If I’m brutally honest, there’s one book coming out this month that I’m more excited about than all the rest, but as usual there’s several intriguing titles heading our way. If there’s always room for one more, these are the ones I recommend you take a look at.
I’ve been in a funny mood recently, finding it tricky to get excited about new book pitches. Fantasy has been a big loser on this score – I’m conscious that there’s an array of shiny releases heading our way this year, but you won’t see any here as my coverage is unapologetically subjective – if I’m not excited, I’m unlikely to talk about it (head on over to the Fantasy Hive instead, who have an excellent rundown of upcoming titles). On the flip side, it means that once something catches my eye, it catches my eye (poor thing, typically with attendant Expectation). So, what stands out this month?
Sequoia Nagamatsu’s debut is a multi-generational tale of humanity adapting to apocalypse after climate change unleashes a deadly plague from the melting Arctic permafrost. I love a post-apocalypse tale, and this genre-blurring outing focuses firmly on hope, love, resilience and reinvention over doom and gloom – the perfect start to 2022. How High We Go In The Dark is out from Bloomsbury Publishing on January 18.
Tochi Onyebuchi is back with his adult novel debut. In Goliath, the rich are abandoning Earth for space colonies; the poor are struggling to rebuild what remains and survive the violent streets. Expect a multi-threaded narrative examining the inequality of resources and opportunities from multiple perspectives. Out in ebook from Tor.com on January 25 (hardback to follow from St Martin’s Press next month).
The English translation of Hervé Le Tellier’s high concept thriller gets a mainstream release this month. The Anomaly has a flight survive a terrible storm… twice. Three months after the plane touches tarmac, it reappears on radar and lands again, complete with duplicates of everyone aboard. The world – and the individuals affected – must grapple with the implications of shared identities and shared lives. Out from Penguin Books on January 20.
Okezie Nwoka’s debut God Of Mercy imagines an Igbo village that has resisted external influences, isolated in its dedication to its gods. When a girl with unusual powers is exiled from Ichulu’s safety, she must survive the harsh beliefs of the outside world and come to terms with who and what she is. This tale of conflicting traditions and decolonised folklore, is out in hardback from Astra House on January 7 (or available now in incredibly discounted ebook, you know what to do).
What books coming out this month are you excited for?
All release dates and publishers are for the UK unless otherwise mentioned.
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