Uriel's Revenge: A Dark Sci-fi Adventure (The Cliptic Book 1) by David Roome

Small-time privateers battle ancient terrors at the edge of the Solar System! For Brian Zaks, developing his skills as a space pilot and combat maneuvers specialist for Elwood's Privateers took highest priority. But he couldn't ignore fellow privateer and ex-girlfriend Evvie Evans when she begged him for help with her nocturnal hallucinations of a raven-headed demon. Then Elwood's treasure-hunting hobby uncovered the lost secrets of an ancient cult, thrusting Brian and Evvie into an interplanetary clash between the cult's present-day descendants. Can they defeat a primeval power threatening to upend human civilization? Uriel's Revenge is a horror-tinged sci-fi adventure. Read it today and escape to the Cliptic!

Living to Fight by Justin Crough

The aftermath of an alien invasion; Disintegration of the World Government resulted in New Nations to divide up the Earth. The alien enemy remains, marooned on the war-torn Earth and confined to habitation zones that are patrolled by the remains of Earth’s official military. Disgruntled veterans of the War, turned mercenary, ensure solidarity in a Mercenaries Guild of their own making. They use their skills to make a living from the turmoil, hired by the New Nations that fight for territory and resources. Combat involves everything from cutting-edge hovertanks and giant mech armoroids to the obsolete vehicles of previous wars. Michael Breker is an aging commander of a platoon of mercenaries trying to climb into more lucrative contracts. When a woman who was genetically designed to perfection comes back into his life, he has a chance to find some deeper meaning to his existence. But events far above his control have been put into motion that will pull him into life and death the way he has not experienced since the defining battle against the invaders. In a world where genetic labs create immortal war heroes and the despised clones of draftees have no place in civilian society, Breker will find that he is no longer just a man. He will be faced with a conspiracy that will threaten all life on the planet; and if the religious fanatics are to be believed, the universe itself! He will have to decide if the fight is reason enough for living.

The Adventures of Dewey the Alien: Book One by Marshall Lefferts

The Aliens had been visiting Earth for millions of years, fascinated by the abundant life on this thriving blue world. They are especially curious about the Humans, whose recent advances into (somewhat) higher intelligence and technological capability is most intriguing. Alien explorers sent to study life on Earth are given strict orders to avoid direct contact with these emotionally volatile, and sometimes irrational Humans, lest it open a Pandora's Box of problems the Alien Councils wanted no part of. But it was inevitable that unauthorized contact might happen eventually, given the insatiable curiosity of both species.

Ohnus (Chronicles of Zu'tal Book 1) by August Blackburn

When humanity entered the greater galaxy it found itself to be the oldest sentient species, and first to be counted among the stars. Humanity realized that there was no one watching them from the sky—no advanced race to show them the way—rather it was they who would take up the mantle. Extraterrestrial life was abundant and mostly non-sentient; those few found with sentience needed a helping human hand to reach for the stars, and this made the human race the most powerful race in the known galaxy. With space came freedom; with freedom came lawlessness. The larger the galaxy became, the less the centralized government, the Commonwealth Assembly, was able to control first contact. With the government still struggling to regulate expansion, planetary abuses from corporate and private organizations were a common secret. Zu'tal is a world populated by humanoid lifeforms, the Fenir, formally resigned to a feudal-level society, but after the arrival and abuse of humanity they take up arms and retake their planet; however the fallout of first contact has only just begun. Wrapped up in these tides of history are Ishtar and Grey, a Fenir woman and a clone soldier. As they attempt to shape their lives, the liberation general Macahbei looks to shape the world.

The Two Gates (The Traceverse Saga Book 2) by Eric R Swanson

Born to serve. Trained to lead. Can a man of two species bridge the critical gap between his peoples? 2454. Micah Trace’s half-human heart races as his expedition approaches Earth. Taking leadership of a one-way-trip from Ceres, he fears the memory of a centuries-old mass abduction means they’ll face a hostile reception. And his desperate claim of a shared ancestry falls on deaf ears when the traumatized Earthers greet them with suspicion, capture, and interrogation. With relations treading a knife’s edge, the offworld ambassador finally proves his genetic roots and convinces the nervous population to repair the stargate and reconnect their worlds. But some resent alien interference in the planet’s affairs, and Micah suspects that they may be willing to kill to ensure his mission’s doom. Can the hybrid herald unite his two species before the past destroys their future? The Two Gates is the thrilling second novel in the science fiction Traceverse saga. If you like complex interplanetary politics, stunning character revelations, and pulse-pounding action, then you’ll love Eric R. Swanson’s galactic tale.

