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Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2026 |
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The Curse of the Cole Women
by Marielle Thompson
Three generations of women struggle with a curse unfairly placed on their ancestor in this gothic story of magic, queer love, and mother-daughter relationships, perfect for fans of Spells for Forgetting and Practical Magic. The Cole women are cursed. Each generation will birth a daughter, lose their love, and, as surely as the tide beats against the rocky shore, take her own life by giving herself to the sea.
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| Intergalactic Waste Management, LLC by Ash BishopFormer Intergalactic Exterminator Russ Wesley thought his new job at Intergalactic Waste Management, LLC, would be cushier than his previous gig. But when the body of a friend turns up in the trash, Russ teams with his partners Nina Hosseinzadeh and Steven Applebum to get to the bottom of her death. This second title in the Intergalactic Archives series will delight fans of action-packed science fiction that explores the division of societies and classes in unique settings, such as Soyoung Park's Snowglobe series. |
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Dawn of the Firebird
by Sarah Mughal Rana
A breathtaking fantasy novel about the daughter of an overthrown emperor from an exciting new voiceKhamilla Zahr-zad's life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she's known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor's clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield--especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za'skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy's army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne.To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father's teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible choices: vengeance or salvation.
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There Is No Antimemetics Division
by Qntm
They're all around us, hiding in plain sight. One could be in the room with you now, just to your left. You could be seeing it right now--but from this second to the next, you'll forget that you did. If you managed to jot down a note, the paper would look blank to you afterward. These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you--and you'll never even know anything changed. They can turn you into a living ghost--make it so you're standing next to your spouse, screaming in their ear, and they won't know you're there. They're predators equipped with the ultimate camouflage, living black holes for information, able to consume our very memories of their existence. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're invading. But how do you fight an enemy when you can never even know that you're at war? How do you contain something you can't record or remember? Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not your first day--
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The Seventh Champion
by Sylvia Mercedes
A dragon princess joins forces with a scarred prince to escape a competition for her hand in marriage, unaware he is hiding dark secrets of his own in the first of a new romantasy duology from the author of Bride of the Shadow King. Swept from her quiet life as an apothecary's apprentice to the treacherous court of the High King, Rosie Harpwood is shocked to discover she is the long-lost daughter of the demonic Dragon Queen. Reawakening her dormant magic is the kingdom's only hope for salvation, but the journey is perilous, and she'll need a champion to guide her. So the High King hosts a series of trials to determine which prince is worthy of the honor -- as well as claiming Rosie's hand in marriage. Rosie, however, has other ideas. A talented healer and lover of small, fluffy creatures, Rosie wants nothing to do with demon queens or saving the world. Determined to escape this fate, she joins forces with one of the champions to plot her getaway. Prince Valtar may be enigmatic and a little bit terrifying, but something about him makes her blood burn in ways that have nothing to do with her dragon heritage. Trained from youth to serve the Dragon Queen, Valtar has proven himself a ruthless assassin. Posing as a suitor to get close enough to his target shouldn't be a problem. But Valtar wasn't planning on his target being Rosie, the girl he failed to assassinate years ago . . . who has haunted his dreams ever since.
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| A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. HamiltonFive hundred years ago, the machines on the generation ship where teenage Hazel and her family live stopped working. With resources scarce, everyone is "recycled" at age 65. But when Hazel discovers a group called the Cheaters, who refuse to give up their life for the ship, she'll have to make a serious choice. With "frequent and thrilling" (Publishers Weekly) twists and compelling action, fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and James S.A. Corey will anticipate the continuation of this new series. |
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Queen of the Dead
by Sarah Broadway
A fun and fast-paced paranormal urban fantasy with a touch of romance and supernatural hijinks galore, perfect for fans of The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates. Speaking with the dead is nothing new for Lou. It's a curse she's learned to hide from everyone - sometimes even herself. After running away from a past that took advantage of those abilities, Lou finally carves out a normal life for herself. That is, until she receives a mysterious message from a ghost - the Veil is thinning - and a cult of necromancers infiltrates her small town. In a race to discover and defeat her foe, Lou learns she's not alone in the fight. She grudgingly leans on her allies but wonders who to trust. What's more impossible is suddenly finding herself the romantic interest of a man who somehow isn't afraid of all the dark, creepy things about her... but even he has secrets for her to discover. Time is running out, and reality seems to be slipping away. To save her new life and the people she loves, Lou must learn to accept who she is and embrace her true abilities, no matter where they might take her.
