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Illumicrate's 100 Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Books of the 21st Century
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34 participants, 100 books
You can start and finish this challenge whenever you like!
Per Illumicrate:
To mark the first 25 years of the 21st Century, earlier this year the New York Times published its ‘100 Best Books of the 21st Century’, as voted on by industry professionals, “determining the most important, influential books of the era”. While both a huge undertaking and an incredible list, as genre fiction readers and lovers here at Illumicrate, we found the list didn’t quite… float our boat.
In the time since its publication, we (The Illumiteam) have taken it upon ourselves to nominate, vote and rank what we believe to be the best and most impactful Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror (SFFH) books published in the 21st Century.
We hope this list resonates with our customer base and you can be reminded of some nostalgic favourites worth re-reading and more recent releases we think are worth picking up!
Article here: https://www.illumicrate.com/news/100-best-sci-fi-fantasy-horror-books
* many of these are series, so only the first book has been added to the challenge
* many of these are series, so only the first book has been added to the challenge
Challenge Books
13
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Becky Chambers
The Wayfarer Series by Becky Chambers (2014)
A series of interconnected stories set on spaceships, space stations, and planets in the generations after Earth’s exodus, exploring different characters’ journeys and the complexities of life in a richly imagined universe.
“We cannot blame ourselves for the wars our parents start. Sometimes the very best thing we can do is walk away.”
Imi says: This cosy sci-fi series is a quieter voice that has a lot to say about what it is to be human, interspecies relationships, and the unknown future. I will always return to Becky Chambers’ writing for comfort and clarity.
Tazmyn says: This is my favourite series of all time. Through the lens of many an alien species, Chambers tells us to look inwardly and asks us what it means to be human. How we navigate our own reality? What so we stand for? What do we tolerate? What do we fight for? Rereading these books never fails to make me feel a little lighter and make life seem a little more bearable.
14
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2011)
The heartbreaking story of the of The Iliad, focusing on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Part epic love story, part war novel, and filled with humanity and heart, The Song of Achilles reimagines the story of the ancient world’s greatest warrior from the point of view of those who loved him and saw the man behind the armour.
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
Cody says: The Song of Achilles changed the way I looked at storytelling and how I engage with queerness in a historical context. I’m so grateful that Miller broke from her Classicist roots and wrote The Song of Achilles as a piece of literary fiction rather than an academic one. Her writing is beautiful and has a mystical ‘otherness’ quality while still being grounded and relatable. And even though I knew the myth, the ending still made me stare at a blank wall for a few hours after finishing the story.
Ellie says: For some reason there was a poster for The Song of Achilles in my school’s computer room (unsure why), and I used to look at it reguarly and think about reading it, but never actually got around to until a few years later. Experiencing it for the first time was a delight. Lyrical and moving, it’s the book I love to recommend to everyone – and then listen to them shout-sob over the ending.
Genn says: This is one of my favourite books of all time. I recommend it again and again. It is the kind of love story, war story, and human story that makes you look at the world in a new way. It forces you to think about what it means to live and love knowning every moment that your fate is to be a tragic one. I am a huge mytholgoy nerd and knew the ending, but the way the story is excuted is incredible. It made me go back to the beginning and start reading again.
15
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke of Bone Trilogy by Lani Taylor (2011)
Karou splits her life between the spires of Prague, and collecting teeth for Brimstone, her secretive mentor on the other side of a portal. But when the doors to Elsewhere suddenly close, Karou must search for a way back in, and uncover where she came from.
“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.”
Yas says: This series will always and forever be incredibly close to my heart – from the world to the characters to the relationships and even the story itself, Laini Taylor has set such a high standard for all fantasy books for me. I just love this.
Bec says: One of the first fantasy series I read as a young adult, and one that I’ll always keep coming back to. The trilogy dives deep into relationships and love spanning across lives, fighting for what’s right, and found family, all whilst being set across a fantasy backdrop with a unique magic system. Truly such a special series.
16
All Systems Red
Martha Wells
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (2017)
When a security android gains self-awareness, it begins to struggle with its identity while protecting the humans its assigned to guard.
“I liked the imaginary people on the entertainment feed way more than I liked real ones, but you can’t have one without the other.”
17
Legends and Lattes
Travis Baldree
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (2022)
A retired Orc dreams of opening the first ever coffee shop in her chosen city and is hampered by rivals new and old, and general ignorance around delicious hot beverages
“Well, shit. Milky bean water. I’ll be damned.”
Tazmyn says: Legends & Lattes was the first cosy fantasy I read and, not only has it changed my reading tastes and what I hope to encounter in a book, it has also single handedly changed the face of fantasy publishing. There are (joyously) cosy fantasy books in every bookshop these days and I truly think it is down to the popularity and standout writing of Travis Baldree.