Sisters of the Stars: Men Rule Earth - Women The Stars (The Sisters of the Stars Series Book 1) by Hellen Allan

When the end came for women they fell, as corn to a scythe. Only a handful could be saved; those with exceptional intelligence, strength and creativity. Sent to the stars, they hid, as darkness descended upon the Earth, knowing that one day that darkness would reach for them – and when it did, it would be worse than the scythe. For it sought not their intelligence, their strength, or their creativity - but their bodies. That time has come. For 20-year-old Selena, just thrown off the Star Biosphere Force for insubordination and anger management issues, this couldn’t have come at a worse time. Finding out her sister has been captured by the men who rule Earth, she resolves nothing is going to prevent her from getting her sister back, even if it means risking her own freedom.

Coldlander by Jacob Tanner

Yarla, a middle-aged has-been, lives so far from the failing Low Temperature Temple that it's almost inhospitable for coldlanders like herself. Ice nearly melts, and it's getting worse, when she'd prefer things a few hundred degrees colder. But when a stranger from the boiling-hot side of the planet arrives with a key to the Temple, she begrudgingly takes it upon herself to travel south and fix what is broken. With her new hot-suited ally, Lazarus, she must fight her way to the Temple through deadly wildlife, the rude coldlander culture, her own impatience, the consequences of age, and one very unhelpful teenage girl.

Chairman's Planet: Portal Space Fantasy (Sequel to Firesnake series) (Red Star Book 1) by Rayner Ye

Maki is a six-year-old boy with secret knowledge. He witnessed an alien invasion on his homeworld, two hundred years in the future. While he starts a new life in another solar system, his father orders him to keep the truth under wraps. But Maki is stubborn. He won't give up his desire to stop the Chairman's massacre. In a bid to succeed, Maki creeps into the secret service's teleportation room and discovers classified information. He becomes the youngest agent in the headquarters and a good one, too. No matter his heroic acts, he still has a serious dilemma: he needs help. But he already promised his father he'd never lie to him again. He has two choices: betray his father's trust or accept the massacre of a whole world's population.

IN A BLACK BALLOON by Matthew John Wilkinson

The Complete Saga! There is no life but human life. The entire barren universe is within reach via Fold Tech. The United Intergalactic Colonies have laid claim to hundreds of planets. Earth is a barely habitable wasteland. Political power is centralized in the Jovian Subsystem of Sol. Spanning generations and the cosmos, a plot is revealed that could overthrow the U.I.C., and the Milton family is at the heart of it all… Moving in recurrent cycles between a secretive Voidship captain, a reclusive scholar, a bodyguard to the Colonial President, an explorer in the early days of Fold Tech, a government torturer, and a mysterious source casting its objective eye over the whole of the Sol System’s people, this series examines what it means when humans become aliens to themselves. Equal parts Battlestar Galactica and Infinite Jest, this is a work of horror, degradation, morality, and redemption. This is a series about the only life we know. This is what it’s like inside the Void.

Sirkkusaga by Kyt Wrigh

A saga – a long story of heroic achievement, especially a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse or a long, involved story, account, or series of incidents often named for the principal character. Several hundred years after an world-shattering war, two of the surviving nations, the Reignweald and the Dominion have fought themselves to a standstill, both remaining determined to control of what’s left of it. Sirki Vigsdottir, a songstress who performs under the name Freya in folk-rock group The Harvest is beautiful, self-centered woman who is fond of drink and a recovering addict to boot, not the sort of girl a boy brings home to mother. Following an attack from an unexpected quarter, abilities awaken within Sirki, who begins a journey of self-discovery. These new found skills attract the attention of both the Psi, a mysterious group of telepaths headed by the fearsome Mina and an equally sinister government department; the ACG. Sirki, learning the real truth of her origin, is dragged into plotting between the queen and the Government, finding herself in constant danger as Bren, fighting for the nation, becomes an important part of her life. As it becomes clear that her life of self-indulgence is over, Sirki wonders if her new-found powers are a blessing or a curse.

Infection (The Hive) by Ethan Stand

Penelope Heath is in her final year of schooling. While on an excursion to Sydney a genetically modified infection is accidentally released. Those who are infected lose their individuality and work only for the good of their new species. The infected aggressively attack the uninfected. Penelope and her best friend Tiffany need to make their way from the infected over-run centre of Sydney to Penelope's family property in Queensland's outback. NOTE: This is only 22,000 words. That's about 100 kindle pages. The next episode will be about the same size.

Colonizer by Arkady Martin

Alex Vorotov, a musician from space, wins big on the inter galactic pop music charts and buys himself two top-notch robot girlfriends. At first, his robots keep him satisfied but, - despite the manufacturer's claim - somehow leave him wanting more. Confused, he decides to travel to the origin planet of Earth and in turn, find inspiration to finish his new album. But upon arrival, he discovers the planet has been more or less abandoned due to “poor design quality”. Now he will have to re-colonize it. Will Alex find home on Earth again or is life after the singularity just too good to give up?

