Hellooo!

A quarter through the year or five quarters through 2020 depending on your perspective. So in the UK bookshops are opening and what suitable time to remind you of books that came out these last few months. Tomorrow some advance booktempting but lets refresh your little grey cells

Science Fiction

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard - a fantastic SF novella of murder, sentient starships and a tribute to the Lupin crime novels. A delight to read!

Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky - a fantastic tale set in Tchaikovsky’s Dogs of War universe. Mars, sentient bears and a villain that may remind you of an ex-President. Angry and thoughtful.

The Seep by Chana Porter - aliens invade, change the world and one woman tries to process her grief. Weird, unusual but very memorable

Inscape by Louise Carey - loved this start to a new SF series. Dystopian London, augmented realities and evil corporation await in this tale.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - Two young nobles are arranged in marriage a wonderful tale of love, political intrigue and delivered in style

The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne - now this story starts like The Martian narrated by a sentient AI and becomes something Ian M Banks could have written

Just Add Water by John Dodd - an engineer has to stop a spaceship committing genocide. Really interesting tale worth a look

These Lifeless Things by Premee Mohamed - in the future the world is invaded and a science team investigate a deserted city. One of the best novellas i’ve EVER read - go look this up now please.

Love. An Archaeology by Fabio Fernandes - a varied collection paying tribute to SF’s past but very much pointing towards the future

The Swimmers by Marian Womack - Climate change, colonisation and choices come to play into tale which is well worth a look

One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Time to meet one of the most unique time travellers who will accept no competition

Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley - a tale of aliens, identify and deciding to belong or not. Haunting and strange

The Expert System's Champion by Adrian Tchaikovsky - a return to a world of some very very weird biology and this time it has no legs but moves dangerously quickly!

Nova Hellas - Stories From Future Greece Edited by Francesca T Barbini & Francesco Verso - a varied selection of science fiction stories examining Greece’s future and many options await

Universal Language - The Airlocked Room Mystery by Tim Major - How about some murder on mars with a locked room mystery and a fantastic and unusual narrative voice.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers - time to say goodbye to one of the most interesting SF series of the last decade. The final Wayfarers was a delight

Horror

The Route of Ice & Salt by Jose Luis Zarate (translated by David Bowles) - Finally translated into English a brilliant tale taking place in the scenes of Dracula

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish - Gothic horror involving sinister hospitals, recurring pasts and two women caught in a sinister trap.

Spec Ops Z by Gavin G Smith - Zombies, The Cold War and who would win against neo-nazis. A fantatstic bloody tale

John's Eyes by Joanna Corrance - A horror tale narrated by a pair of synthetic eyes trying to help their owner…disturbing

Eurasian Monsters edited by Margret Helgadottir - the end to one of my favourite horror collections reaches it’s last continent and its a fine goodbye

Fantasy

A Tiding of Magpies by Pete W Sutton - a collection of fantastical tales all based around that Magpie rhyme. A bit of everything and a lot of fun to read

Hall of Smoke by H M Long - One of the best fantasy debuts so far this lead with a woman who mixes magic, priest and warrior getting involved in a tale of battle of empires and gods. Loved this!

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson - now here is another fascinating debut - ships that sail on grass, bone magic and a young woman trying to find her family secret. Hugely inventive worldbuilding

Fable by Adrienne Young - pirates, magic and a young woman trying to find her fortune in this great start to a new YA series.

Relics Wrecks & Ruins edited by Aiki Flinthart - the last book edited by the excellent Aiki Flinthart with tales from Neil Gaiman, Ken Liu and many many more brilliant authors - well worth your time and profits help a good cause

The Library of the Dead by T L Huchu - Scotland in the future, magic and ghosts start a brand new urban fantasy tale with a difference. One of the best new narrators of their life await you!

Beyond the Latch and Lever: Speculative Short Stories edited by Susanna Skarland and Elle Blackwood - I really liked this tale of various SF, horror and fantasy from authors in the Pacific North West

Witherward by Hannah Mathewson - a promising start to a new urban fantasy series of alternate London in quasi Victorian England with added shape shifters

The Future God of Love by Dilman Dila - this novella explores storytelling and myths with some very inventive worldbuilding

Brother Red by Adrian Selby - another return to one of the most interesting fantasy universes. This time a tale of honour and battling against the dying of the light.

Birds of Paradise by Oliver K Langmead - the First Man is involved in a 21st century heist to save pieces of Eden. A wonderfully weird tale to explore.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna - Now this is a delight an army of young women apparently cursed by demons have to fight monsters. There is so so much more to discover in this story. One of the most interesting YA tales so far this year

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard - a smart fantasy tale exploring toxic relationships between countries and lovers.

Sistersong by Lucy Holland - another amazingly smart fantasy tale set i Ancient Britain with three remarkable siblings trying to find their future

Advanced Triggernometry by Stark Holborn - a return to this universe where great mathematicians are outlaws in the wild west

The Difficult Loves of Maria Makiling by Wayne Santos - Filipino myths and Canadian culture collide in this charming and often hilarious novella

Thrillers

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward - Now this is one of the best and creepiest thrillers I’ve read this year. Meet a truly unusual family and explore all their secrets inside a haunting house.

Repentance by Eloisa Diaz - a tale of Argentina’s troubled history and guilt over when is it time to do the right thing

The Distant Dead by Heather Young - a deliciously dark thriller set in a small Nevada town and two family’s secrets are about to be finally revealed

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Champan - a spookily tense psychological thriller combining the 1980’s Satanic Panic with the fear of the mob.

The Khan by Saima Mir - a new crime boss arrives in Bradford meet Jia Khan - barrister, would be judge and very very dangerous when required