Marlene Harris

A thoughtful and compelling story about one robot’s journey through their own version of Dante’s circles of hell, complete with all the other hells they’d rather never have imagined. 

This wildly surprising caper fantasy from Clark will keep readers on the edge of their seats working out who “dunit,” and how and why, as they explore the gritty underbelly of this world of living contracts, dead gods, and legal necromancy, reminiscent of Max Gladstone’s “Craft Sequence” and “Craft Wars” series. This will appeal to all lovers of urban fantasy.

Librarian Westerbeke’s debut is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys armchair travel and stories that open wide to embrace every experience, even the sad ones.

A technothriller with heart that will appeal to fans of Martha Wells’s “Murderbot Diaries” but also to readers looking for more AI-led stories.

A story steeped in Irish folklore and mythology, a romantic fantasy quest, a goth-tinged speculative novel, and an entertaining series starter that combines galactic and personal stakes round out this list of first fiction.

Full of riveting speculative stories, sci-fi/mystery blends, and enchanting fantasy worlds, the best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2023 provide engrossing reading adventures.

Nayler’s compelling sci-fi thriller contemplates human greed and de-extinction through science. Hand it to readers of ecoterrorism thrillers and climate fiction.

Fay’s debut is highly recommended for fans of pulse-pounding combos of sci-fi with sympathetic characters and melting hearts, like that from Valerie Valdes, K.B. Wagers, Rachel Bach, and Cat Rambo.

This prequel to Legends & Lattes is the perfect place for readers to start Baldree’s cozy fantasy series where folks band together for good, and evil is conquered through cleverness and friendship.