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Illumicrate's 100 Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Books of the 21st Century
111 participants (100 books)
Overview
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
Illumicrate's 100 Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Books of the 21st Century
111 participants (100 books)
Overview
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
49
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel (2014)
Twenty years after a pandemic collapses civilisation a travelling group dedicated to keeping what little remains of human art alive cross paths with a prophet who could threaten what they stand for.
“Hell is the absence of the people you long for.”
50
The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003)
Henry has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to live his life out of time. He goes to bed and wakes up in a different year or date in his life, without the ability to control where or when he will be next. All the while, his wife Clare, an artist, spends her days creating and waiting for her husband to reappear.
“Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”
Genn says: I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book – even now, I can’t explain it fully to anyone when I recommend it. It’s a love story, a time travel thriller, and a book that defies genre. It asks what it means to live a life completely out of order and out of time. It’s heartbreaking, life-affirming, and so beautiful.
51
The Sword of Kaigen
M.L. Wang
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang (2019)
In this military fantasy a mother and son from a legendary warrior clan must confront both their past and their future as war approaches their peninsula.
“Wholeness, she had learned, was not the absence of pain but the ability to hold it.”
52
Graceling
Kristin Cashore
Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore (2008)
Katsa is graced with talents that make it incredibly easy for her to kill others, and has spent her life doing so at the command of her king. When the prince of a rival kingdom comes looking for her, Katsa realises they’ve crossed paths before and together they both unwittingly set a string of events in motion, and uncover some hidden truths.
“When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?”
Tazmyn says: This was the first high fantasy I ever read: I was 13 years old and remember being so transfixed by Katsa and Po’s story that I sneakily tried to read it under my desk in class, going as far as to hide it under the benches in gym to try to read while not on the basketball court! Graceling completely changed my life; I had no idea how brave and awful and bloodthirsty and romantic people could be until I read this. This is the book that made me a fantasy reader and having recently reread the first two, they have stood the test of time.
53
This Savage Song
V.E. Schwab
Monsters of Verity duology by V.E. Schwab (2016)
In a city plagued by monsters feeding off humanity’s violence, Kate and August, teens from opposite sides of the conflict, confront their inner demons and the darkness consuming their world.
“It was a cruel trick of the universe, thought August, that he only felt human after doing something monstrous. “
Heather says: Monsters of Verity was my second foray into Schwab’s many varied worlds, and introduced me to one of my favourite characters in fiction: Kate, who shows both strength and vulnerability in a challenging and changing world, in relationships new and old, and with sheer grit and determination.
54
House of Leaves
Mark Z. Danielewski
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (2000)
Told through a found manuscript, House of Leaves explores obsession and madness after a family moves to a new home and discovers it’s bigger on the inside than on the outside.
“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing’.”
Rayna says: One of the hardest books I ever had to read, but worth the pain to get through it. This book makes you read upside down, decode braille and scramble over scraps of paper to piece together the multiple narratives. There is a reason why there are websites devoted to cracking this book. Truly one of the most mind-boggling and terrifying books I’ve ever read and it’s unlike any other.
Tori says: It’s f***ed. What more can I say?
55
Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (2012)
Infamous young assassin Celaena Sardothien is released from a brutal labour camp to compete in a tournament to become the king’s champion. But not all is as it seems as she chooses between courtly life and confronting her long-buried destiny.
“Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom…”
Imi says: I remember the third book, Heir of Fire, released when I was at a particularly low point as a teenager and there’s a seminal moment in the book where a character is at her lowest and accepts the help and strength of her younger self to continue and I will never not be grateful for those few paragraphs existing in literature.
56
Dead Until Dark
Charlaine Harris
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris (2001)
All her life Sookie Stackhouse has struggled to lead a normal existence. But her unique ability to hear the thoughts of everyone around her has made life difficult. Until one day when a vampire walks into her bar and she realises she can’t hear his thoughts. Soon she finds herself thrown into a world of danger and romance.
“Vampires. They wrote the book on possessive.”
While the term ‘paranormal romance’ was coined in the 90s, the subgenre’s popularity didn’t boom until the noughties. Charlaine Harris combined the rise of the supernatural and paranormal romance with small-town Southern mysteries to make this addictive 13-novel series a formative literature choice for many.
Genn says: This series changed my entire career. It was my first ever marketing campaign! Sookie and her world of vampires, fae, and monsters, were a breath of fresh air that made the paranormal romance genre mainstream bestsellers. Decadent treats of books, they became a comfort read for so many, me included.
57
The House in the Cerulean Sea
TJ Klune
Cerulean Chronicles series by T.J. Klune (2020)
A caseworker for magical children is sent to evaluate a mysterious orphanage, discovering the true magic of the house and getting to know the children and their unique abilities.
“Hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as your remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.”
Jane says: A gentle, heartwarming story that nourished my soul. I loved the slow character development and the bonds of friendship and love that formed in this book. This is the type of book I like to read when I need a slower pace and the warm hug of a loved one. The acceptance and empathy that’s at the heart of this book filled me with hope.
58
Girls of Paper and Fire
Natasha Ngan
Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy by Natasha Ngan (2018)
In Ikhara, demons reign and humans are persecuted. Each year, the demon king takes eight human girls as concubines – only this year, Lei is chosen as the ninth girl due to her lucky golden eyes. Whilst in the palace, Lei finds herself falling in love – but not with the king she’s chained to.
“Instead of disappearing, she makes me feel reappeared. Reimagined. Her touch shapes me, draws out the boldness that had been hiding in my core.”
59
A Memory Called Empire
Arkady Martine
Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine (2019)
A young ambassador from a fringe colony becomes entangled in the empire’s power struggles and secrets while trying to navigate her new role and protect her people.
“So much of who we are is what we remember and retell.”
Caitlin says: A Memory Called Empire has so much to say about empires, belonging and language and it really made me think about all those things. There’s something so sympathetic about a character thrown into a situation with very little context of the complexities of the political and social situation, not knowing who to trust or believe, and that makes you really root for Mahit as she navigates court and attempts to discover what befell her predecessor.
60
Legendborn
Tracy Deonn
Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn (2020)
Bree discovers a secret society of magical warriors descended from King Arthur and learns about her own hidden powers. As she uncovers dark family secrets, Bree becomes entangled in a battle against a rising supernatural threat.
“The most important thing you can do in this world, the most necessary thing, is to survive it. You can’t do anything for anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.”