List
2020 Staff Picks: Science Fiction, Dystopia, and Fantasy
Our expert staff members look back at the year and share their favorite titles.
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Piranesi
2020 by Clarke, SusannaGet this itemWhere Susanna Clarke’s extraordinary debut Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was a sprawling Regency work of fantasy, this follow-up, coming 16 years later, is, while more compact, no less powerful. The strange world of infinite halls filled with statues and ocean tides, inhabited only by two men, was mystifying at the start. The first 100 pages were some of the most enchanting of this whole year. Such stuff as dreams are made of. Recommended by Terry and Chris.
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The Secret Chapter: An Invisible Library Novel
2020 by Cogman, GenevieveGet this itemI truly cannot get enough of the Invisible Library series; this is the sixth installment. There is a time-traveling librarian with special library powers, a dragon prince, and secretive Fae. Throw in some steampunk, and it’s my perfect fantastical world. Recommended by Sharon.
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Magic Lessons
2020 by Hoffman, AliceGet this itemI absolutely loved this prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Beautiful, inspiring, dark, feminist, empowering, this is a magical ode to strong women, to storytelling, to love, and to books. Recommended by Megan.
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The City We Became
2020 by Jemisin, N. K.Get this itemNothing else I read this year was as flat-out fun as this rollicking magical realist adventure story in which six random people learn that they now embody different aspects of New York City—which is about to "become." Jemisin slyly folds critiques of gentrification, institutional racism, and the toxic yet inevitable H.P. Lovecraft into the tale without ever feeling preachy. I'm eager to see what the rest of the trilogy brings. Recommended by Andrew.
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Trouble the Saints
2020 by Johnson, Alaya DawnGet this itemThis surprising debut novel starts off as "neo-noir with fantasy elements" but then keeps growing and changing. I can no more summarize the plot than I can tell you what genre(s) it winds up being. The magic is less important than the meanings the characters assign it and, like The Good Place, it all comes down to "What do we owe each other?" This book has a lot on its mind, and a heart that encompasses what should be profoundly unsympathetic people. Recommended by Andrew.
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The House in the Cerulean Sea
2020 by Klune, TJGet this itemIt didn’t take me long to fall in love with the characters and their world. This fantasy is magical, charming, and uplifting. Recommended by Sharon.
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A Children's Bible: A Novel
2020 by Millet, LydiaGet this itemBig fans of Millet’s short story collections, we were eager to read this novel from her and were not disappointed. Filled with her signature wit and surrealist charm, this book functions as a dystopian adventure as well as an allegorical tale of society’s failure to do anything about climate change. It's the perfect collision of allegory and harsh reality. Recommended by Lynnanne and Adam.
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Utopia Avenue: A Novel
2020 by Mitchell, DavidGet this itemDavid Mitchell is an author people tend to either love or hate, and this is definitely a book for people who love his work. Members of a British folk-rock group encounter characters (some not human) from the expanded Mitchellverse as well as icons ranging from Leonard Cohen to painter Francis Bacon. Utopia Avenue (the band) now ranks alongside the Hot-Time Swingers and the Band with Rocks In as imaginary groups whose music I would most like to hear. Bonus: the character on the autism spectrum really rang true to me. Recommended by Andrew.
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Harrow the Ninth
2020 by Muir, TamsynGet this itemThis book absolutely blew my mind. I spent most of it saying variations of "what the heck just happened" out loud, in a good way. Not a series for the faint of heart (necromancy, murder, mild body horror), but some of the most creative storytelling I've ever seen and the rare sequel that's miles better than the first (great) book. Recommended by Perry.
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A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians
2020 by Parry, H. G.Get this itemAs a big fan of historical fantasy novels, I adored this book set during the Age of Enlightenment. From the halls of Parliament to the guillotines of France to the shores of Haiti, magic abounds. Impeccably researched. I learned more about the French revolutions from this book than from all my history classes, and I'm looking forward to book two in the series. Recommended by Lynnanne.
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
2020 by Schwab, VictoriaGet this itemA sweeping love/hate story between a French girl and a devil spanning 300 years, and still, the book felt too short for me. I adored this beautiful, tragic, hopeful, passionate, filled-with-ideas, and immersive book. Recommended by Megan.
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Road out of Winter
2020 by Stine, AlisonGet this itemWith echoes of The Road as well as Winter’s Bone, this book is an excellent feminist dystopian novel of survival, desperation, and, ultimately, hope. Even though the setting, narrative, and themes are harsh, I loved how hope and beauty emerged from the hard shell of the narrative and triumph over despondency and cruelty. Recommended by Lynnanne.
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