Arcane Season 2 is full of surprises, but few? are as wholesome as the introduction of Isha. This scrappy orphan becomes the ray of sunlight Jinx desperately needs in her dark, turbulent life. Unfortu??nately, happiness has never been something Jinx could hold on to for very long.

The third and final episode of Arcane Season 2, Act II, "The Message Hidden Within the Pattern," turns a reunion Jinx and Vi have spent the entire act fighting for into a bloodbath. Amidst the Shimmer-coated chaos, Isha makes a heroic decision that brings her time on Runetera to a tragic end. Here's what happened to Isha in Arcane Season 2.

Who is Isha?

Since her introduction in Arcane Season 2, Act II's second episode, "Watch It All ??Burn," Isha has been a defining member of the season's cast. One of many orphaned children who call Zaun home, Isha encountered J??inx when she fell onto the disillusioned rebel's lap while trying to escape some metal-jawed gangsters.

Following in the footsteps of her father figure, Silco, Jinx takes Isha under her wing, shielding her from the chaos Zaun has fallen into after Jinx assassinated half of Piltover's City Council at the end of Arcane's first season. Soon enough, Jinx'??s bond with Isha becomes the crux of her character arc throughout Season 2.

Forced into the protector role her older sister Vi once filled for her, Jinx slowly but surely embraces the compassionate, vulnerable side of herself buried beneath her trauma. Isha's influence eventually inspires Jinx to reconcile with Vi, leading them to search for their shared adoptive father, Vander, who mutated into the lycanthropic League of Legends? champio??n Warwick by the Shimmer-cooking scientist Singed.

Isha's death is the consequence of good intentions

After finding Warwick and bringing him ??back to his senses, Jinx, Isha, and Vi flee to a hidden community formed by Viktor, who's developed into a Hextech-based cyborg? messiah who can heal peoples' bodies and minds. Surprisingly, Viktor restores Vander's humanity. Unsurprisingly, Jinx and Vi's reunion with their father doesn't last long.

As Vander's treatment nears completion, Ambessa and her Noxian soldiers finally track the family back to the community. While Vi, Jinx, and a remorseful Caitlyn hold Ambessa back, the distraction gives a mentally scared and Hextech-phobic Jayce an opening to assassinate Viktor. Viktor's death causes a psychic chain reaction, transforming Vander into a magma-blee??ding monster that kills Ambessa's second-in-command Rictus.

Warwick knocks Jinx to the ground in the following battle and reels back for a killing blow. Desperate to protect her guardia??n??, Isha picks up Jinx's Hextech pistol, overloads it, and slides beneath Warwick's exposed underside. With pastel-painted flashbacks of her time with Jinx overlapping the action, Isha fires a supercharged round into Warwick's chest, triggering an explosion that kills them both.

Isha's sacrifice is heartbreaking, but necessary to Arcane Season 2's story

The last minutes of "The Message Hidden Within the Pattern" are heartbreaking for many reasons, but Isla's death is hitting Arcane fans the hardest. Tributes to Jinx's surrogate sister are popping up all over social media, and many Arcane fans are tearing them??selves apart, wondering what her death will do to Jinx.

Throughout Season 2, Jinx has refused to become the symbol of rebellion the people of Zaun want her to ??be, bottling up her psychosis and standing idly by while her home burns. Even Isha wan?ted Jinx to step up and stand up to Piltover, but Jinx repeatedly shot her down. As the fifth surrogate sibling in her life, it was a reminder that Jinx's actions have consequences. She was willing to let Silco's legacy go up in smoke if it meant keeping Isha out of the crossfire a rebellion would cause.

With Isha dead, Jinx no longer has any reason to hold back. Pilto??ver has destroyed her f??amily for the third time, and Zaun has had it clear they'll stand by Jinx if she leads them to war against Piltover, and she might finally be ready to do that.

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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is turning quite a few heads. The series' newest trailer doubles down on the Goonies-inspired vibes established in the first, confirming this Star Wars series is treading unfamiliar ground. It also dropped some interesting hints on where the series falls on the Star Wars timeline.

The official Star Wars timeline is a tangled chord that's only gotten more twisted since the series started dipping into Marvel Cinematic Universe-style storytelling. Luckily, the trailers and a few comments from the series' creators have painted a pretty clear picture of when Skeleton Crew takes place in Star Wars canon.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew unfolds in a familiar chapter of the Star Wars timeline

Star Wars fans have had questions about Skeleton Crew's place on the timeline since the series' first trailer in August. Scenes of cookie-cutter intergalactic suburbia threw viewers for a loop since we've seen nothing like that in the current canon or the original Star Wars Expanded Universe continuity, now known as Legends.

Thanks to an official statement from director Jon Watts, we have confirmation that Skeleton Crew's events will happen during Star Wars' New Republic Era. This is the same era in which The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka occur. Set roughly five years after Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi, the New Republic era explores the early days of the?? titular galactic democracy, particularly its struggle to mend the scars left behind by the Galactic Empire.

Ironically, the day-to-day politics of the New Republic have taken a backseat during the New Republic era. Overhead X-Wings flying Vs and the rumblings of the new Galactic Senate act as loose threads that tie the era's different series together and rarely matter outside the rare individual episodes that incorporate the government's goings-on into their storylines. However, it looks like Skeleton Crew mi??ght buck this trend by focusing on the lives of New Republic citizens.

Skeleton Crew might cross over with other Star Wars New Republic era shows

Skeleton Crew follows a group of children who accidentally send themselves careening into a far-flung corner of the galaxy on an old ship. On the surface, this premise doesn't exactly scream "crossover." However, the various New Republic Star Wars series coming out on Disney+ have been increasingly crossing wires lately. The Book of Boba Fett effectively became The Madnaolorian Season 2.5 in the second half. Ahsoka, meanwhile, pulled muscles setting up Dave Filoni's upcoming Star Wars theatrical film, pulling in characters from almost every Filoni-lead Star Wars project.

Skeleton Crew reportedly has a budget?? of over one hundred and thirty million dollars, so I find it hard to believe that we aren't in for some flashy, late-season denouement that connects it to the web Filoni's weaving. Then again, Star Wars: The Acolyte had an even bigger budget and was standalone. I guess we'll have to wait and see whether Skeleton Crew's young ?explorers are as alone as they think.

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It's quite possible for psychological thrillers to leave you scared, jittery, and constantly looking ove??r your shoulders, but there's something about the knife-cutting tension underlying these stories that makes them utterly irresistible.

From rural sociopaths with amnesia to strange, inexplicable phenomena occurri?ng in a clandestine site, here are the best psychological thriller books yo?u can get your hands on in 2024.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is the unrivaled master of psychological thrillers, and even her breakthrough novel, Sharp Objects, released in 2006, remains one of the best books you could read in this genre. The story follows Cami??lle Preaker, a journalist who covers crime stories. Camille is dissatisfied with her job, and when she is sent to her rural hometown of Wind Gap in Missouri, she has to confront her traumatic history and investigate the case of a mu??rdered girl and a missing child.

Sharp Objects is visceral and grim. Flynn doesn’t flinch from depicting ??dark themes like self-harm and mental illness, but they’re handle??d in a way that is deliberative and mature.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

A masterful stroke of the unreliable narrator trope, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a best-seller from 2015, with some reviewers referring to it as “the next Gone Girl.�?The narrative follows Rachel Wa??tson, a 33-year-old alcoholic, who still feels the bitter pang of divorce from her ex-husband Tom, who left her for another woman. Rachel is obsessed with Tom’s new family, and she often experiences blackouts due to drinking too much. 

Rachel also gets involved with Scott and Megan, a seemingly perfect couple. When Megan suddenly goes missing, Rachel shows up and begins to investigate a hazy night where she may have done something with her. The Girl on the Train was adapted for the big screens in 2016, but do yo?urself a favor and pick up the book instead.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Christine Lucas is dealing with anterograde amnesia; meaning that she wakes up every day unable to recall her past life. Before I Go to Sleep follows her tale as she tries to reconstruct her memories with the help of a journal and a doctor. As the novel progresses, however, and fragments of the truth start bubbling up to the surface, Christine starts to question everything she knows and everything she’s been told. The plot of Before I Go to Sleep is chock full of tw?ists, psychological tension, and the philosophical ponderance of identity and how it fundamentally shapes our lives.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides was a screenwriter before he tried his hand at literature. The Silent Patient was his first novel, and it garnered universal acclaim and went on to sell more than 6 million copies. Of his short-lived career in Hollywood, this is all he needs to say: “I made three films, and they went from bad to worse.�?/p>

In many ways, The Silent Patient is what Michaelides wanted to work on but?? couldn’t because of everything that gets lost in the process of making a big flick. The story follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who, randomly and without explanation, kills her husband and falls silent. This draws the attention of one Theo Faber, a foren?sic psychologist, who wants to unravel the mystery sitting at the heart of Berenson and her mentality. Trust me when I say you’ll never forget the plot twist at the end of this book.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Another gripping tale by Gillian Flynn, now also an acclaimed motion picture by David Fincher, Gone Girl tells the story of a marriage gone wrong, wrought with lies and a grim mystery. Nick and Amy will soon celebrate their fifth anniversary, but when the latter suddenly disappears, the media and the authorities look to Nick as the prime suspect, little knowing that the dark web of deceit sitting? at the heart of this marriage is too terrible for any of them to fathom.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

The story of Dark Matter centers around a content and otherwise indistinguishable physicist who gets abducted and sent to another reality where he's a hotshot scientist celebrated worldwide. The only catch is that Jason Dessen doesn't have a family in this new reality. Dark Matter has lots of thought-provoking themes to keep readers engaged, but the beating heart of the narrative is the twists and the emotional depth, mixed with a rather modern understanding of quantum mechanics and how they shape our world. Dark Matter was adapted for television by Apple TV+ and received positive reviews for?? its first outing. The series has been renewed for a second season.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

There's no middle ground when it comes to Verity by Colleen Hoover; you either love this book and gush about it non-stop, or you hate it with a fiery passion. It's hard to explain what the story does because the plot is as gripping and psychologically messed up as you could expect from the best wo??rks in this genre. You follow a struggling author who has been contracted to finish the best-selling works of Verity Crawford, but when she moves into the Crawford home to review the notes, she uncovers a manuscript that sheds light on dark and criminal secrets within the household. I guess the word I'm ultimately groping for here is "creepy," but nothing that would put you off if you've ever taken a shine to any of the books on this list.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

A lot of psychological thriller books go for the tired trope of the unreliable narrator or the protagonist who is unable to trust their own senses. The Woman in the Window is �?at first glance �?just another cliche story set in this worn-out genre. But A.J. Finn somehow manages to turn that tedious premise into a gripping tale full of tension and plot twists. You follow an agoraphobic, solitary woman who spends her days inside her New York house, watching old movies, drinking wine, and spying on her neighbors. But when this burgeoning heroine witnesses a violent crime across the street, her whole life gets turned on its head. If you're a fan of suspense literature, pick up The Woman in the Window.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Millie Calloway lands a job as a live-in housemaid for the Winchester family. She has a troubled past, but her traumas are nothing compared to what she's going to experience in that twisted home, especially under the care of the lady of the house, Nina Winchester, and her erratic ways. There's sex and violence in The Housemaid, but nothing the initiated of the genre would raise their eyebrows at. The Housemaid is one of the most popular books in recent memory, and Freida McFadde??n's voice is a fine addition to the ever-expanding psychological thriller genre.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

The story of Annihilation combines elements of science-fiction with psychological thriller to deliver a truly unnerving tale. You follow an all-female expedition into Area X, a remote location cut off from the rest of the world, where many other teams have gone to die, disappear, or commit suicide. With its outstanding atmospheric storytelling, psychological depth, and an eerie exploration of the unknown tacked on for good measure, Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer r??emains a classic of the thriller genre.

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With Dragon Age: The Veilguard just around the corner, now might be the time to revisit the worl?d of Thedas and brush up on the ancient lore of the Chantry and the old gods that p??receded it.

If there's one thing BioWare always does in the superlative, it's worldbuilding. The world of Dragon Age, while certainly inspired by many fantasy works that came before it (including Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time—especially the latter) is sprawling with riveting stories, compelling charac??ters, and?? a fantastic history going thousands of years back.

Dragon Age has also?? branched out into other mediums over the years, comprising not only th??ree amazing games with dozens of hours of content, but also several books, more than ten comic series, a few tabletop games, and recently, an anime adaptation on Netflix.

But as we know, the beating heart of every great fantasy universe is in its books. Even Dragon Age, originally conceived as a video game series and despite taking full advantage of RPG elements to world-build, can't help but fall under the same enchantment. If you want lore and details, you'll have to inevitably approach the Dragon Age books and comics, and since most of them have been written by BioWare's own writers who also w??orked on the games, they are must-reads for ardent fans of Thedas.

Barring the two-volume World of Thedas, which is little more than a companion encyclopedia with entries detailing different characters, factions, countries, and events, here is every Dragon Age book and comic ranked worst to best.

All Dragon Age Books

There have been seven major books in the Dragon Age series, all of them canon. Some expand on the lore already established in the games, and some give fans much-needed context on the inner workings of Thedas and what goes on behind the scenes in this politically-charged high fantasy world. Here we’ve ranked them from wo??rst to best based on significance, the quality of the narrative, and the overall community reception.

7. Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown

We all know that Varric is an accomplished and best-selling author renowned across Thedas, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to read a book penned by him? Hard in Hightown expands on the character’s noir detective story found in the Dragon Age: Inquisition codex entries, and BioWare has also marketed the book as being written by Varric himself. The other contributing author is Mary Kirby, who worked in the studio from 2006 to 2023 and is credited for her writing chops in all four Dragon Age games, including the upcoming Veilguard.

6. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

The first novel by David Gaider as well as the first Dragon Age book, The Stolen Throne takes place before the events of Origins in the country of Ferelden. We follow the tale of the rebel queen Moira, who has just been assassinated through a plot orchestrated by the nobles in her court. Her son Maric escapes unharmed, and now with Ferelden under occupation by the Orlesian Empire, Maric has to fight for the revival of his nation with the help of Loghain, whom fans will recognize as one of the main characters in Origins. If you always found Loghain intriguing and were desperate to learn more about his past and motives, then The Stolen Throne is a must-read, even if it’s not exactly the best Dragon Age book out there.

5. Dragon Age: The Calling

Taking place eleven years after the events of The Stolen Throne, this is David Gaider’s second literary outing in the Dragon Age universe. The story chiefly revolves around the Grey Wardens, who had been exiled from Ferelden for 200 years, before King Maric revoked that ban and welcomed them back. ??The Grey Wardens come to the king’s court with dire news, however, of one of their rank escaping into the Deep Roads and aligning himself with the Darkspawn. The Grey Wardens ask the king to lead them through the Deep Roads, which he traversed years before, to save the kingdom from peril, little realizing the dangers that lurk in these uncharted dwarven territories.

4. Dragon Age: Asunder

The Mage-Templar War is one of the defining conflicts in the entire Dragon Age chronology, and it is explored in depth in Dragon Age: Asunder by David Gaider. This is arguably the author’s best novel in the series, and his nuanced storytelling, whether it be compelling character arcs or even a deft hand at weaving political intrigue together, shines in Asunder. Other than explaining in detail why the Seekers of Truth and the Circle of Magi broke off from the Chantry, the story also features Wynne, who is one of the fanbase’s favorite companions in Origins.

3. Dragon Age: Last Flight

Last Flight by Liane Merciel is arguably one of the best stories in the multi-media Dragon Age franchise. The narrative once again brings the Grey Wardens to the forefront. After the events of Origins, this ancient group of warriors are ??????????????????????????once again being hailed as heroes across Thedas. The Darkspawn has been driven under??ground and the threat of extinction has been snuffed out. Not all is well in the continent, however. A young elven mage named Valya, who has recently been recruited into the organization, is tasked with studying historical records to gain insight into previous Blights, research that leads her to question what she knows about the so-called heroic Grey Wardens and learn the truth about the fate of griffons.

2. Dragon Age: The Masked Empire

Trick Weekes wrote for the three Mass Effect games as well as Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and the forthcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The Masked Empire is a tie-in novelization for Dragon Age: Inquisition released in April 2014, and it deals with the Orlesian Civil War. The events of the novel paint a starkly different picture of Orlesian politics for fans, and many of you might end up regretting the decisions you made during Inquisition, or replaying the game so that you can change it. Some of the characters in The Masked Empire include Briala, Celene Empress of Orlais, Felassan, Gaspard de Chalon??s, and our own bard-turned-spymaster Leliana.

1. Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

Tevinter Nights is an anthology series written by nine different BioWare staff writers, and some fans already consider it to be a tie-in to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You’ll find many familiar faces in the course of reading this novel, which consists of fifteen short stories mostly set in the Tevinter Imperium, as well as other areas like Nevarra, Rivain, the Anderfels, Orlais, and the Free Marches. The novel also goes into events such as the Qunari invasion and Solas�?defection from the Inquisition. If you don’t want to bother with the rest of the Dragon Age books before The Veilguard, Tevinter Nights can thrust you back into the political and historical landscape of Thedas before the fourth main entry comes along.

All Dragon Age Comics

Dragon Age has maintained a steady and prominent line of comic strips since the release of Origins in 2009. Some might even argue that because Dragon Age is a video game, comics are an even more congruent medium for exp??ansion. There are close to a dozen comic book series in Thedas, and we’ve ranked them all in this list. Here are which publications you should prioritize before October 31.

8. Dragon Age: Until We Sleep

This three-issue comic series focuses on Varric and gives fans more insight into his past life. It is written by David Gaider and illustrated by Chad Hardin, featuring amazing artwork and a grim story that chooses BioWare’s own canon, meaning that in Until We Sleep’s timeline, Alistair is the king of Ferelden.

7. Dragon Age

There's something irresistibly charming about the first proper Dragon Age comic strip, which came out monthly in 2010 in six issues. The story expands on the lore already established in Origins, and deals with the inner workings of both the templar and mage orders in Thedas. The art style is very unique, perfectly fitting that dark aesthetic the franchise had going for itself back in the old days, even if there are also lore inconsistencies abound, something th??at eagle-eyed fans will no doubt pick up on with ease.

6. Dragon Age: Magekiller

Released in five issues from December 2015 to April 2016, Magekiller tells the story of Marius, the titular mage killer, and his handler Tessa Forsythia. It’s set during the events of Inquisition and centers around the rise of the Venatori cult. The art style is pretty neat, but for pacing issues as well as a shallow storyline, Magekiller often finds itself very low in the list of fan-favorite Dragon Age stories.

