Here are 100 books that Spirits Abroad fans have personally recommended if you like
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When I drafted the pieces which eventually comprised Melancholic Parables, I had no plan. Only upon arranging them into a collection did I discover that, surprisingly, they shared emotional moods and thematic elements. In other words, I had stumbled into a linked collection. Writing a single big story is no small feat, as is writing small stories which each intrigue and delight in their own right—but to create and arrange multiple small stories so that they aggregate into a big story, one greater than the sum of its parts (in ways sometimes counterintuitive, sometimes virtuosic) is a special storytelling skill which I think these five authors’ work exemplifies.
I haven’t read a better book in a long time than YZ Chin’s collection of linked stories.
At the centre of a panoply of characters and ways of thinking, we find Isabella Sin, a woman who might be taken as a personification of Malaysia, a troubled young nation searching for an identity as it struggles against its own history.
Not unlike what is required of her country, what is ultimately required of Isabella is to “become who she was.” YZ Chin’s voice offers the sort of nuance and depth that I feel characterises the best in literary fiction.
“A welcome read in American contemporary literature. Though I Get Home is an intimate and complex look into Malaysian culture and politics, and a reminder of the importance of art in the struggle for social justice.” ―Ana Castillo, author of So Far from God and prize judge
In these stories, characters navigate fate via deft sleights of hand: A grandfather gambles on the monsoon rains; a consort finds herself a new assignment; a religious man struggles to keep his demons at bay. Central to the book is Isabella Sin, a small-town girl―and frustrated writer―transformed into a prisoner of conscience in…
When I drafted the pieces which eventually comprised Melancholic Parables, I had no plan. Only upon arranging them into a collection did I discover that, surprisingly, they shared emotional moods and thematic elements. In other words, I had stumbled into a linked collection. Writing a single big story is no small feat, as is writing small stories which each intrigue and delight in their own right—but to create and arrange multiple small stories so that they aggregate into a big story, one greater than the sum of its parts (in ways sometimes counterintuitive, sometimes virtuosic) is a special storytelling skill which I think these five authors’ work exemplifies.
Miriam Cohen gives us a series of stories loosely linked by recurring characters and contiguous themes.
In the world of these stories, childhood is bewildering and dreadful, while adults fail grotesquely to be adults—some never manage to stop being children, yet they never quite lose our sympathy.
If you love modern literary fiction, you will take as much delight in Cohen’s ruthless humour as you do in the exquisite prose and razor-keen insights which lurk on every page.
An “acute portrayal of failed relationships and struggles to transcend social norms,”―New York Times Book Review (editor's choice)
“Readers can detect deadpan realism influences of Lorrie Moore and the feminism of Angela Carter in these stories, but the work is distinctly and originally Cohen's voice. . . . [The] plots and these characters will stay for a while. Make room for them."―PopMatters
"These shockingly insightful stories, riddled with breathtaking observation, are also, frequently, laugh out loud funny. Wisdom and hilarity are such a gorgeous couple, and Miriam Cohen makes the absolute most of this pairing. Evocative of Lorrie Moore at…
When I drafted the pieces which eventually comprised Melancholic Parables, I had no plan. Only upon arranging them into a collection did I discover that, surprisingly, they shared emotional moods and thematic elements. In other words, I had stumbled into a linked collection. Writing a single big story is no small feat, as is writing small stories which each intrigue and delight in their own right—but to create and arrange multiple small stories so that they aggregate into a big story, one greater than the sum of its parts (in ways sometimes counterintuitive, sometimes virtuosic) is a special storytelling skill which I think these five authors’ work exemplifies.
More than any other book here, Cathy Ulrich’s flash fiction collection epitomises the “linked story” concept in terms of form and theme (as opposed to plot).
Each short piece is addressed to “you”, and “you” are a woman who has been murdered. We may learn little or nothing concrete about the dead character each story addresses, but the absence of that stolen life leaves an outline of what’s been lost, a haunting negative image of the life she might otherwise have lived.
What results is a moving, subtle illustration of the humanity of the absent “you”.
