fantasy.
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
May 2023

Davis, Hank, editor & Korsgaard, Sean C.W., editor
They're Here!
(Themed anthology. "The secret visitors are revealed by such luminaries as Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, Spider Robinson, William Tenn, and more. And if any alien visitors want to check out the local natives' speculations herein, feel free. Please pay with local currency, of course." [Amazon.com] Trade pbk.)
Hard sf
Baen
Aug.2023

Doctorow, Cory
The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation
("We can - we must - dismantle the tech platforms. In The Internet Con, Cory Doctorow explains how to seize the means of computation, by forcing Silicon Valley to do the thing it fears most: interoperate. Interoperability will tear down the walls between technologies, allowing users leave platforms, remix their media, and reconfigure their devices without corporate permission." Amazon.com [Note: Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.])
Nonfiction
New Left Books / Verso
Sep.2023

Elliott, Kate
Furious Heaven
(bk 2 of the Sun Chronicles. "Genderspun Alexander the Great" [Amazon.com]. Sequel to The Unconquerable Sun.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books
Apr.2023

Elliott, Kate
The Keeper's Six
(Standalone or bk 1 of new series. "A story of portals, dragon kings, surprising literature, and one furious mom." [book cover]. Novella. )
Contemporary Fantasy
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tordotcom
Jan.2023

Flint, Eric, Goodlett, Paula, & Huff, Gorg
1638: The Sovereign States
(latest 1632-series book. Direct sequel to 1637: The Volga Rules. "The fate of Russia hangs in the balance as up-timers and down-timers battle for freedom!" [Amazon.com])
Alternate history. Time travel.
Baen
Sep.2023

Forthright
Lord Mettlebright's Man
(bk 2 of the Amaranthine Interludes. Sequel to Suuzu and the Nine Nippets of Legend. "Unique format! A story in 100-word chapters that was originally serialized on Forthright’s blog, beginning in 2018."[Amazon.com])
Urban Fantasy.
Twinkle Press
Jul.2023

Forthright
Scribbled in Margins
(bk 9 of Songs of the Amaranthine. Sequel to Flattered by Flowers.)
NOTE: eBook ONLY at this time.
Urban Fantasy Romance
Twinkle Press
Apr.2023

Forthright
Suuzu and the Nine Nippets of Legend
(bk 1 of the Amaranthine Interludes. Short story.)
NOTE: eBook ONLY at this time.
Urban Fantasy Romance.
Twinkle Press
May.2023

Gannon, Charles E.
Endangered Species
(bk 6 of the Caine Riordan series. Sequel to Marque of Caine.)
Hard sf. Space Opera.
Baen
Aug.2023

Gannon, Charles E.
Into the Vortex
(Vortex of Worlds, bk 2. Sequel to This Broken World.)
Epic Fantasy
Baen
Mar.2023

Gannon, Charles E.
Protected Species
(bk 7 of the Caine Riodan series. Sequel to Endangered Species.)
Hard sf. Space Opera.
Baen
Dec.2023

Gannon, Charles E.; Barber, Griffin; Massa, Mike; & Kennedy, Chris
Mission Critical
(bk 3 of the The Terran Republic series. Sequel to Watch the Skies. Gannon's Caine Riordan shared world. Each author advances part of the overall story. Trade paperback.)
Hard sf. Military space opera. Time travel.
Baen
Jan.2023

Guran, Paula, editor
Year's Best Fantasy: Volume Two
(Short fiction anthology. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy.
Start Publishing / Pyr
Aug.2023

Herbert, Brian & Anderson, Kevin J.
Princess of Dune
(bk 3 in the Heroes of Dune series. Sequel to The Winds of Dune. Latest in longrunning Dune series.)
Hard sf.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books / Tor Books
Oct.2023

Kritzer, Naomi
Liberty's Daughter
(Either a standalone or book one in a new series.)
Hard sf mystery.
Fairwood Press LLC (November 21, 2023)
Kuang, R.F., editor and Adams, John Joseph, editor
Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023
(Annual short fiction collection. Trade pbk.)
HarperCollins Publishers / Mariner Books (formerly Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's trade publishing)
Oct.2023

Lackey, Mercedes
Anything With Nothing
(bk 17 of the annual Valdemar shared-world anthologies. Sequel to Shenanigans.)
Fantasy
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Nov.28, 2023

Lackey, Mercedes and Dixon, Larry
Gryphon in Light
(bk 1 of a new Gryphon trilogy. See the earlier Mage Wars trilogy. "Set in the beloved and New York Times world of Valdemar, this first book in a new trilogy returns to the tales of the majestic gryphons." [Amazon.com])
Epic Fantasy
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Jul.2023

Lackey, Mercedes
Valdemar
(bk 3 of the Founding of Valdemar series. Sequel to Into the West.)
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Dec.2023

Lafferty, Mur
Chaos Terminal
(bk 2 of Midsolar Murders. Sequel to Station Eternity. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf mystery.
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
Nov.2023

Lam, L. R.
Dragonfall
(bk 1 of the Dragon Scales series.)
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
May 2023

Lanza, Robert and Kress, Nancy
Observer: A novel
(Either standalone or bk 1 of new series. "A mind-blowing journey to the very edge of science." [Amazon.com])
Thriller
Story Plant
Jan.2023

Latner, Alexis Glynn
Adversary
(bk 3 of the Starways series. Sequel to Starmaze.)
NOTE: eBook ONLY at this time.
Hard sf. Space opera romance.
Avendis Press
March 31, 2023

Latner, Alexis Glynn
Tomorrow's Mascots
(Stories set in the Starways series. New pet brings each couple together.)
NOTE: eBook ONLY at this time.
Hard sf. Space opera romance.
Avendis Press
Apr.2023

Lawrence, Mark
The Book that Wouldn't Burn
(bk 1 of a new Book That Wouldn't Burn series.)
Fantasy
Penguin Random House / Berkley Books / Ace
May 2023

Leckie, Ann
Translation State
("Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a triumphant new standalone story set in Leckie's celebrated Imperial Radch universe." [Amazon.com])
Hard sf. mystery.
Orbit UK / Orbit US
Jun.2023

Ledbetter, William
Level Six
(bk 2 of Killday. Sequel to Level Five. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf. Artificial Intelligence. Thriller.
Interstellar Flight Press
Aug.2023

Ledbetter, William
The Long Fall Up: and Other Stories
"[M]y very first short fiction collection...." Reprints plus one original story.
Hard sf.
Interstellar Flight Press
Nov.2023

Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve
Salvage Right
(bk 25 in the Liaden Universe. Sequel to Fair Trade. Direct sequel to Neogenesis.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Baen
Jul.2023

Leicht, Stina
Loki's Ring
(Set in same universe but with DIFFERENT CHARACTERS as Persephone Station. NOT a sequel. Trade paperback.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Simon & Schuster / Gallery Books / Saga Press
Mar.2023

Levine, David D.
Kuiper Belt Job
("Ocean's 11 meets The Expanse in an adventure set far in the future." Amazon.com. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf. Caper/Heist.
Arc Manor Publishers / Caezik SF & Fantasy
Nov.2023

Lindskold, Jane
House of Rough Diamonds
(bk 3 of Over Where. Sequel to Aurora Borealis Bridge. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy
Baen
Sep.2023

McCarthy, Wil
Poor Man's Sky
(bk 2 of the Rich Man's Sky series. Sequel to Rich Man's Sky. "Full bore show-your-work SF and a tense lunar mystery! A thrilling read."—Max Gladstone, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, as seen on the Amazon.com listing.)
Hard sf. Mystery
Baen
Jan.2023

McDevitt, Jack
Village in the Sky
(bk 9 in the Alex Benedict series. Sequel to Octavia Gone.)
Hard sf. Mystery.
Simon & Schuster / Gallery Books / Saga Press
Jan.2023

McGuire, Seanan
Backpacking through Bedlam
(bk 12 of the InCryptid series. Sequel to Spelunking Through Hell. Trade pbk.)
Urban fantasy
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Mar.2023

McGuire, Seanan
Innocent Sleep
(bk 18 in the October Daye series. Tybalt POV. He has to both find Toby and convince her when she has NO idea who he is that she must do as he is asking and give up her seemingly "perfect" life as second daughter to Simon Torquil & companion to older sister August. EVERYTHING depends on Tybalt now. Sequel to Sleep No more.)
Urban Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Oct.2023

McGuire, Seanan
Lost in the Moment and Found
(bk 8 of the Wayward Children series. Sequel to Where the Drowned Girls Go. Novella.)
Fantasy
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tordotcom
Jan.2023

McGuire, Seanan
Sleep No More
(bk 17 in the October Daye series. Sequel to Be The Serpent.)
Urban Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Sep.2023

Modisett, L.E., Jr.
Contrarian
(bk 3 of the Grand Illusion series. Sequel to Councilor.)
Fantasy
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books
Aug.2023

Morris, Cass
Bloodstained Shade
(bk 3 of the Aven Cycle. Sequel to Give Way to Night. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy.
Cass Morris
Feb.2023

Newitz, Annalee
The Terraformers
("A science fiction epic for our times and a love letter to our future, The Terraformers will take you on a journey spanning thousands of years and exploring the triumphs, strife, and hope that find us wherever we make our home." [Amazon.com])
Hard sf. Space Opera.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books
Jan.2023

Okorafor, Nnedi
Like Thunder
(bk 2 of The Desert Magician's Duology. "This brand-new sequel to Nnedi Okorafor's Shadow Speaker contains the powerful prose and compelling stories that have made Nnedi Okorafor a star of the literary science fiction and fantasy space and put her at the forefront of Africanfuturist fiction." [Amazon.com])
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Nov.2023

Okorafor, Nnedi
Shadow Speaker
(bk 1 of The Desert Magician's Duology. "Deluxe, expanded edition of an out-of-print early novel from Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor, with a brand-new introduction from the author." [Amazon.com])
Fantasy.
Astra Publishing House / DAW
Sep.2023