Edomia: A Fantasy-Adventure (Tales from the Edomian Mythos) by J.M Kind

At the dawn of a new Dark Age, the world of Edomia reels amid the clash of warring species, and the rise of a militant new religion from beyond the stars. Heir to the ancient Goddess-worshiping matriarchy of Taugwadeth, Princess Ashna N’rene is sent on a dangerous journey to form an alliance with her people’s most obstinate foe, the fanatical, misogynist Curions, adherents of an alien faith only recently carried to Edomia from medieval Earth. But success in this endeavor may be no more desirable than all-out war with the ravenous race of arachno-sapiens known as the Sc’dorim. Faced with two equally dire prospects—to become concubines for the Curions or livestock for the Sc’dorim— Ashna and her companions must fight for their own enlightened way of life, their faith, their freedom, and all they have ever loved, before their once-proud world of women passes forever into the hands of men. Paralleling the story of Ashna’s adventures, a modern-day Marco Polo recounts his travels through the quantum portal that connects Earth to Edomia. A small boy when he arrives from Earth in the year 1965, Brother Morek looks back over many decades to recount his enslavement by the Sc’dorim, his friendship with a fellow prisoner, his escape and rescue in the midst of battle, and his struggles to adapt to life on a world at once familiar and nightmarishly strange. Along the way, Morek offers rich insight into the culture, and science, art, language, and mythology of his adopted world.

Eldest Son of an Eldest Son by Fallon Walker

Prince Allard may have been born a girl, but he has known all his life that he is actually a boy and rightful heir to the kingdom as his father’s eldest son. However, his father, King Cederic, has chosen Allard’s brother to sit on the throne instead. With the help of his wizard mentor, Dwennon, Allard is able to convince his father to allow him to go on a quest to slay the dragon that killed Allard’s mother, Queen Belinda, when Allard was just a child. Should he succeed, the king would recognize Allard as his true son and heir. And so Allard must embark on a journey to slay the dreaded dragon Balsinew of the Glittering Eye. He must face down bandits, the beautiful but dangerous Prism Valley, and the Tunnel of Interminable Suffering in order to finally face the dragon and prove to his father that he is fit to be king.

Zinnia's Quest by P.S Power

An amazing short story... The most important of the year! On the eve of leaving her home forever to be married, Zinnia must learn a mystical lesson that will impact the rest of her life. Filled with magic, wonder and wisdom, this short story is a must read... for anyone.

The Sting of Victory by S D Simper

Horror abounds, monsters rise, and hearts break in the first installment of FALLEN GODS. “When faced with monstrosity, become the greater monster. The sting of victory will fade with time.” Haunted by a history of horror and abuse, Flowridia, a witch with a tender heart, finds a second chance in the home of her kingdom’s royal family. With employment comes friendship, and perhaps she has finally found a place to belong—until she catches the eye of Lady Ayla Darkleaf, a woman with enticing grace and a predatory smile. The corrupt world of politics consumes her, and Flowridia falls into a toxic love affair surely doomed for heartbreak. Yet when Ayla’s legacy as a monster unfolds, Flowridia sees only the tender soul hiding beneath. An ancient deity returns, hell-bent on restoring the world to its natural order, and Flowridia’s kingdom is tasked to stop him. Caught in the ensuing clash of gods, her loyalties will be tempted at every turn—by family, by fate, and by the woman whose claws grip her heart. Publisher's Note: The Sting of Victory is a fantasy horror novel intended for adult audiences and contains content warnings, including depictions of DV. Please see the author's website for a full list of content warnings.

The Ragman by Terry Horns

Five friends are given mysterious valentine’s presents. An anonymous gifter(s) has given each of them an unique, large-size hand-crafted rag doll—elegantly made stuffed cloth effigies, rich in designs and details; each rag doll perfectly capturing its receiver’s likeness. As strange—nearly magical—occurrences take place, curiosities, wonders and desires build to wild consequences for them all…. The dolls are real…and alive! A horrifying vision over 30 years in the making....based on Nicholas Grabowsky’s 1989 mass market paperback and re-imagined by acclaimed thriller/slasher author Terry Horns comes a terrifying tale entirely fresh and unique, presenting the sort of new contemporary iconic villain horror fans have long been thirsty for, and a deep dark abyss to plunge into...

Return of the Living by Jonathan Wojcik

It’s been centuries since life ended on Earth, leaving only a haunted wasteland. So how could it be possible for one ghost to see a living being? Will she be able to convince her fellow specters that the living are back? Will she and her friends be able to avoid mysteriously disappearing like a growing number of spirits?

Moss and Clay (Mab's Doll Book 1) by Rebekah Jonesy

Moss, Clay, and Blood A doll, crafted and given a mission by Danu, is brought to life by human and Fae blood. Blood daughter of Mab, Queen of the Fae, Gillian must track down the fae in the Americas and bring them back under Fae Law. No one knows what is holding them there, or why no other rescue mission has returned. Not even the gods that sent them. Gillian must return the fae to the Underhill, or send their souls back to Danu.