5. Dragon Age: Those Who Speak

Following the events of The Silent Grove, King Alistair continues to travel across Thedas to ?learn what happened to his father. On this journey, he's assisted by everyone's favorite pirate ?Isabela, and second-favorite novelist Varric Tethras. The journey is wrought with danger, but nothing that the trio can't handle, especially when you realize that they've been through worse than a band of cultists hindering their way.

4. Dragon Age: Wraiths of Tevinter

This is actually a compilation of three Dragon Age comic series released in a single volume. It includes Deception, Blue Wraith, and Dark Fortress, all involving the Tevinter Imperium to one degree or another. In Deception, we follow a failed actress turned con artist who targets the heir of a wealthy family in Tevinter. The second and third series are more closely linked, with the former dealing with a Qunari plot against Tevinter and featuring Fenris, and the latter starring her as the main character as she's joined by a band of Inquisition agents to assault a seemingly impregnable fortress. All great short stories in the sprawling Dragon Age universe.

3. Dragon Age: The Silent Grove

The first Dragon Age comic series to be published by Dark Horse, and arguably one of the best even now, The Silent Grove depicts the Alistair, Varric, Isabela trio in another era-defining adventure. The party travels to Antiva City, and there they attempt to stage a prison break, getting swept up in a tale that ends up unveiling one of the darkest secrets in the history of Thedas. The Silent Grove was originally published in 2012 in six issues.

2. Dragon Age: Knight Errant

What is a Dragon Age story without the universe's meta storyteller around to shake things up? Knight Errant is the tale of an elven thief named Vaea, who arrives in Kirkwall just in time to witness the appointment of its latest viscount, Varric Tethras. The artwork in Knight Errant is very enthralling, and you'll find yourself drawn to look at the pages even if you're not a fan of the story itself. Still, there have been theories in the community circles about Knight Errant possibly tying into The Veilguard, so the title is ??worth picking up for that reason alone.

1. Dragon Age: The Missing

The Missing directly ties into The Veilguard and features Varric Tethras and Lace Harding (who is going to be a companion in the upcoming game) as they descend into the Deep Roads in pursuit of Solas. We already know Solas and his shenanigans are going to play a huge part in The Veilguard, and The Missing not only serves as a story that bridges the gap between this fourth entry and Inquisition, but also a perfect primer to get you into the mood for some Dragon Age in November.

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The Witcher is now a multimedia franchise consisting of an extremely popular and acclaimed video game series and a live-action television adaptation by Netflix, but the story of Geralt traces its roots back to more than three decades a??go, and in book format, no less.

Reading the books is a must if you're a fan of The Witcher games. The Netflix show also doesn't do any of the stories justice by a long stretch, so forget everything you've seen from the Henry Cavill-led ensemble so far. Below are all The Witcher books ranked worst to best.

Warning: The following paragraphs contain spoilers ??for the overall plot of each book.

8. The Lady of the Lake (book 5)

The last book in The Witcher saga is arguably the worst-paced entry in the ?series. The writer seems to have given up on the idea of a satisfying conclusion halfway through, opting to depict a drawn-out battle between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms that doesn’t really have anything to do with the main story. Geralt is absent for most of t??he tale, and Ciri doesn’t experience any more palpable character growth. The ambiguous and open-ended nature of those final chapters is also something that many fans might find confusing or disappointing, especially since all it does in effect is make allusions to the Arthurian legend.

It's a great thing CD Projekt Red decided to continue Geralt’s tale in the video game trilogy because as far as satisfying endings go, The Lady of the Lake is subpar. That said, the final con?frontation between Geralt and Vilgefortz, and Ciri and Leo Bonhart, is always a joy to read, paying off 3 books worth of buildups in an explosive action sequence.

7. Season of Storms (prequel)

The reception to Season of Storms has always been mixed in the fandom. This spinoff prequel is set somewhere between The Last Wish and stars Geralt of Rivia as he takes on a contract with none of his conventional weapons at hand. Yennefer of Vengerberg is also a character in the story, but other than the familiarity of Geralt getting down to the task of hunting and killing monsters �?what he does best �?there isn’t much that makes Season of Storms stand out.

If you’re finished with the main saga and want to see a Geralt side quest with all of the usual charms of the series, then reading Seasons of Storm is recommended. Just go in expecting Andrzej Sapkowski’s prose and storytelling chops? to be a lit??tle flimsier than they usually are.

6. The Tower of Swallows (book 4)

The story of The Tower of Swallows mostly centers around Ciri, who is living a new life under the care of the Rats. The mercenary group is being tracked by a vicious killer named Leo Bonhart, who eventually finds and slaughters them all, taking Ciri as a prisoner. Geralt and Yennefer are st??ill looking the Continent over for Ciri, with the former’s hansa getting entangled in a war in Rivia and the latter confronting Vilgefortz but failing to overpower him.

The Tower of Swallows ends with Ciri reawakening her powers and besting the people who are looking to capture or kill her. She enters the mystical Tower of the Swallow and begins to travel across time and space, thus setting up the events of The Lady of the Lake. The story in th?is installment can feel dragged out at times, but the overall narrative is riveting in scale and rife with epic moments.

5. Blood of Elves (book 1)

The first book in the Witcher saga after the two collection of short stories, Blood of Elves begins with the entire Continent in upheaval over the destruction of Cintra and the death of Queen Calanthe. Ciri is undergoing Witcher training ??at Kaer Morhen under the guidance of Geralt, Vesemir, and the rest of the monster hunters when Triss Merigold arrives to help with the ward’s magical training. She learns that Ciri is a “Source,�?and asks Geralt to find her old flame Yennefer so that sh??e can properly train Ciri to control her powers.

The company sets out for the temple of Nenneke in Ellander, their forebodings reaching a treacherous degree as they learn that all is not well in the world, and a “time of contempt�?is nigh. Blood of Elves also marks the first time Ciri meets Yennefer, and the two develop a mother-daughter attachment. There’s political intrigue, there’s great action sequences, and there’s amazing character work in Blood of Elves, but most importantly of all, there’s a whole lot of Geralt badassery which fans of the saga will find most gratifying to read thro?ugh.

4. Baptism of Fire (book 3)

Baptism of Fire picks up the story after the disastrous events of the Thanedd coup, where Geralt was mortally wounded in his fight with Vilgefortz. Our main protagonist is recovering from his physical traumas in Brokilon Forest, but one of the great things about this turn of events is that he’ll nev?er be the warrior he used to be. Fantasy has always been about heroes who only grow in power, so having Geralt, once a mountain of resoluteness in the face of adversity, brought down to an almost broken warrior who needs to rely on the help of othe?rs, was a great twist for the character and his future in the world.

Baptism of Fire is the book where Geralt’s hansa forms for the first time, consisting of Dandelion, the archer Milva, the vampire Regis (whom you’ll recognize from the Blood & Wine ?DLC) and the ?Nilfgaardian who isn’t a Nilfgaardian named Cahir.

3. Time of Contempt (book 2)

This is my favorite book in the novel series, because the build-up of tension as soon as Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri walk? into Aretuza is done exquisitely well. It all boils over by the end of the novel, and every faction in the Northern Kingdom and beyond starts fighting with one another in a bid to take power, all orchestrated by Vilgefortz and Emhyr var Emreis.

It a??lso gives us more time with this unconventional family b?efore they’re separated until the end of the story. Having Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer interacting in the same space tugs at everyone’s heartstrings, making you shed tears for the things that could’ve been had Ciri been a normal child, Geralt an inconsequential player in the politics of the Continent, and Yennefer not a part of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

2. The Last Wish (anthology 1)

The Last Wish introduced the world to the story of Geralt, a stoic monster-h??unter with a proclivity for philosophizing unbidden. It introduced fans to the world of the Continent, where monsters roam freely and it is up to mutated warriors like Geralt to stop them from killing innocent people, the same people who would shun these protectors, calling them “freaks.�?Lastly, it introduced us to unforgettable characters like Julian Alfred Pankratz aka Dandelion and Yennefer of Vengerberg.

I believe Andrzej Sapkowski was at his best when he didn’t write elaborate narratives that span several books. Every short story in The Last Wish is self-contained and a joy to read, not to mention quite effective at building up this fictional w??orld and the character of Geralt as unforgett??able additions to fantasy literature.

1. Sword of Destiny (anthology 2)

The second batch of short stories featuring Geralt, Sword of Destiny introduces Ciri as Pavetta’s daughter (from “A Question of Price�?in The Last Wish) and knits her fate tightly together with her ward. The collection features some of the best and most emotionally potent stories from The Witcher world, like ��Shard of Ice�?dealing with Geral??t and Yennef?er’s strange bond, “A Little Sacrifice�?discussing the unrequited love of Essi Daven, and “Something More�?reuniting Geralt and Ciri at a time where they need each other the most.

It might not be much of a compliment to say Sapkowski peaked here, but it is nevertheless the bitter truth about The Witcher saga. This story was originally conceived as a series of interconnected short stories, and it’s no surprise to see it works best when ??it sticks to that formula.

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Mystery and romance are both bedrocks of fiction, but their?? combination gives rise to something that remains as of yet unbeaten in the entire history of literature.

Every great tale has a bit of romance in it. Every memorable story takes advantage of suspense and mystery to keep the readers hooked. And the two of them together turn out to be entirely too irresistible to bookworms all over the world. Whether it falls on you the reader to piece together the puzzle and divine the hidden truth of a tale or the writer to suddenly upend your expectations, the idea is to keep you on your toes throughout the narrative. As for romance, what is character dynamic and chemistry without a bit of sexual tension? Or a tinge of social apprehension and d??ysphoria?

From the beginning of the Romanticism movement in the 18th century, mystery romance has remained a potent and insightful storytelling tradition, and even now, it manages to steal hearts and rope in readers with as little as a simple enigmatic premise. So, in case you're itching for your next fiction mystery romance book, read ahead for some of our best picks, old and new, from across the literary timeline.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A highly acclaimed and revered young adult trilogy, followed by a standalone sequel, The Inheritance Games tells the story of Avery Grambs, who is suddenly bestowed with the immense fortune of a billionaire named Tobias Hawthorne. Avery has no idea why she was chosen, but she has to move to the Hawthorne mansion to claim this unexpected inheritance. The only problem is that the Hawthorne mansion is filled with secrets, mysteries, puzzles, and dangers, with Avery trying to uncover the truth and maneuver her way through Tobias�?disgruntled family—especially his four grandsons. Trust me when I say that you’ll never be bored with The Inheritance Games and its intricate plot, not to mention the layered romance sitting at the heart of the adventu?re.

Five Decembers by James Kestrel

One of the best books of the past decade, Five Decembers turned into an instant classic when it came out in 2017, largely thanks to Kestrel’s nuanced and atmospheric storytelling. You follow a detective called McGrady, who is investigating a brutal murder case at the height of World War II. McGrady’s story takes him to several regions in the war-torn world of the late �?0s, and amid all the horrors of the conflict that rages across different countries, he finds solace in the company of a female partner, with whom he develops a romantic relationship. Five Decembers is epic, mysteriou??s, and surprisingly rich, not only offering readers a gripping mystery thriller but also a profound historical study of the times.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Released at the height of gothic romance traditions of the 20th century, Rebecca is the story of an unmarried young woman who weds a widower called Maxim de Winter and moves into his great estate. The unnamed protagonist of our story soon learns that the Maxim estate is haunted by the master’s former wife, Rebecca, who died under mysterious circumstances. The narrator soon grows obsessed with Rebecca and the circumstances surrounding her death and struggles to learn the truth about the de Winter household, while simultaneously dealing with the tense dynamic she has with Maxim himself. Rebecca explores themes of identity and jealousy, with a boatload of suspense and twisting revelations added in for ?good measure.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This is admittedly a bit of an odd choice for this list, but the romance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—while uncomfortable and unconventional—is rooted in past trauma and complex power dynamics. You follow the tale of Mikael Blomkvist, a discredited journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant h??acker, as they come together to explore the mystery of Harriet’s vanishing, the niece of an old businessman who went mis??sing 40 years ago.

The author Stieg Larsson claimed that he got the inspiration for Lisbeth when he bore witness to a friend of his getting gang raped by three men. In his account, Larsson stood by and did nothing, which later wracked him with guilt. Later, one of Larsson’s colleagues revealed that the author only heard this tale second-hand, and then passed it off as his own. The truth of the matter remains ambiguous to date, but the fact does lend a lot of depth to the character of Lisbeth Salander as she ??develops a bond with Mikael and attempts to deal with past traumas.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The story of Big Little Lies takes place in an idyllic suburb in Australia. You follow three women—Jane, Celeste, and Madeline—whose children attend the same school. Each of them is dealing with their own personal struggles like domestic abuse, past trauma, and infidelity, and as the mysterious plot of Big Little Lies unravels around a sudden murder at the school, Jane, Celeste, and Madeline have to piece the puzzle together and learn the trut?h at the heart of this unlikely tale.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

One of the most popular mystery romance novels in recent memory, Then She Was Gone is about the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl named Ellie. Ten years later, Ellie’s mother Laurel is still grieving the loss of her little girl, when, unexpectedly, she meets a man named Floyd and is immediately attracted to him. Floyd has a 9-year-old daughter called Poppy, who bears a striking resemblance to Ellie. Meeting Poppy compels our main character to dig up old, unresolved traumas surrounding Ellie, and she begins to unravel a dark web of secrets at the heart of her life in a tension-filled narrative that explores them??es of love, loss, and closure.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

One of the greatest novels in the English language, and a timeless exploration of love and morality with a deep sense of social, religious, and class criticism embedded in its core, Jane Eyre is?? still one of my foremost picks when it comes to?? the romantic and Gothic traditions. But it also serves that the novel is a mysterious ride as the titular character tries to discern the true nature of Mr. Rochester, with whom she falls in love. Jane’s love burns hot and fierce, but is weighed down, alas, by the moral dilemmas involving Rochester’s past life.

You might assume that many trendy "romantasy" books of the past decade, buoyed up to an absurd degree thanks to social media and "BookTok," are a post-modern invention, but that would be a very reductive way of thinking about it. Many strong heroines of fiction trace their roots to works like Jane Eyre—as do many feminist undertones in literary traditions of the past century. The Brontë sis??ters we??re all about questioning gender roles and criticizing the social hierarchies of the Victorian era, but their work still remains a relevant and quintessential piece of social studies in our modern times.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Imaginative, poetic, and sensational. These are the best words to describe The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The 2011 romance fantasy novel has been compared to many classic works like Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman's Stardust because it involves magic, mysticism, and a fair bit of romance. The story follows a magical circus that appears without warning and only operates during the night. We follow a non-linear narrative centering around two young magicians, Celia and Marco, engaged in a high-stakes magical due?l. Their spells, illusions, and wondrous apparitions soon create chaos within the circus, trapping a cast of unforgettable characters in the midst of their shenanigans.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Diana Bishop teaches history of science at Yale University, and by all tokens, she's nothing but a reluctant scholar. Yet there's more to this heroine than meets the eye, even if she doesn't know it yet. Diana has magical powers, which she has suppressed after the death of her parents. One day, when conducting her research in Oxford, Diana comes upon an occult manuscript that reignites her powers and brings her to the attention of mythical and supernatural beings like demons and vampires. Among these monsters is Matthew Clairmont, who gets involved with Diana and eventually falls in love with her. A Discovery of Witches remains a timeless classic of the fantasy romance as well as the mystery romance gen??res.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I wonder if anyone regardless of the depth of their grasp of literature could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what genre Wuthering Heights belongs to. It’s certainly among the strangest works of fiction I’ve ever come across, and try as I might to divine all of its hidden meanings and allusions, it still eludes comprehension to a large degree. But as far as conventional wisdom allows, Wuthering Heights indeed belongs to the romantic traditio??n, and since the reader is suddenly thrust into the remote countryside of Yorkshire, England, and has to slowly unravel the mystery of Wuthering Heights, its peculiar Tennant's, and its eccentric ow??ner Mr. Heathcliff, it’s safe to presume that it belongs on this list as well.

Wuthering Heights is a haunting, grim tale of love, loss, and abuse. It underlines some of the darkest human tendencies, teaching us about class, prejudice, resentment, and the importance of a decent upbringing. It is poetic, yet brutal; It is romantic, yet cruel; It is mystifying, yet depressive. And it is, arguably, one of the best novels you could read in your lifetime. If you want to see the best and worst of humanity all in one tale, do yourself a favor and pick up Wuthering Heights.

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Most of the romantic literary tradition and its history are defined by will they/won't they relationships, but since the 21st century, authors have pushed the envelope a little further by incorporating more modern themes and interactions into their plots, and the result is books that aren't afraid to get a little up close and personal, pushing away the curtains, not mincing words, and having a bit of extra heat between the pages. You know the ??drill.

At the same time, there is quite a world of difference between so-called "smut" and romance novels that feature compelling characters and compelling narratives. Sure, they're not what you'd call high art, but the writers at least put in a bit of effort to make the guilty pleasure of reading them a little more palatable. To that end, here we 10 spicy romance novels you could pick up right now to scratch that particular itch and not feel like you've wasted hours reading g??arbage.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Arguably one of the best historical fantasy book series of all time, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon centers around a 20th-century British nurse called Claire Randall. Visiting the Scottish Highlands with her husband after the conclusion of World War II, Claire acciden?tally travels back in time to the 18th century and has to traverse?? a hostile world where the rules of engagement are much different from the brutal frontlines of the global conflict.

The romantic bond between Claire and Jamie Fraser, a Highlander from the 18th century, shapes most of the Outlander series, and its narrative, ultimately a tale of love and passion (Gabaldon doesn’t mince words when it comes to spicy scenes), also deals with real-world history, social criticism, and many philosophical and timeless human dilemmas. You could always opt to watch the television series by Starz, acclaimed in its own right, but Gabaldon's prose and characterization in the book are unrivaled by her contemporaries. If we were to write the best blurb for Outlander, this would be ??it: A book series for se??rious literature consumers who don't mind a little bit of steam now and again.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Let's admit it, you knew we would start the list with this one. A Court of Thorns and Roses may start timidly, but by the end of the first novel, Feyre Archeron’s exploits in the otherworldly court will take o??n a much more mature tone. And by that, we mean Sarah J. Maas will dial up the spice factor to eleven and make you blush like you never have when reading a fantasy book. By the time you reach the second and third books, you begin to expect steamy scenes whenever characters so much as share the same space for a brief second.

