by Rachel R.

A mysterious American-style diner appears in an English field, as do a collection of strange objects. These are all linked to a substance that causes a person’s desires, linked to their most nostalgic memories, to manifest. Unfortunately for everyone, this particular nostalgia is fatal—and spreading. Rao, who can discern truth from lies, and Adam, his partner (in espionage, though they both wish it were otherwise) are sent to investigate. The novel flashes back and forth between the investigation and their traumatic backstories.

Usually, when we refer to a book as “reading like fanfic,” we don’t mean it in a complimentary sense. When I say that this book reads like fanfic, I mean that it does what really good fanfic does in exploring the interstitial spaces between adventures, relishing in the transformation of subtext to text, with uncommonly strong character work for what is essentially military sci-fi. The worldbuilding and character backstory feel deeply lived in, as if the story itself is a cathartic coda to a TV show I have been watching for years in hopes of resolution. It’s a book that inspires discussion and meta-analysis and fanaticism.

Ultimately, the authors take everything I like—a strong core sci-fi metaphor, spy hijinks, disaster gays, body horror—and stuff it into an entertaining and weirdly poignant read. I deeply resented the fact that I had to go to work in between reading this. I love Rao a normal amount. I swear I’m fine. Please read this so that I don’t have to rave about it by myself.

by Zilla N.

Remember when you were 14 years old and you sat on the edge of your bed and put a new CD in your Walkman and your headphones over your ears and as you listened to the music you thought, “This musician has been here, inside my bedroom, inside my skull. They must have been here. They understand.”

And then you got older and you weren’t 14 anymore and that sense of wonder from someone who understands a part of yourself you’d never been able to articulate doesn’t happen so often, and besides, most feelings are universal so what’s the magic in someone perfectly encapsulating a sensation, a feeling, that everyone has anyway. It’s not special. It’s not about you, alone in your bedroom, wondering what it would look like to find a connection.

This book hit me like a burning dump truck.

There’s a special kind of lonliness that’s not queer specifically, anyone can feel it, but it hits the part of myself that doesn’t know who I am and who anyone else is either, not in their entirety, not what it means to be an authentic self, to stop reaching for something perfect and bury white hands in the filth and squalor because it’s better to feel unclean than nothing. Anything’s better than being cold.

If you’re queer, or lonely, or burning, read this.

by Rohan O.

I received Corrupted Vessels as part of a book box I bought from tRaum books, so I had no idea what to expect when I started reading.

I don’t think I have ever come across a cover that gives me such similar vibes as what I felt while reading. It is inspired, even if I have to hide it away because it disturbs me, lol.

The writing in this book is fantastic and Briar’s ability to create such real and vivid characters is second to none. All the characters have aspects that I recognised from people I know in the real world, and I was immediately caught up in their world and their problems. The building tension through the story is masterfully done, and there were parts that distressed me more than any fiction I can remember. This is a beautifully sordid little book that whisks you away into its unsettling world.

There is also an excellent little bonus story.

This book is so good that even if it’s not your jam, you will thoroughly enjoy it.

by Rachel R.

This is a gritty, gripping tale in the tradition of Golden Age sci-fi but with very contemporary sensibilities. Olgo, an agent for a megacorporation whose CEO has found religion and a sudden conscience, is sent to Mars to ensure that the company’s subcontractors adhere to labour standards. Suong is a 12-year-old worker in an industrial city who dreams of the stars. Their paths become entwined when Olgo runs afoul of a corrupt cartel determined to suppress the underground unions that have been emboldened by their efforts.

If you love works like the Expanse (realistic physics, working-class characters) and badass + adorable child duos, this is absolutely the novella for you. It’s a quick, action-packed read with a ton of heart, and an exciting introduction to the Cold Rush universe.

by Sabitha F.

I adore everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes, so I’ll hit the buy button or place a library hold on every new book she produces before I’ve even read the plot summary. That said, Silver Nitrate couldn’t be more catered to my tastes if she sawed open my brain and splashed it across the page. Mexico City in the 1990s, evil Nazi occultists, and cinematic alchemy clash in this weird, compelling story of a childhood friendship, a curse, and a cult.

Nothing has gone right for Montserrat, a sound editor who can barely make ends meet thanks to industry sexism, or for her best friend Tristán, a soap opera star whose career failed after a drunken car accident. They encounter Abel, a washed-up horror director who tells them about a lost film, cut short by the murder of its funder. Woven into its film stock is a spell that could reverse all of their fortunes—but as with silver screen success, magic too has its cost.

This book is more difficult and aloof than the author’s better-known work, but it showcases what to me are some of her greatest strengths—flawed, complicated women, supernatural elements that are deeply entwined with the story’s themes and milieu, and inventive subversions of genre tropes. It’s a love letter to horror and a perfect spooky season read.