Let’s do this again! I barely made it, but there were so many books that I absolutely ended up loving that I’m not sure I otherwise would have read. So this year, better!

Rules:

• Must be speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, horror with speculative elements)
• Limit the number of novellas (fewer than 40k words or defined by the author as such) or combine them
• A book of short stories counts
• Graphic novels/manga should be treated as novellas
• Web novels count (if they’re long enough)
• Audiobooks count

Official thread

Recommendations thread

Books by category on storygraph

A post about upcoming books by category

This post will automatically update as I tag books and I’ll post ~if~ when I finish! I’m going to go for hard mode again as much as possible. Should be fun. :D

2022 Book Bingo

by Robert Jackson Bennett Hard Mode ✓ A Book from r/Fantasy’s Top LGBTQIA List Any book on this list, including sequels. Hard Mode: A book or series that received ten votes or less.	by R.J. Barker Hard Mode ✓ Weird Ecology Story takes place in a world that is wildly different from our own and includes such things as unique environments, strange flora and fauna, unusual ecosystems, etc. The difference in environment, flora and fauna, and ecosystems cannot simply be “it’s a fantasy world,” but something that is fundamentally different about the world itself. Example: The Bone Ships by RJ Barker counts as this is a poisonous world without trees and the world had to evolve in significantly different ways to deal with that. Meanwhile The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb would not count, as it is fairly close to our own world’s ecology just with the added presence of dragons. Hard Mode: Not written by Jeff VanderMeer or China Miéville.	by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, S. L. Huang Hard Mode ✓ Two or More Authors Any book written by two or more authors such as This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Anthologies count! Hard Mode: Three or more authors.	by H.G. Parry Hard Mode ✓ Historical SFF Any book within the historical fantasy subgenre. Hard Mode: Not based in Britain or Ireland.	by Iain M. Banks Hard Mode ✓ Set in Space A book that takes place primarily (at least 50%) off planet. IE: on a spaceship, space station, asteroid, space whale, free floating in space, etc. Hard Mode: Characters are not originally from Earth. It is acceptable for the characters to be descendants of Earthlings as long as they are not themselves from Earth.
by Erin Morgenstern Hard Mode ✓ Standalone A book that is not part of a series or a larger world. No connected novellas or short stories. Hard Mode: Not on r/Fantasy’s Favorite Standalones List.	by Naomi Novik Hard Mode ✓ Anti-Hero Wikipedia describes an antihero as “a character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions that are morally correct, it is not always for the right reasons, often acting primarily out of self-interest or in ways that defy conventional ethical codes.” Examples: Locke Lamora in the Gentleman Bastard series or most grimdark books. Hard Mode: A YA book with an anti-hero.	by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles Hard Mode ✓ Book Club OR Readalong Book Any past or active r/Fantasy book clubs count as well as past or active r/Fantasy readalongs. See our full list of book clubs here. Hard Mode: Must read a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion.	by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona (Artist) Hard Mode ✓ Cool Weapon At least one main character uses a weapon with magical properties. Hard Mode: Weapon has a unique name. Examples: Excalibur from Arthurian legend, Dragnipur in Malazan, Sting in Lord of the Rings, etc.	by John Milton Hard Mode ✓ Revolutions and Rebellions A book featuring a revolution. Any overthrowing of governments, monarchs, and systems will do. Hard Mode: Revolution/Rebellion is the main focus of the plot.
