37 Books Like The Terraformers

When this book publication announcement came across my email, I had to have it. I think about witchcraft history a lot. The history of witchcraft is my Roman Empire. Gibson brings nuance to the study of witch panics, hunts, and trials. Some of the trials she highlights are familiar - if you listen to the History of Witchcraft podcast, or Dig: A History Podcast, or if you’ve seen any version of The Crucible production, you’ll recognize names and places in some of these chapters. But there are some surprises in there. The story of a woman who beat Heinrich Kramer, famed witch hunter and author of Malleus Maleficarum; the intersections of disability and witchcraft accusations during the English Civil War (and beyond); a witch trial of “Shula” in Basutoland, Africa. These are fascinating (sometimes horrifying) snippets from history. Her last chapter is on the trial of Stormy Daniels: a reminder… show more.

The Fox Wife by is a historical mystery by Yangsze Choo. Set in Manchuria in 1908, it is a magical mingling of history with myth and folklore. To be honest, the novel started off at a bit of a disadvantage with me, as half of it is written in the present tense. I’m not a fan of novels written in the present tense, but can get on with them if it’s not used all the way through, and the writing is good enough to make it work – which Choo’s certainly is. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with this book! It is a wonderful novel full of shape-shifting beasts, spirits, lovers, mothers, and other marvellous beings.

As a music lover, especially one whose favorite bands are now getting toward retirement age, I love seeing how the ones who had some measure of success, however fleeting, have lived out the rest of their non-spotlight lives.

The book doesn't wallow in musicians and bands who are now destitute or living bizarre lives, but suggests that there is life after pop stardom, in many forms. I did wish it had a little more overall insight and connected more dots, but those seem like minor quibbles.

You think that nothing new can come from the zombie/undead trope but this was different - and it certainly rattles along at a pace. It is part of a duology so I will need to get that when it's out in paperback.

Could I just add that the print copy I have has a certain quality of paper and binding that I just love to hold and flip through, I don't know what it is, but it is a book that demands to be held. I kept flicking the 'read' pages as I carried on reading, very strange.

I loved the cyberpunk setting, the tension of not knowing who was going to win, the fact that a lot of characters were activists and belonged to the counterculture, the futuristic technology, and the complexity of the protagonists. I also loved how even though a pair of antagonists represented the side my values go against, I couldn't perceive them as villains. I experienced such intimate and vulnerable moments with them that I ended up accepting them for who they were.

The book explores issues of freedom and slavery, human relationships and the relationship between humans and bots, gender, love, the dangers of patented science, and more. It was very intense, brimming with ideas, feelings, technology (some of which went over my head), science, and action.

So, first off, this is one of the best audiobooks of all time. While Scott did an amazing job spinning the tale, Michael Page elevated this work to a whole new level. There was a time around 2010 when fantasy became overly serious and dark. And I was rescued by the Gentlemen Bastards which was fast paced, fun, and fabulous. The absolute best part of this book is its humor, something that is sorely missing in fantasy these days.

Of course the stars of the show are Locke and Jean. Locke is a charismatic, cunning cutthroat and Jean is his loyal right-hand man. Together they make a great pair. Their deep, brotherly friendship and unwavering loyalty to each other is fantastic, and the reason they made my list.

This Savage Song is a dark urban fantasy set in a world where violence creates monsters. Not human monsters (though there are plenty of those in the tale), but real, shadowy creatures that roam the cityscape in the wake of murders, assaults, and other dark deeds.

The story is told from dual points of view, with chapters from the viewpoint of a rebellious daughter of the city’s overlord and the point of view of one of the monsters living in the city. Schwab is best known for the Shades of Magic series, but I personally think This Savage Song and its sequel, Our Dark Duet are her best work. 

The main character in The Kingdom of Liars is the son of a traitor. He lives a life scamming and scraping to get by, and he’s not the most likable of people, on the whole. (I say this with love).

The story is filled with political maneuvering, double dealings, and self-serving characters you’ll find yourself rooting for… even if you also kind of hate them. This book also has one of the cooler magic systems I’ve seen in a while: the price for using magic is memory, so with every bit of magic you wield, you lose a bit more of yourself.

It’s a fascinating tale that is the first book in a trilogy!

As a fan of post-apocalyptic novels, I’ve always wondered what the world would actually look like without us. Weisman provides the answer in this book. He visits places that appear to have successfully moved on from humanity, such as the Białowiea forest, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, showing nature thriving without us.

It’s both comforting and sobering, suggesting, yet again, that humans aren’t necessary to the world and, in fact, maybe the world is better off without us. The most jaw-dropping revelation for me was when a paleobiologist calmly stated that humans will go extinct eventually. All species do. But life on Earth will keep going. 

First of all, how could anyone not love a book with an author’s name like that?

This book was on display mere inches from me while I was signing books at an exceptionally enchanting indie bookstore called Sudden Fiction in Castle Rock, Colorado. I couldn’t wait for the signing to be over so I could get a copy for myself. And it did not disappoint, the contents being as beguiling as the cover. 

Sheldrake describes not only the incredible and seemingly irrepressible capacity fungi have for survival and thrival (yep, I made that word up), but also encourages us to practice the same spells. I may have to become a mycologist in my next iteration – it’s good to remake oneself every few months, I think.