Heather: This is the perfect read for snuggling into a blanket fort on a cold afternoon, or after a challenging day. Such heartfelt and hopeful characters, with a gentle but moving plot, all tied together with the wonders of food and drink. I just need my own personal Thimble to cook up some wonders, really. It revolutionised fantasy publishing and paved the way for more hopeful, heartfelt, and cosy books to follow.
18
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Two prodigies to rival magicians are engaged in a duel within the confines of a magical circus.
“The most difficult thing to read is time. Maybe because it changes so many things.”
Rayna says: A magical black and white circus that only takes place at night? I was sold on the book at first glance, but was unprepared for how utterly enchanting it is and how deeply under its spell I would fall. To this day, this is the only book I wish with all my heart to be brought to life just so I can walk through all those tents, wear one of those gorgeous costumes and live inside that world.
Lena says: It’s pure escapism. This really helped me during some very tough mental health times to exist in a world outside of my own for a little while and I also think it’s just really beautiful. The romance in it feels just as much about understanding themselves as falling in love with each other.
19
Noughts & Crosses
Malorie Blackman
Noughts & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman (2001)
A member of the dark-skinned ruling class and a member of the formally enslaved light-skinned underclass have been best friends since childhood. The older they get, the more complicated their friendship becomes to navigate in their heavily class-based and racist society, especially once romantic feelings come into the mix.
“I used to comfort myself with the belief that it was only certain individuals and their peculiar notions that spoilt things for the rest of us. But how many individuals does it take before it’s not the individuals who are prejudiced but society itself?”
This series had a significant impact on literature by addressing issues of race, prejudice, and social injustice through an alternate-history narrative. The exploration of systemic racism and its powerful, emotional storytelling have influenced discussions about diversity in literature and inspired other works to tackle similar themes. Its impact extends to both young adult and broader literary circles, making it a pivotal work in contemporary fiction.
20
Iron Widow
Xiran Jay Zhao
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021)
In Huaxia boy-girl pairings pilot giant robots to battle mecha aliens…with a catch. The female concubine pilots often die and the males survive…until the opposite happens. Branded an Iron Widow pilot, what will a taste of power trigger in Zetian?
“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.”
21
Circe
Madeline Miller
Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)
Filled with heartbreak, rage, and magic, Circe unveils the secrets of one of the most enimagtic characters in mythology. It reimagines her as more than a villain, challenging readers to rethink what they know about gods, goddesses, and heroes in mythology.
“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”
Tazmyn says: This was the first Greek myth retelling I read as an adult and boy was the standard set high! I have read many a retelling since then but I will always come back to Miller’s all consuming writing.
Genn says: Circe was one of those characters that I thought I knew their story. But Madeline Miller’s beautiful novel showed me another side of the legendary goddess and witch. It forced me to re-evaluate everything I knew about the ancient sources and how this story has come down to us through the ages. Adding a richness to my own research and writing that I will be forever grateful for.
22
The Raven Boys
Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (2012)
Blue has always known she would kill her true love. And then she meets him. Every moment she spends with Gansey and his privileged, private school friends is dangerous, but she can’t help but be drawn into their quest: to find the final resting place of an ancient Welsh king.
“She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”
Tori says: This is the series that made me fall in love with reading again. I read the whole thing in a week during the summer I was working at my university library, and lines of it often occur to me as invasive thoughts. It’s the perfect mix of yearning and magic (and the audiobooks are 10/10 too).
Heather says: This series brought some wonderfully brilliant—and broken—characters into my life, chasing a long-forgotten slumbering king, but who learn the beauty of magic and friendships, and the power of dreaming, along the way. Almost mystical and dreamlike in places, and brutally honest in others, it’s a fantastic read where even the trees speak Latin.
23
Piranesi
Susanna Clarke
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020)
Piranesi’s house is a labyrinth, a maze of rooms, tides, an ocean, and thousands and thousands of statues. He lives alone, except for a mysterious man called The Other, who seeks him out twice a week to request his help researching something secret and mysterious.
“The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”Davi says: Piranesi is a masterful mystery-box of a book, wrapped up in incredible prose that showcases a breadth and depth of imagination that you can’t help but want to explore. These labyrinthine halls hide a page-turning dark academia gem with an iconic world plucked straight from a dream.
Jane says: I don’t think I’ve ever known a character as truly likeable as Piranesi, he’s so innocent and wholesome that I want to protect him at all costs! This book takes you on a fantastic dreamlike journey through a world that’s completely different to anything else I’ve come across, and just when you think you’ve found your footing the story morphs into dark academia.
24
Vicious
V.E. Schwab
Villains Series by V.E. Schwab (2013)
Fellas, is it gay to try and kill your college best friend turned super-powered nemesis?
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
Bianca says: Vicious was my first V.E. Schwab book, so it holds a special place in my heart. Aside from that, Vicious is tightly plotted and fast paced cinematic ride, whilst also giving you wonderful (and montrous) characters. Schwab has said this book was written for herself to have fun, and it truly shows on the page.