What sets A Court of Thorns and Roses apart from many other contemporaries and latent clones is that readers might actually find the story engaging, the characters interesting, and the world intricate in its design. I’m of the unpopular opinion that more than 90% of “romantasy�?these days consists of barely ramshackle, make-shift stories that are just an excuse to write and consume smut. A Court of Thorns and Roses, while admittedly formulaic ?and sometimes uninspired, at least tries to be more than the sum of its parts. And for that, Sarah J. Maas deserves some measure of respect, if no?t acclaim.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The prized child of BookTok and its controversial community, Fourth Wing is probably one of the most popular books in the market right now. The story revolves around a heroine named Violet Sorrengail, and takes place in a fictional fantasy world where there’s a military school for dragon riders. Violet has trained her entire life to b??????????????????????????e a scholar, mostly because of her physical ailments (which roughly mirror Ehlers–Danlos syndromes), but ?when fate thrusts her into the titular Fourth Wing, under the command of one Xaden Riorson, she has to navigate a treacherous world hell-bent on destroying her life.

And yes, if you’re wondering about the spice level, let’s just say that it’s definitely up there with some other showboating names featuring graphic intimate scenes. A sequel, Iron Flame, was released in October 2023, and a threequ??el is planned for r??elease next year.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

I wasn’t entirely sure about including The God of Small Things in this list. The novel is not your typical spicy teen romance, but rather deals with important and sensational themes like love, loss, societal restrictions, and the devastating impacts of colonialism. That being said, there are many heartfelt and heart-rending moments in The God of Small Things, sprinkled in between with intimate scenes that bring us closer to these characters and make us feel the depth of their human emotions. The God of Small Things follows?? the tale of fraternal twins in Kerala, India, who have to deal with casteism and the ridiculous “love laws�?prevalent in India at that time.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The first book in the so-called Bridgerton series, now one of the most-watched shows on Netflix, The Duke and I is a historical romance taking you to the? height of the Regency era. Explore the inner workings of the London high society during social seasons, where the cream of the crop of the great f?amilies interact with each other hoping to find a match that not only elevates their status but also makes them a truly respectable member of the queen’s coterie.

The steamy scenes in The Duke and I are written tastefully, and the story itself is a study of relationships and what makes them work, as opposed to a searchlight that only underscores our throes of sensuality. If you want romance and spice and real-world history all in one book, then pick up the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn.

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

You’ve pr?obably read or watched this story a thousand times. Hannah is a smart, driven girl who wants to get her crush's attention, but feels ill-equipped to the task. Garrett Graham, on the ?other hand, is charming and charismatic, and just the guy she needs to teach her the ropes when it comes to this stuff. Garrett is failing his classes, so he asks Hannah to help him in exchange for some much-needed lessons in the art of seduction. 

Well, go ahead and roll your eyes. I know you want to. There’s no denying that The Deal is a rom-com plot exhausted to the point of ridicule, leaving practically no room for any novelty, but there’s something charming about the way Elle Kennedy has written The Deal. You know what’s going to happen; you can see every twist coming your way from a mile away, and yet you can’t help but read on. And yes, the steamy sc?enes ??are every bit as juicy as you might imagine, unlike a lot of other rom-coms out there �?especially in the cinematic medium �?that tend to play it safe.

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Jennifer L. Armentrout usually gets lumped in with A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing, but compared to her, those two books come off as rather bashful. The story follows a Maiden named Poppy, destined for greatness from an early age, but also destined to be lonely, “never to be touched, never to be looked upon, never to be spoken to.�?Poppy has a free spirit, however, and despite the responsibility of serving her people, she eventually breaks free of her bonds with the help of a dashing member of her guard named Hawke. From Blood and Ash has numerous spicy scenes in the narrative, and things only? get more graphic as you progress through the book series.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

If you want a steamy romance novel with that nostalgic college aura, then look no further than Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. The story follows Anastasia, who gets a scholarship at the University of California and joins the figure skating team. Anastasia is doing her best to join Team USA, but her life is upended when she meets Nate, a member of the ice hockey team. Ana and Nate are paired up for a project, and from there blooms a very unlikely romance, filled with intense moments and extremely steamy and explicit interactions. The affair is a bit of a slow burn, but the characters themselves are written extremely well, turning Icebreaker into something of a p?age-turner despite its u?nconventional length.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

The first book in the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas, the story centers around a girl named Bryce Quinlan, half-fae half-human, who lives in Midgard. When Bryce’s closest friends are murdered, she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous investigation that thrusts her into the underbelly of Crescent City. House of Earth and Blood garnered a lot of acclaim when it came out in 2020. As for the so-called “spice levels,�?it’s safe to say that the graphic scenes find themselves a level above A Court of Thorns and Roses, and there are quite a few of them in?? the first book.

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

Call Me by Your Name follows 17-year-old Elio Perlman in a coming-of-age tale that deals with such themes as desire, identity, and the intense feeling of infatuation over the course of a summer as Elio comes in contact with the 24-year-old Oliver. With all of these stories, it’s not so much about the graphic details of the intimate encounters as it is about the build-up and the compelling characterization that undermines them. Call Me by Your Name, now also an acclaimed movie headlined by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, does this in a sublime fashion, leaving audiences heartbroken and shattered, and reminiscing about thei??r own young life and the intense feelings that defined it.

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Is the?? endless catalog of recommendations on Kindle Unlimited giving you a headache too? Do you wish to know what so?me of the most well-read romance books on the platform are, without having to scroll down and read review after review to make a choice? In that case, we've got just the list you need.

From mysterious libraries that hold the secret of the universe to the world of faeries and even modern Oakland, California, here ?are the best romanc??e novels on Kindle Unlimited.

The Lost Bookshop

While the romance in The Lost Bookshop is ever subtle and never takes up the spotlight, Evie Woods�?acclaimed novel ??wouldn’t have worked without it. This is a story of magical realism, historical fiction, and the bonds of love and understanding between human beings, tied together with a self-conscious string that goes back to the so-called lost bookshop, where rare literary items can change the lives of the people who pick them up. The story is set in two timelines; one after World War I and featuring Opaline, who runs away to France and starts?? working in a bookshop and meets famous real-life writers like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, and the other in the modern day and featuring two characters, Henry and Martha, whom fate brings to the city of Dublin, where Opaline ultimately ended up.

The Serpent & the Wings of Night

The story follows Oraya, who is the adopted hum??an daughter of a vampire king. Since her early years, Oraya has learned to survive in a harsh world that sees her as only prey. She is cunning and strong, but fo??r all of her steadfastness, Oraya needs to prove herself by being more than just a trophy princess. That’s why she decides to enter a deadly tournament called the Kenari, organized by the goddess of death herself, Nyaxia. 

In a literary scene filled with generic, cliche garbage that seems to perpetually repeat itself with no daring strides towards anything resembling novelty, a book like The Serpent & the Wings of Night should be cherished. For while this may have ??the premise of your typical “romantasy,�?the characters go through a compelling arc, and the steamy sce?nes are tastefully written.

Icebreaker

One of the most popular BookToks in the last few years, Icebreaker centers around Anastasia Allen, who has worked her entire life to become a famous figure skater. She finally experiences a measure of breakthrough by getting a scholarship at the University of California, but things start to go awry when she meets the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins. Icebreaker is a very, very, very slow burn when it comes to romance, and ?the book is on the lengthy side, but if you find that premise compelling enough and want to see what the fuss is really about, then reading this sensational debut by Hannah Grace is a must. 

Bounded by Thorns

A romantasy parody of the timeless Beauty and the Beast tale, Bounded by Thorns follows the tale of Rosalina as she wanders into the realm of the fae in search of his father and ends up getting imprisoned in a palace occupied by several princes who turn into beasts at night. The romance is a slow burn, there are love triangles abound, and the dark themes remind readers of grim fairy tales. If you’ve always wondered what Beauty and the Beast with a bit of steam would look like �?or as the kids these days call it, “spice�?�?then Bounded by Thorns will be able to scratch that particular itch.

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King)

Elspeth Sindle needs a monster to survive in the harsh, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder. One Dark Window, being the first book in The Shepherd King series by Rachel Gillig, blends magic, romance, and politica??l intrigue in a book that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat from the first few chapters to the end. Elspeth meets a highwayman who happens to be the king’s own nephew, accused of high treason and in command of the most nefarious men in Blunder, but as they journey together to save the realm from the treacherous magic that besets it, their personal lives intertwine in a most unexpected way.

The Cruel Prince

If you’re looking for a proper and compelling romantasy book that isn’t just a cheap excuse to write spicy content, then you should definitely pick up The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. In the first book in a trilogy called The Folk of the Air, you follow Jude and her two sisters, human girls who get taken to the world of the faerie when their parents are killed. Jude was 7 years old when it happened, and now, 10 years later, she wants nothing more than to fit into this new world of magic and intrigue despite her mortality. Complex characters, unexpected twists, and themes of identity and character have all turned The Cruel Prince into a classic of the burgeoning romantasy genre.

Things We Never Got Over

Now the story of this next novel on the list is a bit of a strange pitch. Things We Never Got Over tells the story of Naomi, who runs away from her own wedding to the rescue of her estranged twin living in Virginia. And that’s not even th?e strangest bit. Naomi’s twin, who is a bit of a jerk ??in all the right ways, steals her sister’s car and leaves her in that middle-of-nowhere town with a surprise�?a surprise niece. Now, Naomi is stuck in a town with no car, no home, and an 11-year-old to take care of, and to complicate things even further we have Knox, who has to help Naomi out of this situation despite his better judgment. 

Things We Never Got Over is one of the most-read books on Kindle Unlimited, so give it a go if you’re into ??modern urban romance books.

Fourth Wing

The reputation of Fourth Wing precedes its name. “That TikTok book�?is probably all any of us need to recognize the speaker is talking about Rebecca Yarros�?2023 best-seller. While many serious readers might be on the fence about giving this one a go, let’s make a case for why you shouldn’t simply disregard Fourth Wing as a book that for one r??eason or another simply managed to c?rash the center stage.

The inundated romantasy genre is filled with novels that are an exact replica of what came before them. Just swap the character names, use a different element for your magic system, come up with a generic name for a generic fictional world where your story takes place, and voilà! You’ve got yourself the next romantasy hit. Fourth Wing, on the other hand, features a world of dragon riders and a military scho??ol and hardly falls i?n the same category.

This is the story of Violet, a girl who has grown up working to be a clerk, but is suddenly thrust into a military wing of the Basgiath War College. What makes Violet unique and perhaps iconic is the fact that suffers from a disease approximating the Ehlers–Danlos syndrom?e, which makes her trials all the more difficult to bear and overcome.

Spark of the Everflame

While this list is full of powerful heroines who undergo journeys of self-discovery, Spark of the Everflame is a book series that takes the concept to its zenith. We follow Diem Bellator, whose mother suddenly disappears, compelling her to seek the Descended, the rulers of the world, and learn the truth about her existence. The four-book series is a slow-burn romance that fans of Sarah J. Maas�?A Court of Thorns and Roses and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash will find particularly captivating.

Heart of the Fae

Now I’ll admit, I only picked up this book because I loved the cover art, but Heart of the Fae ended up being a pleasant surprise in terms of narrative and characters, blending elements from Beauty and the Beast with Irish mythology to give you a depiction of the world of the fae and will-o�?the-wisps in a vivid and relatable manner. Frankly, we couldn’t move on from faeries and this tired, worn trope any sooner, but I was willing to make an exception for Heart of the Fae and you should too.

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As th??e conversation in literary circles moves more toward current trends in the so-called "BookTok" community, it's becoming harder and harder to make a to-be-read list that includes great works from the classical catalog, or even more modern lite??rature.

While you could argua?bly spend countless hours with these romantasy novels and fast food books and be thoroughly entertained, most of them tend to leave something to be desired when it comes to a lasting impact on your worldview or thought process.

That's why we've decided to make this list of some of the great works of fiction to read in your 20s and be moved not only by the power of their evocative th??emes but also by the sheer grace of their literary form.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

No writer in history has managed to capture the human condition in the nuanced and dumbfounding way that Leo Tolstoy does, and the best example of this mastery is Anna Karenina, often hailed as one of the greatest works of fiction in history. Similar to many contemporary Russian authors, Tolstoy’s prose is sharp and to the point whil?e also containing a myriad of different meanings and implications, all driving home his desire to explore profound themes like faith, family, the various kinds of love and commitment, and the follies of a society whose future stands upon the brink.

Reading Anna Karenina in your early 20s is an experience that might just transform the way you look at the w?orld and its history. It also makes you regret all the complexity of human expression and thought that we’ve lost in our fast-paced modern lives.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Many rightly consider The Catcher in the Rye to be about teenage angst, but the story’s complex structure makes it therapeutic for more than just adolescents. We follow the story of Holden Caulfield, who has just been expelled from his secondary school for failing all his grades except English. Disillusioned with what he thought he knew of life and society, Holden now has to navigate a treacherous world that he finds alien. The Catcher in the Rye deals with isolation, rebellion, sexuality, and identity, and its short length? makes it a perfect read for people who have yet to find catharsis after life has abruptly pulled the rug from under their feet.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy might be most renowned for The Road, but if it’s introspection that you’re looking for –and deep philosophical themes that underpin the very nature of the human society we currently live in �?then Blood Meridian is the book you need to pick up as soon as possible. The story follows the journey of “the Kid,�?who gets entangled with a group of savage scalp hunters massacring American Indians, first out of a twis??ted sense of pleasure, then with a nihilistic passivity.

Just be warned that the violence in Blood Meridian is stark and grotesque, but the profound musings on fate, free will, and the nature of evil more than make up for the disturbing reading experience. The intricate portrayal of the American frontier, aka the Wild West, is also a huge selling point for Blood Meridian.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, these days most commonly found under the title of The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, is the most profound short story by Leo Tolstoy. We follow the tale of a respected judge who live??s a comfortable and somewhat luxu??rious upper-middle-class life in 19th-century Russia. For Ivan Ilyich, what is right is what is decent and beautiful and conformist, but all of that changes when he learns that he is soon to die. The last months of Ivan Ilyich’s life are spent in arrant suffering, with him musing over the meaninglessness of his life.

This short story packs a heavy punch, leaving you contemplating your life. It’s about how the expediencies of social existence make automatons of us all and strip us of our sense of moral integrity. Most importantly, however, it’s about the one truth in life that no one can ever argue: The unjustifiable violation �?as Simone de Bea??uvoir woul??d say �?called death.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

One of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time, The Left Hand of Darkness follows the tale of Genly Ai, who visits the planet of Gethen as an envoy of a confederation of planets. Genly is tasked with persuading the pe?oples of Gethen to join the confederation, but his efforts are hindered when he learns that the Ge?then live in an ambisexual society. 

Great worldbuilding, fantastic character work, and Le Guin’s usual flowing, beautiful prose are only a few strengths that make The Left Hand of Darkness stand out among a sea of other contemporary works in the genre. It also remains the most thoughtful examination of? androgyny in all of speculative literature, which, given the literary tradition’s amazing strides in these matters, is saying quite a lot.

The Stand by Stephen King

Stephen King doesn’t frequent the fantasy genre, and indeed, apart from The Dark Tower and The Stand, you’d be hard-pressed to f?ind elements of the so-called epic or high fantasy in his works. While the?? former is a great read and one of the best the genre has to offer, the latter is arguably one of the top three novels in King’s entire bibliography. 

The Stand takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has wiped out 99% of humanity. When the survivors emerge, they’re enigmatically drawn towards two opposite forces of good and evil: one represented by Mother Abigail, kindly and sacrificial, and one represented by Randall Flagg, charismatic but sinister and deceitful. These two factions then fight the ultimate battle of good versus evil to decide the fate of the world�?what remains of it, anyway. If you think that premise is too cliche to bother with, then ignore the thought completely and read The Stand anyway; you won’t be disappointed.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Most of you have probably sat through the story of Les Misérables in one medium or another. Whether it was one of the dozens of movie or television ?adaptations, the widely acclaimed musical play, or even a radio drama, Victor Hugo’s timeless tale is a part of the very fabric of our cultural and literary experience.

And yet, reading the unabridged novel is an experience unlike any other. If you’re a fan of Les Misérables and all the innumerable human motifs it explores through its ambitious narrative, then do yourself a favor and buy the book. It may be a bit on the lengthy side, but the journey is well worth undertaking. Every person should read Les Misérables at some point in ??????????????????????????their lives, and at no point will it ??leave such a profound and lasting effect as the early years of adulthood.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Ever found yourself in an existentially induced state of panic? Do you spend countless nights staring at the ceiling of your bedroom, wondering about your purpose in the universe? About who you are and what you’re supposed to do? About what it all means? Well, you may never find a definitive answer to your questions out there, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy can at lea??st give you the satisfaction of a superb perspective on this absurd, terrifying t?hing we call the human experience.

The book is witty, satirical, and deeply profound, dealing with themes of existential dread, the randomness of everything, and the nature of the human proclivity for learning. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is now a cornerstone of sci-fi literature, having influenced hundreds of other stories after its debut. This is a book that you need to read, then re-read, an?d re-read, and then re-read again and again, ??if for nothing other than pondering the true depth of the number 42. (If you know, you know.)

1984 by George Orwell

In this postmodern age, some people tend to take the infamous “Big Brother is watching you!�?to the extreme, painting every aspect of society and its governance in the light of conspiracy theories. But what I find even more worrisome than conspiracy theorists are those who accept everything they’re told without even questioning it. And to those, what I often end up recommending is George Orwell’s 1984.

This terrifying dystopian narrative depicts a totalitarian regime that exercises absolute control over the lives and minds of its citizens. We follow Winston Smith, who works for the Ministry of Truth, designated to alter historical records to fuel the propaganda machine of the governing?? party, and thus allow them to rewrite the truth as they see fit. Smith slowly becomes disillusioned with the manipulation of truth, mi??suse of surveillance, and the abject authoritarian nature of his society, but Big Brother isn’t going to let go of him that easily.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

There are books that define human history. There are books that influence literary genres and artistic traditions as a whole. There are even books that end up inspiring many famous authors for generations to come. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a novel that does all of this, and then? some.

This is a philosophical tale that discusses such ideas as God, faith, free will, morality, and guilt in such a somber manner that you can’t help but be fascinated by Dostoevsky’s creation. Most great writers and thinkers of the 20th century were in one way or another influenced by The Brothers Karamazov, a long list that includes names like Martin Heidegger, Virginia Woolf, Cormac McCarthy, Sigmund Freud, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, and even Albert Einstein, who famously said: “Dostoevsky gives me more than any scientist. The Brothers Karamazov is the most wonderful book that I have ever laid my hands on.�?/p>

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Taking place during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath is about a family of farmers from Oklahoma who get displaced due to the economic collapse and the changing ways of the agriculture industry. The family sets out for California in search of a brighter future, and the trials they face during this perilous road, along with thousands of other Oklahomans, shape the timeless story of The Grapes of Wrath. 

