SciFi / Fantasy / Horror
Plot/Idea: Azinheira's intriguing work of sci-fi offers a timely exploration of AI, genetic engineering, and nano technology.
Prose: The author has an assured prose style that brings a sense of verisimilitude to the storytelling. Some areas of the text are overly reliant on exposition, leaving less opportunity for readers to become organically immersed in the content, but the writing is clear and develops simmering tension throughout.
Originality: Alphamind: The Collective Consciousness provides unique insights on technological innovation (both its potentially paradigm-shifting benefits and its risks), and the human right to privacy and autonomy.
Character/Execution: While there is less differentiation between the main characters than readers might expect, particularly given the complex nature of the subjects being explored, the author does offer some dynamic characteristics that add depth to the storytelling.
Plot/Idea: Promised Land is an enthralling story of self discovery which highlights racial bullying and the ongoing struggles of minorities in the US. Full of religious imagery, Vilio's intriguing tale is an endearing and soul-stirring exploration of 21st century Black America.
Prose: Katib bin Vilio's text is powerfully written and contains several tense scenes of drama that are articulately realized. The characters' believable dialogue and naturalistic interactions help elevate the author's candid representation of modern Black America to another level.
Originality: Vilio's Promised Land effectively highlights the proliferation of racist attitudes and difficulties facing minority groups in America. Pertinent themes, such as the heavy handed nature of policing, result in an arresting novel that deserves to be noticed.
Character/Execution: Abeni, Ida, and Soweto are a tenderly drawn triumvirate of characters forging their way in an unfair world. The interactions between the central characters are truthful and authentic, making the representation of racial discrimination all the more affecting and meaningful.
Plot/Idea: Island and Main is a compelling dystopian thriller which explores both the darkness of human nature and the hope and positivity connected to communities. Veith's text is a bold combination of horror, science, and traditional wisdom married with a striking and engrossing storyline.
Prose: Veith's text is gripping and absorbing, written with poise, verve, and lyrical intensity. This depth of literary precision results in a sweeping and often cinematic landscape which is both captivating and terrifying in equal measure.
Originality: Island and Main is a vivid and compelling novel which contemplates the collapse of civilization following a viral epidemic. Veith effortlessly places the reader in familiar landscapes which have been dramatically eroded almost beyond recognition.
Character/Execution: Veith's vibrant cast of characters is spearheaded by Keith Two-Crow, a Vietnam vet and Anishaabe elder. The brilliantly orchestrated secondary characters, including traffickers and Eco-Elves, are similarly raw, poignant and believable.
Blurb: A dark and poignant dystopian thriller.
Plot/Idea: Inheritance, volume 1 of the Rare Earth Trilogy, is a witty and entertaining sci-fi thriller following the travails of Thea Watts and her astromining team. The story is well paced, neatly organized and dynamic, with convincing multidimensional characters and a believable vision of the future astromining industry.
Prose: Lovino's text is simple and straightforward with an effective use of language that creates a dynamic atmosphere. He brilliantly captures the intricacies of spaceflight, and the intriguing landscape of the moon's Darkside Station.
Originality: Inheritance is a confidently written and enjoyable sci-fi novel, with promise of future entries in the series. Its central premise of disappearing rare earth minerals is pertinent.
Character/Execution: Inheritance's protagonist, Thea Watts, head of Watts Astromining, is excellently wrought, her struggles and personal battles effectively realized. Lovino's sharp and naturalistic dialogue is often laced with humor and helps build convincing, well-rounded character personalities.
Blurb: A quirky and entertaining sci-fi thriller.
Plot/Idea: The Diary of a Sugarbaby is a dark satirical work of sci-fi that imagines a future in which queer Americans have been erased and heteronormativity is the law. As intriguing as the social commentary is throughout the novel, the writing sometimes defers to a repeat of these discussions rather than focusing on dynamic storytelling.
Prose: Gagliastro writes in clear-headed, hard-hitting prose, the narrator describing the experience of being a 'sugarbaby' in unflinching candor. Though the work is explicit in its approach, there is an element of dry and sarcastic wit that carries this story forward and breaks up the horror.
Originality: Right from the start, this story sets itself apart from other dystopian novels with the way that it approaches gender inequality and the dangers of clinging to an outdated, violent sociopolitical system. Gagliastro managed to take many modern fears and roll them together with more positive ideals, creating a complex web of realistic frankness, pessimistic anticipation, and optimistic determination.
Character/Execution: Gagliastro leads with the chilling circumstances and a world in which individuality and authentic expression is oppressed. As a result, the characters aren't given the full opportunity to emerge. Still, readers will feel the full impact of the chilling dystopian landscape and the impact it has on common humanity.
