11 great fantasy & science fiction books to read that came out in April 2022
By Daniel Roman
💥NEW BOOK ALERT💥
— B&N Leawood (@BNLeawoodKS) April 28, 2022
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The Memory Librarian by @JanelleMonae is an array of collaborators that have come together to craft a collection of tales of the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe a compelling storyteller! @HarperVoyagerUS #NewRelease #CurrentlyReading pic.twitter.com/gLlIzI6xOu
The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer is one of the more unique books on this list. Singer, songwriter and pop sensation Janelle Monáe has touched fans all over the world with her music, but now she’s turning to the written word with this short fiction collection based off the dystopian future introduced in her concept album Dirty Computer. Expanding on the mythos, Monáe and a cadre of other talented writers, including Yohanca Delgado and Shereé Rene Thomas, take on various themes and ideas presented in Monae’s groundbreaking album, which examined an Afrofuturistic society where every aspect of people’s lives were controlled and dictated to them.
The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer explores “how different threads of liberation—queerness, race, gender plurality, and love—become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape…and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.” It’s a thought-provoking collection of stories that deals with age-old science fiction questions through the lens of a powerfully imagined dystopian future.
Have you ever picked up a book and just known that it will be a favorite? That the papers will become well worn and the cover will never be this bright & shiny again because *this* will be the book you reread over & over? That's how I feel about #Kaikeyi. Can't wait to dive in! pic.twitter.com/mYIPm2xtnh
— Mona Tewari (@Mona_Tewari) April 29, 2022
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
Vaishnavi Patel’s debut novel Kaikeyi is a reimagining of the Indian epic the Ramayana from the point of view of the infamous queen Kaikeyi. In the original text, Kaikeyi is a villainous figure, but with this fresh spin on the story, Patel deepens her character considerably.
Kaikeyi is the sole daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, raised on stories of gods and magic…but as she grows older, it becomes clear that the real world falls short of those tales. With a father content to banish her mother and marry her off for political gain, Kaikeyi finds solace in the texts and stories of her childhood. Through them she uncovers the secret to a hidden magic, which she uses to become a powerful warrior and diplomat.
Kaikeyi’s determination leads her onto a path that clashes with the destiny the gods had planned for her and her family, and forces her to face difficult truths about the legacy she will leave behind. Patel’s debut novel is one you absolutely do not want to miss.