There are many biblical and religious allusions in the novel and the critique of economic inequality and social injustice is a thought-pr??ovoking study of systemic oppression. But what’s amazing about all of this is Steinbeck’s wonderful prose, which captures the resilience of the human spirit in a most hopeful way.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens at his best. Taking place in London and Paris at the height of the French Revolution, we follow the tale of Dr. Alexandre Manette, who has just been released from prison after 18 yea?rs of unjust confinement. He leaves France for England and is reunited with her daughter Lucie, whereupon the two attempt to build a new life. Meanwhile, we have two other characters in the form of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, a F?rench aristocrat and a self-destructive English lawyer, respectively, who both fall in love with Lucie.

Few works of fiction have managed to reach quite the same heights as A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The author’s poe?tic prose, combined with themes of sacrifice and redemption, has turned this into one of the best-selling novels in history.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Taking place in the segregated American South in the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird follows Jean Louise Finch and her father, Atticus Finch, an honorable lawyer,? who takes on the case of a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. 

The unparalleled social commentary on racism and racial inequality has turned To Kill a Mockingbird into one of the most profound novels in history, but while the story deals wi??th grave issues like race and sexual assault, the tenderness of this small cast of characters, especially Atticus Finch? himself, and the stark contrast it draws with the rest of the community makes it a truly spectacular read.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Dorian Gray is a vain man, but his opinion of himself is further exaggerated when his friend Basil, who is in awe of Dorian’s beauty, draws a portrait of him. Through Basil, Dorian also comes in contact with Lord Henry Wotton, whose hedonistic worldview leaves an impression on Dorian. The main character, ?realizing that his beauty will one day fade, then wishes that he remain young forever while his portrait takes on the toll of his age. The wish is granted, and Dorian is enthralled by hedonism and moral corruption. He remains unchanged outwardly, but his portrait records every one of his sins.

A classic of Gothic literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde once again paints a vivid word picture of this most inherent struggle of hum??anity with time, ag??e, and death.

Faust by Goethe

Faust isn’t just a character but a literary and storytel?ling tra??dition unto himself. This dramatic work by the greatest German writer and poet, Goethe, is told in two parts, dealing with how Faust, a successful yet disillusioned intellectual, sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly delights.

Faust remains a crowning achievement of Western literature and a work that, in time, has influenced dozens of other authors and hundreds of other stories and character studies. It doesn’t get any more intellectually intricate, lyrically beautiful, or symbolically rich than Goethe’s Faust.

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In the many decades since its publication, there have been dozens of different Lord of the Rings editions, but some of them remain a?bsolute must-haves for diehard J.R.R. Tolkien fans.

From gorgeous paperbacks to iconic hardcovers, these are some of the best Lord of the Rings box sets and deluxe editions you could treat yourself to or buy for?? your closest friends.

10. The Lord of the Rings (William Morrow 1988 edition)

This hardcover edition of The Lord of the Rings, first published in 1988, has beautiful artwork and comes with folded maps of Middle-earth. You may find small errors in the text throughout, as this is not the most error-proof Lord of the Rings box set ou??t there, but there's something extremely charming about the cover art that will no doubt compel many people to go for this print.

9. The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit (HarperCollins 2017 edition)

This box set features hardcover editions of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The smaller size, similar to many mass-market books, might appeal to those who wish to take their books everywhere. And indeed, all four of these could easily fit in your small bag or even your pocket. The only downside is that the font is incredibly small, and the papers are a bit thin, which means you'll get a bit of ghosting from the pages. That said, the minimalistic cover art is absolutely irresistible, not to mention The Hobbit cov?er artwork by Tolkien himself is gorgeous and authentic to his own vision of what the?? story should project.

8. The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit (Mariner paperback)

Now this is what I'd refer to as my Lord of the Rings workhorse reading copy. The cover of the first book features a circular outline alluding to the Rings of Power and the Eye of Sauron. The second book features the Two Towers, Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Sun, and Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon. The third book features the emblem of Gondor, drawn in gorgeous detail. If you want a handy Lord of the Rings?? box set that you can read aga??in and again with ease, then you can't go wrong with this version.

7. The Lord of the Rings (Clarion 2020 box set)

This is a fairly new addition to the ever-growing collection of Tolkien box sets out there, but it's steadily going up in our list of all-time favorite Lord of the Rings prints. While most Tolkien books feature minimalistic artwork or, at best, Alan Lee's naturalistic watercolors, the Clarion set introduces a modern take on the trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring entertains the gorgeous art of a Ringwraith, while The Two Towers shows the art of Barad-dur in all of its terrifying gloom. The Return of the King features Aragorn's re-forged Anduril, and all three boast J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic signature at the top. If you want to introduce a new friend to The Lord of the Rings, this is the box set you should buy for them.

6. The Lord of the Rings (illustrated by the author Deluxe edition)

Frankly, I don't know why anyone would buy this unless they're a huge Lord of the Rings fan. This deluxe edition from 2022 is gigantic, but the great thing about its design is that it reminds you of The Red Book of Westmarch, which is the in-universe book containing the accounts of both the stories of Bilbo?? and Frodo. There are also 30 color illustrations from Tolkien as he was composing his epic magnum opus. The deluxe hardcover further includes two removable maps drawn by Christopher?? Tolkien, which feature Middle-earth and its various regions in detail. Be forewarned, though; This isn't a book you hold in your hand and read. This is a book you ever so rarely pick up from your shelf to admire. So, if you have a dear friend or family member who is a huge Tolkien fan, getting this would make them the happiest person in the entire geekdom.

5. The Lord of the Rings (illustrated by the author hardback edition)

Another somewhat deluxe Lord of the Rings edition you could get is the 2021 hardcover by William Morrow. The red, black, and gold engravings on the cover are a joy to drink in, but what makes this print truly unique is the Ring-inscription in Tengwar, painted on a fully red fore-edge. This version also includes the author's paintings and is overall easier to use or read. J.R.R. Tolkien always intended The Lord of the Rings to be published under a single volume, and I do not doubt that he would've ??been proud of this if he were around to see it.

4. The Lord of the Rings (2013 slipcased and illustrated edition)

It is uncanny how much I love this particular edition of The Lord of the Rings, made complete with Alan Lee's gorgeous illustrations. The blue spine, featuring the names of the three volumes as well as a circular engraving of the One Ring inscription, is aesthetically pleasing, while the iconic painting of Frodo and Sam approaching the Black Gate graces the front with no other appendage. The illustrations inside are high quality, and the font size is just right. I don't know how to quite put it, but this edition somehow brings to mind what a definitive Bible-esque version of The Lord of the Rings would look like.

3. The Lord of the Rings (2014 hardcover box set)

While this 2014 hardcover box set may not be the best Lord of the Rings edition objectively, I'd say it has the most gorgeous-looking covers in the book's entire publication history. The covers are edited versions of the older HarperCollins editions, but it's exactly those small details that make everything infinitely better. That is especially true of The Return of the King, which has received the biggest refinements. The papers are also extremely thin, making the books all the more easier to handle. Last but not least, this box set comes with the acclaimed Reader's Companion, w?hich goes from chapter t?o chapter, examining the structure and the behind-the-scenes process of their evolution.

2. The Lord of the Rings (2020 HarperCollins illustrated edition)

While I'm strongly partial to the 2014 hardcover set (with the Reader's Companion) and the 2013 slipcased edition, if someone were to ask me what's the all-time great Lord of the Rings box set, I'd point them to the 2020 HarperCollins illustrated editions, featuring Alan Lee's gorgeous art on the covers. This is essentially similar to the illustrated one-volume versions, with the exception that they've now been divided into three again. The font and page layout are stunning, and the artwork really takes you into the world. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more spectacular and attention-grabbing cover than Lee's art for Rivendell (on The Fellowship), Frodo approaching Cirith Ungol (on The Two Towers), and the Battle of Pelennor Fields (on The Return) not to mention good old Bilbo Baggins lounging in Bag End on The Hobbit.

1. The Lord of the Rings (50th-anniversary Deluxe edition)

If you're looking for a one-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings that's actually practical to read and use regularly, then the 50th-anniversary deluxe edition by William Morrow is your best bet. The cover is somewhere between a paperback and a hardcover, and the binding has been designed in a way to make the experience of opening the book and leafing through it as comfortable as possible. But what ultimately appeals to me about this edition, besides the fact that it includes all three volumes and the appendices while also being handy, is the beautiful, minimalistic grey cover. Out of all the different editions of The Lord of the Rings, t??his one feels the least showy and the most Tolkien-y I've come? across, if that makes any sense.

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The 2000s gave us the Shrek movies and a ton of nu-metal bands, but I t??hink the deca??de managed to redeem itself with its literature.

It’s hard to say wha?t the canon will look like a hundred years from now, but I’m willing to bet several of these books manage to stand the test of time. Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic re-read or trying to go back for something you missed, here’s a book that still holds up from each year of the aughts.

House of Leaves - 2000

Picking a favorite book is an impossible task, but if I had to do it, I’d pick House of Leaves. The debut novel from Mark Z. Danielewski is still arguably his best work, and it’s truly unlike any other book you’ll encounter in your life. House of Leaves is part critical film analysis, part drug diary, and part horror story. The bulk of the nove??l follows a family whose lives are t??orn apart when they discover their house has an infinite labyrinth of dark hallways inside of it, but their story is really only the beginning of the terror. 

American Gods - 2001 

American Gods is a sprawling fantasy novel written by Neil Gaiman. The story follows an ex-convict named Shadow who, after being released from jail, gets a jo??b as a bodyguard. The only problem is that Shadow doesn’t know his new boss is secretly the god Odin and that a whole range of mystical and mythological figures ?are struggling for power all across America. Shadow soon finds himself fighting for his life as he struggles to figure out the nature of the plot he’s been pulled into. 

Middlesex - 2002

Jeffrey Eugenides�?moving novel is a coming-of-age story about Cal (Calliope) Stephanides, who was born intersex and raised as a girl. Cal’s story actually begins long before their birth, however, and the novel travels back to 1922 to explain how Cal’s grandfather immigrated to the United States. Middlesex is a phenomenal example of an intergenerational ?story, but it also has one of the most m??emorable protagonists of the aughts. 

Oryx and Crake - 2003

The only thing you really need to know about Oryx and Crake to know it’s worth reading is that it was written by Margaret Atwood. The book is actually the beginning of a trilogy about a post-apocalyptic world and the end of humanity. In typical Atwood fashion, Oryx and Crake is a great read for anyone who loves entertaining genre fiction, but there’s also something here for people who want a deeper examination of themes like love, ??gender, and the dangers of medical technology. 

How I Live Now - 2004

How I Live Now is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel by Meg Rosoff that was adapted into a 2013 movie starring Saoirse Ronan as the protagonist, D??aisy. Just as a third world war is beginning to break out, Daisy is sent away to live with her aunt in the UK. There, she falls in love with a boy named Edmond, but before their relationship can take off, the country collapses, and soldiers seize the property where Daisy’s aunt lives, forcing her to fight for her own survival at all costs. 

Never Let Me Go - 2005

With Never Let Me Go, author Kazuo Ishiguro crafted one of the most emotionally devastating sci-fi novels of all time. The novel is set in an alternate version of the 1990s, where human clones are mass-produced and harvested for their organs. The protagonist is Kathy, a woman who spent her childhood at a boarding school for clones and grew up to be a caretaker providing a kind of hospice care to clones who are kept alive until they’ve donated so many organs they can’t survive. Like the best sci-fi, Never Let Me Go puts the characters at ??the forefront, and after reading the book, you won’t be able to forget them. 

Fun Home - 2006 

Fun Home is the only comic on this list, but it more than earns its spot. Drawn and written by Alison Bechdel, the book was published in 2006 and became a smash success. Fun Home is a memoir about Bechdel’s childhood and relationship with her father that also doubles as a sto??ry about her coming to terms with her own gender and?? sexuality. The book is equal parts moving and hilarious, which is exactly why it worked so well when it was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2015. 

A Thousand Splendid Suns - 2007

Khaled Hosseini is best known for writing The Kite Runner, but I’d argue that A Thousand Splendid Suns is an even better novel. The book is set in the city of Herat and follows two women, Miriam and Laila, struggling to find their p??lace in the world. As a young woman, Miriam is forced to marry a much older man named Rasheed. more than a decade later, Rasheed also marries Laila, their young neighbor. The two women are brought together unwillingly, but their relationship changes their lives fore??ver. 

The Hunger Games - 2008

The Hunger Games is emblematic of the fascination the 2000s had with dystopian fiction. Pl??enty of the dystopian novels released during that decade don’t hold up, but surprisingly, The Hunger Games really does. Say what you want about the sequels, but Suzanne Collins’s original vision of a TV-obsessed world being ruled by a violent fascist government feels every bit as prescient today as it did nearly 20 years ago. 

The Help - 2009

Kathryn Stockett’s The Help made such an impact when it was first published in 2009 that two years later, we got a film adaptation starring Viola Davis, Olivia Spencer, and Emma Stone. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s and follows three women from d??ifferent walks of life. Aibileen and Minny are maids who work for wealthy white families, and Eugenia “Skeeter�?is an aspiring writer who starts looking into the disappearance of another maid named Constantine and makes some shocking discoveries.

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Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker’s dark anthology series, is returning for its seventh in 2025. Netflix is sharing more details on t?he season as part of its Geeked Week, and they’re very exciti??ng for long-time viewers.

Black Mirror has been a personal favorite since season one, and the series alwa??ys shoots straight to the top of the “most watched�?list on Netflix whenever a new season air??s. Although we don’t have a confirmed release date yet, we do know a little more of what to expect, and who’s making an appearance among the cast of season 7.

Sequels, the final frontier

First and foremost, just to get this out of the way right now, "USS Callister" is indeed getting a much-hoped-for sequel episode in season 7. Although no details have been given, Brooker and the creative team behind Black Mirror have conf?irmed that one episode will be a direct follow-up to season 4’s opening episode.

"USS Callister" immediately became a fan-favorite, and hopes for a sequel have stirred ever s?ince season 4 aired in 2017. 

In case you haven’t watched it (in which case you definitely should), "USS Callister" is centered around Robert Daly. He’s a gifted programmer who, out of frustration through what he feels is lack of recognition, sets up a Star Trek-esque simulation and things soon start to go wrong, in true Black Mirror style, for everyone inv?olved. It’s worth watching, r??egardless of the promised sequel.

Stars are already signed on for Black Mirror season 7

The cast list for season 7 was revealed in th?e above “data drop�?asset, although I’d be really impressed if you managed to see all the names that featured. Just in case you were unable, here’s the list in a much more permanent format:

• Awkwafina (Jackpot!)
• Milanka Brooks (Mum And I Don’t Talk Anymore)
• Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record)
• Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine)
• Patsy Ferran (Firebrand)
• Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
• Lewis Gribben (Blade Runner 2099)
• Osy Ikhile (Citadel)
• Rashida Jones (Sunny)
• Siena Kelly (Domino Day)
• Billy Magnussen (Road House)
• Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean)
• Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids)
• Issa Rae (Barbie)
• Paul G. Raymond (Horrible Histories)
• Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
• Jimmi Simpson (Westworld)
• Harriet Walter (Succession)

These are the lead cast members, but there will be others who appear alongside those already named. I’m excited to see what role Peter Capaldi plays, and Chris O’Dowd has been a personal favorite of mine ever since The IT Crowd, so this definitely has served to stir up my ex??citement for ??the upcoming season 7. 

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is dominating the franchise's news cycle, but that's not to say that there isn't more going on in the Call of Duty world, as Warzone is adding Terrifier's Art the Clown to the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is almost a full year into its run, and Call of Duty: Warzone remains a favorite among many first-person shooter and battle royale game enthusiasts. To keep fans of those games engaged ahead of Black Ops 6's release, some spooky seasonal DLC is on its way, just in time for t?he Hallowe?en season.

On September 10, it came to light that the Modern Warfare 3 event The Haunting is on its way, along with all kinds of spooky goodies. Most notably, several horror icons will be added to the game. While Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise and Sam from the Trick 'r Treat series are worth getting excited about, the one who has really created a buzz in the horror and Call of Duty communities is Art the Clown. The murderous clown, portrayed by David Howard Thornton, is the centerpiece of director Damien Leone's Terrifier film series, which launched in 2016.

In short order, Art has become quite beloved by lovers of all things scary. So, if you are one of these individuals, you're likely wondering how you can play as him in Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone. Here's how and when you can access him.

You'll have to pay up to play as Art

Thankfully, accessing Art in the two aforementioned Call of Duty titles doesn't require anything crazy. No convoluted in-game requirements, no absurd Easter egg. That said, given that this is a Call of Duty ad?d-on (and a licensed one, at that), Art isn't a free download.

Instead, you'll have to pay up over in the Call of Duty Store if you want to terrify the war zone as the creepy horror rising star. Art is available as part of the Tracer Pack: Terr?ifier Operator Bundle. At the time of publication, the exact price has not been revealed, b??ut surely it will soon.

If the Tracer Pack follows historical precedent, it'll likely run $19.99 or 2,400 CoD points when it becomes available at the start of the Haunting event on September 18. While that may seem like a lot of money for just the Art skin, you do get a bit more bang for your buck. Aside from the Operator skin, the bundle is also advertised to include a Terrifier weapon blueprint, the Miles County Killer weapon blueprint, a weapon charm, a weapon sticker, a large decal, a Terrifier emblem and a Terrifier loading screen. Now that's more like it.

The Haunting event runs from Sept?ember 18 to October 16, so if you want to get in on all the terrifying fun and secure yourself an Art the Clown Operator skin, that's the time to do so.

The post How to play as Ar??t the Clown in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone appeared first on Destructoid.

For the past few years, video game adaptations have had a pretty solid run. The Last of Us made waves on television, The Super Mario Bros. Movie redeemed itself decades after its abysmal 1993 predecessor, and the Sonic the Hedgehog series has thrived on screens big and small. Unfortunately, not all of these attempts can be success stories, and it seems like the upcoming Minecraft movie, simply called A Minecraft Movie, w??ill take movie goers back to a time not so long ago. A time when adapting gaming favorites to the big screen was something that Hollywood just couldn't quite figure out.

At the time of this writing, the Minecraft trailer has been out for a minute, allowing those on the internet to collect themselves, take a deep breath, a??nd let the minds behind it know just how much they dislike it. From the live-action elements to the dialogue to the bizarre casting of Jack Black as Steve, there have been loads of critiques levied against this film that won't even hit the cinema until next year. For as much of a misfire as it mi?ght seem, at least some surface level attempts were made to resemble the iconic source material. By that, I mean the trailer is full of mobs.

