Bookish Scifi & Fantasy's Avatar

Bookish Scifi & Fantasy

@bookishsff.bsky.social

Posting Science Fiction, Fantasy, Geekery, bookshop life, occasional cats. Expert Bookseller at Waterstones Ipswich. All views my own.

24,746 Followers  |  697 Following  |  1,826 Posts  |  Joined: 10.11.2024
Posts Following

Posts by Bookish Scifi & Fantasy (@bookishsff.bsky.social)

A hand holds a copy of the book in a bookshop

A hand holds a copy of the book in a bookshop

With necromancy, knights and a great botanical magic system, @jennlyons.bsky.social brand new Green and Deadly Things is a fast-paced standalone fantasy read with dark vibes and excellent monsters.

Out now!

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

06.03.2026 13:30 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

PREORDERS are LIVE!

www.waterstones.com/author/sarah...

This is not a drill: TWO new #ACOTAR books are now available to preorder!

#SaraJMaas
#Romantasy
πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

06.03.2026 11:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Three covers of my novel MASSIF. The UK and Australian ones have a photo-realistic approach, the US one is illustrative. All feature a seated figure looking up at a mountain range ascending into space. US cover illustration by Matt Griffon. UK cover by blacksheep.

Three covers of my novel MASSIF. The UK and Australian ones have a photo-realistic approach, the US one is illustrative. All feature a seated figure looking up at a mountain range ascending into space. US cover illustration by Matt Griffon. UK cover by blacksheep.

Cover reveal time!
An adult science fiction novel tinged with horror, about the crew of a small warship in a relatively near future where humans hitch rides to the stars on sentient star-faring mountain ranges called Massifs.
Can be pre-ordered at the usual places, *please* do so. Thank you.

05.03.2026 22:32 β€” πŸ‘ 201    πŸ” 51    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 7
Post image

Voting for the 2026 Locus Awards is open to everyone! Choose your champions and give a voice to your favorite works and authors of the year.

Vote online at poll.voting.locusmag... or via the link in our bio!

05.03.2026 17:04 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 4

okay this prompt might start a fight but:

what is THEE sci-fi/fantasy/horror/romantasy book from the past year or two that makes you feel like, "oh my GOD you haven't read this yet?? you absolutely must read this immediately"?? like what's your pick for essential contemporary sffh reading

05.03.2026 16:33 β€” πŸ‘ 64    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 64    πŸ“Œ 21
 Background image is a book cover: the top third is bright green with yellow text that reads Tiffani Angus, Val Nolan. The middle third is black with white text that reads Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3; the bottom third is green with yellow text that reads A Beginner's Guide to Writing Even More Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Foreground text: "We also can’t forget the many delicious elves from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy: bowman Legolas, royal elf Galadriel, lord of Rivendell Elrond, and his daughter Arwen, who marries Aragorn. Jackson depicts them as tall, beautiful, and mysterious, with long blond or dark hair and pointed ears: they’re Middle-earth thirst traps!" p. 123

Background image is a book cover: the top third is bright green with yellow text that reads Tiffani Angus, Val Nolan. The middle third is black with white text that reads Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3; the bottom third is green with yellow text that reads A Beginner's Guide to Writing Even More Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Foreground text: "We also can’t forget the many delicious elves from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy: bowman Legolas, royal elf Galadriel, lord of Rivendell Elrond, and his daughter Arwen, who marries Aragorn. Jackson depicts them as tall, beautiful, and mysterious, with long blond or dark hair and pointed ears: they’re Middle-earth thirst traps!" p. 123

From Legolas to Jared to Romantasy, elves have been a fan favourite for decades, but where did they come from? SPEC FIC FOR NEWBIES 3 explores the sometimes complicated history of these characters & even provides 2 activities to get you started writing! Pre-order now! linktr.ee/specficforne...

05.03.2026 15:59 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A green banner advertising Waterstones Double Plus Stamps for World Book Day from 5-8 March across the top.

Below, tiled book cover for:

ASUNDER by Kerstin Hall
WHERE THE SHADOWS DWELL by L. D. Colter
THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley
THE GODS MUST BURN by T. R. Moore
INTERGALACTIC FEAST by Lavanya Lakshminarayn
THE KINGDOM OF ALMONDS by Ariel Kaplan
THE ORB OF CAIRADO by Katherine Addison
THE MANY by Sylvain Neuvel
THE KILLING SPELL by Shay Kauwe
THE NEEDFIRE by MK Hardy
AFTER THE FALL by Edward Ashton
DOLLFACE by Lindy Ryan
HOME SICK by Rhiannon Grist
THE AMBER OWL by Juliet Marillier
PREACHING TO THE CHOIR by Adrian Tchaikovsky
ROSE OF JERICHO by Alex Grecian
THE DOOR ON THE SEA and THE EAGLE IN THE MOUNTAIN by Caskey Russell
THE LOST SPECTACULAR by ZoΓ© Duhaime
RAGWORT by Sam K. Horton
HER SOUL TO TAKE by Harley Laroux
THE SALT ORACLE by Lorraine Wilson
THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ by Isabel Canas
THE GANYMEDAN by R. T. Ester
CRY, VOIDBRINGER by Elaine Ho

