From the 2023 Recommended Reading List: I AM AI by Ai Jiang

Here’s a highlight from our 2023 Recommended Reading List: I AM AI by Ai Jiang, out from Shortwave Media.

“Moving, brilliant, and certified 100% human.” –Samit Basu, author of Turbulence

If you have the opportunity to give up humanity for efficiency, mechanical invincibility, and to surpass human limitations. . . would you?

Ai is a cyborg, under the guise of an AI writing program, who struggles to keep up with ...Read More

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From the 2023 Recommended Reading List: The Siren, the Song, and the Spy

Here’s a highlight from our 2023 Recommended Reading List: The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, out from Candlewick.

In this second vibrant fantasy from Maggie Tokuda-Hall, companion to her bestselling debut, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, a diverse resistance force fights to topple an empire in a story about freedom, identity, and decolonization.

By sinking a fleet of Imperial Warships, the Pirate Supreme ...Read More

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2023 Recommended Reading List

  Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Another spin around the ole ball of fire and we’re back to our annual Recommended Reading List for 2023! Published in Locus magazine’s February 2024 issue, the list is put together by Locus editors, columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and well-known critics of genre fiction and non-fiction. We looked at 1,012 titles from 2023 in short fiction and long fiction. The ...Read More

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From the 2022 Recommended Reading List: Voodoonauts Presents: (Re)Living Mythology

Here’s a highlight from our 2022 Recommended Reading list: the anthology Voodoonauts Presents: (Re)Living Mythology, edited by Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, H.D. Hunter & LP Kindred, out from Android Press.

From the Voodoonauts Afrofuturist collective for Black science fiction and fantasy writers:

When a desperately mundane woman borrows clothing from her mother, a soucouyant goes searching for her skin. A Nigerian parent climbs mountains to heaven to ...Read More

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2022 Recommended Reading List

 

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

We are so pleased to share this list of excellent fiction! Published in Locus magazine’s February 2023 issue, the list is assembled by Locus editors, columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and well-known critics of genre fiction and non-fiction. We looked at 982 titles from 2022 in short fiction and long fiction. The final recommendations, trimmed down to a somewhat reasonable-length ...Read More

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From the Recommended Reading List: A Look at All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue

Here is a highlight on one of our young-adult titles from the Recommended Reading List: All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue.

Locus reviewer Colleen Mondor gave All Our Hidden Gifts an enthusiastic review in June 2021.

As Caroline O’Donoghue’s All Our Hidden Gifts begins, readers are introduced to Maeve Chambers, an otherwise typical Irish teenager who suffers from a bit of impulse control when it comes to her temper. ...Read More

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2021 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Published in Locus magazine’s February 2022 issue, this list is assembled by Locus editors, columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and well-known critics of genre fiction and non-fiction. This year we considered over 900 titles between short fiction and long fiction. The final recommendations, combined and trimmed to a somewhat reasonable-length list, are our best recommendations for your consideration. We know there ...Read More

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2020 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Published in Locus magazine’s February 2021 issue, the list is a consensus by the Locus editors, columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and critics of genre fiction and non-fiction — editor-in-chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; Locus reviewers Liz Bourke, Alex Brown, Karen Burnham, Katharine Coldiron, Paul Di Filippo, Amy Goldschlager, Paula Guran, Rich Horton, Maya James, John Langan, Russell ...Read More

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2019 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Published in Locus magazine’s February 2020 issue, the list is a consensus by the Locus editors, columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and critics of genre fiction and non-fiction — editor-in-chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; reviewers Liz Bourke, Katharine Coldiron, Carolyn Cushman, Paul Di Filippo, Amy Goldschlager, Paula Guran, Rich Horton, John Langan, Russell Letson, Adrienne Martini, Ian Mond,

...Read More Read more

2018 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Published in Locus magazine’s February 2019 issue, the list is a consensus by Locus editors, reviewers, and other professionals — editor-in-chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; Locus reviewers Liz Bourke, Katharine Coldiron, Carolyn Cushman, Paul Di Filippo, Lila Garrott, Amy Goldschlager, Paula Guran, Rich Horton, John Langan, Russell Letson, Adrienne Martini, Ian Mond, Colleen Mondor, Tim Pratt, Arley Sorg, Tom

...Read More Read more

2017 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!