by Mike Carey, Bill Willingham, Peter Gross, Yuko Shimizu Hard Mode ✓ Name in the Title A character’s first or last name appears in the title. Example: Gideon the Ninth. Hard Mode: The title has the character’s first and last name. Example: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.	by T. Kingfisher Hard Mode ✓ Author Uses Initials Read a book by an author who goes by their initials like N. K. Jemisin or uses initials somewhere in their name like George R. R. Martin. Hard Mode: Initials are a pseudonym and not from the author’s actual name. Examples: T. Kingfisher or K. J. Parker. ADDENDUM: Please do not go snooping to see if a name fits. If it isn’t clear based on an author’s webpage or social media, assume that it is their real name.	by Travis Baldree Hard Mode ✓ Published in 2022 A book published for the first time in 2022 (no reprints or new editions). Hard Mode: It’s also a debut novel–as in it’s the author’s first published novel.	by Andi C. Buchanan Hard Mode ✓ Urban Fantasy A subgenre of fantasy in which the narrative uses supernatural elements in a 19th-century to 21st-century urban society. Often overlaps with other subgenres like paranormal romance and superhero stories. Hard Mode: Book has an LGBTQ+ POV character.	by Evan Winter Hard Mode ✓ Set in Africa Book must either be set in Africa like Rosewater by Tade Thompson or in an analogous setting that is based on a real-world African setting like Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko. Hard Mode: Author is of African heritage.
by Becky Chambers Hard Mode ✓ Non-Human Protagonist Main character must not be human or partially human. Humanoid aliens or anthropomorphic animals do count. Hard Mode: Non-humanoid protagonist. No elves, angels, dwarves, hobbits, or humanoid aliens.	by Claire North Hard Mode ✓ Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Any book that deals with time not behaving as it should. Time travel, time slips, time loops, time stopping, multiple timelines, etc., all work for this square. Hard Mode: No time travel. Book involves something off about time that’s not necessarily time travel. Example: In The Chronicles of Narnia, time moves at a different speed in Narnia than in the real world.	by Roald Dahl Hard Mode ✓ Five SFF Short Stories Any short story as long as there are five of them. Hard Mode: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection.	by Ada Hoffmann Hard Mode ✓ Features Mental Health Story takes a strong interest in or explores themes like mental wellness and illness, self-care, and so on. Learn more about the basics of mental health here. Here is a list of SFF books that center mental health to get you started. Hard Mode: Not The Stormlight Archive or any books in the linked list.	by Raymond St. Elmo Hard Mode ✓ Self-Published OR Indie Publisher Self-published or published through a small, indie publisher. If the novel has been picked up by a publisher as long as you read it when it was self-pubbed it will still count. Hard Mode: Self-published and has fewer than 100 ratings on Goodreads, OR an indie publisher that has done an AMA with r/Fantasy.
by Joe Abercrombie Hard Mode ✓ Award Finalist, But Not Won Any book that was short-listed for an award (or multiple awards) but never received an award. You can check out this list of SFF awards at ISFDB for inspiration. Hard Mode: Neither Hugo-nominated nor Nebula-nominated (check this list for ineligible novels and novellas).	by Darcie Little Badger Hard Mode ✓ BIPOC Author Author must be Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color. Hard Mode: A book written by an Indigenous author. Check out this list of Indigenous SFF books to get you started.	by Jason June Hard Mode ✓ Shapeshifters At least one character has the ability to change their physical form. Hard Mode: Most prominent shifter is not a wolf/dog shifter. For instance, werewolves can exist but can’t be the most notable shifter characters/main characters.	by Martha Wells Hard Mode ✓ No Ifs, Ands, or Buts Title does not include the following words: the, a/an, and, or, if, of, but. Hard Mode: Title is three words or more.	by Kim Stanley Robinson Hard Mode ✓ Family Matters A book that features biological family ties. Sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children – as long as the relationship plays a part, it’s welcome for this square. Hard Mode: Features at least three generations in a single family.

