A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be able to attend BookExpo in Chicago, where I saw the books that publishers are excited about for fall. I came away with a huge list of books for my own TBR pile. It also reminded me that while I did a list of anticipated books in the science fiction and fantasy genres for 2016, I only went through July. Now there are lots of new titles appearing on publishers’ schedules and a ton books I hadn’t even dreamt of when I made my first list for the year, in January. So, I decided I would round up my anticipated SFF reads for the second half of 2016. I’ll try and update this list as new titles are announced. These are things I’m personally looking forward to, but what looks good to you?
JULY
- Supernova
[Sequel to the terrific Lightless] - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
[ZOMG so awesome!] - Four Roads Cross (Craft Sequence)
[Incredible inventive series, magical lawyers FTW!] - Arabella of Mars (The Adventures of Arabella Ashby)
by David D. Levine
[Sounds like pulpy goodness] - Time Siege
by Wesley Chu
[Sequel to majorly fun Time Salvager] - The Big Book of Science Fiction
by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
[HUGE. Canon but also inclusive and incredibly diverse] - The Devourers
[Kind of sounds like Interview with a Vampire. But Indian. And werewolves. And more sex and violence. ] - Underground Airlines
[author of The Last Policeman does alt. history] - Heroine Complex
[Fun superhero novel] - Urban Allies: Ten Brand-New Collaborative Stories
[Have you seen the authors? And collaborations are interesting] - The Wolf Road
[This is an interesting sounding horror novel that’s getting great blurbs] - The Race
[My co-columnist at LJ loved this!] - Dark Matter
by Blake Crouch
[SF thriller that is un-put-downable]
AUGUST
- Breath of Earth
[Love this author and historical, magical SF setting] - The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth)
[Sequel to The Fifth Seaon] - The Last Days of New Paris
[Art History majors are gonna love this one. All the weirdness you expect from this author] - Betrayals (Cainsville)
[Love this series, plus it sounds like it has a mystery plot this time!] - The Hike
[Described as funny and surreal, so I’m in.] - Necessity
[Philosophical SF, the end of a great series] - Between Two Thorns (Split World)
[Mirror worlds, faeries, and the whole series is coming out this year.] - Ghost Talkers
by Mary Robinette Kowal
[LOVED. WWI with mediums who use ghosts as spies] - Behind the Throne (The Indranan War)
[Publisher raved about this one – political SF, GOT in space] - Sixth Watch (Night Watch)
by Sergei Lukyanenko
[Underrated Russian urban fantasy series comes to a close]
SEPTEMBER
- The Thorn of Emberlain (Gentleman Bastard Sequence)
[FINALLY!] - The Masked City (The Invisible Library, Book 2)
[Sequel to the very fun (and librarian catnip) The Invisible Library] - Ninth City Burning
[Another publisher rave – alien invasion SF with maybe a fantasy element?] - Chapel of Ease (Tufa Novels)
[I adore this series] - MJ-12: Inception (Mj-12: Majestic-12)
[Sounds like a genre-blender with supernatural cold war spies. Yes, please.] - Once Broken Faith (October Daye)
by Seanan McGuire
[One of the UF series I love best. No details yet – don’t care, auto-buy] - The Family Plot
[Spooky sounding gothic fantasy] - Magic Binds (Kate Daniels)
[Another auto-buy series. Kate and Curran are heading for the altar, with obstacles aplenty] - The Queen of Blood (Queens of Renthia, Book 1)
[Lots of people I trust are excited about this new epic fantasy series] - Cloudbound (Bone Universe)
[Did you read Updraft? Go read Updraft!] - Warp
[Grossman gets science fictional with alternate realities and more twenty-something slackers] - Luna: Wolf Moon
[A return to the Machiavellian politics of Luna: New Moon] - A Night Without Stars (Commonwealth)
[Although the last book in this series didn’t wow me, I still hope for the magic of Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained] - Jerusalem
- Summerlong
[A new novel from a magical writer] - The Gradual
[Priest always writes interesting, challenging SF] - The Ferryman Institute
[Hero is a man who ferries the souls of the dead]
OCTOBER
- Crosstalk
[Always fabulous Willis takes a break from time traveling historian for a near future romance] - Firewalk
[Interesting sounding supernatural crime thriller] - The Wall of Storms (The Dandelion Dynasty)
[Grace of Kings, was a little slow and could have had more interesting women characters, but it was ambitious and different. High hopes for book 2! ] - Conspiracy of Ravens (The Shadow)
by Lila Bowen
[Sequel to the great weird west debut Wake of Vultures] - Certain Dark Things
[I really liked Signal to Noise and this novel of ‘noir-punk’ Mexico City vampires looks great] - The Motion of Puppets
[Donohoe does literary horror, and this one is about creepy puppets. I’m scared already.] - Six Wakes
[While I’d like another Shambling Guide, I’ll happily take this SF mystery with clones.] - The Cold Eye (The Devil’s West Book 2)
by Laura Anne Gilman
[I loved The Silver on the Road so I can’t wait for this one] - Remnants of Trust (Central Corps)
by Elizabeth Bonesteel
[Another anticipated sequel. Cold Between was a SF/mystery/romance blend, but this one looks more political ] - Feedback (Newsflesh)
by Mira Grant
[Another perspective on the events of the fantastic first Newsflesh novel, Feed.]
NOVEMBER
- Faithful
[Hoffman. ‘Nuff said.] - Babylon’s Ashes (The Expanse)
[I’m behind on my Expanse. Gotta catch up!] - The Weaver
- The Mountain of Kept Memory
[Considering it is so far out, this is getting good buzz and comparisons to Guy Gavirel Kay and Robin McKinley] - Den of Wolves (Blackthorn & Grim)
[Latest entry in a great series set in ancient Ireland.] - The Fate of the Tearling (Queen of the Tearling, Book 3)
[This fantasy series took a SF gonzo twist in book 2 – can’t wait to see what happens next.] - Moonglow
[Chabon is always great, and this seems to have an SF edge] - Seven Surrenders (Terra Ignota)
[Sequel to Too Like the Lightning] - Bookburners
by Max Gladstone (and others)
[I’ve been curious about the Serial Box books, and this first compiled one looks like a blast]
DECEMBER
- The Liberation (The Alchemy Wars)
[End of an alt history trilogy full of robots] - The Burning Page (The Invisible Library Novel)
[Third book of the series that began with The Invisible Library] - Seven Surrenders (Terra Ignota)
[Sequel to Too Like the Lightning] - Last Year
by Robert Charles Wilson
[Wilson is always reliable and this one has time travel]