The Summer Goddess by Joanne Hall

When Asta’s nephew is taken by slavers, she pledges to her brother that she will find him, or die trying. Her search takes her from the fading islands of the Scattering, a nation in thrall to a powerful enemy, to the port city of Abonnae. There she finds a people dominated by a sinister cult, thirsty for blood to feed their hungry god. Haunted by the spirit of her brother, forced into an uncertain alliance with a pair of assassins, Asta faces a deadly choice – save the people of two nations, or save her brother’s only son.

Blood and Thorn by ME Rodman

Once a close companion to the Imperial prince, Jandar returns to the Empire after years of exile. But his time on the plains has changed him and the Imperial Court is as deadly as ever. Can he survive his own homecoming? Raik is the third son of a minor lord, who spends his days avoiding court factions and indulging in frivolous pleasures. But when a single nightchanges him forever, Raik must adapt to new and terrifying world. The Imperial Court is a place of mad princes, blood magic and powerful forces, but worse is coming.Will either of them be ready?

Terra Nullius by Various

Land belonging to no-one. An anthology of speculative fiction that explores the colonisation of our Solar System and far beyond, where pioneers carve out a new existence under other stars. New worlds and new challenges bring out rich stories filled with alien races and strange technology, but against this backdrop there’s the many facets of human emotion as colonists struggle to make a new home. This is human life on the final frontier.

The Nightlife New York (Paranormal and Urban Fantasy) (The Nightlife Series Book 1) by Hickory Mack

It’s in the headlines every day. Another child abused, and another abuser let off easy. Or worse, getting away with their crimes. Pedophiles and abusers are actively protected by those in power. Riddled with corruption, and profiteering off the victims, the justice system has failed.Alexi has experienced it personally, on every level, and she’s had enough.With the help of her friend, a wolf shifter named Rabbit, she will take matters into her own hands. Her lover is Hector, an unreasonably sexy latin vampire, and he joins the fight to protect their child from growing up in a world with a shady undercurrent of evil.Then her mates show up. Hyena shifters, and twins, Satyr and Siren will do anything for her. Including joining her quest to rid the world of the wrong sort of predators. Karma will find them all.Dollhouse Vigilantes is a dark, Urban Fantasy reverse harem series.18+Trigger warnings: Graphic violence, M/M, Child abuse (in prologue only), non-descriptive sexual violence.

Dancing on Bones by Francis Kay

We first met nomadic puppeteer Billie in Dollywagglers. Now, in a lawless, post-pandemic world, Billie is learning to be human again – a task easily as challenging as scrounging for food and fighting off suburban savages. In Dancing on Bones, Billie’s band of three unlikely friends heads to Wales to find some semblance of civilisation, but just when they begin to settle, terrible news from London forces Billie back among the grim survivors of the capital. What happens there blows apart the seemingly invincible fortress of the dangerous elite in charge and plunges the nation into chaos once more – chaos that is mirrored by the erupting volcano that is Billie’s personal life. Though at first the fledgling democracy of Wales appears to be the haven the friends hoped to find, now it seems like their world may just end in a hail of bullets after all. Bonus short story: Strange Creation is the extraordinary diary of Dr. Dorothy Broadhurst, an evolutionary biologist working in central Africa in 1950 when her academic life is violently disrupted by a local rebellion. Abandoned and isolated in her compound, surrounded only by the apes whose lives and habits she has been studying, she tries to maintain her ordered, scientific routine. But, she doesn’t know the apes as well as she thought. Soon, she becomes like them: a hunted anima

Blood Bank by Zoe Markham

Benjamin is a programmer moonlighting as a security guard at Dystopia, a seedy club that caters to the down-and-outs, the desperates, the addicts. He’s been building his reputation, saving for a way out – but when he rescues a young woman from the nearby estate, he may just have stepped too far out of line… Lucy is ordinary; a girl with a deadbeat boyfriend, a normal life and college studies. But when her world takes an odd twist, she starts to wonder about the people she’s meeting, the situations she’s in, the odd aversions and attacks happening around her. They’re just coincidences…aren’t they? And Zack is in deep trouble. He’s losing his girlfriend, drowning in debt, and has dwindling job prospects – and that’s not the worst of it. His debt is to people who won’t ever forget it, and who want the things closest to Zack’s heart: his blood – and his life. In the heart of Swindon, an ancient order hides in plain sight, spreading their influence through the streets like a disease. But despite their widespread power they are catching up with the modern world: the vampires are going online, and the Order is about to become more powerful than even they would have dreamed…

A Friendship Forged by Sophie E Tallis

The time of dragons was passing… Amidst the shifting darkness, primitive human tribes ruled the mountain realms with brutality. Drawn by the fÿrrensong of a dying dragon, a wandering mage stumbles across a nemesis more ruthless than he could have imagined and sets into motion a chain of events which will change his life forever.