Plot/Idea: Catherine Riley and her fellow NASA astronauts launch into space, and encounter several life-threatening issues. Cat and Hayes Bartlett become stranded in space, and while they struggle to hold onto hope, they hold onto one another. Broadwell develops the storyline effectively while weaving in consistent challenges and multiple narrative layers. However, the severity of the Intrepid's situation isn't always as dramatized as the circumstances demand.
Prose: Broadwell's prose is light, witty, and captures s the fullness of the characters' personalities.
Originality: Ruthless Sky pulls from classic sci-fi and space travel tropes, but delivers a tense and character-driven narrative.
Character/Execution: Overall, the characters are wonderful to come to know and each have distinctive personalities of their own. Furthermore, many side characters have backstories that are were developed within sub-plots. Their interpersonal relationships, however, are worthy of further attention.
Plot/Idea: Cacophony of Crowns is a myriad collection of fantasy, sci-fi stories, poetry, and philosophical musings. Thick with wit and creativity, the book works best when focusing on storytelling rather than its philosophical interjections.
Prose: Broussard's text is brimming with detail, excellently creating a dense and convincing atmosphere. The novel is also littered with additional random philosophical observations and poetry that is slightly at odds with the well written stories.
Originality: Cacophony of Crowns is a well written series of fantasy stories that are humorous, engaging, and full of imagination. The book may have had more impact without the unnecessary pages of poetry and philosophy, which seem like an afterthought.
Character/Execution: Gods, monarchs, and commoners abound in Cacophony of Crowns. The vast array of brilliantly observed characters interact with nuanced dialogue, highlighting the magic and otherworldliness that abounds in these well written stories.
Plot/Idea: From the start, Casey's thriller boasts high stakes and engaging conflict. Teagan, a co-creator of technology that enables dying humans to inhabit the body of an android, struggles with her wife's desire to be uploaded into the NeuroNet Teagan's designed. Added to the mix are androids suddenly dying by suicide, a dangerous wrinkle in Teagan's software that spells potential doom for her company—and the fragile human-android balance of their world. The dilemmas Casey introduces are spellbinding, and the novel keeps its lightning pace until the end.
Prose: Casey’s prose is crisp and direct, with minimal jargon, making for a fast and easy read. The style reflects the worldbuilding, as the vocabulary and lexicon for this world are seamlessly incorporated into the story, allowing readers to jump into Teagan's surroundings with ease.
Originality: Casey's sci-fi universe is unique and her characters diverse. Readers who relish all-or-nothing scene setting, character sacrifice, and entertaining writing will vote this a win.
Character/Execution: Teagan is both strong and independent, yet so widely universal in her characterization that many readers will find her relatable and down to earth. Her moral dilemmas resonate, and supporting characters are equally compelling.
Plot/Idea: In a future that can either be considered a utopia or dystopia, Santiago Khan lives in a megastate controlled by a Board. When is father is held captive, he must decide if he will take the risk to uncover the truth about the Board and the world he lives in. Fast-paced, satirical, and action-packed, Dutton brings the reader along for a ride that is sure to entertain and excite.
Prose: Dutton ingeniously weaves in a new lexicon of the future that, with some suspension of disbelief, the contemporary reader can understand. With the use of a glossary and a writing style that is clear, the new vocabulary makes sense and adds to the credibility of the new world he has created.
Originality: 2084 offers a fresh and innovative vision of the future. The title, an allusion to Orwell’s 1984, invites readers to make their own conclusions about which themes ring true for both novels.
Character/Execution: Santiago Khan and Mira Cool, while at times brittle and archetypal in their depiction, embody the futuristic yet prescient storytelling.
Plot/Idea: The Dead Children's Playground offers readers a well-formed, easy-to-follow plot that affords several surprises. Kaine interlaces dark history from Huntsville, Alabama into present times, as siblings Kylie and Kayla Macklin adjust to a new town, find where they belong, and cope with the sinister forces at work in their new surroundings. The resolutions come quickly in Kaine's story, but it holds interest well.
Prose: Kaine smoothly adapts to different voices and uses their unique perspectives to draw readers in—and help them connect more deeply to the characters. The prose is direct and articulate, capable of building suspense naturally as the novel progresses.
Originality: Kaine delivers a satisfying ghost story that incorporates attention-grabbing complications and is loosely based on a local legend, making this multilayered novel appeal to a wide spectrum of readers.
Character/Execution: Characters in Kaine's dynamic story are well-defined and distinct from each other, each demonstrating growth throughout the novel, though some come across as juvenile, even for their actual ages.
Blurb: Poignant yet spooky, The Dead Children's Playground will chill readers to the bone, then warm their hearts.
Plot/Idea: The Others is a clever, meaty paranormal fantasy that imagines a San Francisco populated by otherworldly beings. Pacing is quick and steady, while the worldbuilding is sound and consistent.
Prose: Davis is a skilled writer who establishes the paranormal circumstances with ease and moves the story forward with a winning blend of dialogue, description, and action.