Cathy Ulrich's debut short story collection, GHOSTS OF YOU, seeks out the names of the lost and finds the person behind the sensationalism. It examines some of the most common tropes in mystery and crime storytelling, in which the narrative always begins with the body of yet another murdered woman. They are mothers and daughters, teachers and students, lovers and wives, actresses and extras. Their lives have been taken, but their stories still remain. This is how they set the plot in motion...
When I drafted the pieces which eventually comprised Melancholic Parables, I had no plan. Only upon arranging them into a collection did I discover that, surprisingly, they shared emotional moods and thematic elements. In other words, I had stumbled into a linked collection. Writing a single big story is no small feat, as is writing small stories which each intrigue and delight in their own right—but to create and arrange multiple small stories so that they aggregate into a big story, one greater than the sum of its parts (in ways sometimes counterintuitive, sometimes virtuosic) is a special storytelling skill which I think these five authors’ work exemplifies.
On my list, this is the only book of poetry, but the emotional journey its linked poems chart makes it perfect for inclusion.
Gilgamesh finds his wild friend Enkidu, loves him, loses him—and is racked by grief. The poems bear us through myriad forms of yearning for a bosom companion who will never come home—a plot of emotions, not events.
A finalist in the Grayson Books Poetry Contest in 2020, the inventively structured book features each poem in English and Spanish on facing pages.
In this bilingual collection of poems, inspired by the Epic of Gilgamesh, the king grieves the disappearance of his wild friend Enkidu. Each poem appears in English and Spanish, translated by the author. When you are not talking to me, I conjure you. When I lose my way between campfires, you are with me. When my body wastes away, you are in me. When I want to be somewhere else, you stalk me. A finalist in the 2020 Grayson Books Poetry Contest.
En esta colección bilingüe de poemas, inspirada en la Epopeya de Gilgamesh, el rey llora la partida de…
As an engineer for multiple space projects (including the ISS, Gateway, and commercial space), it seems like I should be a strict sci-fi person. But I love sci-fi and fantasy equally, and I love books that break through the wall between them. Especially in space opera, you can play with how much technology and how much magic shaped a world and a culture. Zooming in, that will greatly influence the characters. Some make it esoteric and exclusive, where others make it more common.All of them transport readers to magical, expansive universes.
The great thing about this one is how closely related the magic and technology are—the magic is really used to manipulate technology. For example, Mechanists can tap into the inner workings of machines, while Datamancers can comb through data even better than AI. The book features fantastic action sequences at a breakneck pace, and a lovable rag-tag team thrown-in together to defeat a terrifying villain named Mother.
Furious and fun, the first book in this bold, new science fiction adventure series follows a crew of outcasts as they try to find a legendary ship that just might be the key to savings themselves-and the universe.
Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she's washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she got something real--the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.
Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the…
As an engineer for multiple space projects (including the ISS, Gateway, and commercial space), it seems like I should be a strict sci-fi person. But I love sci-fi and fantasy equally, and I love books that break through the wall between them. Especially in space opera, you can play with how much technology and how much magic shaped a world and a culture. Zooming in, that will greatly influence the characters. Some make it esoteric and exclusive, where others make it more common.All of them transport readers to magical, expansive universes.
The writing is really strong in this one, with vivid descriptions and great metaphors. The badass main character walks a thin line between hero and anti-hero, but she still shows vulnerabilities that make her relatable. The novella features a small cast with a tight story, so it’s a fast read that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Being an Assassin on Ares might mean rubbing elbows with the filth of the Infinite Universe, but at least she’s free. Her ability to imagine is perfectly suited to kill, and all Andria has to do is bag the prize money and consider the next Contract on the list.
When an illegitimate Contract goes according to plan, everything goes wrong for her and her partner. They have a month before they’re put on trial and chained for murder. As time runs out and unlikely alliances form, Andria’s ready to pay whatever…
As an engineer for multiple space projects (including the ISS, Gateway, and commercial space), it seems like I should be a strict sci-fi person. But I love sci-fi and fantasy equally, and I love books that break through the wall between them. Especially in space opera, you can play with how much technology and how much magic shaped a world and a culture. Zooming in, that will greatly influence the characters. Some make it esoteric and exclusive, where others make it more common.All of them transport readers to magical, expansive universes.
