This month is huge for fans of sci-fi and fantasy books. We’ve got James S.A. Corey’s final Expanse book, Leviathan Falls; a new collection of stories by io9 co-founder Charlie Jane Anders called Even Greater Mistakes; and the latest Brandon Sanderson Skyward Series novel, Cytonic. Plus, new books from Marissa Meyer, Tad Williams, Neal Stephenson, Nnedi Okorafor, and so many more.
Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg
A woman chosen by the Sun God to give birth to a star miraculously survives, but when she returns to her village, 700 years have passed. With a godling as her guide, she sets out on a journey both mortal and celestial to try and find her descendants. (November 1)
Anticipation by Melodie Winawer
While on vacation in Greece with her nine-year-old son, a scientist and recent widow meets a mysterious tour guide who needs her help to survive a centuries-old family curse. (November 2)
Brothers of the Wind by Tad Williams
The author’s latest set in the world of Osten Ard is a short novel that takes place a thousand years before The Dragonbone Chair. It tells the story of royal brothers Hakatri and Ineluki, and what happens when one of them boldly declares he’ll slay a deadly monster. (November 2)
The Ghost Tracks by Celso Hurtado
To help pay for his grandmother’s cancer treatment, a Texas teen begins taking clients on as a paranormal investigator. (November 2)
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
The fantasy author returns to the realm of fairy tales with this Rumpelstiltskin-inspired novel. Read more about Gilded here. (November 2)
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
In Edwardian England, a young man is forced to add one more thing to his already full plate: becoming the liaison to a secret magical society. Soon he must team up with a fellow bureaucrat to uncover a deadly conspiracy against magicians. (November 2)
Perhaps the Stars by Ada Palmer
The Terra Ignota series concludes with this entry, which sees a global civil war ripping apart the false sense of stability given by the Hive nations, which exist without fixed locations. It’s up to a criminal to try to restore order, as humankind begins to wonder if leaving the planet is its only choice for the future. (November 2)
The Seventh Queen by Greta Kelly
The sequel to The Frozen Crown concludes the story of warrior, witch, and future queen Askia, who must also become a spy if she wants to evade a forced marriage that’ll strip her of her powers. (November 2)
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
In this tale inspired by West African mythology, a mermaid must pay the consequences when she breaks a sacred rule in order to save a human life. We just posted an excerpt here. (November 2)
Something More Than Night by Kim Newman
This horror tale set in 1930s Hollywood imagines that Raymond Chandler, Boris Karloff, and an investigator for the DA’s office must work together to investigate a mysterious monster. (November 2)
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
The author returns to the world of his Old Kingdom fantasy series for this prequel exploring the love story of Sabriel’s parents, who met on a magical adventure when they were teens. (November 2)
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
When a teen girl’s boyfriend dies, she can’t stop calling his phone just to hear his voicemail... until the day he actually, somehow, picks up his phone from the other side. (November 2)
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
Once a generation, seven families compete in a tournament where the prize is powerful magic... and the losers all die. As the next competition ramps up, the release of a new tell-all book changes the stakes like never before. (November 9)
Arch of Bone by Jane Yolen
This magical follow-up to Moby Dick sees the teenage son of the Pequod’s late first mate embark on a coming-of-age adventure with his loyal dog. (November 9)
The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass by Anna Priemaza
In this contemporary YA tale, when a young woman and her best friend both start feeling like they’re forgetting something important, they set out to discover if someone with magic abilities is to blame. (November 9)
Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
In near-future Nigeria, a woman who embraces her many body augmentations—necessary since birth, with more added after a car accident—must go on the run after she’s marked as a “murderess” by everyone who eagerly watches her every live-streamed move. (November 9)
Sinopticon 2021: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction curated and translated by Xueting Christine Ni
This collection gathers 13 stories, translated into English for the first time, from a wide range of Chinese sci-fi authors. Contributors include Gu Shi, Han Song, Hao Jingfang, Nian Yu, Wang Jinkang, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang, and Jiang Bo. (November 9)
Thanatrauma by Steve Rasnic Tem
The Bram Stoker, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Award-winning author presents a collection of 21 stories, including four brand-new works, that dig into dark fears and unfold across weird, sinister settings. (November 9)
The Undertakers by Nicole Glover
The Murder & Magic historical fantasy series continues as Hetty and Benjy Rhodes—a married pair of supernatural detectives living in post-Civil War Philadelphia—take on a strange new case involving multiple victims. (November 9)
Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards written by Victor Milan, edited by George R.R. Martin
This is a standalone entry in the long-running fantasy series; it follows a biochemist who must tap into his three personalities to evade the CIA, the DEA, and “the Wild Card mistress of the winds, Mistral.” (November 9)
The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson
With the Amazon adaptation arriving this month, there’s no better time to immerse yourself in the world of Wheel of Time with this series companion filled with illustrations, maps, histories, guides to the characters and creatures, and more. (November 9)
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
In this standalone fantasy, a weary lord returns home after surviving a war and a plague and must team up with a historian to discover why an assassin is targeting the queen’s inner circle. (November 9)
The Best Horror of the Year Volume 13 edited by Ellen Datlow
Nathan Ballingrud, Gemma Files, Stephen Graham Jones, Thana Niveau, Catriona Ward, and more contribute to this annual compendium of horror tales from the previous year. (November 16)
Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking by Charles Band
“From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love.” Horror fans already know this one will be essential reading. (November 16)
Death Draws Five by John Jos. Miller, edited by George R.R. Martin
Yep, it’s a double Wild Cards month, with this volume in the series following a newly minted Ace named John Fortune as he grapples with his emerging powers. (November 16)
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
On a faraway planet, the queen’s youngest daughter asks a young scientist (whom everyone believes is a sorcerer, even though he’s not) for help in defeating the demon that’s been terrorizing their land. (November 16)
Even Greater Mistakes: Stories by Charlie Jane Anders
A new sci-fi short-story collection from the io9 co-founder and Hugo-winning author. (November 16)
The Every by Dave Eggers
This follow-up to The Circle explores what happens when—after the world’s largest social media site merges with the world’s largest ecommerce site—an entry-level employee decides she wants to take the company down from within. (November 16)
A Few Last Words for the Late Immortals by Michael Bishop
This retrospective collection includes 50 short pieces—nothing over 3,000 words, and includes both stories and poems, as well as a play—spanning the author’s entire career. (November 16)
The God Is Not Willing by Steven Erikson
Set in the world of the author’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, this first book in a new sequel trilogy introduces a warlord determined to meet his god as his people ready for a massive migration. (November 16)
Isolate: A Novel in the Grand Illusion by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
In this political fantasy, a man with the rare ability to not be influenced by empaths must team up with one as part of a security team tasked with protecting a high-ranking official. When one of the official’s colleagues dies under mysterious circumstances, their investigation turns up startling truths about their leaders. (November 16)
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
The sequel to These Violent Delights returns to 1927 Shanghai, where Juliette and Roma must put aside their love-hate feelings if they’re going to team up and save the city from the monsters that threaten it. (November 16)
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
In a near-future world devastated by superstorms and other environmental disasters brought on by climate change, various characters around the world face the consequences of Earth’s new state—while a billionaire launches a bold scheme to save the planet by reversing global warming. (November 16)
Warped and Faded: Weird Wednesday and the Birth of the American Genre Film Achive by Lars Nilsen, edited by Kier-La Janisse
This non-fiction book charts the founding of the American Genre Film Archive, from its earliest form as free horror and exploitation movie screenings at the then-newly opened Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas to the influential force it is today. (November 16)
You Feel It Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson
In an alternate version of the 20th century, a woman living during the rise of the post-war “New Society” becomes part of the plan to make people live their lives in unattached isolation—something she believes in until she realizes its sinister intent. (November 16)
You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
Described as “Farscape meets The Great British Bake-Off,” this space opera takes place at a station located at the edge of the universe, where an ex-commander and her former crew have found contentment working at the restaurant they co-own—until an enemy from the past pays a most unwelcome visit. (November 16)
Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson
The Skyward series continues. Starfighter pilot Spensa realizes the fact that she’s Cytonic might make her the only one able to defeat the mysterious, well-armed alien force that’s currently threatening the galaxy. (November 23)
Forging a Nightmare by Patricia A. Jackson
An FBI agent on the case of a serial killer that targets the descendants of fallen angels is shocked to realize that he’s among their numbers—and the killer has eyes on him as their next victim. (November 23)
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
The ninth book in the Outlander series is set during the American Revolution, as the recently reunited Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall, as well as their daughter Briana and her family, struggle to stay together and survive in North Carolina as war looms around them. (November 23)
The Second Shooter by Nick Mamatas
In this sci-fi thriller, a reporter assigned to investigate a mass-shooting phenomenon in which people claim to see a fleeting “second shooter” teams up with a family of conspiracy buffs to uncover some strange and dangerous secrets. (November 23)
City of the Dead by James Patterson and Mindy McGinnis
Maximum Ride and her daughter, Hawk, join forces to save the City of the Dead—an urgent task as the dead have started to outnumber and overpower the living. (November 29)
Alien Hostiles by Ian Douglas
The Solar Warden military sci-fi series continues as space Nazis team up with sinister aliens with the goal of enslaving everyone on Earth. Can Mark Hunter and his team of Navy SEALs protect the planet once again? (November 30)
Critical Role: Vox Machina—Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp
Aimed at Critical Role fans, this tale fleshes out the pasts of half-elf twins Vex’ahlia and Vax’ildan prior to their joining up with Vox Machina. (November 30)
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
The Green Bone Saga continues as the Kaul siblings fight for control in a city that’s been overtaken by people trying to get their hands on jade, which bestows magical abilities on anyone, good or evil, who’s able to wield it. (November 30)
King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
A new epic fantasy begins as a woman is forced to help end a war by marrying a vampire king. When her scheme to murder him fails, she sets about trying to understand why he chose her as his bride. (November 30)
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey
The much-anticipated ninth and final book in the Expanse series—basis of the popular Amazon TV series—is here at last, which means James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have one last chance to save humanity (again). (November 30)
Star Trek: Coda: Book 3: Oblivion’s Gate by David Mack
As an apocalypse looms, it’s up to Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, William Riker, and their crews to unite. Will all of them working together be enough to prevent all-out disaster? (November 30)
Vile Affections by Caitlín R. Kiernan
The author’s 17th short-fiction collection contains 22 stories where “the boundaries of desire, fascination, passion, and dread collide.” (November 30)
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