Originality: The Others navigates numerous paranormal tropes and doesn't carve out a new niche. But the work offers some fresh lore, an intriguing exploration of the political machinations of a hidden realm, and a vividly realized San Francisco setting.
Character/Execution: The author does a stellar job with characterization from the major players such as Olivia and William to the lesser characters woven throughout the story. Each is distinct, consistent, and memorable.
Plot/Idea: Memory and Bone is a tense and unnerving supernatural horror story. The melodramatic and involving plot moves at an electrifying pace with well rounded characters and a consistently sinister atmosphere enhancing the dark, paranormal nature of proceedings.
Prose: Bailey's text is full of gruesome detail, effectively depicting graphic scenes of violence and paranormal activity. Her excellent use of language brilliantly emphasizes the dark, creepy and terrifying nature of the story.
Originality: Memory and Bone is a well written and convincing supernatural horror tale that is consistently entertaining. Bailey's accessible, clear, and focused text will appeal to many, especially aspiring YouTubers with an inclination for paranormal activities.
Character/Execution: Bailey's well-observed characters are spearheaded by Jessica Roman-Dell, an unemployed ghost hunter and paranormal investigator looking for a lucky break so she can share her findings on social media. Her encounters with the paranormal spirit Jerry are particularly well crafted and engaging.
Blurb: A confidently written supernatural horror tale.
Plot/Idea: Fast-paced and action-packed, The Surge shines when Rayner’s personal family drama intersects with the looming extraterrestrial threat to humanity, but is less effective when examining a central message about faith versus science.
Prose: Adapted from a screenplay, the crisp, plot-focused prose keeps the story moving at breakneck speed toward the pulse-pounding climax. Key specific details distinguish the large cast of characters, such as Rayner’s love of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, or Danielle’s endearing habit of “mothering” her siblings and cousins.
Originality: Blending together several popular science fiction tropes– genome science, the threat of AI, super soldiers, and aliens– with grounded family drama sets The Surge apart from many action-packed, sci-fi adventures before it.
Character/Execution: Rayner shines as a dedicated father guided by his strong conviction, but a lack of internal reflection somewhat limits the reader’s connection to his character.
Plot/Idea: This is a wide-ranging work with many strong features: the basic plot line is engaging, and the overall concept entertaining. Kannemeyer and Chessland ambitiously incorporate a slew of spirited themes—from epic extraterrestrial encounters and battles to frenzied worldbuilding to cultural critiques—and creative graphics that help crystallize those concepts. The sheer vastness of the plot—and subplots—is all-consuming.
Prose: The authors are grandiose and creative. Their prose borrows from several different formats, including poetry, diary entries, and straight narrative, vacillating between the different styles while trying to interlace the plot thread throughout.
Originality: The framework of this book is distinctive, built on a fierce spectacle of shock, reverie, and the slightest philosophical touch. Each element has been thoughtfully planned out and executed, making this an incredibly unique book.
Character/Execution: Character development is a challenge in this imaginative novel, simply due to the various narrative types employed throughout. The book's universe is more established than the characters, as the authors build an energetic setting that often devours the protagonists.
Plot/Idea: This cerebral, speculative drama about the growth, potential, and dangers of artificial intelligence follows a few different character arcs of tech developers whose AI projects begin to grow autonomously—and powerful beyond their intended programming. The novel doesn’t rely on apocalyptic threats or corporate espionage plots to engage readers, instead remaining grounded in the characters whose creations have begun to take on a life of their own.
Prose: Garcia's writing is consistent and reads cleanly. The novel primarily unfolds through dialogue between characters, which lends nicely to the dramatic tone and characterization.
Originality: The novel presents a plausible sci-fi scenario rooted in real life technology and tech companies. The characters and scenario are developed thoughtfully and appear original.
Character/Execution: Something About A.I. features strong characters, who are well-developed with unique ambitions and vulnerabilities, that present an effective foil to the rapid intelligence growth of the technology they’ve created.
Plot/Idea: Fallen Spirits, book two in the Mind Monsters series, is a supernatural thriller with a consistently uplifting and inspirational aura. Alex Scott goes on an intriguing voyage of self-discovery that involves a thrilling cross country car chase and plenty of mysterious and unexpected occurrences.
Prose: Hatz's text is full of confidently written characters who largely communicate in raw, expletive-ridden volleys of dialogue. The imagery is frequently creative, buoyant and, imaginative, although there are some distressing scenes of violence and abuse.
Originality: Fallen Spirits is witty, entertaining, and often sharply satirical, though the work treads some familiar territory.
Character/Execution: Hatz's protagonist, Alex Scott, is colorfully and vividly realized. Her mesmerizing journey of self-discovery, with all its peaks and troughs, is effectively transmitted, bolstered by a stellar supporting cast of characters who exhibit carefully observed mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
