Resisting Dystopia: A Science Fiction reading list (Part II)

Liverpool’s Science Fiction Collections hold the archives and personal libraries of some of the canonical authors of the sf/f genre, including Olaf Stapledon, John Wyndham, Eric Frank Russell, Brian Aldiss and Arthur C. Clarke, to name a few. As well as representing the history of the genre, however, we also celebrate (and acquire!) new classics from pioneering authors and texts of our current moment.

The first part of our ‘Resisting Dystopia’ series compiled a list of fifteen texts that ranged across the twentieth century. In Part II, we’ve put together a list of contemporary authors who have recently released works—or have works forthcoming this year—to help support the field in a time of pandemic (and to give you excellent things to read!). We hope that this gives you an up-to-date snapshot of the exciting new directions and voices that are shaping the genre. If there are any texts we missed, or that you are particularly excited to talk about, let us know.

Happy reading!


Works available as of May 2020 

ALIEN REDEMPTION, Gloria Oliver 

AS THE SHORE TO THE TIDES, SO BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD, Karlo Yeager Rodríguez

ALL CITY, Alex DiFrancesco 

BIG GIRL, Meg Elison

BOSS FIGHT, Josh Roseman 

CRADLE AND GRAVE, Anya Ow 

THE DEMONS OF WALL STREET, Laurence Raphael Brothers 

DOCILE, Kellan Szpara 

DRAGON CALLED, Kara Lockharte, Cassie Alexander

EVER THE HERO, Darby Harn 

FINNA, Nino Cipri

FOREVER AND ONE DAY, Deidre Robinson

FROM A SHADOW GRAVE, Andi Buchanan 

GAMECHANGER, L. X. Beckett 

A GAME OF FOX AND SQUIRRELS, Jenn Reese

THE GREAT FAERIE STRIKE, Spencer Ellsworth

HARBINGER OF HOPE, Mike Chen 

IMPERFECT COMMENTARIES, Ruthanna Emrys 

LADY OF SHADOWS, Breanna Teintze

LIGHT OF IMPOSSIBLE STARS, Gareth Powell 

LOST ANGELS, Loren Rhoads

THE LIGHT YEARS, R. W. W. Greene 

MAXINE UNLEASHES DOOMSDAY, Nick Kolakowski

MAZES OF POWER, Juliette Wade 

MOONTANGLED, Stephanie Burgis

AN ODYSSEY: ECHOES OF WAR, Natalia Theodoridou

QUEEN OF NOISE, Leigh Harlen

THE RUSH’S EDGE, Ginger Smith 

SALVAGE, R. J. Theodore 

SHADOW AND STORM, Juliet Kemp

SPACE OPERA LIBRETTI, Jennifer Lee Rossman and Brian McNett (eds)

THREADING THE LABYRINTH, Tiffani Angus 

TITAN’S DAY, Dan Stout 

TRANSCENDENT IV: THE YEAR’S BEST TRANSGENDER SPECULATIVE FICTION, Bogi Takács (ed.)

THE TRANS SPACE OCTOPUS CONGREGATION, Bogi Takács

UNREAL ALCHEMY, Tansy Raynor Roberts 

THE UNSPOKEN NAME, A. K. Larkwood  

THE VOYAGES OF CINRAK THE DAPPER, A. J. Fitzwater

WHERE THE BATTLE RAGES, Jonathan P. Brazee

WIDOW’S WELCOME, D. K. Fields 

THE WINTER DUKE, Claire Bartlett 

Works forthcoming in 2020

ACES AND EIGHTS, O.E. Tearmann (May 2020)

ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY, Karen Osborne (August 2020)

DEPART, DEPART! Sim Kern (September 2020) 

DOUBLE-CROSSING THE BRIDGE, Sara Bond (September 2020) 

DROWNED COUNTRY, Emily Tesh (16th June 2020) 

THE FOREST OF GHOSTS AND BONES, Lise Lueddecke (October 2020)

THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, R. B. Lemberg (September 2020)

GODDESS OF THE NORTH, Georgina Kamsika (August 2020)

NIGHT ROLL, Michael J. DeLuca (October 2020) 

NOPHEK GLOSS, Essa Hansen (November 2020) 

THE PAINTER’S WIDOW, L. S. Johnson (June 2020) 

THE PHLEBOTOMIST, Chris Panatier (September 8th, 2020)

PRIME DECEPTIONS, Valerie Valdes (September 2020) 

RECOGNIZE FASCISM, Crystal Huff (ed.) (Fall 2020) 

THE STITCHER AND THE MUTE, D. K. Fields (November 2020) 

THE UNCONQUERED CITY, K. A. Doore (16th June 2020)

WE SEEK NO KINGS, T. Thorne Coyle (June 2020)