A green banner advertising Waterstones Double Plus Stamps for World Book Day from 5-8 March across the top. Below, tiled book cover for: ASUNDER by Kerstin Hall WHERE THE SHADOWS DWELL by L. D. Colter THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley THE GODS MUST BURN by T. R. Moore INTERGALACTIC FEAST by Lavanya Lakshminarayn THE KINGDOM OF ALMONDS by Ariel Kaplan THE ORB OF CAIRADO by Katherine Addison THE MANY by Sylvain Neuvel THE KILLING SPELL by Shay Kauwe THE NEEDFIRE by MK Hardy AFTER THE FALL by Edward Ashton DOLLFACE by Lindy Ryan HOME SICK by Rhiannon Grist THE AMBER OWL by Juliet Marillier PREACHING TO THE CHOIR by Adrian Tchaikovsky ROSE OF JERICHO by Alex Grecian THE DOOR ON THE SEA and THE EAGLE IN THE MOUNTAIN by Caskey Russell THE LOST SPECTACULAR by ZoΓ© Duhaime RAGWORT by Sam K. Horton HER SOUL TO TAKE by Harley Laroux THE SALT ORACLE by Lorraine Wilson THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ by Isabel Canas THE GANYMEDAN by R. T. Ester CRY, VOIDBRINGER by Elaine Ho

Happy World Book Day!

Did someone say...Double Plus Stamps @waterstones.bsky.social ?

Here's a selection of Solaris recent and forthcoming releases to help you fill your basket!

@julietmarillier.bsky.social @aptshadow.bsky.social @pennyvixen.bsky.social @isabelcanas.bsky.social @mkhardywrites.com

05.03.2026 12:48 β€” πŸ‘ 31    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3

Booksellers appreciate this!!

05.03.2026 11:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

March is Women in Horror Month!

Time to share and recommend and celebrate your favourite female horror authors! πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™πŸ¦‡

#WiHM
#Horrorsky

05.03.2026 11:09 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY!

To celebrate we're giving Double Stamps in store and online until the end of the weekend! πŸ“šπŸ’™

(see waterstones.com for details)

05.03.2026 09:51 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

BIG news from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social and Sarah J Maas this morning...

The ACOTAR series will continue!

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

05.03.2026 07:45 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Sorry if I'm being an absolute menace with all the Jitterbug content today, I'm just really excited it's finally out and you all get to read it!

03.03.2026 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 48    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 1
SCRATCH MOSS by David Barnett, alongside a miner's lamp and a picture of a magpie

SCRATCH MOSS by David Barnett, alongside a miner's lamp and a picture of a magpie

Trouble at t'pit in SCRATCH MOSS, released in two days' time! Get this post-industrial folk horror from wherever you normally buy your post-industrial folk horror!

03.03.2026 12:49 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A photo of the books in a bookshop with one copy turned to show off the sprayed edges.

A photo of the books in a bookshop with one copy turned to show off the sprayed edges.

Just out, The Witch and the Wolf is @lindseykelk.bsky.social's gripping sequel to magical gothic fantasy The Bell Witches: prophecy, werewolves, witchcraft and romance!

We have a handful of beautiful signed and sprayed edge editions, while stocks last.

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

03.03.2026 11:39 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Happy publication day to Jitterbug, which is arriving in bookshops in paperback this week! πŸš€

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

03.03.2026 11:14 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
a man is holding a rabbit 's skull on his head . ALT: a man is holding a rabbit 's skull on his head .

The next episode of the Folklore Podcast is the deepest of dives into that classic folkloric children’s tale THE BOX OF DELIGHTS

I’ll be joined by the playwright of the stage adaptation, @pierstorday.bsky.social , BBC documentary maker Chris Chapman and Masefield biographer Phil Errington

02.03.2026 09:12 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

Unusually it's told in verse, and it's incredibly effective πŸ“šβ€οΈ

It's not a 200-page epic poem, but a collection of short poems that follow the narrative and bring it to life in a very powerful and intense way.

Absolutely recommend giving this a look, even if you think you don't like #poetry!

