As I continue to gather links to eligibility posts and recommended reading lists, it seems like the perfect time to share some of my own favorites reads from the year. I’m still frantically trying to catch up, as always, and I may update the post at some point. There are also other posts forthcoming dedicated to collections, anthologies, novels, and short fiction. Maybe there’ll even be a post for games and media, we’ll see how ambitious I get. For now though, novellas!
Alakazam by Mia Dalia
PS Publishing has carved out the perfect niche for itself with limited edition collections, novels, and anthologies that are lovely as physical objects in addition to being excellent reads. Right off, I feel the need to mention Alakazam’s cover art, which is reminiscent of Stephen Gammell’s unforgettable illustrations for the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. The piece is a collaboration between Dalia and Michael Marshall Smith, and it’s incredibly eye-catching. The novella follows two friends who become fascinated with a house once belonging to the Amazing Archibald, a magician whose tricks no one ever figured out, who mysteriously disappeared after his retirement. The present-day sections are interwoven with Archibald’s own story – a man with secrets, carrying a deep sadness within himself. It’s soaked in a sense of place, and captures quiet desperation, faded glory, and the feeling of magic perfectly, making for a story that is both haunted and haunting.
The Cosmic Color by T.T. Madden
Speaking of carving out niches, Neon Hemlock has made its mark with novellas, anthologies, and collections, consistently publishing multiple excellent titles each year. Eric is an Instar pilot, a mech-like, partially biological creature designed to fight the Imago, humans transformed by amber – a fuel source that powers the Instars, but can also turn people into insect-like or reptilian creatures. He’s uncertain about his role and the rightness of fighting the Imago, and experiences dysmorphia both inside and outside his Instar. He isn’t sure who and what he’s supposed to be; he just knows doesn’t feel like himself. Stories about mechs are frequently used to explore identity, and The Cosmic Color is a particularly effective example of the sub-genre, looking at how the sense of self can be tied to a person’s physicality, while also looking at both race and gender. The novella also touches on violence and how humans are often more comfortable responding with aggression to something they don’t understand, while also looking at humans being used as cogs in the military machine.
The Iron Below Remembers by Sharang Biswas
This is another Neon Hemlock title featuring mechs, but in a very different context. Here, they artifacts being studied by the protagonist, Laxman – a nerdy academic whose boyfriend just happens to be the most famous superhero in the world. The voice of the novella is a lot of fun, perfectly mixing snark with academic citations, while the plot mixes up superheroes, ancient mechs, and alternate history. The characters are fantastic, and the relationships between them are very nicely done, showing both Laxman’s and Ezra’s insecurities and the ways they each feel insufficient at times, but also showing their deep love for each other and their ability to be open and honest and not allow those insecurities to drive them apart. There’s a strong sense of history and the feeling of a living, breathing world that extends beyond the page, accomplishing a lot at novella length while never feeling rushed.
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
This is a gorgeous, fairy tale-like novella that draws inspiration from classic murder ballads and revels in the magic of language. Ysabel and Esther are sister who live on the border of faerie. Their family has always cared for the willows there, singing to them in appropriate seasons and making baskets from their branches. Esther’s lover, Rin, is one of the fae. They visit infrequently and never stay long, which is less than Esther wants from the relationship. Meanwhile, the neighboring farmer is courting her, and trying to pressure her into a relationship, which ultimately leads things to take a dark turn.
Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo
This novella is a sequel to Vo’s novel The Chosen and the Beautiful, which itself reimagines The Great Gatsby, placing the characters from Fitzgerald’s classic novel in a world of magic in a way that makes it feel like that’s where they’ve always belonged. The story picks up several years after the events of the novel, with the dead returning and Nick believing he’s seen Gatsby’s ghost, or perhaps Gatsby himself. The world is richly imagined and beautifully written, blending fae magic and Hell with the world of the Great Gatsby, and doing a wonderful job portraying a character haunted by his past both literally and figuratively.
No One to Hold the Distant Dead by K.L. Schroeder
The novella starts off with visceral and immersive descriptions as Inga is beamed into a receptacle body on the distant planet of Nordenmark, there to help a community in crisis and on the verge of ecological collapse. There are gaps in her memory, and she’s having trouble adjusting to the new body, which feels like it’s dying from the moment she arrives. An air of loss permeates the novella, with the planet being on the brink of failure and the sense that not much can be done to save it. As a press, Psychopomp focuses on stories about death, and No One to Hold the Distant Dead puts a unique spin on the theme with the idea of mourning an entire planet. It’s a thoughtful and caring look at death and finding hope and meaning in a bleak situation.
Quantum Ghosts by Nancy Kress
Published over two issues of Asimov’s Magazine, starting with the May/June 2025 issue, this novella is full of great worldbuilding and characters. It’s tightly plotted, weaving together multiple narrative threads and points of view. Rob Dayson is the younger brother of Cabot Dayson, a senator killed in an attack on the Capitol Building over 20 years ago. Rob is now a senator in his own right, hoping to introduce new experimental quantum implants to the population. Kenda is a young woman caring for her younger sister Caity after their mother’s death, forced to live next to a quantum upload center, leaving their apartment haunted by quantum ghosts. Kress does a wonderful job of ramping up the tension across the two parts of the novella, and along with being a satisfying speculative story, the novella does a good job exploring themes such as who has access to technology, the erosion of public trust, misinformation, and conspiracy theories, among others.
Murder on the Eris Express by Beth Goder
It’s hard to resist a locked room mystery set in space, and Beth Goder’s novella, published in Analog Magazine, is an excellent example of the subgenre. Mo is an AI aboard a ship; after an argument with the captain, she wakes to find hours of her memory missing and the captain dead. The four passengers aboard are all suspects with potential motives and secrets they’re trying to hide. Since Mo has always dreamed of being a detective, she’s thrilled at the opportunity, and sets out to solve the case. The story has a fun voice, great characters, and provides a satisfying mystery to boot.
The Chronolithographer’s Assistant by Suzanne Palmer
This novella, published in Asimov’s Magazine, puts a unique spin on the time travel genre. Thomas comes from a family of fishermen, but he’s terrified of the water. Instead of going into the family business, he gets a job as an assistant to a local artist. Mrs. Hammond is eccentric, often says things that make no sense to Thomas, and her age seems to shift occasionally, but he enjoys the work. However, after making his first print of his own, Thomas opens the door to discover winter in the midst of July. Mrs. Hammond reveals that her press causes her entire cottage to travel in time, and they’ve ended up 400 years in the past, before their town even existed. Ultimately, it’s a sweet novella, and there’s a nice arc for several of the character, especially Thomas as he digs into the roots of his fear of water and finds a way to overcome it. Art as a means of time travel is also a fun concept, and overall, it’s a lovely story.