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn
The Court Martial of the Renegat Renegades
(bk 17 of the Diving Universe series. Direct sequel to The Renegat. Last Diving Universe book Maelstrom.)
Hard sf. Space opera. Courtroom procedural.
WMG Publishing Inc.
Jun.2023

Sagara, Michelle
Shards of Glass
(Set in the world of the Chronicles of Elantra. A Robin story set at the Academia. Like the Severn trilogy, this book does not feature Kaylin as the protagonist. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy.
HarperCollins / Harlequin Enterprises / MIRA
Nov.2023

Salvatore, R.A.
Lolth's Warrior: A Novel
(bk 3 of the Way of the Drow series. Latest Drizzt Do’Urden book.)
Fantasy
HarperCollins / Harper Voyager
Aug.2023

Scalzi, John
Starter Villain
(Standalone. Not part of any series.)
Hard sf. Caper.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tor Books
Sep.2023

Scalzi, John
Travel by Bullet
(bk 3 of the Dispatcher series. Sequel to Murder By Other Means.)
Hard sf.
Subterranean Press
Mar.2023

Shawl, Nisi, editor
New Suns 2: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color
(Anthology. Sequel to New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color.)
Rebellion Developments / Solaris Books
Mar.2023

Shearin, Lisa
Gorgon Agenda
(bk 8 of the SPI Files series. Sequel to Solstice Countdown.)
Urban Fantasy. Police Procedural.
Murwood Media LLC
Jan.2023

Shinn, Sharon
Whispering Wood
(bk 5 in the Elemental Blessings series. Sequel to Unquiet Land. Trade pbk.)
Fantasy.
Fairwood Press LLC
Nov.2023.

Snodgrass, Melinda M.
Thucydides Trap
(bk 5 of the Imperials series. Sequel to Currency of War. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Prince of Cats Literary Productions
Jan.2023

Strahan, Jonathan
The Book of Witches: An Anthology
("Bringing together twenty-nine stories and poems from some of the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers working today," [Amazon.com])
HarperCollins / Harper Voyager US
Aug.2023

Taylor, Jodi
About Time
(bk 4 of the Time Police series. Sequel to Saving Time.)
Humorous Hard sf. Time Travel.
Hachette / Headline
Jan.2023

Taylor, Jodi
Christmas Pie
(Chronicles of St. Mary's annual Christmas Day short story.)
NOTE: eBook ONLY at this time.
Hard sf. Humorous time travel.
Hachette / Headline Publishing Group Limited / Headline
Dec. 25, 2023

Taylor, Jodi
The Good, The Bad and The History
(bk 14 of the Chronicles of St. Mary's. Sequel to A Catalogue of Catastrophe. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf. Humorous time travel.
Hachette / Headline Publishing Group Limited / Headline
Oct.2023

Taylor, Jodi
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: A Christmas Short-Story Collection
(Chronicles of St. Mary's short story collection.)
Hard sf. Humorous time travel.
Hachette / Headline Publishing Group Limited / Headline
Dec. 1, 2023

Tchaikovsky, Adrian
Children of Memory
(bk 3 of the Children of Time series. Sequel to Children of Ruin. Trade pbk.)
Hard sf.
Orbit UK / Orbit US
Jan.2023

Turtledove, Harry
Wages of Sin
("What if HIV started spreading in the early 1500s rather than the late 1900s?....The 'Wasting' (HIV) has caused devasting destruction throughout the known world and severely limited the development of technology as well, creating a mid-nineteenth century England and London almost unrecognizable to us." [Amazon] Plus, society's answer was to sequester the women (prior to marriage). What would it be like to be a woman at this time?
Alternate History
Arc Manor Publishers / Caezik SF & Fantasy
Dec.2023

Verant, M.
Emma's Dragon: London and Pemberley
(bk 2 of the Jane Austen Fantasy series. Sequel to Miss Bennet's Dragon: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling. Trade pbk.)
Regency Romance Fantasy.
Acerbic Press
Mar.2023

Waldrop, Howard
H'Ard Starts: The Early Waldrop
(Short fiction collection.)
Fantasy.
Subterranean Press
Jun.2023

Weber, David, editor
What Price Victory?
(bk 7 in the Worlds of Honor shared world anthology series. "New Honorverse tales by: Timothy Zahn & Thomas Pope, Jane Lindskold, Jan Kotouc, and Joelle Presby. Plus, "First Victory," an all-new novella by David Weber!" [Amazon.com]. Sequel to Beginnings.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Baen
Feb.2023

Wells, Martha
System Collapse
(bk 7 in the Murderbot Diaries series. Sequel to Fugitive Telemetry. Direct sequel to Network Effect. Novella.)
Hard sf. Space opera.
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tordotcom
Nov.2023

Wells, Martha
Witch King
(Should be at least one sequel, according to author.)
Fantasy
Macmillan / Tor Publishing / Tordotcom
May 2023

Zahn, Timothy
Icarus Twin
(bk 3 of the Icarus Saga. Sequel to Icarus Plot.)
Hard sf.
Baen.
Dec.2023

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