Published in Locus magazine’s February 2018 issue, the list is a consensus by Locus editors, reviewers, and other professionals — editor-in-chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; reviewers Liz Bourke, Carolyn Cushman, Paul Di Filippo, Gardner Dozois, Stefan Dziemanowicz, Amy Goldschlager, Paula Guran, Rich Horton, John Langan, Russell Letson, Adrienne Martini, Colleen Mondor, Tim Pratt, Tom Whitmore, and Gary K. Wolfe;

...Read More Read more

2016 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the Locus Annual Recommended Reading List!

The list is published in Locus Magazine’s February 2017 issue, and is a consensus by Locus editors, reviewers, and other professionals — editor-in-chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; reviewers Liz Bourke, Carolyn Cushman, Paul Di Filippo, Gardner Dozois, Amy Goldschlager, Paula Guran, Rich Horton, John Langan, Russell Letson, Adrienne Martini, Faren Miller, Colleen Mondor, Tim Pratt, Rachel Swirsky, Tom Whitmore, ...Read More

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2015 Locus Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the Locus Annual Recommended Reading List! The list is published in Locus Magazine’s February 2016 issue, and is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, Faren Miller, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Cheryl Morgan, Paul Kincaid, Ysabeau Wilce, Liz Bourke, Colleen Mondor, James Bradley, and others — with ...Read More

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2014 Locus Recommended Reading List

This Recommended Reading List, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2015 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, Faren Miller, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Paul Kincaid, and others — with inputs from outside reviewers, other professional critics, other lists, etc. Short fiction selections are based on material from

...Read More Read more

2014 Locus Recommended Reading List

This Recommended Reading List, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2015 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, Faren Miller, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Paul Kincaid, and others — with inputs from outside reviewers, other professional critics, other lists, etc. Short fiction selections are based on material from ...Read More

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2013 Locus Recommended Reading List

This Recommended Reading List, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2014 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers – Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Faren Miller, Jonathan Strahan, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Paul Di Filippo, and others — with inputs from outside reviewers, other professional critics, other lists, etc. Short fiction selections are based on material ...Read More

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2013 Locus Recommended Reading List

This Recommended Reading List, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2014 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Faren Miller, Jonathan Strahan, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Paul Di Filippo, and others — with inputs from outside reviewers, other professional critics, other lists, etc. Short fiction selections are based on material

...Read More Read more

2012 Recommended Reading List

  This recommended reading list, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2013 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Faren Miller, Jonathan Strahan, Russell Letson, Graham Sleight, Adrienne Martini, Carolyn Cushman, Tim Pratt, Karen Burnham, Gardner Dozois, Rich Horton, Paul Di Filippo, and others — with inputs from outside reviewers, other professionals, other lists, etc. Short fiction selections are based on material

...Read More Read more

2011 Recommended Reading List

  This recommended reading list, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2012 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers — Liza Groen Trombi, Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, Faren C. Miller, Russell Letson, Paul Witcover, Graham Sleight, Carolyn Cushman, Adrienne Martini, Tim Pratt, and Karen Haber, and, for short fiction, Jonathan Strahan, Ellen Datlow, Gardner Dozois, David G. Hartwell, Rich Horton, Lois Tilton, and others.

Essays by many of

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2010 Locus Recommended Reading List

The 2010 Recommended Reading List is here! As well as directing you to the main list, I’d also like to highlight the short fiction that’s currently available online:

Novellas

  • The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press)
  • The Taborin Scale, Lucius Shepard (Subterranean Press)
  • “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window“, Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Summer ’10)

Novelettes

  • “A Jar of Goodwill“, Tobias S. Buckell
...Read More Read more

2009 Locus Recommended Reading List

The 2009 Locus Recommended Reading List is now available online. The list is published as part of the 2009 Year in Review issue of Locus (February 2010). An extensive survey of SF publishing for 2009, the issue includes year-end essays by Locus reviewers discussing recommended titles; the Magazine Summary, which covers all the major print and online magazines and tracks numbers of stories published; the Book Summary, which looks at ...Read More

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2023 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2023 Locus Awards. These results are from the February 1 to April 15 voting, done by readers on an open public ballot. Congratulations to all of the finalists!