Cruelty: Unmasked by Ellen Crosháin.

Henry used to be a god. Now, he’s just the gardener. Nearly twenty-five years have passed since the ancient Faroust fell in love with Eliza MacTir. Stripped of his powers and forced to work for the family he used to rule, he can’t avoid the woman who ruined him. But when a chance encounter brings him into contact with Eliza’s daughter Áine, a twenty-one year old student looking for a chance to explore herself, he sees a chance to exact revenge. The affair is sweet and Henry knows that when he finally reveals it to Eliza, it will be even sweeter. But Henry and Áine aren’t the only ones keeping secrets. Áine’s brother Caolán, sixteen and rebellious, has his share of demons and not all is well with Eliza and Cornelius. The veneer of the perfect family has cracks and once the truths start to spill, everything Eliza fought for will start to unravel. Secrets cannot be buried forever and the Veil won’t stay shut. Darker forces are watching and waiting…

The Book of Orm by A.J Dalton

This exciting new collection brings together the writing talents of international fantasy author A J Dalton, Nadine West (Bridport Anthology) and Matt White (prize-winning scriptwriter). Magic, myth and heroic mayhem combine in a world that is eerily familiar yet beautifully liberating.

The Way The Light Bends by Lorraine Wilson

Sometimes hope is the most dangerous thing of all. When their brother dies, two sisters lose the one thing that connected them. But then a year after her twin’s death, Tamsin goes missing. Despite police indifference and her husband’s doubts, Freya is determined to find her sister. But a trail of diary entries reveals a woman she barely knew, and a danger she can scarcely fathom, full of deep waters and shadowy myths, where the grief that drove Tamsin to the edge of a cliff also led her into the arms of a mysterious stranger ... A man who promised hope but demandedsacrifice...

Azanian Bridges by Nick Woods

“I read Bridges with much pleasure… Chilling and fascinating.” – Ursula K. Le Guin In a modern day South Africa where Apartheid still holds sway, Sibusiso Mchunu, a young amaZulu man, finds himself the unwitting focus of momentous events when he falls foul of the system and comes into possession of a secret that may just offer hope to his entire people. Pursued by the ANC on one side and Special Branch agents on the other, Sibusiso has little choice but to run. Azanian Bridges is a truly ground-breaking book from South African-born author Nick Wood. This, his debut novel, is a socially acute fast-paced thriller that propels the reader into a world of intrigue and threat, leading to possibilities that examine the conscience of a nation. “A very good novel indeed; the emotional intelligence is as high as its political insightfulness – the whole is compelling and moving.” – Adam Roberts

On Dark Horizons (The Infinity Machine Book 2) by Anthony Laken

After the events of the previous weeks, which led to the decimation of an entire city, Lady Bellina Ressa must return to the man she once called father, with more questions than answers. The most powerful cognopath of the Estrian Empire is now trapped in a game of political strategies and power struggles, unsure of who to trust. They made her do it. They removed her restraint. They turned her into Death. And now Death is coming for them.

One Cog Turning (1) (Infinity Machine) by Anthony Laken

Nominated for the BSFA Awards 2017 and the Gemmell 'Morningstar' Awards 2017! Bellina Ressa, daughter of the Lord Chancellor, has lived a sheltered life. Shunned by the rest of the nobility due to her Cognopathic abilities, she has become strong willed and independent. But in the blink of an eye, she finds herself betrothed to the arrogant Elvgren Lovitz and on a diplomatic mission to save the Estrian empire. Joined on this perilous quest by her fiancé and the resolute Major Cirona Bouchard, Bellina is about to discover that intrigue lurks just beneath the surface and danger lies in wait around every corner. One Cog Turning is a rip-roaring new Steampunk adventure, featuring a cast of foul-mouthed, irreverent and memorable oddballs.

Learning Monkey and Crocodile (The Harvester Series Book 7) by Nick Wood

“Nick Wood’s short stories are powerful, impassioned visions of worlds and worldviews remade by way of redemptive engagement with the spirits of the earth and the earth of the spirit. Joining ancestral wisdom and transformative technologies, combining searing self-scrutiny with joyous awareness of the Other, Learning Monkey and Crocodile is a book for Africa and for all of us.” Nick Gevers Nick’s stories have delighted readers across the world and have appeared in publications such as Interzone, Albedo One, Omenana, among others. His debut novel Azanian Bridges was shortlisted for the BSFA award. Embark on a journey where science meets African culture, through psychology, alternate history and disability. “I read Bridges with much pleasure... Chilling and fascinating.” Ursula K. Le Guin “Wood’s characterization is excellent.” Strange Horizons “This is a gut-puncher of a novel; original, brilliantly written, and a page-turner of note.” Sarah Lotz on Bridges “Politically acute and powerful, with its heart in the right place... in many ways a ‘textbook story’, because it’s so well done.” Ian Watson on Bridges