02.03.2026 08:58 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A banner for the Waterstones science fiction and fantasy book of the month for march: Hekate by Nikita Gill.

A banner for the Waterstones science fiction and fantasy book of the month for march: Hekate by Nikita Gill.

Very excited to have bestselling poet @nikitagill.bsky.social's fantastic Hekate as new #SFF Book of the Month for March!

Filled with beauty, tragedy and power: an orphan girl who grows up in the underworld goes on to become the goddess of witchcraft, necromancy and darkness.

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™
#Mythology

02.03.2026 08:58 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

don’t doomscroll.
read a chapter instead.

01.03.2026 23:40 β€” πŸ‘ 232    πŸ” 77    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 9

Ooh, thanks for the recommendation. I'll give them a look

01.03.2026 13:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The one by Connie Willis? I haven't read that one! If you read this one you'll have to tell me if they're similar :)

01.03.2026 08:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Signed copies of the book in a bookshop, one turned to show off the sprayed edge

Signed copies of the book in a bookshop, one turned to show off the sprayed edge

Nonesuch is the brand new historical fantasy from literary sensation Francis Spufford

Set in London during the Blitz, this is a gripping tale of magic, time-bending adventure, occult mystery & fantastic characters you won't want to leave ✨

Signed copies in stock while they last!

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

28.02.2026 15:02 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A banner showing the signed Waterstones edition of the book on a purple background

A banner showing the signed Waterstones edition of the book on a purple background

Ana Dolabra and Din investigate a murder that could bring an empire to war in @robertjbennett.bsky.social's A TRADE OF BLOOD, the spectacular third instalment of the bestselling series that began with The Tainted Cup!

Preorder the Waterstones signed edition: www.waterstones.com/book/a-trade...

πŸͺπŸ“šπŸ’™

27.02.2026 13:42 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
The cover of Some Body Like Me, by Lucy Lapinska. The tagline reads: Less than human. More than machine. The cover shows a woman's face in profile, a hand on her cheek, and what looks like distorted reflections as if she's rising out of water, but the water is made of triangles and diamond shapes.

The cover of Some Body Like Me, by Lucy Lapinska. The tagline reads: Less than human. More than machine. The cover shows a woman's face in profile, a hand on her cheek, and what looks like distorted reflections as if she's rising out of water, but the water is made of triangles and diamond shapes.

Some Body Like Me by @ldlapinski.bsky.social was SUCH a good read, I'm still chewing over it weeks later. It's queer, it's complicated, it's about history and memory and bodies, what it means to be a person, what love is. Terrific apocalyptic sci-fi with characters I absolutely loved.

24.02.2026 13:18 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
The cover of JITTERBUG features a stylised rocket silhouette at the centre of an orrery, with a space suited figure dangling in its wake

The cover of JITTERBUG features a stylised rocket silhouette at the centre of an orrery, with a space suited figure dangling in its wake

The wait’s nearly over! Jitterbug hits bookstores on March 3, and everybody’s going to be talking about that ending. Don’t let anyone spoil it for you, order your copy now!

#scifibooks #books
@titanbooks.bsky.social

26.02.2026 15:35 β€” πŸ‘ 70    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2

Good morning Bluesky.

Hope you all have a lovely day with lots to be cheerful about!

27.02.2026 08:06 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
The cover of the dungeon book, showing an old-school cutaway diagram of a dungeon, complete with a dragon.

The cover of the dungeon book, showing an old-school cutaway diagram of a dungeon, complete with a dragon.

Lo, 'tis THE DUNGEON BOOK cover!

The Jungle Book meets Dungeons and Dragons with a dash of Pan's Labyrinth in this gleefully fun standalone fantasy narrated by a sentient skull, in which a small girl is thrown to a dungeon full of monsters, who decide to raise her rather than eat her.

11th August!

25.02.2026 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 217    πŸ” 60    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 13

Saltswept is here, and officially published today!

Hannah Kaner (of Godkiller) says it's "deep, sumptuous and astonishingly beautiful"

πŸ’™πŸ“šπŸͺ
#NewBooks

26.02.2026 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I wouldn't class this as a romantasy, to be honest!

There's a relationship in there, sure, but it's just one aspect of the plot. It's really very much about the monsters, curse, magic, ancient entities and battle for power etc.

26.02.2026 16:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Cameron Sullivan's The Red Winter is officially out today, and there are beautiful exclusive SIGNED editions in stock if you're quick!

I finished this one just a week ago and really enjoyed it, so can definitely recommend!

πŸ’™πŸ“šπŸͺ
#NewBooks
#Fantasy

26.02.2026 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0