Fiction with an eerie sensibility.
The Southern Reach series / Jeff VanderMeer
A series delving into the mysteries and secrets of Area X, a remote and lush terrain that has been inexplicably and inextricably cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Twelve expeditions have gone in, and not a single member of any of them has remained unchanged by the experience—for better or worse. Start with Annihilation. The story continues in Authority, Acceptance and the forthcoming Absolution.
Black Chalk / Christopher J. Yates
One game. Six students. Five survivors. It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University—a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But the game changed. Fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Also available as an audiobook on hoopla.
The City and the City / China Mieville
When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. To investigate, Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to its equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the vibrant city of Ul Qoma. But this is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a seeing of the unseen. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. Also available as an audiobook and ebook on Libby.
The Dark Star Trilogy / Marlon James
The Dark Star Trilogy unravels the tale of eight mercenaries hired to locate a missing boy; nine years later, the boy is dead and only three mercenaries remain, locked in the dungeon of a dying king awaiting trial for the boy’s death. Each book takes on one perspective—the Tracker, the Moon Witch, and the Boy—and reveals, Rashomon-style, what the previous books got right and wrong. Start with Black Leopard, Red Wolf. The story continues in Moon Witch, Spider King and a not-yet-published third volume. Available in large print and as an audiobook and ebook on Libby.
The Intuitionist / Colson Whitehead
As two factions at the Department of Elevator Inspectors—the Empiricists and the Intuitionists—wage war on each other, Intuitionist Lila Mae, the first Black elevator inspector, faces bedlam when an elevator freefalls on her watch and the mysterious notebook from the founder of Intuitionism suddenly appears. When Lila Mae goes underground to investigate the crash, she becomes involved in the search for the portions of the notebooks that are still missing and uncovers a secret that will change her life forever.
The Kingdoms / Natasha Pulley
Diagnosed with a form of epilepsy that causes amnesia and hallucinations, Joe Tournier, in an alternate-history England that is a peaceful colony under the Republic of France, leaves London to repair a Scottish lighthouse, changing the way he sees the world, its history, and his own identity.
The Library at Mount Char / Scott Hawkins
After she and a dozen other children found them being raised by “Father,” a cruel man with mysterious powers, Carolyn and her “siblings” begin to think he might be God; so when he dies, they square off against each other to determine who will inherit his library, which they believe holds the power to all Creation. Also available as an audiobook on hoopla.
The Locked Tomb series / Tamsyn Muir
Follow the dread adventures of Gideon Nav, Harrowhawk Nonagesimus, Nona, and a host of other necromancers and necromantic-adjacent characters. Expect science fantasy, swashbuckling action, and waves of bones. Start reading the series with Gideon the Ninth; then go onto Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth; the net-yet-published Alecto the Ninth is expected in 2025.
Piranesi / Susanna Clarke
Living in a labyrinthine house of endless corridors, flooded staircases, and thousands of statues, Piranesi assists the dreamlike dwelling’s only other resident with a mysterious research project before evidence emerges of an astonishing alternate world. Also available as an audiobook on hoopla and an ebook on Libby.
The Saint of Bright Doors / Vajra Chandrasekera
Raised to kill, Fetter—who walked among invisible powers, learned lethal catechism, and gained a habit for secrecy—escapes his rural hometown for the big city where every door is laden with potential. Here he also discovers what kind of man he is, rewriting the world.
The Semiosis Trilogy / Sue Burke
A story of first contact and multi-generational colonists on a Pax, a planet where plants are the dominant life forms. The plants, led by Stevland—the dominant sentient lifeform on Pax—see animals (including humans) as their pawns. Eventually, these sentient plants spread to Earth where they seek to control human behavior and bring peace to the planet. Start with Semiosis, continue with Interference, and finish with the forthcoming Usurpation.
The Stars Are Legion / Kameron Hurley
On the outer rim of the universe, a galactic war has been waged for centuries upon hundreds of world-ships. But these worlds will continue to die through decay and constant war unless a desperate plan succeeds. Sisters Jayd and Zan must wrest control of their war-torn legion of worlds, which may mean destroying everything they know in order to survive. Also available as an audiobook on hoopla.
Vita Nostra / Marina & Sergey Dyachenko
A young girl falls under the spell of a strange, sinister man who asks her to perform odd tasks before convincing her to enroll in The Institute of Special Technologies. Situated in a tiny village, she finds the students are bizarre, and the curriculum even more so. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, it is their families that pay a terrible price. Despite her fear, the young girl undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time.