Strange live-action characters aside, the inaugural Minecraft trailer showcases a few hyper-realistic animals, monst?ers, and creatures that have roam??ed to the games landscapes for ages. Here are all the ones included in some form or another throughout.

Sheep

As our human cast enters the world of Minecraft, they have a lot to take in. Everything is suddenly blocky, vibrant in color, and very much resembles a warped version of the world they know. Of course, that's just talking about the angular clouds and brick-like ground. Then they come across their f??irst living creature in this odd new world, that being a pink sheep, which bleats in the??ir direction with its opposite-facing eyes, uncanny body proportions, and enlarged teeth.

If you've played Minecraft at virtually any point since its 2009 introduction, odds are you've stumbled across the odd sheep. These docile farm animals have been an integral part of the game's DNA nearly since the day it launched. They come in a variety of colors, supply wool to help make vital items like beds, and they can be used as a food source, commonly dropping raw mutton when killed. Hopefully, for the sake of the kids in the audience, A Minecraft Movie won't depict such a scene.

Piglin

Stepping into the world of Minecraft is daunting for the movie's human characters. Though we don't know the circumstances of their arrival yet, their bewilderment and the ??twinge of fear in their eyes once they arrive indicates they have no reason nor desire to be there. Making the situation worse, they're quickly shown how hostile this place can be as a group of Piglin arrive with likely evil intentions in their minds, armor on their bodies, and weapons of all kinds in hand.

Not to be confu?sed with pigs or Zombie Pigmen, Piglin are bipedal, human-like pig creatures found in the Nether. Though they're typically pretty neutral in-game, they're often found holding weapons, and they're not afraid to use them if provoked. They can also be found in another variety, the Piglin Brute. Not onl??y are these Piglin far stronger than their contemporaries, but they're considerably more hostile. Based on the trailer, it seems that the filmmakers are electing to make all Piglin generic evil henchmen.

Ghast

Not only do the Piglin feature pretty prevalently in the first Minecraft trailer, but there are some anomalies about them that fans couldn't help but notice. As mentioned, al??l varieties seem equally disgruntle??d and dangerous, but going a bit further, they're shown to be traveling outside the Nether for an unknown reason. What's more, they're shown attacking by air via makeshift hot air balloons. Only, there aren't any balloons involved, but rather Ghasts.

Much like the Piglin, Ghasts are residents of the Nether, and like most things there, these creatures are not very nice. They have no qualms about attacking with fireballs, and the fact that they fly can make them a difficult enemy to retaliate against. Strangely, in the film, they seem to be depicted as large, fleshy, jellyfish-like creatures, where in the game, it has been established that they are actually a form of ghost. This change was likely made so they could be used to carry the Piglin around, which is also something not present in Minecraft without mods.

Wolf

It's no shock that the Minecraft trailer doesn't shy away from showing off the game's arguable most beloved neutral mob. In a brief clip, a rectangular dog creature is shown from a side profile howling at the moon. As anyone could likely guess, this is a wolf. They have been a part of the game since 2011, and in that time, they have become adored by Minecraft pl??ayers everywhere. Why? It's simple, because who doesn't want a dog at their side as they explore?? the unexplored?

Sadly, for those hoping to see more out of wolves in the Minecraft trailer, all we receive is the small snippet confirming that they are in fact in the film. One has to imagine that the feature will include them prominently, possibly with one of the live-action characters domesticating one during their perilous journey. We can only hope that the movie version of the Minecraft wolf doesn't turn out as u??ncanny as the Sheep appears to have.

Creeper

When you think of Minecraft, a few associated mental images likely spring to mind. Steve, of course, maybe a pickaxe of some kind, or, if you're of a certain age and have spent a certain amount of time on the Internet, some problematic YouTube stars. In truth, I think we all know that there is one singular image that has come to define Minecraft more so than any other. That is the green frowning face of the games most famous enemy, ?the Creeper.

There's truly no denying the Creeper's place in Minecraft lore. The explosive mob has been the bane of gamers' existence since the game's first year, ruining homes, farms, mines, and so much more with a brief hiss and a boom. The Minecraft trailer simply wouldn't have been complete without the appearance of one, and it delivered. For a brief moment, we see a very fuzzy-looking Creeper, well, creep up behind?? Jason Momoa's character in the middle of the night, likely intending to do what it does best based on ??Momoa's terrified expression.

Llama

Toward the end of the Minecraft trailer, we get the big reveal that Jack Black is indeed Steve, blue t-shirt and all. While this may seem like a good point to end the trailer on, those who put it together opted for a different stinger. It focuses on a llama chewing on some grass when an arrow flie??s out of the sky and sticks into the ground next to it, with a crowd of Piglin then running past. The animal stands there in shock and stops chewing before going back to its meal.

Similarly to sheep, llamas don't really do a whole lot in Minecraft. They stand around, chew on grass, and are occasionally found on l?eashes alongside Wandering Traders or grazing freely with a handful of other llamas. If you're interested, and feel particularly motivated to do so, you can actually domesticate llamas. All you have to do is continually attempt to r??ide them and be bucked off until they let you stay on. Surely this mechanic won't be a source of comedy in the movie.

Enderman...maybe?

For the most part, we get a decent look at all of the aforementioned mobs in the Minecraft trailer. Some of them don't get a lot of time to shine, nor are their designs fully revealed, but they still get even the briefest spotlight. Meanwhile, there's potentially one more iconic mob hiding in the Minecraft teaser. At th??e center of the frame, way in the background of the shot with all of the Piglin together in the Nether, there's a foreboding set of what could be purple eyes.

While this could be a trick of the lights and it's merely just another Piglin, it could be an Enderman. These unsettling mobs are defined by their long, slender silhouette, magical aura, and purple eyes. They've been a part of Minecraft for years, walking around ominously picking up blocks, and viciously attacking those who provoke them by hitting them or staring them directly in the face. They are known to appear in the Nether, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that one does appear in the Minecraft trailer way in the background.

Odds are we've only seen but a small sampling of the mobs A Minecraft Movie has to offer so far. We'll have to see which others made the cut, and if the whole production is as rou??gh as the trailer makes it seem, when the movie arrives on April 4, 2025.

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The newest trailer for Venom: The Last Dance gave us our first look ??at the film's villain, and it's not another of Venom's children. In the final chapter of his titular trilogy, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) faces off against Knull, Lord of the Abyss and creator of all symbiotes.

If you're a Marvel Comics fan, you already know why the sound of his name was enough to make the Venom Symbiote want to peel themselves off Eddie's skin. If you don't know who Knull is, worry not! I'm here to tell you everything you need to know ??about?? Marvel's most terrifying deity and what his introduction could mean for Sony's Spider-Man universe.

The tale of Marvel's Knull

Knull is a relatively recent addition to the Marvel universe, fully debuting in 2018 within the pages of Donny Cates' Venom. This is ironic, since Knull is one of the old?est beings in the Marvel Universe. Born from the primordial darkness sandwiched between each iteration of the cosmos (Marvel lore is wild), Knull is the embodiment of the void, and in classic dark god fashion, all he wants is to bask forever in the infinite blackness he spawned from.

Unfortunately for Knull, his eternal slumber ended abruptly when the deific Celestials began laying down the framework of the universe. As the god of nothing, Knull looked at things like color, warmth, and dreams, and said, "Yeah, I'm not about this." So he did what any rational eldritch horror would do: create a living sword from his shadow and declare war on everything.

With the newly-forged All-Black, the Necrosword, Knull decapitated the first Celestial he saw, becoming the universe's first murderer. Armed with the raw, cosmic power of the Celestial's hea??d, Knull brought an army of dark dragons to life, linked to him through an intricate hive mind. These dragons would become the first generation of Symbiotes, and Knull used them to drown galaxies in darkness and bring entire pantheons of gods to their knees.

After untold eons, Knull's campaign came to a screeching halt when one of his dragons made its way to Earth in the Middle Ages. This dragon, Grendel by name, crossed paths with a? young Thor and got a face full of Mjolnir for its troubles. The electricity from?? Thor's blow rippled up the Symbiote hive mind, hitting Knull head-on and knocking the Lord of the Abyss into a coma.

Free from their tyrannical progenitor's influence, the Symbiotes sealed Knull away within the core of his throne world, which they would name "Klyntar." Despite the Symbiotes' best attempts to era?se any lingering trace of Knull from the universe, their efforts would ultimately be in vain.

S.H.I.E.L.D. eventually unearthed Grendel's remains and used them to create a platoon of Symbiote-bonded super-soldiers. Grendel's return kicked off a series of Symbiote-related events, culminating with Knull's resurrection at the hands of Cletus Kasady. Knull launched an all-out symbiote invasion of Earth in the 2020/2021 King in Black crossover event, in which the Lord of the Abyss finally met his end at the hands of a divinely po??w??ered Eddie Brock.

Knull's debut in Venom: The Last Dance could save Sony's Spider-Verse... or destroy it

Knull is one of the most potent threats ever to menace the Marvel universe, and I'm honestly surprised he's showing up in Venom 3. Hardy's spent most of his tenure as Venom fighting other Symbiote hosts, and Venom 3's first few trailers made it look like that pattern could continue. If my earlier summation didn't clarify it enough, Knull's anything but "another Symbiote vi?llain."

With deific strength, a healing factor, and command over a legion of Symbiotes, Knull's easily the most powerful villain to appear in Sony's Spider-Verse. He fought gods and won countless times, and his ability to control Symbiote in the universe means he always has ??an intergalactic army at his beck and call. With that much power at his command, Knull could become the Big Bad the Sony Spider-Verse ??has needed for a while.

However, while I am excited to see what Kelly Marcel does with Knull in Venom 3, I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little worried. Knull was a slow-burn villain in the comics, giving readers plenty of time to stew in dread and morbid curiosity before the foretold "God of the Symbiotes" finally appeared. If there's one thing a villain of Knull's scale deserves, it's a good amount of build-up, and the previous two Venom movies didn't mention him at all. It'd be a shame to see the?? mystique and morbid majesty of Knull restricted to a single film, even if it is a?? series-ending threequel.

A tweet from Alec Perez of My Cosmic Circus implied Sony has big plans for Knull, so Venom 3 may not be the las??t time we see the God of the? Symbiotes. We'll have to wait until the movie comes out on October 25th to find out.

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Video game-based movie adaptations often prove disastrous, but Sonic the Hedgehog managed to avoid joining that club. The rather unsightly first looks at the titular Blue Blur broke the Internet, but Sonic (Ben Schwartz) was redesigned, his live-action blockbuster debut turned out to be a massive hit,?? and now, his beloved video game series has become the basis for an entire franchise.

Following up both Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the Paramount+ streaming series Knuckles is Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This time around, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) stands as the central antagonist, giving Sonic, Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), and Knuckl??es (Idris Elba) a run for their money. Thus, they're left little choice but to form an uneasy alli?ance with their longtime enemy, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who's also set to go on quite a journey of his own.

As revealed in the Sonic 3 trailer, Robotnik will come face to face with his equally scientifically-inclined grandfather, Gerald Robotnik (Carrey). If you're not too familiar with the extensive and sometimes complicated lore of the Sonic video game franchise, but want to learn a bit about Gerald ahead of Sonic 3, you've come to the right place.

Gerald's video game history

Though his brief appearance in the inaugural Sonic 3 trailer may indicate that Gerald Robotnik is a bit of a goof, much like his grandson, that's not quite the case. Since making his debut in the 2001 platformer Sonic Adventure 2, it has consistently been shown that Gerald is a brilliant scientific mind. He was specifically sought out to lead the secretive research program Project Shadow under the d?irection of the United Federation. He accepts, ultimately doing so?? to unlock the secret to immortality. With trial and error, he eventually creates Shadow the Hedgehog himself.

Unfortunately, his time as one of the leading minds of Project Shadow comes to a swift end. As he completes Shadow, the government gets cold feet and deems his work a danger to hum??anity. This eventually leads to him being sequestered on Prison Island, where he's left with no choice but to continue his research under the government's close watchful eye. Shadow, now completed, initially escapes custody but is soon brought to Prison Island and kept in suspended animation. Dr Robotnik later releases him from this imprisonment long after Gerald loses his mind and is executed.

Maria Robotnik and the future of the Sonic film franchise

Seeing as the movies don't follow the exact canon of the games, Gerald Robotnik could be up to all sorts of things in in Sonic 3. Surprisingly, there's a good chance that his stor?y in the fi?lm could be similar to that of his video game counterpart.

In addition to potentially aiding in the creation of Shadow the Hedgehog, the plot may hint at the?? tragic fate of another character: his granddaughter Maria Robotnik (Alyla Browne), who has been confirmed to appear in the threequel in some capacity. She's the main motivating factor behind Gerald's decision to join Project Shadow and, unintentionally, his descent into madness.

When he signs up, she's terminal?ly ill, and he wants to use his research ??to save her life. Sadly, his involvement in the program leads to the exact opposite. With Project Shadow crumbling, troops from the Guardian Units of Nations, or G.U.N., are sent to the Space Colony ARK, where Gerald is conducting his research. With armed personnel swarming, Maria and her friend Shadow are forced to flee.

Shadow makes it out, but Maria is shot and killed by an ARK soldier, which sends?? Gerald into a tailspin and manifests in his plan to destroy the world using Shadow. It's entirely possible he could seek revenge for her death in the film and use Shadow as the means to do so, or she has yet to be killed and will be over the course of the film, setting up a fourth movie.

All in all, Gerald Robotnik, despite not being the most well-known character in the Sonic canon, remains one of its most vital. It will be interesting to see how he's used on the big screen when Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres on December 20, 2024.

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It's been a few years since we heard about the makings of a Minecraft movie,?? bringing the belov??ed Overworld to life in an entirely new way. Now, it's finally coming to fruition with its first-ever teaser and a release date set for April 4, 2025.

The trailer begins with the misfit ensemble, including Jason Momoa as Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison, Danielle Brooks as Dawn, Sebastian Eugene Hansen as Henry, and Emma Myers as Natalie. As an avid Minecraft player, it's interesting to see this live-action cast mixed in with a CGI world, almost reminding me of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Although it may be different from what I expected, it still holds true to Minecraft with its silliness, creativity???, and its immersive cubic world.

You'll see iconic mobs from the Overworld, like the wolf, Piglins, and sheep.?? And, of course, we can't forget about our main man, Steve, played by another living legend, Jack Black. The group encounters Steve when they are mysteriously transported to this blocky universe, and it's up to them to figure out a way back home. Like the games, they'll need to do some good 'ole crafting and fight off hostile mobs to survive.

The Minecraft Movie, despite its battles and challenges, maintains the whimsical charm of Mojang Studios. This is e?vident from the teaser's unexpected opening line, 'What the hell?' after Dawn encounters a cubic sheep. I never thought the film would ever ??start with such a phrase, but you know what? I would probably say the same exact thing.

While it's intriguing to see the Minecraft Movie go in this direction, it's not too surprising, given that Jared Hess is the film's director. You may have already seen his work, such as Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, and Ninety-Five Senses.

If you are digging to get into this new Overworld, get ready for Minecraft Movie's release on April 25, 2025. There's also a Netflix animated show on its way, expanding the universe even furt?her.

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It was over 35 years ago that Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice first terrorized cinemas across the globe. Now all these years later, the Ghost with the Most is back on the big screen. Director Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is nearly here, and even as many grow tired of the seemingly endless stream of legacy sequels that no one asked for, among many i?n the general audience and?, naturally, longtime fans of the 1988 original, anticipation is high for this pre-Halloween spooky theatrical endeavor. Based on promotional material, there seems to be a great amount of new in this long-awaited continuation of the horror comedy classic.

Now decades beyond the events of the first Beetlejuice film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice focuses on a grown-up Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), who now has a daughter of her own, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Within the walls of the Deetz family home, the two are pulled into a paranormal adventure full of frights, Sandworms, and blasts from the past, chiefly The Juice himself. Unfortunately, for those hoping for an overload of Beetlejuice nostalgia in the form of returning ma??in characters, to some extent, your needs may not be entirely met.

For Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, there are several key characters from its prede??cessor that will not feature in its narrative. Here's what we know about their absences.

Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as Barbara and Adam Maitland

Even though their names aren't in the title, the Maitlands, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis), are situated squarely at the center of Beetlejuice. The loving couple dies in a car accident, and the two are forced to live eternally in their house as specters, watching as the Deetz family moves In and turns their happily ever after into a nightmare. The two are responsible for the presence of Beetlejuice in the story as they try to scare off the Deetzs and reclaim the house that was all theirs before their untimely passing. All of that is to say the Maitlands are incredibly important to the story of Beetlejuice, so why, as far a??s we know, are they not in the long-awaited sequel?

As it happens, Geena Davis has spoken on the potential reason for Barbara's exclusion from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She told Entertainment Tonight her theory that ghosts don't age, so it would be hard to bring the Maitlands back as she and Baldwin have aged as humans do since the first film. Since Davis brought her hypothesis forward, Burton himself has given his reasoning for leaving the Maitlands out this time around. "I didn't want to just tick any boxes. So even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else,�?he told People, explaining that it was a deliberat?e creative decision.

Glenn Shadix as Otho Fenlock

She's brash, abrasive, and set in her ways, not to mention has quite the unique (for lack of a better term) sense of interior design. Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) is the perfect foil for the Maitlands, but she doesn't play secondary antagonist alone. Alongside her throughout the film is her judgmental and arrogant friend and one-time paranormal researcher, Otho Fenlock (Glenn Shadix), who not only helps her decorate her new home but aids in her attempt to turn the ghosts living within it into an attraction. This all makes him quite the important presence throughout Beetlejuice, at least up until his fear sends him packing.

By the end of the 1988 favorite, Otho's dark dreary outfit is transformed into a bright and cheery one by Beetlejuice, leaving him to embarrassedly run and scream all the way home. Sadly, this is the last moviegoers will ever get to see of Glenn Shadix's Otho. The character actor passed away on September 7, 2010, at age 58, having fallen while at home and sustained fatal blunt trauma to the head. His final live-action role was that of Monsieur Vollard in the 2010 movie Finding Gauguin. Seeing as Shadix and Burton were frequent collaborators, chances a?re t?he director did not elect to recast the Otho role for the upcoming movie.

Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz

As his wife Delia tears apart their dwelling, setting up her art projects and running around ghost hunting? with Otho, Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones) takes a vastly different approach to settling in. He spends time in his study, which he's very adamant is to remain untouched by his wife and her friend, bird watching, and doing everything to enjoy the serenity of their rural abode. Unfortunately, he does get caught ?up in Beetlejuice-related shenanigans, but by the time the credits roll, he's once again able to kick back and relax, comfortable in the knowledge that only kind ghosts populate his residence.

