Our Favorite SFF Books, Movies, and TV Shows of 2023

I love everything about The Jinn-bot of Shantiport, the latest novel by bestselling writer, Samit Basu. It’s action-packed, socially relevant and gloriously entertaining—with mecha battles, a heartwarming romance, and a meditation on bot rights carefully woven into the narrative. 

We follow Lina, a young activist who strives to save the slowly-decaying city of Shantiport from its corrupt rulers, and her brother, Bador, a monkey bot with ambitions of his own, through the eyes of Moku, our hilarious narrator whose attempts at detachment are slowly complicated by…feelings. The result is a cyberpunk Aladdin retelling that’s full of chaotic shenanigans and perfect for fans of science-fantasy novels.

Mad Sisters of Esi is one of the most marvelous and structurally inventive novels I’ve read in years. The story begins in the caverns of a many-chambered mythic whale, moving towards a Museum of Memory and a Festival of Madness being celebrated in a sentient island, with nested fairytales, dictionary entries, academic papers and diary excerpts, all part of the dazzling and immersive narrative. 

On one hand, it’s a tale of sisterhood, of longing and the grief of separation, but it’s also about the act of creation itself and the stories we tell. Bold and experimental, I’d recommend Mad Sisters of Esi not just for lovers of fantasy, but to anyone longing for an utterly magical experience.

For fans of Gothic tales and haunted homes, Starling House is a mesmerizing tale by the author of Ten Thousand Doors of January. 

Starling House is a mansion that was the home to E. Starling, a writer and illustrator who disappeared. It’s a house with secrets—one that Opal stumbles upon as she signs up for a job as a cleaner and slowly catches feelings for Arthur, the sole and reclusive heir of the place. 

Reminiscent somewhat of Silva Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic and V.E. Schwab’s Gallant, Starling House with its evocative prose promises to be a spooky and satisfying read.

I first fell in love with Lavie Tidhar’s works after coming across a copy of Central Station in the library—entranced by the real and virtual worlds within, and the characters who inhabit it. 

The Circumference of the World is even more ambitious, taking the readers on a wild, unforgettable cosmic ride, across multiple realities wherein a mobster, mathematician, and a book dealer search for a mysterious book that disappears upon being read. It’s a wondrous and imaginative homage to classic and pulp science fiction, while also being a book about an elusive book. It’s enthralling, meta, and sure to surprise you in the best of ways.

One of my all-time favorite novellas, The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar follows the story of Ru, a boy from nowhere whose parents are migrants from another reality, growing up in north Calcutta during the late '90s/early 2000s, and his friendship with Alice, a neighbor from Chinatown.

It’s a poignant and moving meditation on identity and belonging, where the dragons are both real and metaphorical. If you love coming-of-age tales tinged with magic realism, Studio Ghibli movies, and poetic prose, you’ll adore this gem of a book. 

Reading an eARC of Zhara: Guardians of Dawn brought back the joy I felt when I first started voraciously reading fantasy novels as a teenager. Set in an East-Asian inspired fantasy world, Zhara: Guardians of Dawn is a lighthearted Cinderella retelling with references to K-pop and where Prince Charming is an adorable himbo. 

It’s very neatly plotted, filled with action, hilarity and silliness. If you love optimistic fairytale retellings, you’ll find this one to be quite an endearing and refreshing read.

If you love mosaic novels, you’re surely enjoy The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan that imagines a very plausible near-future society built on “meritocracy”—and the struggles, strife, and revolution that it will inevitably bring. 

It’s a biting and excellently written satire with interconnected stories that smartly explore how digital technology and capitalism dominate our lives.

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera is an inventive and intelligent standalone fantasy that’s probably unlike anything you’ve read before. 

It follows the vivid tale of Fetter, a deeply divided person who’s been raised as an assassin with the sole purpose of murdering his almost god-like father, as he navigates the magical and mundane cityscape. If you’re in the mood for a literary fantasy that’s both surreal and stunning, The Saint of Bright Doors is your long-awaited portal.

Another gorgeously experimental novel, Dreambound by Dan Frey delves into fandom communities and Fae machinations, told entirely through mixed media elements—journal entries, emails, text messages, novel excerpts, letters, a police report, and more. 

These “found” documents follow the exploits of Byron Kidd, whose daughter has gone missing under mysterious circumstances, as he uncovers a magical reality coexisting alongside contemporary Los Angeles. An unputdownable urban fantasy thriller that will surely appeal to readers, irrespective of whether they grew up reading fanfiction or not.