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Hello, my little star jelly! In today’s round-up of recent sci-fi and fantasy links, I have stuff to share with you about which science fiction spaceships are the coolest, the books that made the Philip K. Dick Award nominee list, an excerpt of Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, and more!
Read an Excerpt of Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
One of the year’s most anticipated fantasy novels is Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. One reason for that is probably the plot, about a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets. “On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets. Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.”
Another reason readers are excited for it might be the fact that the cover folds into an origami boat! (Errr, the physical book cover. Folding your reading device is not advised.)
You can read a little bit of the book here from Reactor.
Severance Season 2 is Here!
The beginning of the second season of Severance from AppleTV+ is here, and io9 has the scoop! The Ben Stiller-directed sci-fi show is about employees of a company who have no memory of their life outside the company while they are at work. The idea is that no memories mean fewer distractions. The employees don’t even know who they are. But of course, not everyone is happy with this arrangement, and the outside world occasionally creeps in. The show stars Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, and Christopher Walken, and it ended its first season in 2022 on a hell of a cliffhanger. I think I will need a refresher before season two!
The Face of His Face Is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora
Reactor has the first look at the upcoming romantasy His Face Is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora, out May 6, 2025, from Sourcebooks Fire. It’s the first in the Ancient Egyptian-inspired YA trilogy, The Throne of Khetara, and is about a dying pharaoh whose enemies, peers, and even family are conspiring against him while he is ill. And if that isn’t bad enough, an ancient evil has woken up and is ready to party. His Face Is the Sun is out May 6, 2025, from Sourcebooks Fire, and ICYMI, Michelle Jabès Corpora also wrote the fun Holly Horror series!
“She’s fast enough for you, old man.”
And it wouldn’t be a roundup without a list! This time, I am sharing the Listverse post about science fiction’s Ten Coolest Spaceships. Now remember, it says coolest spaceships. Because if it was based on function, the Millennium Falcon might not make it (despite supposedly doing the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs), and if it was based in reality, the number-one choice would definitely be out. I will always vote for Serenity, but that’s because Firefly is one of my most beloved shows. As Kaylee said, “She don’t look like much, but she’ll fool ya.” (Same.)
Can’t get enough cool spaceships? Here are Book Riot’s picks for The Best Sci-Fi Spaceships from Across the Galaxies.
Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All the Books! and on Bluesky and Instagram.
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