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| Project Hanuman by Stewart HotstonThe Arcology is an entirely digital utopia, one that Praveenthi "Prab" Saal voluntarily chose to leave. But one day, the Arcology goes offline...and then completely goes missing. With the reluctant help of former prisoner Kercher, Prab will have to discover the Arcology's fate and try to salvage all the lives and information held within. Inspired by Indian mythology, this philosophically provoking tale offers "a unique take on consciousness that balances action and introspection." (Library Journal) |
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| Snake-Eater by T. KingfisherSelena is desperate to escape her horrid past. With nothing but her dog in tow, she flees to her late aunt's homestead in Quartz Creek. But strange ancient spirits linger along the edges of Selena's home. One of them, known as "Snake-Eater," has come to collect a debt from Selena's aunt; with Selena being the new owner of the home, his attention -- and obsession -- turns to her. Fans of strange and intriguing horror-adjacent fantasy such as Chuck Tingle's Camp Damascus and Jennifer Thorne's Diavola will thrill at T. Kingfisher's latest. |
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Haze: Illustrated with Bonus Short Story
by Katharine Kerr
Illustrated edition with bonus (never before published) short story.Once, Dan flew amongst the stars as a decorated Fleet Officer. Now destitute, he sleeps on the streets of Gleam, trading his body for a drug called Haze that dulls the pain of what he's lost with nothing left to his name but a battered knife, a damaged mind, and a past he can't escape. But he is given a rare second chance when former comrades track him down and make an offer that he never expected.Across the galaxy, the invisible lanes of faster-than-light travel-the shunts--are beginning to fail. One has already vanished without warning. If the rest collapse, entire civilizations will be cut off, stranded, and left to die. The Fleet needs someone who can read the hyperspace currents like no one else. Someone like Dan. But bringing him back into the fold won't be easy--and keeping him alive may be even harder.Thrown together with a crew of misfits and old friends carrying wounds of their own, Dan boards a disguised merchant ship on a secret mission to uncover the truth. What they find will challenge everything they believe--about the shunts, about the Fleet, and each other. And through it all, Dan must battle the addiction that nearly destroyed him... and still might.Haze is a bold, character-driven space adventure that blends high-stakes intrigue with raw emotional depth. Gritty, moving, and impossible to put down, it's a story of redemption, found family, and the fragile ties that hold the stars--and ourselves--together.
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| City of Others by Jared PoonBenjamin Toh is a middle manager for the Department for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS), charged with managing supernatural nuisances so no one else has to deal with them. When an entire block of flats goes missing, Ben will have to deal with a scorned demigod who isn't particularly inclined to help the Singaporean government. "Themes of grief and responsibility are balanced by keen humor, often poking fun at bureaucracy" (Booklist) in this urban fantasy that fans of S.A. MacLean's The Phoenix Keeper will get swept away in. |
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We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope
by Book Author
From genre luminaries, esteemed organizers, and exciting new voices in fiction, an anthology of stories, essays, and interviews that offer transformative visions of the future, fantastical alternate worlds, and inspiration for the social justice movements of tomorrow. One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 Autostraddle - Ms. Magazine - Reactor - Alta Journal - Library Journal - Bookish Goblin - Gizmodo - LitHub - Fantasy Cafe - Book Riot - Seattle Times - The Root In this collection, editors Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older champion realistic, progressive social change using the speculative stories of writers across the world. Exploring topics ranging from disability justice and environmental activism to community care and collective worldbuilding, these imaginative pieces from writers such as NK Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, Alejandro Heredia, Sam J. Miller, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias center solidarity, empathy, hope, joy, and creativity. Each story is grounded within a broader sociopolitical framework using essays and interviews from movement leaders, including adrienne maree brown and Walidah Imarisha, charting the future history of protest, revolutions, and resistance with the same zeal for accuracy that speculative writers normally bring to science and technology. Using the vehicle of ambitious storytelling, We Will Rise Again offers effective tools for organizing, an unflinching interrogation of the status quo, and a blueprint for prefiguring a different world.
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| Tailored Realities by Brandon SandersonThis new collection from acclaimed author Brandon Sanderson includes short stories written over the course of twenty years, some appearing in print for the very first time. Such stories include: two police detectives entering VR to catch a serial killer; a dragon hunter getting into a debate about grammar with his quarry; and many more. Fans of Sanderson's other works and inventive spins on speculative fiction tropes will enjoy this collection. |
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Detour
by Jeff Rake
A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they've returned to is not the home they left behinde together what's really going on. A group of lucky civilians are chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn's moon Titan. A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife--and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son--he crews up and ventures into a new frontier. But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes. When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled. Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they're willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Rochester Hills Public Library
500 Olde Towne Rd
Rochester, Michigan 48307
248-656-2900www.rhpl.org/ |
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