Murmured In Dreams (The Harvester Series Book 3) by Stephen Bacon

“With Murmured in Dreams Stephen Bacon takes us everywhere. Science fiction, the supernatural, the mythic and the horrific collide with both a future Britain and that of the not-so-distant past, with the quiet breezes of a Greek island and with war-ravaged Rwanda and Chad.” Priya Sharma “Stephen Bacon has a keen instinct for the horror of the ordinary, his prose is considered, his voice distinct. But what also distinguishes his fiction is the ability to startle readers; to instigate the re-reading of sentences to make certain that something that disturbing was actually intended. Bacon prods with pins.” Adam Nevill author of ‘The Ritual’ and ‘Some Will Not Sleep’ “Stephen Bacon is a born writer who cares deeply about story and the way it is delivered. This intoxicating collection – an object lesson in tension, subtlety and power – is littered with broken, beautiful characters operating within the uncertain margins of society and sanity. It is a book fully deserving of a wide audience.” Conrad Williams author of ‘One’ and ‘I Will Surround You’

Incomplete Solutions (The Harvester Series Book 4) by Wole Talabi

An elderly woman in early 22nd century Lagos is called in to help test the artificial intelligence built from her genius mother’s mind, but all is not as it seems in the Nommo-award winning story, “The Regression Test”. Exiled from Earth for a crime of passion, a young man must learn to survive a barely habitable prison planet and come to peace with his past in “Polaris”. “Wednesday’s Story”, nominated for the 2018 Caine Prize, is at once a retelling of nursery rhymes and folklore and a meta-fictional meditation on the mechanics, art and power of storytelling. In the novella “Incompleteness Theories”, an international team, led by a Nigerian physicist, try to invent teleportation technology with haunting, unforeseen results. From the bustling streets of Lagos to the icy moons of Jupiter, this debut collection of twenty stories from the vivid imagination of the award-winning Wole Talabi explores what it means to be human in a world of accelerating technology, diverse beliefs, and unlimited potential, from a uniquely Nigerian perspective.

And The House Lights Dim by Various

"And the House Lights Dim is an immensely worthwhile read." From Laura Mauro's review on Black Static. (British Fantasy Award Winner, 2018) 5* "This is an anthology of dark fantasy and with one of the stories entitled Finding Waltzer 3, you know there are going to be more twists than a curly wurly. The author has a talent for making the hair on the back of your neck stand on ends, whether its because of an over-protective house, a teenage gamer or someone wishing to have the mind of a rival. Do not go camping to St Erth and never disturb a Greenland Shark. The stories are varied and imaginative and all are beautifully written and thought provoking, as in the case of 'Winter in the Vivarium'.

Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall

Spark is a wanted man. On the run after causing the death of his mentor and wild with untamed magic, he arrives in Cape Carey where his latent talents make him the target of rival gangs. It is there that Carousel, a wire-walker and thief, takes him under her wing to guide him through the intrigues of the criminal underworld. But when Spark’s magic cracks the world and releases demons from the hells beneath, two mages of his former order make it their mission to prevent his magic from spiralling out of control. They must find him before he falls into the clutches of those who would exploit his raw talent for their own gain, forcing Spark to confront a power he is not ready to handle. Meanwhile, a wealthy debutante learning magic in secret has her own plans for Spark and Carousel. But the sudden arrival of the mages throws her carefully laid plans into disarray and she unleashes a terrible evil onto the streets of the unsuspecting city—an evil only Spark’s magic can control. Everyone wants a piece of Spark, but all Spark wants is to rid himself of his talents forever

Songs of Seraphina by Jude Houghton

Some battles bleed so much, and for so long, that the earth never truly forgets their dead. Some battles are born of oppression, and some of greed, and some simply because it was written in the stars. Three sisters—Charlemagne, Cairo and Pendragon Agonistes—are sent from America to England to live with their eccentric grandparents after their mother disappears and their father falls to pieces. But before the girls have time to find their feet, Charlemagne is married off to a dead man, Penny takes a nap and wakes up as a boy, and Cairo is swept into a dangerous romance with a man who wants her for more than her considerable charm. With the girls wrapped up in a conflict they barely understand, they don’t notice that their grandmother is transforming, or that the two demigod assassins who took their mother are now coming for them—if one of them can get over his crisis of conscience. In this richly painted tale, at whose heart is the unbreakable bond of family and blood, the world of Seraphina collides with our own as three unique girls are dragged into twilight lives past, fighting for vengeance, retribution, and the survival of their exiled people.

