13 fantasy and science fiction books to read in August 2023
By Daniel Roman
THE PATTERN OF THE WORLD by J.T. Greathouse (Pact and Pattern #3) — August 3
J.T. Greathouse’s debut novel The Hand of the Sun King made waves when it was released back in 2021. Only a few short years later, Greathouse is back with the third and final novel in his Pact and Pattern trilogy: The Pattern of the World.
Pact and Pattern is a told in the first person. It’s some ways it’s similar to Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle, but with more Asian influences and a more focused story that pulls you relentlessly through to the finish. It begins with a young boy named Wen Alder, or Foolish Cur by some. He has a gift for magic which the expansionist Empire has worked ruthlessly to suppress.
In the first two books, we saw Wen Alder go from a young student to a rebel witch. Now, we see how his story ends in The Pattern of the World.
In an ill-fated attempt to prevent the tyrannical Emperor from rekindling war with the gods, young rebel Foolish Cur made the dreadful mistake of wielding incredibly powerful but forbidden magic. In doing so, he himself fell into a trap of the gods’ own making, inadvertently setting them free.
Now, after uncountable years, the gods are free to wreak their own chaos upon the world, transforming the lands into a nightmare for mortals while horrific new creatures emerge to terrorize all in their path. The Empire, the rebellion, and existence itself stand on the brink of destruction.
To undo the damage he caused, Foolish Cur must use every ounce of skill, intelligence, and guile within him while gathering those who still have the will to fight. But while this may be a battle Foolish Cur can win, it may not be one he can survive…
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CYBERPUNK 2077: NO COINCIDENCE by Rafał Kosik — August 8
We’re getting the first official tie-in novel for Cyberpunk 2077, the hit sci-fi video game from CD Projekt Red. Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence is a standalone story that plunges readers into the gritty life of an impromptu gang of criminals who must navigate the dangers of a dystopian cyberpunk world after a job unexpectedly ties them together.
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence is written by the influential Polish science fiction author and screenwriter Rafał Kosik. If you’re looking for a way to start getting warmed up for the release of the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion Phantom Liberty later this year, then Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence might be just the preem stuff you’re looking for.
In neon-drenched Night City, a ragtag group of strangers have just pulled off a daring heist on a Militech convoy transporting a mysterious container. What do each of them have in common? Good, old-fashioned blackmail. Forced to do the job, they have no idea how far their employer’s reach goes, nor what mysterious object the container holds.
The newly-formed gang – consisting of a veteran turned renegade, a Militech sleeper agent, an amateur netrunner, a corporate negotiator, a ripperdoc and a techie – must overcome their differences and work together lest their secrets come to light before they can pull off the next deadly heist.
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BRIDGE by Lauren Beukes — August 8
Bridge is a new speculative thriller novel by Lauren Beukes, the critically acclaimed author of Moxyland, Zoo City and The Shining Girls. Following the death of her neuroscientist mother, Bridget “Bridge” Kittinger discovers a strange substance called the dreamworm which allows her to travel between different realities. So begins a psychedelic journey through grief, self-discovery and an infinite multiverse as Bridge seeks to discover the truth about her mother’s death.
Twenty-four-year-old Bridge is paralyzed by choices: all the other lives she could have lived, the decisions she could have made. And now, who she should be in the wake of her mother’s unexpected death.
Jo was a maverick neuroscientist fixated on an artifact she called the “dreamworm” that she believed could open the doors to other worlds. It was part of Jo’s grand delusion, her sickness, and it cost her everything, including her relationship with her daughter.
But in packing up Jo’s house, Bridge discovers Jo’s obsession hidden amongst her things. And the dreamworm works, exactly the way it’s supposed to, the way Bridge remembers from when she was a little girl. Suddenly Bridge can step into other realities, otherselves. In one of them, could she find out what really happened to her mother? What Bridge doesn’t know is that there are others hunting for the dreamworm—who will kill to get their hands on it.