15 highly anticipated fantasy and science fiction books coming this fall

Leviathan Falls, the final book in The Expanse series, is just one of many great sci-fi and fantasy books coming out before the end of 2021!

Last week we got together a list of amazing science fiction and fantasy books that you might have missed from 2020, because that year was a giant dumpster fire and there were a lot of great stories that flew by under the radar.

But hey, you’re up-to-date. You read like a fiend. You need the latest books, lest your bookshelves implode in a fiery ball of dissatisfaction!

We hear you, which is why this week we’re lining up another list: this time, it’s the science fiction and fantasy releases coming out this fall. This has been a highly condensed year of great book releases, due in no small part to the fact that many novels that were originally scheduled to release in 2020 ended up being delayed thanks to the coronavirus. We’ve seen the end of The Chronicles of the Bitch Queen by K.S. Villoso, the Sapphic Trifecta, the start of a new series by John Gwynne, A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (the sequel to her highly acclaimed A Memory Called Empire), and so many more.

But if the year has been good for sci-fi and fantasy books, this fall is looking incredible. So many great releases are coming up that it’ll be a challenge to read them all.

Without further adieu, let’s dig in! We’re going to go through these puppies in release order so that you can properly prioritize your reading for maximum epic times.

1. The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie (9/14)

You probably should have known this one was coming, right? Joe Abercrombie, master of grimdark fantasy, never fails to carve a bloody path onto lists like this, because his books are just that damn awesome. Abercrombie’s latest release marks the end of his new trilogy set in the First Law world, The Age of Madness. These books see the Union powering forward into an industrial revolution…but in typical Abercrombie fashion, it’s a dark, gritty affair with characters whose morals range are rarely kept in tact.

The Age of Madness is set around 30 years after the end of Abercrombie’s original First Law trilogy, and follows several descendants of the original crew like Savine dan Glokta and Prince Orso, as well as a bunch of memorable new characters. Add to that the fact that everyone’s favorite selfish wizard Bayaz is still around pulling strings and you have a recipe for one of those exceedingly bittersweet tales that are Joe Abercrombie’s trademark.

Since we don’t want to spoil anything for you in case you haven’t started in on The Age of Madness yet, here’s the description from the first book of this newest trilogy, A Little Hatred:

"The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever. On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal’s son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specialises in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta – socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union – plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control. The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another…"

The Wisdom of Crowds hits shelves on September 14.