Reactor polls 50 authors about their favourite SFFH books

[afeelingunacted]

It’s a great time to read speculative fiction.

We asked over 50 authors about the most iconic SFF books of this century. Here's what they had to say.https://t.co/Gc9tsAPHUo
- Reactor (formerly Tor.com) (@reactormag) October 30, 2024

• Most mentioned book was The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Others dubbed "Most iconic" include The Hunger Games,

Comments

[squirrels_oh_no]

Well, idk about the 21st century offhand, but if you want to read my fave EVER, it's A Door into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Door_into_Ocean A Door into Ocean is a 1986 feminist science fiction novel by Joan Slonczewski. It is the first book in Slonczewski's Elysium Cycle. The novel's themes include ecofeminism and nonviolent revolution, as well as Slonczewski's own knowledge in the field of biology.

Oh, and I guess I like the Murderbot books LOL. Also Vita Nostra but NOT the sequel fuck that book, and Saga, and the Traitor Baru Cormorant.

eta: But this list is very Tor heavy, I wonder why hmm hmm hmm. But also because Tor basically IS sci-fi/fantasy these days (although more publishers are leaning into it, except not so much literary stuff *cough* romantasy *cough*)

[afeelingunacted]

But also because Tor basically IS sci-fi/fantasy these days (although more publishers are leaning into it, except not so much literary stuff *cough* romantasy *cough*)

I so want to end Tor supremacy because there is so much good speculative stuff they don't get out that gets completely ignored because the speculative awards are a Tor circle jerk. I was talking with an editor who has her own imprint at a small press and she said it's almost impossible to get coverage of her books with Reactor and Locus because they are basically funded by Tor who will pay for ads and cover reveals and other stuff.

Stelliform, Undertow Books, and Neon Hemlock specifically do SFFH, but I've read so many good things from other small presses. ECW, Two Dollar Radio, Greywolf, Catapult, Wolsak & Wynn, Autumn House Press all publish literary stuff but put out SFFH books too that get ignored.

[squirrels_oh_no]

Well, given that Reactor is formerly tordotcom, I can get why!

I also really like Angry Robot. Under the Pendulum Sun was great.

[alwayspolaris]

Adding that to my reading list :)

[squirrels_oh_no]

It's hard to get a copy, but I got one from bookoutlet once! They pop up on Amazon used occasionally, but it is indeed out of print.

I also really like The Children Star and Brain Plague, which take place in the same universe!

They're also very queer. The Shora from A Door into Ocean are 100% female (and they reproduce using their unique biology) and when one brings a young man (human) home to teach him their ways, the children relentlessly mock his penis which is fun.