The Locus Awards winners will be announced June 24, 2023, during the in-person Locus Awards Ceremony, held in the historic Nile Hall at Preservation Park in ...Read More

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HWA Summer Scares Reading Program

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is partnering with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Library Journal/School Library Journal to launch the Summer Scares Reading Program, “an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle grade readers.” Each year, a special guest author and a committee of four librarians will announce the selection of nine fiction titles on February 14. The guest author for 2019 is ...Read More

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2018 Locus Awards Finalists

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2018 Locus Awards. Tickets are available now.

Winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 22-24, 2018; Connie Willis will MC the awards ceremony. Additional weekend events include author readings with Connie Willis and Carrie Vaughn; a kickoff Clarion West party honoring first week instructor Daniel Abraham, Clarion West ...Read More

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2017 Locus Awards Finalists

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2017 Locus Awards.

Winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 23-25, 2017; Connie Willis will MC the awards ceremony. Additional weekend events include author readings with Connie Willis and Carrie Vaughn; a kickoff Clarion West party honoring first week instructor Daryl Gregory, Clarion West supporters, awards weekend ticket ...Read More

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2016 Locus Awards Finalists

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top five finalists in each category of the 2016 Locus Awards.

Winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 24-26, 2016; Connie Willis will MC the awards ceremony. Additional weekend events include author readings; a kickoff Clarion West party honoring first week instructor Paul Park, Clarion West supporters, awards weekend ticket holders, and special guests; panels with ...Read More

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Blinks: Microsoft and Atlantic Council free ebook anthologies; SFWA’s reading list; WFC readings and photos; more

» Microsoft has published Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Stories Inspired by Microsoft today, free in various ebook formats, with stories by Bear, Bear, Brin, Kress, Leckie, McDevitt, McGuire, and Sawyer

» Atlantic Council has released anthology War Stories from the Future, also a free ebook, with works by Liu, Ashby, Brin, Nagata, and others

» SFWA has released a Nebula Suggested Reading List of titles recommended for next year’s ...Read More

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‘A Huge Moment for NASA’ … and Novelists: A Review of The Martian

by Gary Westfahl

Let me immediately say that Ridley Scott’s The Martian is the best film I’ve seen in a long, long time, and it can be enthusiastically recommended as involving and uplifting entertainment. Most of the credit for its success, though, should go not to director Scott or screenwriter Drew Goddard, but to Andy Weir, whose novel The Martian (2011) provided them with a marvelous blueprint for a successful

...Read More Read more

Blinks: Schwab, Haldeman, KSR, Datlow, Kay, recommended reading…

» Guardian: Eric Brown reviews Schwab, Powell, Lundberg, Simmons, VanderMeers, and McGugan

» Chicago Tribune: Gary K. Wolfe reviews Haldeman, Walton, and Watts

» The MIT Tech: Kristen Sunter reviews Joe Haldeman’s Work Done for Hire and interviews the author

» NPR: Kim Stanley Robinson looks at Three New Wave Classics by Disch, Russ, and Delany

» The West Australian profiles Kim Stanley Robinson

» NPR’s You Must Read This: ...Read More

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Locus Recommended Short Fiction Links

As a complement to the overall Locus Recommended Reading List, I like to collect all the short fiction that’s easily available online here. Please let me know if any other stories are or become available, and I’ll update the list as soon as possible.

Novellas

  • “In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns”, Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s 1/12)
  • “Twenty Lights to ‘The Land of Snow’“, Michael Bishop (Going Interstellar
...Read More Read more

Locus Recommended Online Fiction

Here is a selection from this year’s Locus Recommended Reading List with links to online content. If you spot anything that I’ve left off, please contact me and I’ll add it in.

Novella

  • “Kiss Me Twice“, Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s)
  • “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary“, Ken Liu (Panverse Three)
  • Silently and Very Fast, Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)

Novelette

  • ‘‘The Silver Wind’’, Nina Allan (Interzone 3-4/11)
...Read More Read more