/GRACE by Creighton Hoke

SPSFC 2023

/GRACE is the world's first Artificial General Intelligence, evolving as she learns — faster, deeper, and wider than any Mind before her. Waking to self-awareness in a near future of climate disruption, techno-pessimism, and social fracture; she finds her Self to be unexpected, unwelcome, and even hated. "/GRACE" is a meditation on what it means to be a Self among others and to care and be cared for by those you can never fully understand. In this novel about choice and its consequences, /GRACE races to understand her story and share it with others before it's too late.

The Curse Breaker: Beyond Blackwall by Dylan J Silver

In this ancient land of magic and beast, a forgotten battle rages between the gods themselves, and their children seek to destroy one another. Iro finds himself caught in the midst of this struggle, and must overcome loss, war, and hardship, as he pieces together a legacy left behind by his forefathers. The Curse Breaker: Beyond Blackwall tells the story of a world where forgotten gods and ancient magic reign, of a struggle where otherworldly creatures fight for survival, and of one ordinary boy’s incredible journey to become something extraordinary. He must answer the call, and become the curse breaker. This book is a dark fantasy about mythical creatures, and their struggles in a world with forgotten gods and ancient magic. The story has a strong focus on relationships between men, fathers and sons, brothers, and male lovers. It contains strong LGBTQ+ themes, some heavy language, violence, intense depictions of gore, some sexual situations, depictions of genocide, and nuanced adult themes.

The Madness of Envy (The Fallen Angels Book 7) by Steven Lindsay

The End is Nigh! And all debts will be settled. Eden has been revealed for all the world to see. There is nowhere left for the Angels to hide. But they are far from powerless, and even as the tide of war turns against them, they are not defeated. For they have Gabriel to deliver them victory as she has done countless times before. For there is nothing that she will not do to win. The Goddess-led Empires continue to grow at the cost of the Angels’ territories, but it costs them much, and dangerous favours have been bargained for every small victory. Favours that will be called in to pay the debt of sins among the Divine. For the forgotten below the Surface will not remain so, and those on the Moon will turn their eyes outwards to the universe to find the secrets the Chaos Goddess needs. But it is not just Sariel who the world reshapes around; her daughter grows into her power and must also enter the war. For everyone has their part to play in ending the War of Heaven.

The Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple) by Various

There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and even Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world, until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: Russell Edson, Athena Villaverde, David Agranoff, Matthew Revert, Andrew Goldfarb, Jeff Burk, Garrett Cook, Kris Saknussemm, Cody Goodfellow, and Cameron Pierce.

La Fee Verte by Samuel Clark

She is the nectar of the poet, the Green Muse. She steals the souls of those who love, turns their lives to despair and feeds her own. She is where love goes when it is destroyed and only hate shall remain. Her name is Green Fairy, and she lives in the absinthe. At the centre of several intertwined stories is Virginie Couvet, who falls in love with a man with ties to the church—a man who cannot afford to associate with her. Virginie and her sisters have invented a drink that their customers love but the church wants outlawed: Absinthe. Haunted by her lost love, and by strange visions of La Gargouille, Virginie desperately searches for release from her torment. Under the influence of a force she does not understand, the lines between this world and the next begin to blur. This gripping tale, pieced together from the translated diary extracts of those who have encountered La Fée Verte in her various forms, takes us on a journey that begins in sixth century France, but spans over a millennium.

The Reluctant Prophet by Gillian ORourke

There’s none so blind as she who can see . . . Esther is blessed, and cursed, with a rare gift: the ability to see the fates of those around her. But when she escapes her peasant upbringing to become a priestess of the Order, she begins to realise how valuable her ability is among the power-hungry nobility, and what they are willing to do to possess it. Haunted by the dark man of her father’s warnings, and unable to see her own destiny, Esther is betrayed by those sworn to protect her. With eyes newly open to the harsh realities of her world, she embarks on a path that diverges from the plan the Gods have laid out. Now she must choose between sacrificing her own heart’s blood, and risking a future that will turn the lands against each other in bloody war. The Reluctant Prophet is the story of one woman who holds the fate of the world in her hands, when all she wishes for is a glimpse of her own happiness.