Throughout advertising for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, fans have seen clips of a funeral, with Lydia and Delia wearing black as a coffin is lowered into a burial plot. One can assume that this is Charles being lowered into his final resting place. If this is the case, it's likely a response to the real-life legal issues of Jeffrey Jones. Not only was he arrested for the possession and solicitation of sexually explicit photogra?phs of a minor, but he was later arrested twice for failing to update his sex offender status. Considering the heinous nature of these crimes, it's no surprise that Jones was not asked to return as Charles for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Sylvia Sidney as Juno

Once the Maitlands come to terms with the fact that they are indeed dead, they have to come up with a plan to get their house back from the Deetzs. They study up on The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and reach out to those with a bit more experience in the whole afterlife thing for ??help. On one end, there's the malicious and scheming Beetlejuice, and on the other is his former boss, the afterlife caseworker Jun?o (Sylvia Sidney). She does her best to guide the couple along and dissuade them from working with the supposed "Leading Bio-Exorcist," all while working on other high-stress cases.

With the Deetz family once again having to traverse the paranormal world, Juno seems like the kind of presence they could use on their side. She's knowledgeable, and she has first-hand experience with Beetlejuice. Based on its marketing, however, it doesn't appear that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will feature Juno in any capacity. The actor behind her, Sylvia Sidney, passed away on July 1, 1?999, at the age of 88, with her cause of death listed as esophageal cancer. Though there's a slim chance that Juno could be recast, considering the snappiness and attitude Sidney expertly brought to the role, it just wouldn't be right to bring the character back without her.

With its stacked cast of a few returning favorites and newcomers to the franchise in tow, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits the silver screen on September 6.

The post Which main characters from the original are missing fr?om Beetlejuice Bee??tlejuice? appeared first on Destructoid.

August 16 marked the return of the Alien saga to the big screen after a seven-year absence. Director Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus sprung into theaters everywhere and has since made waves in both ways good and bad. While it has drawn critique for its perceived over-reliance on franchise hallmarks and callbacks, others have showered the film with praise. Numerous critics and moviegoers alike were intrigued by the story, satisfied with the frights and overall content to call it a solid entry in the Alien canon.

Despite plenty of people out there believing it to be one of the film's greatest weaknesses, countless Alien die-hards were happy to see so many references and allusions to previous installments. After all, Romulus is an indirect sequel to director Ridley Scott's 1979 classic??, Alien, which ?started it all. In fact, the USCSS Nostromo, where Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her companions are ambushed by the Xenomorph in said film, is a principal location in Romulus. At the same time, Alien isn't the only project in the series that informed Álvarez's terrifyin??g feature.

According to the director himself, the horror video game favorite Alien: Isolation played a pivotal role in the crafting of Romulus in more ways than one.

Isolation kickstarted Álvarez's interest in making an Alien movie

Released on October 7, 2014, and set 15 years after the events of Alien, Alien: Isolation follows the daughter of Ellen Ripley, Amanda (Andrea Deck), who is trying to pinpoint her mother's whereabouts following her disappearance. She doesn't get very far, however, before she encounters Xenomorphs, facehuggers, and more dangers. All in all, Isolation is an excellent survival horror title that has grown especially adored by Alien fans and gamers who are up for a spooky challenge. Evidently, Fede Álvarez is quite a fan as well, hence why he put so much of it into the DNA of Alien: Romulus.

Álvarez revealed as much during a conversation on the Inside Total Film podcast (via Games Radar), where he explained that the entire foundation of his film was created thanks to Isolation. �?em>Alien: Isolation was kind of what made me see that Alien could truly be terrifying and done well [today],�?he explained, noting that he first picked Isolation up around the time his 2016 film Don't Breathe was coming together. As he played, he began yearning to tell an Alien story at the movies. Thankfully for him, it didn't take long for such an opportunity to arise. Once it did, he not only made it a priority to capture the tense, chilling tone of Isolation, reigniting the horror that made Alien such a hit 45 ?years ago, but to honor the game in the form of a fun y?et meaningful Easter egg.

Continuing, Álvarez explained that emergency phones, which act as checkpoints in Isolation to save your game, are prevalent throughout Romulus. As it turns out, though, he didn't merely want to toss them in as a fun nod to the almost decade-old game. “The movie is set up in a way [that] every time something bad is about to happen, you will see a phone,�?he said, warning those that haven't seen Romulus that they should "brace for impact" every time a phone appears on screen, just as they would while using one in the game. In Isolation, they take time to use, leaving ??Amanda vulner??able to Xenomorph attacks as the save completes.

Isolation took inspiration from Alien

For the most part, much like Alien: Romulus, Alien: Isolation does try to blaze its own trail. It takes the established lore of the Alien series and builds on it while simultaneously honoring what came before. Interestingly, the folks behind the game did the inverse of what Fede Álvarez did by looking to an existing movie to create a video game. Speaking to PC Gamer in January 2015, a few months after the game was released, Isolation creative lead Alistair Hope revealed that he and the team pulled heavily from the original Alien movie, emulating what ??????????????????????????made it and ??continues to make it such a pop culture sensation.

�?em>Alien is unmistakably Fox’s property, but from the moment we pitched the original concept to them, they’ve been completely behind us. I think because we were trying to stay true in spirit to the original, they felt like it was in safe hands," Hope told the publication, touching on the relationship between Isolation's development house, Creative Assembly, and the now-Walt Disney Company-owned 20th Century Fox. This positive collaboration led Fox to share key assets, from costumes to props to miscellaneous production material, with Creative Assembly to make Isolation as true to the? trend-setting science fiction feature as possible.

Romulus is effectively a movie inspired by movies and a video game, which is also inspired by a movie. Perhaps the chain will continue, and we'll someday get a new Alien game with elements attributed? to Álvarez's emergency phone-laden creation.

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Good fiction of??ten stands out thanks to the humanity it? captures within the pages of a book, and nothing will drive that so powerfully home as a deep sense of camaraderie between characters. 

It's time to dig into a few examples of great works of fiction with a focus ??on friendshi??p and the bonds that drive people to loyalty and sacrifice.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

The characters in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are always going on and on about friendship and how important it proves in the face of adversity, but it’s not as if they? don’t put their money where their mouth is. The relationship between the main trio �?and that would be Harry, Hermione, and Ron �?is essentially what makes this tale work. Our protagonists care about each other as if they were related by blood, and it’s pretty normal in the course of this narrative to see them go out of their way to help each other and even make the ultimate sacrifice. Harry would’ve been dead or worse a dozen times over if not for Herm?ione and Ron always having his back.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Such is the narrative power of a great duo that some books are essentially centered on it. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is one such tale. Revolving around two heavenly beings, Aziraphale, an angel with a heart of gold, and Crowley, a demon with a nihilistic outlook, Good Omens is about how the unlikely camaraderie between these two beings is capable of stopping an actual end-times event that is supposed to destroy the world and settle the score between the host of angels and the legions of hell once and for? all. 

Some might interpret Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship as a romantic entanglement,? and there are certainly enough hints to warrant that in the books as well as the popular Prime Video television adaptation, but even if they are amorously interested in one another as some people propose, there’s still no denying that the foundation of that bond is an acquaintance and a history as old as the universe itself.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

If you’ve watched the modern live-action take on Sherlock Holmes, you need no convincing that the titular protagonist and his sidekick Dr. John Watson don’t need to be told twice to shout each other’s names from the rooftops. But that dynamic is not wholly an invention of the BBC showrunners. Indeed, more than being just a trusty sidekick and a chronicler of Holmes�?adventures in the books, Dr. Watson is a friend who understands Sherlock better than anyone else, even his close kin. And it is because of this friendship developing over the span of these short stories that we keep coming back to Conan Doyle and ?his timeless detec??tive tale.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

If this were a ranking of the best friendships in books, then The Lord of the Rings would be at the very top. Tolkien’s tale might ul??timately be about the eternal struggle of good vs. evil, the heart of courage under dire circumstances, the spring of hope in the pitch-black of twilight, and what it means to live through a time of peril, but what makes all of this work at the end of the day is the spirit of communion and love. Of ?fellowship.

The dynamic between Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee as they take on this troublesome burden and go to the ends of the world is nothing short of spectacular character work. There is no sidekick, nor friend, nor partner or companion, in all of fiction as loyal and trustworthy, not to mention courageous and unrelenting in his sacrifice, as Sam. Frodo says in the books that he would not have gotten far were it not for his brave gardener of many years, and that sentence rings truer than all the words of wisdom you could read in the entire Lord of the Rings.

Aubrey–Maturin by Patrick O’Brian

A nautical fiction series taking place in the early 19th century, Aubrey–Maturin only pays off through the sheer brilliance of t??he friendship between its two titular characters, Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin. When you read Patrick O’Brian, you walk down the lanes of history at the height of the Napoleonic Wars and bear witness to how Aubrey and Maturin’s connection ever so slowly blooms into one of the greatest and most profound ??friendships in all of fiction.

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

At times, the Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb might appear to be nothing more than a senseless and brutal tragedy revolving around a royal bastard who changed the world in his wake, but the writer herself has deliberately avoided the high and epic swashbuckling action of the fantasy genre in favor of deep characters and more so the ever esoteric dynamics between those characters. Now whether it be the bond between Fitz and his wolf Nighteyes, or Fitz’s ambiguous but intimate connection with the Fool �?harboring very nearly homoerotic undertones �?there’s no denying that Realm of the Elderlings is all a?bout those thought-provoking, p??oignant friendships.

Mistborn: Wax and Wayne by Brandon Sanderson

The second Mistborn era is a detective story centering around two characters, Waxillium “Wax�?Ladrian and Wane, as they try to uncover the mysteries of the Scadrial world during its industrial phase. Wax is a lawman with a strong moral obligation, while Wayne is his comedic, lighthearted sidekick and best friend. In other words, the two complement each other perfectly, making all the shenanigans they get swept up in all the more compelling. Every Brandon Sanderson narrative has a hook. As far as Wax and Wayne is concerned, that hook is the relationship between Waxillium and hi?s de?puty Wayne.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Jesse Aarons is a fifth grader with artistic inclinations, but the circumstances of his family have turned him into a bitter and depressed young boy. That all changes when he meets his new neighbor Leslie Burke. Leslie is also very imaginative and, befriending Jesse, tries to bring him out of his mood of doom and gloom. The two end up creating the imaginary world of Terabithia, where they spend many an afternoon playing and creating fairy tales out of thin air, little caring that the real world and its dilemmas always have a way of catching up to people. Bridge to Terabithia is one of the most?? heart-rending stories about friendship.

The Fault in Our Stars John Green

This is yet another story of romance, but what romance worth its salt isn’t fundamentally a tale about friendship? The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is one of the most recognizable books of the 21st century, chronicling the tale of 16-year-old Hazel Grace and her fight with cancer. Hazel’s life is changed when she meets Augustus, a 17-year-old whose own disease is currently in remission. Hazel Grace and Augustus develop a deep bond and understanding that eventually grows into a full-blown romance. While Fault in Our Stars may at first glance be a rural story??, the stakes of the story are always high, and that in turn makes everything all the more real.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A coming-of-age young adult novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows the story of an introverted teenager named Charlie. The character must go through adolescence and juggle friendships and acquaintances of all kinds as Chbosky delves into themes like sexuality, friendship, drug abuse, and mental health. The Perks of Being a Wallflower deftly discusses the challeng?es of interacting and s??ocializing with other people, be they friends or strangers or anything in between, as Charlie wrestles with the idea of adulthood.

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With its thrilling new chapters, the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series has been taking things up a notch. Our favorite finger-eating sorcerer, Yuji Itadori, continues to tap more into his powers, all to gear up for the highly anticipated end battle. So, to keep up with everything, take a look at our Jujutsu Kaisen manga schedule.

Jujutsu Kaisen manga release schedule

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 267 will be released on Aug. 25, 2024. After this, the schedule is relatively up in the air, but the manga series has been confirmed to end on Sept. 30, with its last five chapters. That means JJK will conclude wi??th 271 chapters, wrapping up the saga ?of the main protagonist, Yuji Itadori, and the Jujutsu Kaisen crew.

Jujutsu Kaisen's manga chapters are generally released every Sunday. They launch around 8 a.m. PT/ 11 a.m. ET/ 12 a.m. JST on Manga Plus and Viz Media. We have seen some delays in its schedule, including Chapter 259 and Chapter 253. Given that there are only five chapters left, it doesn't look like there will be any ?more delays, but there may be a two-week gap somewhere in between.

Even if the Jujutsu Kaisen manga is reaching its climax, we can still hold onto the anime. The show left off with the Shibuya Incident arc, which is about four ar??cs away from the manga. We'll just have to see how long it will take for the anime to catch up to the manga, where it may leave us with anoth??er season and a potential movie finale.

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It has been 45 years since director Ridley Scott's Alien first blew moviegoers away, and its cultural impact doesn't seem to have diminished in the slightest. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Wea?ver) is still an icon, the Xenomorphs are still terrifying, and the franchise it has launched is still going strong.

Having taken a few years off after some disappointing and confusing entries, the Alien franchise has finally returned with director Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus, a film that certainly has its ups and downs and has even generated some division among Alien enthusiasts since debuting on August 16.

For the most part, Romulus brings the Alien series back to basics. It introduces a new crew of space colonist characters, led by Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), who take it upon?? themselves to scavenge the wreckage of a nearby abandoned ship, the USCSS Nostromo. Little do they realize once they board the ship that it's not entirely empty. Before they know it, they're set upon by alien hordes, forced to fight for their lives and do everything in their power to escape before it's too late.

Is it the most lore-heavy or game-changing installment in the Alien saga? Not quite, but there's still plenty to enjoy and plenty to study up on before seeing it. If you want to get the most out of Alien: Romulus, these are the films in the franchise you?? should check out first.

Prometheus comes first

Compared to most other Alien movies, 2012's Alien: Prometheus ??is quite ambitious. It's not so much a straight-up science fiction horror movie as much as it is a massive, epic lore dump explaining where the Xenomorphs came from, how and by who they were created, and what their earliest interactions with humanity were like. While there are plenty of moviegoers and critics out there who find the film to be a bit of a drag, the film isn't a total swing-and-miss.

Prometheus does an excellent job providing an origin story for the Xenomorphs in all of their biomechanical horror and offers some truly compelling performances. Most notable is Michael Fassbender as the android David. Additionally, Prometheus is a visual spectacle with grand yet spine-chilling settings, excellent camera work, and breathtaking costumes. To top it all off, the plot, while a bit messy at times, is fascinating and sure to Intrigue those new to the Alien series.

At the end of the day, Prometheus doesn't have many deep-cut connections to Romulus as it is set a while before it in the year 2093, but it does lay the groundwork for both it and the other Alien films.

Alien: Covenant is worth checking out, but not overly-essential

Moving ahead roughly 11 years after the events of Prometheus, we get 2017's Alien: Covenant. While still maintaining some of the grandeur of its predecessor, Covenant leans more into the hallmarks of the Alien saga.

A group of colonists land on a remote planet that ?seems to be nothing short of perfect. Of course, having seen Prometheus, we, as audience members, know that the presence of Fassbender's David is not a good sign. In short order, the colonists have to defend themselves from far more Xenomorph-looking Xenomorphs than those present in the 2012 film.

Even though in tone and style, Covenant angles into what made the Alien films so beloved and recognizable. It very much maintains the narrative thread of the somewhat tonally distant Prometheus while revealing more about the evolution of the Xenomorphs. This may be fascinating for some, especially those who found Prometheus engaging, but to others, this could make Covenant entirely skippable.

Much like Prometheus, Covenant isn't too closely tied to Romulus outside of its larger lore connections. So, if you're into the lore of the franchise, it's definitely worth checking out before Romulus. If not, you could watch it for entertainment valu??e, but it's not ?quite essential.

Alien is a must before Romulus

With Prometheus and Covenant behind us, we now move on to what is either the best or the second-best film in the entire Alien saga, depending on your personal taste.

1979's Alien started it all, with the crew of the USCSS Nostromo being picked off one by one by a? mysterious and frig?htening alien entity. In the end, Ripley is the one brave enough to stand toe-to-toe with the Xenomorph, defeating it once and for all...or so she thought.

As has been said for decades, Alien is a masterclass in horror, science fiction, and the intersection of the two, but those aren't the only reasons why you should check it out before giving Romulus a try. It's quite literally a prequel to the new film, set 20 years before Romulus in the year 2122.

As you've likely pieced together already, the USCSS Nostromo Rain and her companions investigation in Romulus is the exact wreckage left behind by Ripley, her fellow crew members, and the Xenomorph in Alien. It doesn't get much more direct than that, but in all honesty, even if they weren't connected, no Alien series rewatch of any kind is complete ?without this film.

What about the Alien vs. Predator duology?

On paper, a crossover between the Xenomorph of the Alien franchise and the Yautja from the Predator franchise should be a match made movie heaven. In truth, these legendary silver screen creatures' two meetings on the big screen have left mu?ch to be desired.

Sure, seeing them come to blows in Alien vs. Predator and its sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, is a fun novelty, but as far as full movies go, they miss the mark in multiple ways. The human characters are forgettable, the plots are uninspired, and for the m?ost part, they don't do much to push either franchise forward.

The only reason the AVP duology is even being discussed here is because they supposedly take place in the year 2004, nearly a full century before Prometheus. Thus, one might imagine that they're needed to understand all of the films that have been mentioned on this list. In reality, the existence of Prometheus effectively erases them from the Alien franchise canon. If you want to watch them anyway for one reason or another, feel free, but just because they're set before Romulus do??es not mean that watching or not watching them will impact y??our understanding of the new movie.

With that, your pre-Romulus viewing guide is complete. Once you've watched it, ?you'll be in a good spot to giv?e Romulus a go. The feature is now playing exclusively in theaters.

The post Which Alien?? movies do you need to see before Alien: Romulus? appeared first on Destructoid.

Star Wars and Lego have gone together like a glass of blue milk on a hot Tatooine day for 25 years, dominating toy aisles around the world in the process. From supplying collectors with numerous takes on the Millennium Falcon, X-Wings, and Death Stars to taking the gaming world by storm on numerous occasions, the two powerhouse brands have found no shortage of prosperity during their time together. They've even taken over home media and streaming, coming together for numerous Lego Star Wars specials throughout the years. The latest in this long line of offerings, Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, seems to be the most thrilling and self-refe?rential one y??et.

