Disenfranchised and indelibly stamped with evidence of their past sins, Shadesters have no option but to lag behind the morally superior NoShads. Marisa Crane envisions an all-too-plausible future in which the Department of Balance weighs down wrongdoers with second (or third, or fourth) shadows as constant reminders of basically any crime that challenges the status quo. What a way to start the new year, with this queer speculative debut that brings to mind the best of Black Mirror, hurtling at the anxious pace of “The Entire History of You” but with “San Junipero”’s depth of feeling. I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane And when her mentor Daniel “Darlington” Arlington is cast into hell, Alex must flex her abilities as a Dante to rescue her Virgil, even after the Ninth House has withdrawn its support and her future with them is at stake. But it’s not a free ride Alex is part of the Lethe, who oversee the skull-and-bones-and-sorcery at the heart of Yale. This dark academia tome reimagined Yale’s Ancient Eight secret societies as practitioners of black magic, witnessed through the eyes of Galaxy “Alex” Stern, who earns her way into the Ivy League school thanks to her ability to see ghosts.

Somehow I didn’t remember that Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo’s adult paranormal fantasy debut (after the wildly popular Grishaverse YA series), came out before the pandemic.

But how could I not highlight alien abduction road trip comedies, time travel nostalgia trips, shadowy secret societies, and surprise standalones from some of my very favorite authors? Whether you’re looking to pick up a new series, or dip into a novella or collection, this is the impressive beginnings of quite the 2023 TBR pile. It was truly difficult to narrow down 2023’s science fiction and fantasy offerings, and even this list feels like an overabundance.

Tor publishing books