We reached out to some of our favorite writers and asked them to share their choices for the most iconic books of the 21st century (so far), with the intention of assembling a collection of titles that could be seen as the most influential, most representative, and/or highest quality examples of this expansive genre that we adore. Our hope was to to highlight books that resonate with readers, that may have been overlooked, and that reflect the inclusivity and imagination that speculative fiction is known for. 

The only rules were: titles should be Adult or YA, and published in English during the years 2000-2024. This includes anything from novels to novellas to comics, literary crossover or genre-bending work, nonfiction related to SFF, and more. All subgenres are welcome, and all series are represented by the first title published in that series.