It’s always a good month when there are a plethora of new books coming out. And with the lineup I have found, it will be nothing short of an amazing thing for the science fiction genre. And to stop me from rambling on too long (I’ll save it for another time), here are ten books you should keep an eye out for to add to your sci-fi shelf.
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid (Aug 2, 2022)
Anders has gone from light to dark overnight. And as he went to sleep white, this is a shocking discovery to see in the morning. His first idea is to tell Oona, his friend, and lover, but sooner rather than later, people across his world are waking up in different stages of transformation until they all look like Anders. Together, they will have to grow used to being a new, and unrecognized, race.
40 by Alan Heathcock (Aug 2, 2022)
A civil war is raging between the U.S. government and a band of rebels. And when a young soldier named Mazzy wakes up in a crater with a set of wings sprouting from her back, wondering if its a miracle or biological experiment, she uses them in an effort to find her sister, and becomes a wartime leader in this novel of faith, family and the future.
Face by Joma West (Aug 2, 2022)
Skin color is an aesthetic and determines how successful you’ll be in this world created by West. And Schuyler and Madeline Burroughs, with their perfect faces, are able to assume dominance in the world and most importantly, online. But as their lives, totally supported by their looks, becomes boring and they become brittle, they risk losing everything.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (Aug 2, 2022)
The Book Eaters is about a family (The Family) living in the Yorkshire Moors that punish the children by feeding them dictionaries. They subsist and live on the stories in books and in this science-fiction/fantasy/horror novel mixture, a child gets a taste of real stories through the human brain.
The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings (Aug 9, 2022)
When Josephine’s mother disappeared, she came up with all kinds of ideas as to why. She became a witch in a world full of witches, or ran away and started her new identity. But as Jo grows older and begins to move on, she grows closer to losing her autonomy as she hasn’t married at thirty years old. And as that day approaches, she is granted the opportunity to appease her mother and honor her one last time by going into a world that she did not know existed.
The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri (Aug 16, 2022)
BOOK 2 OF 2
To become the empress of Parijatdvipa, Malini must first make it through her brother and claim back the throne that is rightfully hers. But even with a loyal army by her side, she is not certain it will be enough. On the other side of the coin, Priya, a priestess and Elder of Ahiranya are trying to stop a sickness tearing through her land. Together, the princess and the priestess work to achieve their goals, as it appears to be their only option. This is book two of The Burning Kingdoms’ duology.
The First Binding by R.R. Virdi (Aug 16, 2022)
A South-Asian-inspired epic is an 800-page series starter about a legendary warrior who is able to wield magic. It tells the story of Ari, who is running from their past as their story started with a lie. This science fiction/fantasy has been compared to Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind.
Babel by R. F. Kuang (Aug 23, 2022)
Okay, I am actually very excited about this one. Set in 1828 London, Robin Swift has been studying Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese to get into Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation, and the world’s magic. While Oxford is his dream, though, the two schools force him to make a choice of whether or not to betray his Chinese homeland. But at Babel, he will learn everything about magic, language, and purse knowledge. But, he will also learn of the destructive Hermes Society and the war they have waged on his home and get a taste for revenge.
Meet Us By The Roaring Sea by Akil Kumarasamy (Aug 23, 2022)
Ada is an AI trainer who, in her free time, translates a Tamil manuscript from a group of women medical students in the 1990s. It alternates between the interaction with future technologies and the medical student’s choice to suffer as much as possible in an effort to understand their patients. It is a novel about discovering what true compassion is. This novel is by the author of the short-story collection, Half Gods.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez (Aug 30, 2022)
In Strangled Throat, an emperor and his three sons (The Three Terrors) rules, teaching them to plunder and oppress the people. But, when the mythical Empress (a god) escapes and plots to overthrow the Emperor, it is up to a one-armed warrior and guilt-stricken guard, running from his past, to help the fabled queen overthrow the Moon Throne or return her to the prison in which she escaped from.
Overall, I am very excited about all of these, but I think my favorite would be Babel. There’s just something about a historically-based sci-fi that really gets me excited. How about you?
Happy reading!