5 SFF Books We're Looking Forward To in 2022

And What You Can Read in the Meantime

Reading Ahead

As we usher in the new year, we are—as ever—eagerly anticipating the new books in our future. And 2022 is not letting us down! Every day this week, we're featuring genre-specific lists of five upcoming titles we can't wait to get our hands on.

So far we've covered literary fiction and poetry, romance, mystery, and nonfiction . Today's focus is sci-fi and fantasy! Here are five volumes available for preorder, plus an already published book with a similar vibe you can enjoy in the meantime. (BTW, several of these are sequels, so the recommended selection is obvious.)

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (Feb. 15)

In book one of the Crescent City series, Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar find love as they fight to save their world from a dark power. As this sexy, action-packed sequel begins, the two hope to have the chance to relax and figure out what the future holds. But when threats of oppression intensify, they get pulled back into the rebel plans to defend themselves against annihilation.

What to read now: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (Apr. 5)

The award-winning author of Station Eleven (now adapted into a newly released miniseries on HBO) returns with a magical novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space. Fans of Mandel's last two bestselling novels will delight in connecting the dots between the three stories.

What to read now: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James (Feb. 15)

In book one of the Dark Star trilogy (think African Game of Thrones), Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious missing boy. Now Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy, and how she plotted and fought, triumphed and failed as she looked for him.

What to read now: Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apr. 19)

Book one in this series was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards. The Between Earth and Sky trilogy draws inspiration from the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas in an epic tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic. This installment returns readers to The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed.

What to read now: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe (Apr. 19)

The award winning singer, rapper, and actress is now adding author to her résumé. This collection builds on afrofuturism themes and concepts introduced in her Dirty Computer album. A collaboration with a group of incredible writers, including Alaya Dawn Johnson, Eve L. Ewing, Danny Lore, Sheree Renée Thomas, and others, the tales explore themes of identity, freedom, technology, and love.

What to read now: Dark Matter by Sheree Renée Thomas (Editor)

Hopefully there's something here that piques your curiosity! And that does it for this week-long series of 2022 books that we're extra excited about. Check out our full list for more.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon