SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Rules for Nominations


1. All members can make one nomination and one second. Members can not second their own nomination.

2. Nominations must be in the format [book link] by [author link] and should include a brief reason why the book is nominated for the theme.

3. Nominations must be books that are either first in a series or standalone, over 160 pages and not already on the group shelf.

4. Nominated books cannot be by authors we've read in the past 24 months (listed below).

5. Nominations may not include children's books or short fiction anthologies by multiple authors.

6. Authors may not nominate their own work.


Please note that specific themes may change one or more of the rules listed above.

At the end of nominations the 5 books with most seconds that meet the requirements will go into the poll. The polls will open on the first of the next month.

After each nomination period this thread will be closed and all further discussion about the nominated books will be on the poll. Before the start of the next month's nominations this thread will be cleared. The list of nominated books will be copied to a recommendations thread.

***The moderators' decision is final***

Ineligible authors
October 2025

Dinniman, Matt
Truelove, Barbara
Leong, Julie
Beauman, Ned
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia
Barnes, S.A.
Caplan, Ariel
Rambo, Cat
Wells, Martha
Greer, Sierra
Blackgoose, Moniquill
Okungbowa, Suyi Davies
Hayes, Drew
Wilson, Lorraine
Sangoyomi, O.O.
Zhao, Xiran Jay
Enríquez, Mariana
Armfield, Julia
Durst, Sarah Beth
Harpman, Jacqueline
Islington, James
Ruocchio, Christopher
Williams, Jen
Tchaikovsky, Adrian
Slatter, A.G.
Nagamatsu, Sequoia
Perez, Nadi Reed
Ashton, Edward
Tsujimura, Mizuki
Mills, Samantha
Jacka, Benedict
El-Mothar, Amal
Taylor, Laini
Nayler, Ray
Choo, Yangsze
Robson, Kelly
Barker, R.J.
Basu, Samit
Nethercott, GennaRose
Jacobs, Bethany
Chakraborty, Shannon
Walton, Jo
Hossain, Saad Z.
Simak, Clifford D.
Fawcett, Heather
Newitz, Annalee
Ma, Ling
Caravan, Trudi
--

Ways to find out if an author is already on the group shelf:

Search the Mod account's shelves
Look at the Group Bookshelf (sorted by author)
Look at the AuthorStats sheet of the Spreadsheet of group books

Alright you unruly upstarts, this month we're loking for Revolutionary Fantasy nominations! Whether it's a tale of rebellion, the fall of an empire, or a tale that changed how things were done for years later we want to hear about it.

Nominations are open!


Please nominate/second on the first line of your post
If the nomination/second is buried in a wall of chatter, it's hard to spot when tallying. Chatter is otherwise encouraged! :)

Make sure to include the word 'nominate' or 'second'
That's how we double check, by searching for those words.

If you switch your second, please also tell what you're switching from
So that we don't have to search the whole thread to see what you originally seconded.

I'll nominate An Accident of Stars, it's a portal fantasy and the MC lands with a group who want to overthrow the current ruler. It's a fun, well-written story in an interesting world with a diverse cast of characters.

I'm going to nominate Scorpica because Allison and I have different opinions of it.

It's a story where four Queendoms come into conflict partly due to no girls being born in a decade. There are people being dethroned and de- other things that fall in line with the theme.

I’m going to nominate The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones.

I guess I won’t spoil what it’s a revolutionary take on, but Jones puts a unique spin on it.

I’d also say that it fits the theme of rebellion since the story is about a Blackfeet Indian, Good Stab, taking revenge on the soldiers who murdered his tribe.

One of the few five star reads I’ve had this year, I thought the writing, the character work and the story itself were outstanding.

Sarah wrote: "I’m going to nominate The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones.

I guess I won’t spoil what it’s a revolutionary take on, but Jones puts a unique spin on it..."

it says it's a Historical novel. In what way do you consider it a fantasy? Convince me and the others and we may go for it

I nominate Sargassa by Sophie Burnham. It just won the Sidewise Award for best longform alternate history. I'm not sure if it qualifies for this poll, though - Goodreads has it listed as fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction.

Description: "An unlikely group of rebels are ready to burn down the empire in the first book in a new speculative trilogy that explores gender, sexuality, and oppression within an empire teetering on the brink of rebellion."

CBRetriever wrote: "it says it's a Historical novel. In what way do you consider it a fantasy? Convince me and the others and we may go for it"

Sarah may have more to add, but I know this has supernatural elements (and also horror).

CBRetriever wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I’m going to nominate The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones.