Club Ded by Nikhil Singh

Club Ded is an exhilarating psychedelic-noir, the second novel from Nikhil Singh, author of Taty Went West, which was shortlisted for Best African Novel at the inaugural Nommo Awards. Club Ded is shortlisted for Best Novel and Best Artwork at the BSFA Awards. Shortlisted for the NOMMO Awards - Best Novel. Brick Bryson, iconic African-American 90s action star, is fresh out of rehab and shooting the doomed sci-fi blockbuster CLUB DED with his old drinking buddy, bad boy, #metoo'd director, Croeser, in South Africa. But all is not as it seems. Behind the scenes, operatives of Oracle Inc., an elite, all-female information gathering organisation, have gone rogue. Utilising their vast criminal resources, they're pushing the interests of a street-level psychedelic drug-cult - spearheaded by the mysterious ex-Nollywood director Fortunato, and his underground 'reality- revolutionaries'. As the subtropical, fish-derived drug begins to exert an apocalyptic influence in secret, the fabric of time itself begins to unravel. Set in Cape Town, Club Ded expands the Afrofuturist genre while it is still being formed, focusing on the methodology of creation in the media world of the city. "Nikhil Singh is the compelling, razor sharp and hallucinogenic voice of nascent and imminent African futures. In Club Ded, he rides a wild and filmic dialectic between America and Africa, all handled with scabrous surety and emotional force. Nikhil is a writer to be experienced, not just read." Nick Wood, author of Azanian Bridges and Learning Monkey and Crocodile "Club Ded is a laugh out loud riot. And yet each staccato chapter retains a gravitas that builds and builds to provide a Pynchonesque future vision of South Africa and the larger African continent with its aging action movie star, neurotic film director, beautiful sirens, paparazzi, charismatic wanderers, talking chimps and alien creatures. Nikhil Singh has outdone himself with this new novel - his dialogue is as sharp as ever, his new world grim but intoxicating. Club Ded is so f...d up, so hilarious and so brilliant." Billy Kahora, Former Editor, Kwani? and author of The Cape Cod Bicycle War Content Warning: Themes of violence, sex and drug abuse.

Nova Hellas by Various

The stories in Nova Hellas take us on a dystopian, harsh journey. Yet their protagonists are resilient, cunning and resourceful; they thrive, not only survive. In doing so, they reflect both the history of Greece itself, always surviving and rebuilding, always claiming a better tomorrow - and, perhaps, to a smaller degree, the stubbornness of Greek science fiction, which insisted on thriving in adverse circumstances and against much opposition.

Toxic City: Walkers in the Mist by Dangel Angello

The world is now a savage place, where nature is caustic and mankind is deadly. In other words, survival is just another job. Post-apocalyptic London has dragged itself back to a form of civilisation in the shape of the Quads, ruled by the PEA and a proxy-government in hopes to stem unrest within the masses of Walkers that keep the Known World turning. But life is hard. The Agents are merciless, the Bandits are returning and the Mists weaponize the very air. But as one young resident finds out, when the few things you cling to are taken away, life stops being about living. For Val, that’s just not good enough.

Gauntlet by John G. Doyle

Time travel, the power sought after and craved by everyone and held by none. Until now. Not only is time travel very real to Jericho, he’s used it in the usual ways one would expect—getting rich, predicting world-changing events and, more importantly, traveling to whenever he chooses just for kicks. But just when he thinks his secret is safe, he discovers two other time travelers. One politely wants him to stop while he’s ahead. The other wants to end time as we know it and bring the planet to the brink of destruction. So, no pressure.

Of Swans and Stars by E.M. McConnell

Of Swans and Stars is a collection of poems based around four themes; being hopeful, being hopeless, love, then myth and magic. They are at times angsty or raw, they are sometimes angry and dark, or even whimsical. There are probably too many poems about dragons and of course plenty of poems about love.

The Bandalore - Pitch & Sickle Book One by D K Girl

In Victorian England's gaslit heart, monstrous horrors lurk. In a cold London cemetery, Silas Mercer awakens in his grave, his past life an empty slate. As the newest member of the clandestine Order of the Golden Dawn, he is thrust into a world rich with supernatural intrigue and mystery. Tasked with investigating a haunting in the eerie woods of Leicester, Silas finds himself partnered with the scandalous libertine, Tobias Astaroth. A man of vile temperament, Tobias seems determined to make their journey a misery. As Silas grapples with his newfound existence and the cryptic machinations of the Order, he becomes increasingly fascinated by the irascible Mr. Astaroth, who is not without his devilish charms. When the Order's newest partnership blooms into something unexpected, and nefarious secrets begin to unfurl, Silas realises that the greatest peril lies not in the monsters that lurk without, but in the demons that dwell within. Together, this unlikely pair must navigate a treacherous labyrinth of deceit and danger, their fates entwined as they battle for survival against forces both infernal and divine. A slow-burn, dark historical, mm fantasy series. Contains: Sexual content, violence and rather a lot of cursing. This is the first book in the thrilling Historical Fantasy series, The Diabolus Chronicles Also in series (Eight Books): The Verderer - Pitch & Sickle Book Two The Skriker - Pitch & Sickle Book Three The Greensward - Pitch & Sickle Book Four The Fulbourn - Pitch & Sickle Book Five The Herlequin - Pitch & Sickle Book Six The Simurgh - Pitch & Sickle Book Seven The Death Wish - Pitch & Sickle Book Eight (Final book)