40 New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books Hitting Shelves in March
Book-devouring horror fans have had March 2024 circled on the calendar for some time now, anticipating Stephen Graham Jones’ trilogy-capping The Angel of Indian Lake. But there’s plenty to please every preference this month, with haunted houses, space hotels, mythology-inspired fantasies, and so much more.
Introducing People to Horror Films/Books | Stephen Graham Jones Interview
The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry
A woman becomes fire chief at Sequoia National Park, where her parents died in a forest fire decades before. There she discovers a secret underground world divided into sides that are at war with each other—including a faction that has humanity in its sights. (March 1)
Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo
This debut novella follows “Seoul’s only spirit detective” as he investigates an apparent suicide cluster that might have a secret magical culprit. (March 4)
Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire
The author’s InCryptid urban fantasy series continues as the ghostly Mary Dunlavy helps arrange an inter-dimensional reunion for the Price family—just as they must spring into action against an anti-cryptid attack. (March 5)
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste
Three childhood friends struggle as adults with their strange shared circumstance: 20 years earlier, their suburb disappeared into the spirit world, and they’re the only people who were able to leave. (March 5)
The Hidden Queen by Peter V. Brett
The Nightfall Saga continues as “Darin and Olive each strive to walk their own path but find themselves inextricably tied to the legacies of their parents and to a fated confrontation with the demon king and his new hatchling queen.” (March 5)
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A misfit field hospital crew stuck on the front lines of a one-sided war against superstition use “unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology, and illicit Gods” to heal their patients. (March 5)
The Icarus Job by Timothy Zahn
The Icarus Saga continues as “hoping to take possession of a new alien star-hopping portal, Roarke and Selene are tasked with transporting an assassin, who is herself being targeted.” (March 5)
The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham
Described as “a work of literary horror in the gothic tradition,” this speculative novel follows “a woman in crisis and in stasis, and a country’s shifting identity in the long afterlife of the Korean War.” (March 5)
Island Rule by Katie M. Flynn
Twelve “genre-bending,” interconnected short stories, including tales about “an angry mother (who) turns into a literal monster” and “a failed actor on a reality show (who) turns into an unlikely world savior.” (March 5)
Murder Road by Simone St. James
After picking up an injured hitchhiker who later dies, a young couple finds themselves under suspicion for her death, as well as multiple murders in the area. Before long, they realize supernatural forcers are making their situation worse. (March 5)
The Prisoner’s Throne: A Novel of Elhame by Holly Black
The Stolen Heir duology concludes as the imprisoned Prince Oak sits at a crossroads: “attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved, or remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign.” Read an excerpt here. (March 5)
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
The latest from the prolific author is a standalone sci-fi fantasy tale that takes place in the Cosmere universe shared by his Mistborn Saga and Stormlight Archive. (March 5)
Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison
A new contemporary fantasy series begins with Petra, whose talents handling magical waste, or “dross,” have helped her build a career despite her lack of talent in magic itself. After a terrible accident, she’s forced to go on the run with her least-favorite colleague to seek the help of an exiled magic user. (March 5)
The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi
The Forever Desert series continues as Junior Peacekeeper Osi sets out to recover the sacred God’s Eyes stolen from his city and discover the truth about the cult leader who’s caused so much harm. (March 5)
What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans
In this horror tale, “a phony spiritualist returns to her hometown to assist in an investigation that eerily mirrors her sister’s death, forcing her to confront the secrets she’s been running from.” (March 5)
A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
This fantasy novel follows “a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.” (March 12)
All Our Yesterdays by Joel H. Morris
The dangerously ambitious Lady Macbeth takes the spotlight in this tale set a decade before Shakespeare’s Scottish play. (March 12)
The Inhumans and Other Stories: A Selection of Bengali Science Fiction edited and translated by Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay
“The first English translation of a cult science fiction favorite by Hemendra Kumar Roy, one of the giants of early Bangla literature, and other (sci-fi) stories from the colonial period in India.” (March 12)
Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu
In this sci-fi thriller, “three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.” (March 12)
The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed
After being imprisoned and tortured by his own government, an anti-war activist is ordered to infiltrate the enemy and spark a revolution that will bring down the opposing side. (March 12)
Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner
The sequel to Godkiller sees a murderous fire god resurrecting after godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to end him. Meanwhile, noble Inara and god of white lies Skedi embark on a journey of discovery, while former knight Elogast sets out on a dangerous quest against the king. (March 12)
These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein
“In a queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman faces her fear of losing her community as her past chases after her.” (March 12)
Welcome to Forever by Nathan Tavares
“A sweeping, psychedelic romance of two men caught in a looping world of artificial realities, edited memories, secretive cabals and conspiracies to push humanity to the next step in its evolution.” Read an excerpt here. (March 12)
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
This tale explores the relationship between an AI-powered robot designed to be the ideal companion and the man who owns her—and the complications that arise the more “human” she becomes. (March 19)
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas
This sci-fi adventure features “a fierce, messy, chaotic space family; vibrant worlds; and an exploration of the many ways to be—and not to be—human.” (March 19)
The Day Tripper by James Goodhand
A man who’s winning at life suffers a near-drowning—then wakes up 15 years later to find his state of being has taken a terrible turn. Soon he realizes each new day transports him to a different year, presenting a mystery he’ll need to solve to save himself and his future. (March 19)
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
The Grand Abeona Hotel is billed as “the last word in sub-orbital luxury,” but it’s also a place concealing deep secrets. As strange forces begin to descend upon the ship, its longtime manager must decide what part he’ll play in the growing mystery. (March 19)
Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo
In this horror novel, Chicago sisters still living in their (very likely haunted) old family home grapple with their troubled past—and its possible connection to a series of drowning deaths in the area. (March 19)
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
“A compulsively readable queer sci-fi novel about a marriage of convenience between a Mars politician and an Earth refugee.” (March 19)
Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland
In 60 AD, a woman makes a deal with the king of the Otherworld to save her people. When the arrangement goes sideways, she’s forced to serve as Lord of the Hunt—until she meets a Saxon queen who might help break her curse, and also help save humanity itself. (March 19)
The Weavers of Alamaxa by Hadeer Elsbai
The author’s Alamaxa Duology, “inspired by Egyptian history and myth,” wraps up with this “tale of magic, war, betrayal, sisterhood, and love.” (March 19)
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo
“Equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia.” (March 19)
Sound Effect Infinity by David Biddle
“A future paranormal mystery rolled up in puzzles about the real magic of music wrapped in questions about the power of the human mind. It is a reading experience totally off the literary grid.” (March 25)
The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones
The Indian Lake Trilogy that started with My Heart Is a Chainsaw picks up four years after the events of Don’t Fear the Reaper, as reluctant horror heroine Jade Daniels returns to her embattled Idaho hometown to face the past—and to have it out one last time with the Lake Witch. (March 26)
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
“A sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.” (March 26)
Eilegate: A Novel of Faerie by Elizabeth Fields Perry
This novel set in 1934 Scotland is “a fantasy-laced mystery adventure steeped in the traditions of epic romance and Celtic legend, grounded in the love that binds people to place and to each other and the hope that allows them to push into the dark woods towards the unknown.” (March 26)
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Across different moments in time—4 BC, 1740, and the present day—two people meet and feel an instant attraction that feels strangely familiar. “As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself… but one that might consume them both.” (March 26)
Greatest Hits by Harlan Ellison
With a foreword by Neil Gaiman, an introduction by Cassandra Khaw, and editing by J. Michael Straczynski, this collection of short stories (including “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” and “‘Repent Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman”) by the legendary writer is aimed at fans both old and new. (March 26)
Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson
In this supernatural thriller, a teen who lands a summer job working for a local private eye becomes dangerously drawn into a high-profile missing-person case. (March 26)
When I’m Her by Sarah Zachrich Jeng
After a betrayal causes a rift between friends, one moves on with her life while the other plots revenge. After the wounded party comes up with a really good plan—swapping bodies with her enemy and stealing her life—she realizes that she’s placed herself in terrible danger. (March 26)
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
