In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. Music is magic in this vibrant and imaginative debut novel set in a fantastical version of New Orleans: a battle for the city’s soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song. Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling The Ballad of Perilous Graves is the debut of a cosmic storm of talent.” This novel is funny, wild, witty, and profound. He came to swing, stride, and make prose sing. “Alex Jennings did not come here to play. Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why.īut they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space.įor some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe.Įach step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last.įiction: Fantasy The Ballad of Perilous Graves $28.00 On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII: a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide. July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the anomaly. Not to make a point, nor as the central point, but just queer in a real way, in its bones.Fiction: Science Fiction Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini $28.99Ī new blockbuster science fiction adventure from world-wide phenomenon and #1 New York Times bestseller Christopher Paolini, set in the world of New York Times and USA Today bestseller To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. What I love about every book on this list is that it’s queer authentically.

While it isn’t a prerequisite to my reading and enjoying one, it is nice to be thought of and represented sometimes and not only find that representation in glum books about queer struggle. I will rarely find, as a bisexual woman, a well-written genre novel that understands, explores and revels in the nuances of queer characters and queer culture. One of the Achilles heels of most genre novels in general, though? An unquestioned heteronormativity. The definitive lines of the genre novel are relaxing, a delight to tuck into whether they play into the set formats or subvert them with deftness. What a treat it is to settle into the comfort of the tropes and structures of a genre you love the whirlwind of romances, the pace of a thriller, the intrigue of a mystery.

This post originally appeared in GQ India.Īh, the genre novel.

Manhunt gretchen felker martin