Last Updated on December 21, 2023 by BiblioLifestyle
If you’re looking for something imaginative to read this year, today is your lucky day. The list of best 2023 science fiction books and fantasy books has arrived! From time-traveling adventures to surreal distant worlds, there’s something new and exciting for everyone on our list. Whether you’re a first-time reader or an experienced fan of the genre, we guarantee that there’s something here for you. Dive into some of the most incredible tales yet told as we take your literary experience to infinity and beyond with the top reads from this amazing genre.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2023
- Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
- Mr. Breakfast by Jonathan Carroll
- The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Parry
- The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
- The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
- The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
- The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland
- The Curator by Owen King
- Infinity Gate by M. R. Carey
- Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
- The Blood Gift by N. E. Davenport
- The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
- The Will of the Many by James Islington
- Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
- Translation State by Ann Leckie
- Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
- The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi
- The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
- The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
- The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
- Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
- After the Forest by Kell Woods
- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
- The Dead Take the A Train by Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
A high school dropout and low-level drug dealer has to balance academics, being a Virgil at Lethe House, finding a gateway to the underworld, and her gritty past.
Hell Bent is one of the books selected in The 2023 Winter Reading Guide.
Mr. Breakfast by Jonathan Carroll
Patterson is gifted with the ability to see in real time three different lives that are available to him. The choice is his: The life he is leading right now, or two very different ones. In all of them there is love or fame and of course danger because once he has chosen, there is no telling what will happen next.
The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Parry
In the early 1900s, a sheltered young woman is caught between two worlds, and she must brave evils to save her family.
The Magician’s Daughter is one of the books selected in The 2023 Winter Reading Guide.
The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
Inspired by the folktale of The Crane Wife, a teen is forced to grow up and do whatever it takes to protect her family.
The Crane Hill is one of the books selected in The 2023 Winter Reading Guide.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is one of the books selected in The 2023 Spring Reading Guide.
The Curator by Owen King
From New York Times bestselling author Owen King comes a Dickensian fantasy of illusion and charm where cats are revered as religious figures, thieves are noble, scholars are revolutionaries, and conjurers are the most wonderful criminals you can imagine.
Infinity Gate by M. R. Carey
A brilliant genre-defying story of humanity’s expansion across millions of dimensions—and the AI technology that might see it all come to an end. Perfect for readers of The Space Between Worlds and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Infinity Gate is one of the books selected in The 2023 Spring Reading Guide.
Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
In a near-future northern settlement, a handful of climate change survivors find their fates intertwined in this mesmerizing and transportive novel in the vein of Station Eleven and The Power.
Camp Zero is one of the books selected in The 2023 Spring Reading Guide.
The Blood Gift by N. E. Davenport
In this stunning conclusion to N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed sci-fantasy duology, elite warrior Ikenna and her rogue cohort must outrun bounty hunters, their former comrades, and a megalomaniacal demi-god, all in the hopes of saving their friends and enemies from the racist and misogynistic oppression that threatens the continents from all sides.
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
Two strangers find themselves connected by a mysterious and vast library, which contains many wonders and even more secrets, in the powerfully moving first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of Red Sister and Prince of Thorns.
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
At the elite Catenan Academy, where students are prepared as the future leaders of the Hierarchy empire, the curriculum reveals a layered set of mysteries which turn murderous in this new fantasy by bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
The Will of the Many is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
Two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
It’s also a Good Morning America (GMA) Book Club selection.
Translation State by Ann Leckie
The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars in this powerful new novel by award-winning author Ann Leckie.
Translation State is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi
Murder. Secrets. Sacrifice: Three women seek the truth of the empire’s past. And the truth they find has the power to ignite a war in the sequel to The Final Strife, the continuation of a visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by Africa and Arabia.
The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
A diverse, exciting debut space opera about a young tea expert who is taken as a political prisoner and recruited to spy on government officials—a role that may empower her to win back her nation’s independence—perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor.
The Splinter in the Sky is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
In a lush world inspired by the history and folklore of South America, a sweeping epic fantasy of colonialism, ancient magic, and two young women’s quest for belonging unfolds.
The Sun and the Void is one of the books in The 2023 Summer Reading Guide.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes—the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth.
After the Forest by Kell Woods
After the Forest is a dark and enchanting fantasy debut that explores the repercussions of a childhood filled with magic and a young woman contending with the truth of “happily ever after.”
After the Forest is one of the books selected for The 2023 Fall Reading Guide.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
A grim and gothic tale that follows Opal and Arthur as they confront buried secrets and sinister forces in a small town haunted by a mysterious house.
Starling House is one of the books selected for The 2023 Fall Reading Guide.
It’s also a Reese’s Book Club selection.
The Dead Take the A Train by Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw
Bestselling authors Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.
The Dead Take the A Train is one of the books selected for The 2023 Fall Reading Guide.
What do you think about this list of best science fiction fantasy of 2023?
Have you read any books from this list? What are your favorite 2023 science fiction fantasy books? What books would you add to the list? Let’s talk about the best science fiction fantasy 2023 in the comments below.
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