The four-part Rebuild the Galaxy miniseries puts the spotlight on Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), who uses an ancient relic to accidentally rewrite history. What ensues is all kinds of craziness, with Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) becoming a Sith Lord, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) abandoning his Jedi responsibilities to be a beach bum, and more. Along the way, there's plenty of in-jokes and Easter eggs for longtime Star Wars and Lego Star Wars fans to enjoy. The arguable deepest cut in the entire series is?????????????????????????? the very existence of Sig's ally, Jedi Bob (Bobby Moynihan), who, despite being unknown to many fans, has a fascinating story and large preexisting fanbase behind him.

With that, let's travel to a brick-built galaxy far, far away to look back on the lore ?behind Jedi Bob?.

The origin of Jedi Bob

Lego swung for the fences with its original 1999 run of Star Wars products, providing collectors and kids alike with original trilogy and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace sets galore. Thus, the two brands' working relationship continued into the new millennium, hitting another high point in 2002 with the release of more original trilogy sets and those based on the recently released Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. N??o matter how you slice it, the crème de la crème of the year's assortment was set 7163, the Republic Gunship?, as seen for the first time in the aforementioned prequel during the Battle of Geonosis.

Though Lego was still going through some growing pains with its Star Wars offerings, the first Republic Gunship did justice to its film counterpart. The shape and colors are pretty accurate, and the minifigure selection makes sense...almost. Alongside four Republic clone troopers, two Separatist super battle droids, and a droideka is a Jedi. Not Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), not Yoda (Frank Oz), not one of the many named supporting Jedi present on Geonosis in the final act of Attack of the Clones. Just a generic Jedi with? brown and gray robes, a green lightsaber, a gray beard, and a s??mile on his face.

With no name on the box or within the set's manual, in 2009's Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, it was theorized that this random Jedi's name is Bob, as fans had speculated previously, and the rest is h?istory.

Attaining meme status

Star Wars fans love few things more than a goofy side-character without a backstory, any real significance to the canon, and a funny name. Thus, Jedi Bob very much fit the bill. In the years since he was introduced, fans have taken to him as a Lego Star Wars icon. His one appearance in the Lego Star Wars line has been celebrated for decades, and as the years have gone on, he has become a pretty sought-after minifigure. Over on the secondhand Lego marketplace Bricklink (where he's desig?nated as merely "Jedi Knight"), new, used, complete, and incomplete copies of the original Jedi Bob minifigu??re go for a pretty penny.

Not only has Jedi Bob become an adored symbol of Lego Star Wars and a coveted collectible, but he has also attained meme status within the Lego Star Wars fandom. The Star Wars Memes Wiki gives him a fantastical backstory, painting him as one of the galaxy's most powerful and important Jedi ever. Meanwhile, over on Reddit, specifically r/PrequelMemes, one can find numerous Bob-centric posts. Some do the same as the Wiki and give him a wild history and insert him into the wider Star Wars canon, while others simply shine a spotlight on him, maintaining his relevance as his Lego Star Wars debut slips further into the past.

Thankfully for Bob's sizable fanbase, it doesn't see?m the folks at Lego or Lucasfilm forgot about him, hence ??why they're going all out for those who've waited decades for his time to shine.

Jedi Bob's return to plastic form

Bearing in mind just how loved and talked-about Jedi Bob is among Lego Star Wars enthusiasts, it's no surprise that excitement was high when he was revealed as part of Rebuild the Galaxy. He'd never appeared in Lego Star Wars media before, so the fact that he was finally getting some of the spotlight, with Saturday Night Live icon Bobby Moynihan bringing him to life no less, was awesome news. It has since been revealed that Jedi Bob's miraculous return after 22 years isn't limited to animation. After all this time, he's?? back in plastic form as well, ready to take on enemies of all shapes and sizes a??nd, well, rebuild the galaxy one brick at a time.

Tying into Rebuild the Galaxy, Lego has released two sets. First is set 75389, the Dark Falcon, featuring minifigures of Darth Rey, Darth Jar Jar, Jedi Darth Vader, beach Luke Skywalker, Darth Dev, and bounty hunter C-3PO. The other is 75388, Jedi Bob's Starfighter. As the name implies, this is Bob's personal ship, so it comes with an updated version of him, in addition to a Mon Calamari Imperial stormtrooper, also known simply as an Ackbar Trooper, and the droid SR-VO, or SERVO. For just $39.99, you can commemorate the return of a Lego Star Wars legend and get him in minifigure form if you're not keen on paying aftermarket prices for the? original.

At long last, Jedi Bob will return to the forefront of the Star Wars galaxy on September 13, when all four episodes of Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy arrive exclusively on Disney+.

The post Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy’s Jedi Bob, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Collins's The Hunger Games changed young adult literature forever. The bloodthirsty nation of Panem served as an entire generation of adolescent readers' introduction to dystopian fiction?, setting imaginations across the globe ablaze with visions of alternate worlds where human civilization took a dark turn so?mewhere along the road.

Unfortunately, the next installment of The Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping, won't hit bookstore shelves until ??March 2025. But don't despair, my fellow Tributes! That means you have almost a year to read one of the many fantastic dystopian series out on the market before diving back into Katniss Everdeen’s world for the fifth time.

There’s no consensus on what makes a dystopian novel great—to me, it’s a healthy mix of vivid characterization and competent world-building–but the series I’ve picked out should keep that “Hunger Games itch�?we’ve all got scratched until Sun??rise on the Reaping comes out. Each one’s a classic in its own right, and once you've put them down, they may find a permanent home on your bookshelf.

10. The Divergent Series

Divergent gets ?a lot of grief in dystopian literary circles, but that doesn’t mean the series isn’t worth a read. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, a post-apocalyptic Chicago has divided society into five castes, each based on a specific personality-type. “Divergents,�?people blessed with a bit too much independent thought, are public enemy #1, slated for execution as soon as they’re discovered through the tests every citizen undergoes at age sixteen.

The personal??ity-based caste system Veronica Ross creates and exp?lores across the trilogy is a little sloppy from a world-building standpoint, but it’s undeniably unique. The series�?focus on emotions also compliments Ross�?character-voice-driven prose, which grows with her protagonists as they make the turbulent transition from children to adults in a world that fears emotion, something young adults have a surplus of.

9. Legend

Legend takes the “star-crossed�?lovers�?trope that defines many of the best YA books and mixes it?? in with some thrilling politically driven intrigue. Marie Lu sets the reader up for a wild ride by positioning ?her two protagonists, June and Day, on the opposite end of a deeply divided class-based society. When a brutal murder forces the two to work together, sparks fly and romance blooms.

Lu’s three-part saga takes a slower approach to pacing than most YA dystopia series, forcing the readers to soak in the suspense as the twists pile up and the odds against June and Day stack higher and higher. Luckily, Lu keeps the tone balanced by injecting a healthy dose ?of teen romance,?? enticing world-building, and cathartic action into her pages.

8. Uglies

In the age of social media, manipulative marketing campaigns are working day-and-night to convince children and teens that looks are everything. Scott Westerfield Uglies challenges us to as??k ourselves how important looking?? good really is by showing how devastating the pursuit of beauty can be.

The powers that rule Uglies�?world put beauty above all else, forcing those they govern to undergo mandatory cosmetic surgery once they turn sixteen. When Tally Youngblood’s best friend runs away days before they’re sla??ted to go under the knife, she finds herself on a journey that forces her to see the ugly side of the “perfect�?world she grew up in and helps her discover all she needs to do to be beautiful is sta??y true to herself.

7. The Giver Quartet

Lois Lowry’s The Giver deserves a place on every “dystopia books�?list. A staple of middle school core curriculums worldwide–and paradoxically, a common sight on the American Library Association's annual “Most Challenged Books�?list–this seminal coming-of-age tale was a part of many readers�?childhoods. But far fewer ?people seem to know that it’s the first in a four-book series.

The Giver’s sequels take quite a while to resolve the cliffhanger that ended the first book, but they do eventually come back around to finish Jonas�?story. Along the way, we get to see a clearer picture of the dystopian world Lowry’s built, learning about other isolate??d communities that’ve collectively agreed to turn their back on the most fundamental elements of the hu??man experience in the name of “safety,�?drawing clear parallels to the ongoing “freedom vs. security�?debate.

6. Gone

What if everyone over the age of fifteen disappeared from a small town on the California coast? What if the teenagers and children left behind found themselves trapped behind an insurmountable wall of psychic energy that kept them from leaving and caused them to develop superhuman abilities? These are the questions that Michael Grant’s Gone sets out to answer.

Gone’s what you get when you mix X-Men and The Lord of the Flies. Trapped in an inescapable prison for reasons they don’t understand, the young inhabitants of Perdito Beach find themselves locked in an endlessly es??calating battle f??or survival, breaking off into factions that, more often than not, end up fighting for control over the town's dwindling resources. Oh, and there’s also an ancient alien parasite lurking somewhere in the streets.

5. The Maze Runner

If you've read the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you know the idea of sending children into monster-infested labyrinths has always fascinated people. James Dashner’s The Maze Runner trilogy is, in every way that matters, a modern day adaptation of Theseus�?story, one that takes everything that made the original my??th so timeless and modernizing it for young readers.

Much like the titular structure, the story that ties The Maze Runner together is a puzzle waiting to be solved. Dashner knows how to keep readers on their toes, giving us just enough information about the world ?outside the walls of the maze to keep us glued to the pages, even as the echos of inhuman thin??gs creep closer and closer.

4. Red Rising Saga

Scientists, philosophers and politicians have been arguing for decades over whether commercialized space travel will end or escalate class divide. Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga comes down hard in the latter camp, presenting readers with a terraformed and co?lonized Mars dominated by the “Golds�?the genetically altered top rung of a brutal color-coded caste system.

After he’s forced to watch the love of his life’s execution, the lowborn “Red�?Darrow joins the ranks of an anti-Gold revolution, willingly undergoing genetic modification so he can infiltrate the Golds and destroy them from within. While Darrow’s campaign against the Golds reaches John Wick leve??ls of violent c?atharsis more than once, his increasingly violent methods leave readers to ask whether Darrow’s suffering justifies the pain he inflicts on others.

3. Mortal Engines Quartet

Few YA series reach the same level of scale as Philip Reeve’s�?Mortal Engines Quartet. This four-part epic’s set in a dystopian future where cities and towns have gone mobile and gotten caught in an endless game of cat-and-mouse, with larg?er settlements hunting down their smaller counterparts and devouring them for resources.

We see this epic world through the eyes of Tom Natsworthy, a young Londoner whose life changes course when he meets Hester Shaw, a disfigured girl with a murderous grudge against one of London’s most powerful citiz????ens. From that point on, Tom and Hester’s lives become irreversibly entangled, and the journey they embark on together will stay with you long after you put the last book down.

2. The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood is one of the greatest speculative fiction authors of our time, and few works show her talent better than The Handmaid’s Tale. For decades, this genre-defining experience stood on its own, but that changed in 2019 when Atwood wrote a direct sequel,The Testaments, which like its predecessor, is going to be adapted into a show by Netflix.

The hood?ed cloak the Republic of Gilead forces the women who live under its patriarchal rule to wear has become a universally recognizable symbol of systemic oppression. Atwood’s empathetic prose seamlessly conveys the terror that the women of Gilead live in daily, and their struggle to beat back the forces that strive to keep them enslaved remains one of the most in??spiring tales of our time.

1. Unwind Dystology

Before there was The Hunger Games, there was Unwind. This series unfolds in a dystopian future in which a second American Civil War broke out over reproductive rights. Eventually, both sides agreed to a compromise, one that gave América’s parents the authority to have their teenage children surgically unmade through a process known as “unwinding.�?/p>

The Unwind series boldly explores challenging themes, touching on issues that have re?mained relevant long after the book’s initial publication. Neil Shusterman’s incredible prose immerses you in the world the author’s crafted, making you live and breathe with the series�?teenage protagonists as they fight back against the tyrannical government that decided their organs are more important than their live??s.

The post Best Book Series Like Hun?ger Games for Lovers of Dystopian Wor??lds appeared first on Destructoid.

To say that Deadpool & Wolverine has been a success so far is a major understatement. It has made well over $800 million at the worldwide box office as of publication and has left critics and general audiences alike thoroughly entertained.

At the same time, it has reignited many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans' love for the franchise after a tumultuous few years. Surprisingly, it has also managed to get Marvel movie enthusiasts in their feelings over some non-MCU endeavors, including some that have ??spent decades either overlooked by the mainstream or downright lambasted by it.

One of the most shocking moments of Deadpool & Wolverine features the titular heroes encountering some familiar (and one not-so-familiar) multiversal faces. Chris Evans heats up as Human Torch, Wesley Snipes returns as Blade, Jennifer Garner reprises Elektra Natchios, Dafne Keene makes an X-23 comeback, and, after years of being signed to the role under the 20th Century Fox banner, Cha??nning Tatum finally gets to play the Ragin' Cajun himself, Remy "Gambit" LeBeau.

Did the Fantastic Four duology somewhat miss the mark? Was the last Blade film a bust? Were Daredevil and Elektra not great? Correct on all counts, but there's something undeniably special about seeing these legacy actors return to roles no one thought they'd ever get to play again, much less team up and get full-on action sequences. As I s??at in the theater and took it all in, my childhood suddenly reviving itself in the form of a ragtag band of multiverse heroes right before my eyes, I couldn't help but be?? reminded of one of Marvel's greatest video game franchises.

What makes Deadpool & Wolverine's Multiverse team-up so special is the same secret sauce that makes the long-running Marvel Ultimate Alliance series so fun.

Unique, wild team-ups are at the core of the Ultimate Alliance series

Released in 2006, 2009, and 2019, respectively, Ultimate Alliance, Ultimate Alliance 2, and Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order are the perfect games for any Marvel fan. Much like how Deadpool & Wolverine is a loving tribute to the pre-MCU era of Marvel films, the Ultimate Alliance saga is a love letter to Marvel Comics history. Throughout each game, players battle legendary villains, visit iconic locales, and interact with beloved supporting characters, all while embark??ing on appropriately comic-booky ??missions. Then there's the true pièce de résistance of the series, the team building.

Throughout the Ultimate Alliance games, players are encouraged to make their own unique hero teams. Sure, they can go for the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, but the expansive rosters encourage creativity. Wanna have Daredevil (Brian Bloom), Penance (Ben Diskin), Songbird (Susan Spano), and Spider-Man (Diskin) all on one team? What about Doctor Strange (James Horan), Iron Man (John Cygan), Spider-Woman (Tasia Valenza), and Colossus (Nolan North)? Go for it. In fact, in Ultimate Alliance and Ultimate Alliance 3, you can even put Blade (Khary Payton, Imari Williams), Elektra (Gabrielle Carteris, Kat Carissa), Wolverine (Steve Blum), and Deadpool (John Kassir, Nolan North) on the same team to go off on some Deadpool & Wolverine-inspired adventures.

Further incentivizing the team-building element, the games feature hidden Team Bonuses, which grant buffs based on specific hero configurations. For instance, in the first game, the Blade, Elektra, Wolverine, and Deadpool combo was called Assassins and grant?ed players +60 S.H.I.E.L.D. credit drops. The group can be formed under Anti-Heroes or Cutting Edge in the third installment, both coming with strength stat buffs.

Could Ultimate Alliance be the key to the Multiverse Saga's future?

Blade, Elektra, X-23, Gambit, Deadpool, and Wolverine united on the big screen was truly like an Ultimate Alliance team come to life. A group of heroes who largely have no business working together doing so to take down a common enemy is what those games are built on. The joy of crafting those wild teams is why I and so many others have such a fondness for the franchise, and evidently, that concept went a long way in boosting the already incredible hype behind Deadpool & Wolverine. Thus, one can only hope that the minds behind the MCU's Multive??rse Saga take notic??e.

Similarly to the Ultimate Alliance series, the Multiverse Saga has been about the unexpected, universe-threatening enemies and unlikely alliances created to save the day. Deadpool & Wolverine takes these elements to the ne??xt level, and so should future Multiverse Saga entries. Based on reactions to the film and its multiversal inclusions, audiences yearn for more bonkers team-ups in MCU stories.

The Marvel roster is vast with countless characters still ripe for adaptation, and there are still loads of film favorites yet to return to the big screen for one more run. Marvel Studios should look to the Ultimate Alliance series for inspiration, maintaining that throughline of team-up fun going forward. Perhaps more niche Ultimate Alliance teams will even m?ake their live-action debuts down th?e road.

With presumably Multiverse-heavy features like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on their way down the production pipeline, it shouldn't be long before more Multiverse teams like those in Deadpool & Wolverine will come to fruition. In the meantime, the Ultimate Alliance tril??ogy is more than worth playing. Not only are they fun and engaging for Marvel fans of all levels, but their team-building ?element could very well hold the key to the Multiverse Saga's future.

The post Deadpool & Wolverine channels the most exciting part of Marvel’s best video games appeared first on Destructoid.

Video games offer some spectacular narrative experiences, but every?? once in a while, a game's story needs a little bit more room to breathe, and some stories find that through novelizations.

Some of my favor??ite video game franchises hide their coolest story moments in ti?e-in novels and short stories. Because of that, I long ago started exploring literature attached to my favorite games. Changing mediums is always a risk, but it turns out that some video game novels are actually pretty spectacular in and of themselves.

Halo: Contact Harvest

The Halo series is surprisingly full of great novels and short stories. Books like The Fall of Reach and Ghosts of Onyx give some interesting insight into the Spartan program and describe humanity’s darkest moment in the Covenant war, but my personal favorite is Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten. The book explores a side character, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, someone I wanted more of in the games, and weaves a compelling story about the very beginning of the war. This is a must-read for any Halo fan.

Diablo: The Sin War

It’s easy enough to get through an entire Diablo game without absorbing much of the story. The series has some dense lore, and it can be a little hard to see through all the blood and particle effects. If you’ve ever wondered about what’s happening in the background of Sanctuary, then there’s no better place to start with The Sin War. The trilogy is written by Richard A. Knaak, and it explores the war between good and evil as it was thousands of years before the first game. The first book, Birthright, is a great introduction to the fascinating lore of the Diablo universe.

The Infernal City

There are only so many times you can replay The Elder Scrolls games while waiting for Bethesd?a to finish its n?ext installment. Luckily, when your patience wears thin, there’s The Infernal City by Greg Keyes. The book is set along the coast of the Black Marsh 40 years after the events of Oblivion. A floating city named Umbriel arrives above t??he land, and the chaos that ensues pulls in people from all walks of life, including the prince of Tamriel himself.

Deus Ex: Icarus Effect

I had a blast playing through Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the first time, but when I finished my playthrough, I felt like I’d only scratched the surface of the game’s world. Of course, there are other Deus Ex games to play that have incredible stories of their own, but the novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect by James Swallow ties directly into the story of Human Revolution. It’s a prequel that, like all the best cyberpunk stories, combines elements of the hard-boiled detective ??genre with the plotting and paranoia of a YouTube conspi?racy video. 