Nyxia, the first in a young adult trilogy, introduces the reader to an Earth that has found a foreign substance called nyxia on another planet. Use of nyxia basically grants magical abilities to the user, and the more clever the user, the more capability it has. The cast is very diverse, the main character’s voice is refreshing, and the dialogue is realistic. It’s a fast, easy read with a relatable main character. And the plot only thickens as the series goes on…
“A high-octane thriller . . . Nyxia grabs you from the first line and never lets go.” —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Warcross
Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller—the first in a trilogy—that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae.
What would you be willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune?
Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship…
Being of Eastern European origins, and also a child of the 80s, definitely had a say in what my likings and my character would become growing up. From the cold long winters and the white landscapes, Fantasy genre, and everything Might and Magic have shaped my childhood, my studies, my art (traditional oil painting and clay sculpting) and lingered until now (and definitely beyond).
Besides the intriguing adventure and plot, this series is the masterpiece of Sarah Ash (the first books especially – and the last chapter is still being written). You’d soon fall in love with her and her exquisite and rich way of describing her magical worlds.
Three kingdoms. One man. A destiny written in blood. An epic new fantasy series begins . . .
Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unbeknownst to him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew - the Drakhaon, ruler of the isolated northern kingdom of Azhkendir. And when the Drakhaon is brutally murdered, an unwilling Gavril is forced to take up the mantle of both his father's rule - and his power.…
I’ve been reading fantasy novels since around 1989, when I was twelve. I actually – stupidly! – thought it would be much easier to write a fantasy novel than a historical fiction one. Well, after writing about eighteen historical novels, I turned my hand to fantasy with Singers of the Sword Song and finally discovered just how hard it is to create a compelling new world completely from scratch. The books in this list are the ones that have inspired me for decades and continue to do so as I work on my second fantasy novel with a newfound appreciation, and love, for this magical genre.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this story and was completely blown away.
The narration is superb, with the reader performing songs and really making the story come alive, but the prose was just wonderful. Seriously, I would hear lines and think, “Oh my God, I wish I could write like that!”
I haven’t read much fantasy that was written in the past 20 years, but I can see why this is regarded as a modern classic. I loved it and wish he would finally complete the trilogy!
The lyrical fantasy masterpiece about stories, legends and how they change the world. The Name of the Wind is an absolute must-read for any fan of fantasy fiction.
'This is a magnificent book' Anne McCaffrey
'I was reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkein, but never felt that Rothfuss was imitating anyone' THE TIMES
'I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University…
Ever since I was small, I’ve been fascinated by weather magic. Whenever we visited our Shetland family, I’d spend the last few days trying to conjuring fog, to ground the planes, and keep us there a little longer. Reader, it worked! My parents were not happy. I was over the moon and thereafter, utterly convinced that I had magical powers. This is a list of magical middle grade books guaranteed to delight anyone who’s ever been told they have their head in the clouds. Up with sky gazing, daydreaming, and chasing rainbows!
This story sparkles with intrigue and winter magic—it has all the delight of the first fat flakes of snow falling on a December morning. I love that the story feels so utterly grounded in the real world, before the magic begins to creep in. What would you do if frost patterns appeared on your skin? Try to ignore it, or follow the call of adventure? A frosty tale with a huge warm heart—highly recommended.
A glittering story of frost and friendship, with writing full of magic and heart, the Branford Boase-longlisted A Girl Called Owl is a stunning debut about family and the beauty of the natural world.
It's bad enough having a mum dippy enough to name you Owl, but when you've got a dad you've never met, a best friend who needs you more than ever, and a new boy at school giving you weird looks, there's not a lot of room for much else.
So when Owl starts seeing strange frost patterns on her skin, she's tempted to just burrow down…
