Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Illumicrate's 100 Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Books of the 21st Century
119 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
119 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
73
The Magicians' Guild
Trudi Canavan
The Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan (2001)
Sonea, a girl from the slums, discovers she has powerful, uncontrollable magic and is reluctantly brought into the Magicians’ Guild. There, she has to navigate a world of privilege and prejudice, all while uncovering dark secrets that could endanger the entire realm.
“It is said, in Imardin, that the wind has a soul, and that it wails through the narrow streets because it is grieved by what it finds there.”
74
.jpg)
The Only Good Indians
Stephen Graham Jones
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (2020)
Four Indigenous men are stalked by a vengeful spirit years after a fateful hunting trip of their youth.
“It’s soft at the end. Not just the pain, but the world.”
Davi says: The Only Good Indians is a crowning example of the current modern horror renaissance we’re experiencing. Unabashedly a slasher, it is also a poignant and beautiful coming-of-age story as well as an exploration of masculinity and Indigenous identity. All of this is delivered in the most incredible conversational voice that captures the best of oral storytelling, combined with utterly compelling writing, delightfully tense sequences, and a controversial but (for me) brilliant ending.
75
We Hunt the Flame
Hafsah Faizal
Sands of Arawiya duology by Hafsah Faisal (2019)
Zafira, a hunter disguised as a man, and Nasir, an assassin prince, embark on a quest to retrieve a lost artifact that could restore magic to their world. They face dark forces, uncover personal secrets, and discover their fates are deeply intertwined.
“Be as victorious as the name I have given you, and bring the desert to its knees.”
Atiya says: This is one of my all-time favourite series and I loved every single element of it – from being seen in the magic of a world that was so vibrant and reminiscent of a culture I grew up in, to the chosen family who finds themselves on a quest and the enemies to lovers plotline that makes all the suffering worth it. I will forever trust Hafsah Faizal with anything she writes, and I will devour it every time.
76
The Hollow Places
T. Kingfisher
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (2020)
Off the back of her divorce, Carrot moves into her uncle’s Wonder Museum, a place she’s visited her whole life. This time, however, she finds a hole knocked into a wall – leading to a corridor that shouldn’t fit in the space, and strange islands with whispers lurking in the willow trees.
“If there’s a way into hell, someone will always find it.”
Hannah says: It takes quite a bit for a book to really creep me out but The Hollow Places managed it with extra spine shivers. Let’s just say I will never look at a bus the same way again… My read also coincided with the most perfectly (awfully) timed mystery scrabbling noises from downstairs in the dead of night which has firmly secured this story in my memory forever.
77
.png)
Godkiller
Hannah Kaner
Fallen Gods series by Hannah Kaner (2023)
Gods stripped of their powers must navigate a world now dominated by mortals. As they fight to reclaim their divinity, they confront treachery, mortal schemes, and the harsh consequences of their downfall.
“People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people.”
78
Tithe
Holly Black
Modern Faerie Tales series by Holly Black (2002)
Tales of human teens getting entangled in the world of the fae and navigating dark magic, treachery and power struggles while grappling with their own identities and the harsh reality of Faerie.
“If curiosity killed the cat, it was satisfaction that brought it back.”
Hannah says: Tithe was my first surprise dip into the world of faerie and it sparked an enduring love for both Holly’s writing and darker takes on the Faerie world. Picked up entirely based on the cover design for holiday reading in my teens, I read this over and over – this is a grungier, grittier world compared with the later Folk of Air series (which I also adore) and the enthralling descriptions of the Termite Court and its members are deliciously disconcerting and compelling.
79
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
S.A. Chakraborty
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty (2023)
Amina, a retired pirate, is drawn back into a life of danger on a quest filled with magic, mythical creatures, and old enemies, all to protect her family and reclaim her legendary status.
“There is no living thing that doesn’t desire freedom.”
Lauren says: One for the audiobook lovers to prioritise–a true performance that only emphasises such an exciting and yet humourous adventure.
80
Raybearer
Jordan Ifueko
Raybearer series by Jordan Ifueko (2020)
Tarisai battles to forge her own destiny and uncover the truth about her past despite being cursed to kill the crown prince she’s meant to protect.
“Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.”
Daphne says: I absolutely devoured this duology and immediately fell in love with Jordan Ifueko’s masterful writing and rich, diverse world. Its unique premise shines a light on imperialism and how power corrupts, while still being a tender, character-driven story with some of the best friendships in YA.
81
Deathless
Catherynne M. Valente
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (2011)
A retelling of the tale of Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless, set against a backdrop of post-revolution St. Petersburg, and the parallel war between the Tsars of Life and Death.
“You will always fall in love, and it will always be like having your throat cut, just that fast.”
Bec says: This is the book that truly got me into Russian and Slavic fantasy retellings and one that I have made a huge part of my personality. Each time I reread this book, I find more secrets hidden within the pages, whether they reference folklore or real-life incidents. It’ll always be such a special book to me.
Ellie says: Reading the first chapter of Deathless, where birds fall from trees to become men who knock at the door and ask for the hand of the girl in the window, I knew I was going to be experiencing something very special. Touching upon the political turmoil of twentieth-century Russia and the Slavic folklore of Koschei the Deathless, it’s rare to see a narrative that combines history and fantasy into such a seamless, immersively beautiful novel.
82
Every Heart a Doorway
Seanan McGuire
Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire (2016)
Individual stories from the children at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children—those who have returned from fantastical worlds that felt more like home than the mortal realm ever could.
“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.”
Tazmyn says: The ability to create such depth of characters in such teeny novellas really sets Seanan McGuire apart from other writers. I read the first few in this series years ago and I still think about Nancy, Jack and Jill on a regular basis!
83
She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan
The Radiant Emperor series by Shelley Parker-Chan (2021)
After the death of her fated-for-greatness brother, Zhu assumes his identity to survive and seize power in Mongol-ruled China while hiding from her own fated ‘nothingness’.
“However tired I am, however hard it is: I know I can keep going, because I’m alive.”
84
Inkheart
Cornelia Funke
Inkworld series by Cornelia Funke (2003)
Translated to English by Anthea Bell
Meggie grows up with a father who can bring book characters to life by reading aloud, but when a villain from one of his stories escapes into the real world, Meggie and her family are drawn into an adventure blurring the lines of fiction and reality.
“Stories never really end… even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don’t end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page.”
Through its celebration of the power of storytelling, the Inkworld series popularised the concept of ‘book magic’, inspiring other fantasies to explore meta-narratives. It also raised the profile of German and other translated children’s literature.