Full categories

A Book from r/Fantasy's Top LGBTQIA List

Any book on this list, including sequels.

Hard Mode: A book or series that received ten votes or less.

Weird Ecology

Story takes place in a world that is wildly different from our own and includes such things as unique environments, strange flora and fauna, unusual ecosystems, etc. The difference in environment, flora and fauna, and ecosystems cannot simply be “it’s a fantasy world,” but something that is fundamentally different about the world itself. Example: The Bone Ships by RJ Barker counts as this is a poisonous world without trees and the world had to evolve in significantly different ways to deal with that. Meanwhile The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb would not count, as it is fairly close to our own world’s ecology just with the added presence of dragons.

Hard Mode: Not written by Jeff VanderMeer or China Miéville.

Two or More Authors

Any book written by two or more authors such as This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Anthologies count!

Hard Mode: Three or more authors.

Historical SFF

Any book within the historical fantasy subgenre.

Hard Mode: Not based in Britain or Ireland.

Set in Space

A book that takes place primarily (at least 50%) off planet. IE: on a spaceship, space station, asteroid, space whale, free floating in space, etc.

Hard Mode: Characters are not originally from Earth. It is acceptable for the characters to be descendants of Earthlings as long as they are not themselves from Earth.

Standalone

A book that is not part of a series or a larger world. No connected novellas or short stories.

Hard Mode: Not on r/Fantasy’s Favorite Standalones List.

Anti-Hero

Wikipedia describes an antihero as “a character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions that are morally correct, it is not always for the right reasons, often acting primarily out of self-interest or in ways that defy conventional ethical codes.” Examples: Locke Lamora in the Gentleman Bastard series or most grimdark books.

Hard Mode: A YA book with an anti-hero.

Book Club OR Readalong Book

Any past or active r/Fantasy book clubs count as well as past or active r/Fantasy readalongs. See our full list of book clubs here.

Hard Mode: Must read a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion.

Cool Weapon

At least one main character uses a weapon with magical properties.

Hard Mode: Weapon has a unique name. Examples: Excalibur from Arthurian legend, Dragnipur in Malazan, Sting in Lord of the Rings, etc.

Revolutions and Rebellions

A book featuring a revolution. Any overthrowing of governments, monarchs, and systems will do.

Hard Mode: Revolution/Rebellion is the main focus of the plot.

Name in the Title

A character’s first or last name appears in the title. Example: Gideon the Ninth.

Hard Mode: The title has the character’s first and last name. Example: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

Author Uses Initials

Read a book by an author who goes by their initials like N. K. Jemisin or uses initials somewhere in their name like George R. R. Martin.

Hard Mode: Initials are a pseudonym and not from the author’s actual name. Examples: T. Kingfisher or K. J. Parker. ADDENDUM: Please do not go snooping to see if a name fits. If it isn’t clear based on an author’s webpage or social media, assume that it is their real name.

Published in 2022

A book published for the first time in 2022 (no reprints or new editions).

Hard Mode: It’s also a debut novel–as in it’s the author’s first published novel.

Urban Fantasy

A subgenre of fantasy in which the narrative uses supernatural elements in a 19th-century to 21st-century urban society. Often overlaps with other subgenres like paranormal romance and superhero stories.

Hard Mode: Book has an LGBTQ+ POV character.

Set in Africa

Book must either be set in Africa like Rosewater by Tade Thompson or in an analogous setting that is based on a real-world African setting like Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.

Hard Mode: Author is of African heritage.

Non-Human Protagonist

Main character must not be human or partially human. Humanoid aliens or anthropomorphic animals do count.

Hard Mode: Non-humanoid protagonist. No elves, angels, dwarves, hobbits, or humanoid aliens.

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey

Any book that deals with time not behaving as it should. Time travel, time slips, time loops, time stopping, multiple timelines, etc., all work for this square.

Hard Mode: No time travel. Book involves something off about time that’s not necessarily time travel. Example: In The Chronicles of Narnia, time moves at a different speed in Narnia than in the real world.

Five SFF Short Stories

Any short story as long as there are five of them.

Hard Mode: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection.

Features Mental Health

Story takes a strong interest in or explores themes like mental wellness and illness, self-care, and so on. Learn more about the basics of mental health here. Here is a list of SFF books that center mental health to get you started.

Hard Mode: Not The Stormlight Archive or any books in the linked list.

Self-Published OR Indie Publisher

Self-published or published through a small, indie publisher. If the novel has been picked up by a publisher as long as you read it when it was self-pubbed it will still count.

Hard Mode: Self-published and has fewer than 100 ratings on Goodreads, OR an indie publisher that has done an AMA with r/Fantasy.

Award Finalist, But Not Won

Any book that was short-listed for an award (or multiple awards) but never received an award. You can check out this list of SFF awards at ISFDB for inspiration.

Hard Mode: Neither Hugo-nominated nor Nebula-nominated (check this list for ineligible novels and novellas).

BIPOC Author

Author must be Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color.

Hard Mode: A book written by an Indigenous author. Check out this list of Indigenous SFF books to get you started.

Shapeshifters

At least one character has the ability to change their physical form.

Hard Mode: Most prominent shifter is not a wolf/dog shifter. For instance, werewolves can exist but can’t be the most notable shifter characters/main characters.

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

Title does not include the following words: the, a/an, and, or, if, of, but.

Hard Mode: Title is three words or more.

Family Matters

A book that features biological family ties. Sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children – as long as the relationship plays a part, it’s welcome for this square.

Hard Mode: Features at least three generations in a single family.