I guess I won’t spoil what it’s a revolutionary take on, but Jones puts a uni..."

Kaia wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "it says it's a Historical novel. In what way do you consider it a fantasy? Convince me and the others and we may go for it"

Sarah may have more to add, but I know this has supe..."

Yes like Kaia said- supernatural horror/fantasy! The supernatural element is not technically in the blurb so I didn’t want to spoil anything for anyone who is sensitive to those.

But if you don’t mind and still want to know: (view spoiler)[it’s a vampire novel! (hide spoiler)]

A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry

Nicole from Booklovers Combat says: "A small group of mortal servants try to thwart the plans of the faerie kingdom all while the French people start a revolution against the monarchy"

*Yes, I did scroll through Expansive Empire posts to find a book to nominate.

Sarah wrote: "Yes like Kaia said- supernatural horror/fantasy! The supernatural element is not technically in the blurb so I didn’t want to spoil anything for anyone who is sensitive to those..."

thank you - the blurb made it seem like a purely Historical novel

I nominate The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.

Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.


(I actually thought we already got this on the shelf, but I checked and it lost by one vote to a potted plant.)

I nominate Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed


It won the Locus in 2013 for debut novel

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, home to djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, are at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings

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I'll second The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

I second An Accident of Stars

I second The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

I second Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Second for The Water Outlaws, while I think of something to nominate.

Anna wrote: "I nominate The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang [...] (I actually thought we already got this on the shelf, but I checked and it lost by one vote to a potted plant.)"

Hehe... Touché.

Saladin Ahmed's runs on beloved Marvel Comics titles, such as Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales, were rather disappointing; in both cases he succeded the characters' original creators.

I want to nominate Iron Council by China Miéville. It is the third book of the Bas Lag series but can be read on its own. One of the most politically charged fantasy books I ever read.

"a train that never stops, constantly pulling up track from behind and laying it ahead, a mobile socialist utopia that exists in perpetual motion beyond the reach of New Crobuzon’s corrupt government." quoted from https://sinkintotheweird.com/2025/03/...

I'll second Iron Council, not because I want to read it again, but because China Mieville is amazing

Just finished Perdido Station a month ago and it’s still haunting me!

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I second Scorpica in hopes of clearing it from my TBR pile

+1 Iron Council

It’s late and he doesn’t really need any help but I feel Sanderson’s Mistborn should be on this list

I second Sargassa

Rachel wrote: "It’s late and he doesn’t really need any help but I feel Sanderson’s Mistborn should be on this list"

Mistborn is already on our bookshelf.

It is not too late to nominate a book.

And I'm trying to find a reason to nominate Margaret Killjoy into the group shelf.
What about The Sapling Cage? Looks genuinely fantasy. I'll nominate it.
Trans witches for the win!

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a.g.e. montagner wrote: "And I'm trying to find a reason to nominate Margaret Killjoy into the group shelf.
What about The Sapling Cage? Looks genuinely fantasy. I'll nominate it.
Trans ..."

Can you make the case for it being nominated in the Revolutionary Fantasy poll? You might want to hold off until next months nom polls...

The trans witch blurb does sound a lot like "a tale that changed how things were done"!

I'll second Iron Council.

There's a book I'd have nominated if it weren't out of print and unavailable either in ebook or audio. I'll add it to the "books on this topic" thread after the nomination period is over.

Rachel wrote: "It’s late and he doesn’t really need any help but I feel Sanderson’s Mistborn should be on this list"

This one's already on the bookshelf, along with four others of Sanderson's, as can be seen here. Friending this account is really helpful, since it's a lot easier to track what might have been covered already, by searching on "their" bookshelf. :)

The Sapling Cage is on the list!

Just a heads up but next months noms will be Choose Your Own.

Ryan wrote: "The Sapling Cage is on the list!

Just a heads up but next months noms will be Choose Your Own."

Brust
de Lint
or
Zenna Hendereson

choices, choices, choices

Margaret, formerly Magpie, Killjoy is a trans femme anarchist.

Oh I just forgot about the shelf r Turkey and only paid attention to the list of “recent” authors haha. Clearly we haven’t read him in the last couple years. I did note he didn’t really need the help.

I will second the Sapling Cage.

I second Scorpica

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Please, The Sapling Cage has been seconded once as well.

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "Please, The Sapling Cage has been seconded once as well."

looks like they just forgot to put the 1 after it - it's not in the nominated but no seconds group

+1 The Sapling Cage

I've read Killjoy's prior works and I've enjoyed her.

fixed :)

I'll second Scorpica.

I’ll second A Far Better Thing