Here are five novels that attempt to defy the limitations of their respective genres of sci-fi and fantasy, and explore new ways to earn literary merit:
"Some Desperate Glory" by Emily Tesh
In her new novel, "Some Desperate Glory," Emily Tesh introduces readers to a sophisticated and complex world where the remnants of humanity live in outer space after Earth has been destroyed by the Majoda and their Wisdom weapon.
The novel follows Kyr, a warrior princess-in-waiting, and her brother Magnus, as they navigate the dangerous and ever-changing political landscape of Gaea Station. Kyr longs to be assigned to a fighting unit, but instead she is relegated to Nursery, where she will be impregnated and made to contribute to keeping humanity alive.
When Kyr discovers that her brother Magnus has left Gaea for the planet where their sister Ursa was exiled, she turns to his queer friend Avi for help. Avi agrees to accompany Kyr, and together they recruit a young "captured" majo named Yiso. The three of them depart from Gaea under circumstances that could be considered betrayal or traitorous actions.
At first, it seems like this could be some kind of "The Handmaid's Tale" set in outer space. However, Tesh is after more. The novel includes time slips, the ultimate defeat of the majoda, resurrecting people, and uncovering the darker secrets about Gaea. There is betrayal at the highest point of the Gaea hierarchy, the time slips acting like a multiverse concept, and strong, complex lead characters. I can easily see this being adapted for an exciting limited series.
"Flux" by Jinwoo Chong
The new sci-fi novel Flux by Emily Tesh attempts to pack an inordinate number of themes into a single story. At first, the novel seems to be three separate narratives:
- Brandon, a 28-year-old who is laid off from his job at a hip magazine and is mysteriously hired by Lev for a tech start-up called Flux.
- Bo, an 8-year-old boy who just lost his mother in a road accident and blames himself for her death.
- Blu, a 48-year-old woman who was a state witness in the Flux trial 20 years ago, after three deaths were uncovered.
Through the three narratives, there are the overriding themes of Asians in America identity, and a TV series called Raider, which ran for two seasons but was notable for being the first TV series to have an Asian-American actor take on the title role. Pretty soon, the three narratives begin to converge and we realize that all three are about one person, and that thanks to a lucky accident, Flux allows us to time travel.
There’s a lot of existential angst, and a perpetual asking of 'What If?' While some may be divided on whether Ching pulls it all off, I’m on the side of calling this novel a bumpy but effective ride. Family, Asian identity, teasing us with possibilities, and how resolution of some kind can be arrived at - they all keep us turning the pages.
"In the Lives of Puppets" by TJ Klune
Klune is the author of "The House in the Cerulean Sea," which was one of the best ‘children with superpowers’ fantasy novel I’ve ever read, deftly mixing humor with action, plus adding tears-inducing moments. This latest is inspired by both "Pinocchio" and the "Swiss Family Robinson," but under a fantastical, post-robocalypse haze.
One of it’s strongest themes is that of what to do when your family is made of broken parts, and you want to make them whole. And family here isn’t defined by blood relations, but who you’ve grown up with, or have reassembled and put back together.
It all begins in the deep forest, as android Giovanni seeks to find a home for himself and stumbles upon an abandoned house. Then a human ‘son’, Victor, is left in Giovanni’s care.
The main cast is brilliantly depicted. There’s Nurse Ratched, a medical assistance automaton who’s fatalistic and dripping with deadpan sarcasm. Rambo is a smart vacuum bot who’s takes everything literally and is a chatterbox. HAP is an android that formerly hunted humans down; and in his previous incarnation in the City of Electric Dreams, shared a blood-soaked history with Giovanni.
What Klune does brilliantly is anthropomorphize these bots, androids, and automatons, and raise the stakes of what our one human represents - the survival of the human race. In much the same manner that we took to our hearts R2D2 and C-3PO or Wall-E, the gallery of AI rogues in this novel will be characters that resonate and we care about. It’s world-building that’s impressive and unforgettable.
"The Ghost Theatre" by Mat Osman
Set in 1601 Elizabethan London, this novel is about a posse of young children living off the streets, and dabbling in theater. There’s Shay, who’s part of an avian cult that lives on the outskirts of London, and thinks that birds are gods. She traverses above street level, on the thatched roofs, and has trained hawks and falcons. For some obscure reason, Nonesuch takes a shine to her. He’s the young leader of the Blackfriars acting troupe, dealt like chattel by the theater owner to curious and lecherous royalty. It’s after one of these cursed nights that Nonesuch decides to set up his own form of street theater, and takes Shay as one of his major confidantes … and lover; leading to a series of misadventures.
The sense of time and place is what sets this novel apart, with Osman making great use of language to convey the smell, the sights, and noise of 17th century London. He also puts Shay and Nonesuch in roles whose actions disrupt the establishment, and force the powers that be to retaliate. Cross-dressing and assuming roles of the opposite sex is a recurring theme, as is the transformative role of agitprop theater. The underground lives of wastrels and theater people become the ingredients expertly simmered in this story. There’s a foray into the countryside, as the plague spears through London, that becomes a resounding "Mass" for the power of birds and how Shay can harness them. Strong hallucinatory elements abound.
"Weyward" by Emilia Hart
Weyward takes its reference from how the first folio of Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" originally referred to the weird sisters (witches) as the Weyward sisters. Taking her cue from this, this debut novel of Hart creates a multi-strand narrative that traverses through four centuries, and brings us the stories of three extraordinary women. It’s as much about the resilience of women, as it is about their persecution and pre-set roles in society. And naturally, it’s about how gifted and unusual women will be attractive to men, but misunderstood and then boxed in or seen as conquests and possessions. It’s an ambitious juggling act for a first time novelist, but Hart succeeds, and the book is Highly Commended by the Caledonia First Novel Prize.
The book opens with Altha in 1619 awaiting trial as a witch for the mysterious death of a local farmer - stampeded to death by his herd of cows. Then in 1942, we meet Violet, who is an independent young teenage girl, trapped by societal conventions and longing for more knowledge about her late mother. In 2019, Kate "escapes" her domineering and abusive husband, seeking refuge in a ramshackle Weyward Cottage, left to her by a grand-aunt she barely remembers. It’s what ties these three women together, their closeness to nature; and how in strange ways, history repeats itself, that keep us glued to the pages of this entertaining, bewitching, and thought provoking book.