Mass Effect: Revelation

It makes perfect sense that Mass Effect would get a novel tie-in, and Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn is actually just the first book in a four-part series. Mass Effect sets up the exact kind of epic sci-fi universe that leaves room for authors to shape as they tell their own stories. Revelation takes place before the original game and focuses on Lieutenant David Anderson. While telling his story, the book expands the game’s worldbuilding and introduces a few new wrinkles to the overall lore.?? 

BioShock: Rapture

Prequels are where many video game tie-in books seem to shine, and BioShock: Rapture is no exception. Written by John Shirley, the book examines the history of the titular city and tells how Andrew Ryan came to found his underwater utopia. Rapture makes a perfect companion to the first game, as it answers some lingering questions about the citizens of Ryan’s city and gives us a window into the collapse that took place before Jack’s plane fell out of the sky at the beginning of BioShock. 

Splinter Cell

Unsurprisingly, fantasy and sci-fi games tend to get the most tie-in novel, but they aren’t the only genres that get in on the fun. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell by David Michaels was published just two years after the original game debuted, and it tells an original story starring Sam Fisher. This time around Fisher is hunting down a clandestine terrorist group called The Shadows and the arms dealers supplying them,?? but at the very same time, The Shadows are hunting and killing the other members of Fisher’s organization, Third Echelon. 

EVE: The Empryrean Age

The community that plays EVE has a huge impact on how the game’s story unfolds, but the lore that’s already been established for the EVE universe is well worth exploring on its own. Eve: The Empyrean Age by Tony Gonzales is a spacefaring sci-fi story about political intrigue, escaped clones, corporate revolutions, and humanity’s expansion through the stars. Even if you don’t have the patience or free time to commit to playing EVE, The Empyrean Age is still well worth a read. 

The Myst Reader

I need to make a confession. I’ve never been able to finish playing through Myst. The puzzles have always confounded me, and every time I’ve tried, I’ve found myself quickly losing interest in the game. Despite that, the story has always intrigued me, and The Myst Reader is a collection of three books that explore the backstory of the game and give me, as a non-player, exactly the kind of experience I want. Get ready for an engaging series of adventures following the Atrus family and their world-hopping m??agic Art. 

Warcraft: War of the Ancien?ts: The Well of Eternit??y

Just like with Diablo: The Sin Wars, Richard A. Knaak collaborated with Blizzard to write The Well of Eternity. The book is the first of a trilogy set in the World of Warcraft universe, and it’s perfect for WoW heads or for anyone who’s a fan of great high fantasy books. A magical rift sends a dragon mage, human wizard, and orc warrior 3,000 years into the past. Together, they have the chance to forever alter the course of a conflict called The War of the Ancients, but the?y may die, or destroy the world itself, ?in the process. 

The post Top 10 video game tie-in books appeared first on Destructoid.

The first Borderlands game burst onto the scene in 2009. It brought fast-paced action, comedy, and intrigue as players navigate Pandora and all of its dangers in pursuit of sweet, sweet loot. In time, Borderlands became the startin??g point for an entire gaming franchise, of numerous beloved an?d not-so-beloved games,

Now, at long last, the long-running series has made the jump to live-action, following in the footsteps of other recent video game adaptations such as Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, and Fallout, to name a few. Early critic impressions of the Borderlands movie are in?, and well, they're not very positive.

Borderlands misses the mark for the majority of critics

To say that critics haven't held back on Borderlands and its supposed cacophony of missteps would be an u??nderstatement. The film has been widely panned before it even hit?? theaters.

"Eli Roth’s fiasco is so drearily routine and slapdash that even an A.I. would deem it too plagiaristic," wrote The Daily Beast's Nick Schager of the film's uninspired and rushed writing. Over at The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney expanded on this, specifically discussing the feature's lack of emotional resonance: "Since the characters remain one-dimensional �?not much more than cartoonish gamer avatars �?we’re never terribly invested in their survival, or their quest to get to th?e vault first."

Highlighting the film's overabundance of needle-drops and sci-fi action, Empire's Dan Jolin notes, "Borderlands so wants to be Guardians Of The Galaxy...but it doesn’t come close to capturing the same Guardians space-magic." Vicky Jessop of the London Evening Standard even put it in contention for worst movie of 2024, claiming that it calls back to a bygone era of absolutely atrocious video game adaptations. Alistair Ryder over on AwardsWatch doesn't ??even think it has the makings of a future cul??t classic with its lack of originality and style.

What does Borderlands have going for it?

Seems like a lot of critics find Borderlands to be a derivative, style-less, action flick that's impossible to emotionally invest in and harkens back to the dark ages of video game adaptations. That's a pretty bleak description, but is there any silver lining here? Is there anything that gives Borderlands even the slightest bit of merit in the eyes of critics? As it turns out, yes. Miraculously, so?me feel there are some bright spots in what appears to be one of t??he biggest cinematic misfires of 2024.

Well, so far, pretty much the only positive is the portrayal of Lilith by the historically excellent in just about everythin??g Blanchett.

Though she finds the character's writing a bit lacking, Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph likes what Blanchett does with the Lilith role: "I got a kick out of Blanchett starring in a movie like this - and doing a great job!" Danny Leigh agreed in his Financial Times review, calling Blanchett's charisma one of the few "faint, stubborn signs of something more interesting" in the movie. "Sadly, Borderlands is an unworthy vehicle for [Blanchett's] swaggering performance," added Screen Daily's Tim Grierson.

A long road to the Borderlands

Borderlands' road from the gaming world to Hollywood is a long one. Talks of the games being adapted date back to 2011, though, evidently, progress on such a creative endeavor was slow. Leigh Whannell was initially said to be handling writing and directing duties, Aaron Berg and Oren Uziel took a crack at the script, and at one point the film was envisioned as R-rated. Eventually, Eli Roth was selected as director, casting began in 2020, and after over a decade in development limbo and weeks of reshoots under director Tim Miller, Borderlands has become a viewable reality.

On paper, Borderlands seems poised to become a hit. Roth and Miller are seasoned directors, and they led a stacked cast consisting ?of such A-listers as Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack ??Black. Once trailers and promotional images arrived, however, not even the presence of game staples like Lilith (Blanchett), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and Claptrap (Black) and some of Pandora's signature imagery could dispel the notion that the adaptation looked underwhelming and uninspired. All early impressions have done little to counter those feelings.

At the end of the day, these critic reactions only comprise a small portion of folks who have seen and will see Borderlands. Time will tell if their critiques of the movie are widely-held, or if it will find its footing with general audiences as it kicks off its theatrical run. Sadly, Borderlands? ha?s severely struggled when it comes to selling tickets so far, so we'll have to see if people ev??en bother going to see the mov??ie to form an opinion on it.

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While there are plenty of Marvel fans out there, even they seem lukewarm about Robert Downey Jr.’s new role. At San Diego Comic Con, Avengers: Doomsday was announced, and with it, the casting choice of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Although plenty were happy to see him make a return to the franchise, the response was mixed with a collective: “huh?�?/p>

Fans were quick to share memes about how they felt on social media, some poking fun at the assumed greed necessary to “ruin�?the ending of the Marvel Cinematic Uni??verse’s third phase. A lot more of the disdain shared around this casting decision stems from the two likely outcomes that this ??choice will bring: 

Doomsday Outcomes

1:RDJ getting tossed back into the MCU as Doctor Doom will be a vehicle for a fourth-wall bending cameo that barely adds to the plot, reading along the lines of Spider-Man going “Huh, you look familiar.�?Plenty of f??ans agree that this would jus?t be plain boring. Others t??hink it’s simply not worth t??he excessive amount of money. Some fans have waited through the entirety of the MCU to see Doctor Doom, and whoever they wanted to see got beaten out for the role by RDJ’s popularity.

2: The entirety of the Avengers: Doomsday plot will revolve around RDJ Tony Stark’s influence affecting the canon. These beats will echo the way that each Peter Parker’s influence was shown in Spider-Man: No Way Home. At best, that runs the risk of feeling too familiar to No Way Home. At worst, this will echo the fans�?fears that the franchise is out of idea?s and that there’s no where to go from here.

Any MCU fan, along with the average moviegoer, is likely aware of RDJ's place in the franchise as Iron man. He played Tony Stark throughout his own run of movies and he continued to use that clout to put fans in seats up until the climactic ending of Avengers: Endgame. Most were happy to see him go out that way, it wa??s a proper, dignified sendoff that closed the book on an already long story. As the adage goes: “You either die a hero-�?nbsp;

The MCU is bored of normal storytelling

Well, It seems that RDJ has now lived long enough in the MCU to become its villain. Although some fans are excited, and they have reason to be, more people are concerned that the MCU has long-since jumped the shark. Based on the way it’s continuing, Marvel may be making a ca?se for repeated shark-jumpin??g.

People have expressed a desire to see Tony Stark be a villain before. Seeing your favorite hero do something edgy is a classic wish that plenty of nerds accept won’t come true. Exploring ideas like that is largely the purpose of media like internet memes and fan-fiction. If you’re aware that the writers are never going to explore a concept, then you can explore it yourself. Furthermore, Tony Stark is already a morally grey character. Considering the actions he took in Captain America: Civil War, along with his general demean??or and utilitarian approach to situations, most MCU media goes out of its way to tell the viewer that Iron Man is not a saint. 

As fans have pointed out, a lot of Tony Stark’s character’s purpose in the MCU is to emphasize that seeing the grey area in issues can actually be useful. This is not what Doctor Doom is. Doctor Doom is obsessed with perfection, and his mask, hidin??g facial abnormality, is a testament to that. A lot of fans worry that the port??rayal of the character will wring a little hollow when the whole time they’re just thinking about Tony Stark. 

So, what purpose does this serve?

The most likely answer is that it offers a showcase of RDJ’s skill as an actor while bringing back the attention that the MCU has been losing over the years. If you were or still are a fan of the MCU up until now, chances are superhero fatigue has hit you at some point. If that hasn’t happened, that’s frankly very impressive. Most people will acknowledge that phase four of the MCU has been messy, to say ??the least. There are so many characters and ideas flowing around that the intended refined palette of MCU content now feels just as disorganized as the comic universe.

The irony is not lost on Marvel, as it has com?mitted to reducing its output to prevent that clutter. This display of self-awareness makes it quite apparent that this new slate of MCU content hasn’t been anywhere near as successful since phase three. Ma??rvel’s solution appears to be having one of the most loved actors from its movies return. 

People will probably go to see Doomsday out of interest alone. The very idea of having RDJ come back is so crazy that it just works. Despite all of the dissent launched at this concept, Seeing RDJ put his own spin on a new role will still be something unique that only the MCU can do. A lot of that is because of the hype surrounding RDJ’s Tony Stark and the legacy that the MCU holds in pop culture. People will be watching this movie for the novelty even if they ?don’t end up finding the plot that interesting. Marvel knows this, and that’s why he’s its best pick for now.

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When you try to wr?ap your head around the s??heer breadth of the Epic Fantasy landscape, you soon realize that even reading the most popular and acclaimed book series will take you a lifetime. And we all know that to-be-read list isn't getting shorter.

At this point, most would opt to stick to the names that have stood the test of time. Books that not only celebrated the speculative tradition but redefined the entertainment industry and pop culture on a large scale. And sure, there is nothing wrong with this approach, but what if there were a myriad of amazing books �?some even genuinely better than the supposed quintessential tour de force storytellers out ??there �?that you’d be missing out on jus??t because you decided to play it safe?

You understand where I’m going with this, of course. In?? this article, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most underrated yet acclaimed fantasy book series in history to give you a taste of the storytelling feats a few daring authors have pulled off at the outskirts of this imaginative? enterprise.

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

You’d find yourself in no shortage of book readers eager to sing the praises of Malazan Book of the Fallen as one of the most ambitious fictional worlds out there, but the fact remains that Steven Erikson’s spiraling grimdark fantasy tale is still not as popular as you'd expect a narrative of this caliber to be. Reading Malazan is a viciously difficult undertaking in and of itself, but if you manage it, it will end up changing more than just the way y??ou view life.

The Black Company by Glen Cook

Many contemporary writers �?especially in the grimdark scene �?would cite Glen Cook as one of their huge inspirations. Yet when all is said and done, his Magnum opus, The Black Company, remains relatively obscure. If you’re craving a military fantasy tale spearheaded by memorable characters, then you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better than The Black Company. Be forewarned, though; the book is a slow-burner, so you have to bring yourself to power thro?ugh the first 100 pages.

The Drenai Series by David Gemmell

Consisting of 11 novels, The Drenai Series by David Gemmell is often cited as one of the most influential works of fantasy after Tolkien, but rarely do we see it get the recognition it deserves. Every novel in this series, starting with 1984’s Legend, is self-contained and centers around a particular conflict and period in the Drenai world. The story is about heroism, moral philosophy, and existential musings tied into a fictional world resembling medieval Europe. If you love the works o??f such writers as Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, and Mark Lawrence, it might interest you to know that all of them have taken inspiration from David Gemmell.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

A lot of readers might feel as though fantasy is taking itself way too seriously nowadays. Remember the simple times when we had a Hobbit going on unlikely adventures, facing dragons, and living to tell the tale? Well, if you miss the subtle brilliance of those early stories, then The Chronicles of Prydain is the series you need to pick up immediately. Consisting of 5 books, Prydain revolves around a young assistant pig-keeper named Taran who dreams of adventure, and he soon grows to learn that hi?s own journey is riddled with more than just heroism and excitement.

The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny is one of the biggest names in speculative fiction and a writer whose voice informed much of the tropes in both fantasy and sci-fi in the �?0s. Zelazny’s best-known series is The Chronicles of Amber, a meta-story taking place in the realms of Amber, Chaos, and the Shadow worlds in between, one of which is our own Earth. The Chronicles of Amber has been hugely influential in the world of fantasy, an?d it's not just the story’s allusions to William Shakespeare that have turned it into a timeless tale.

The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington

James Islington is a new voice in the Epic Fantasy genre, but he’s managed to work up quite the hype maelstrom despite his rather fresh entry. The Licanius Trilogy involves a looming war and an ancient prophecy, which is the bread and butter of every traditional fantasy story. But what makes The Licanius Trilogy unique is its intricate worldbuilding. You might be confused at first, but things will start to make sense by the time you reach the finish line, and the payoff is goi??ng to be worth every minute you spend in t?his world.

The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne

Opinions about The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne are usually a mixed bag; you either absolutely love these books to the point that they become some of your all-time favorites, or you hate them with a passion. Titled Malice, Valour, Ruin, and Wrath, this tetralogy might not have a whole lot of originality going for it, mostly finding itself in the generic trope-filled section of the fantasy shelf, but Gwynne’s confident prose and characterization make it work. Besides, the man writes some of the best action you??’re ever going to see in Ep?ic Fantasy.

The Fire Sacraments by Robert V.S. Redick

The first book in The Fire Sacraments series by Robert V.S. Redick is titled Master Assassins, promptly making you roll your eyes and dismiss it out of hand because you’ve seen the premise, or even the title, dozens of times already. But then, you’d be making one of the gravest mistakes in your literary lifetime because just about the only thing that’s mediocre about The Fire Sacraments is its title. This is currently one of the most underrated fantasy books out there, and I have almost no doubt that it’s? going to blow up considerably in the years to come.

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay

If you want a Lord of the Rings clone that comes anywhere close to those same literary, storytelling, and world-building heights, you have to read Guy Gavriel Kay. The Fionavar Tapestry is a severely underrated fantasy series that’s constantly paying homage to Tolkien and other respectable traditional High Fantasy books of yore. It also helps that Gavriel Kay actually worked with Christopher Tolkien to edit The Silmarillion back in the late �?0s. If you’re having trouble finding a voice that can scratch that particular Middle-earth itch, The Fionavar Tapestry is your best bet.

The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan

There aren’t a lot of examples of what the High Fantasy community has come to refer to as “flintlock�?fantasy. Suppose the genre is defined by its reliance on the so-called sword and sorcery. In that case, flintlock fantasy books like Promise of Blood, a part of Brian McClellan’s The Powder Mage, take viewers into the near future, where gunpowder is changing the face of society forever. If you want a fantasy book series with a unique world-building angle, then The Powder Mage trilogy is for you.

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To be considered one of the best of the best ?in science fiction literature, you need a repertoire of books and some game-changing titles. However, it is always good to suppor?t the new authors in sci-fi and maybe watch one of them bloom into a writing legend. Here are a few I think should be quietly, but expectantly, watched in 2024.

There are so many new writers every year, especially in the science fiction genre. Some of them go on to be the next Iain M. Banks, but the majority sink into obscurity. Whether this is because they're not up to scratch or simply ju?st not discovered is anyone's guess. However, pic??k one or two of these up, and you'll be sure to get a view into what the new trends are and what some of the best new writers in sci-fi are producing.

Tlotlo Tsamaase

Womb Cities' genre-blending mash-up of Cyberpunk, Afrofuturism, Horror, and science fiction hits so many of the greatest subgenres it's almost impossible to fail... if done right. However, Tlotlo Tsamaase nails it with her first full-length book, which has elements of Altered Carbon body-hopping and Brave New World levels of surveillance states. The narrative has deep sci-fi elements combined perfectly with a trapped and paranoid horror that leaves every page a tense turn. If you're a fan of Afrofuturism cyberpunk, there are some fantastic books to choose from.

In the Botswana portrayed in this sci-fi book, our new author imagines a world in which consciousness can be transferred between bodies, but at the cost of freedom. Our main character seemingly has everything she could want. She has wealth, renown, and a baby being grown in the government child vats. However, she risks losing it all after one wild night leaves her hiding a body. With a police husband who watches her every move, can she cover up her mistake and still keep her child, or ?is the oppressive world of the future going to take it all?

Oliver K. Langmead

I think K. Langmead, one of the new, up-and-coming sci-fi authors, has the imagination and creativity to go places. His work with Calypso is just proof of this. In this work from 2024, the colony ship, destined to populate a new planet, has gone the way of a new religion after traveling between the ??stars for generations. The enclosed world of the admittedly ??huge vessel is the stage for a slice of humanity that has gone to war with themselves and come out on the side of nature.

Calypso is about a woman who is the last to wake from cryosleep and is revered as a deity. The ship has become a forest after two factions go to war. One believes they should turn the new planet into a technology hub, the others believe in a green earth. The latter won the fight. What Calypso really shows off is K. Langmeads ability to invent, and expand on a theory. He breaks down t?he possibilities of a society left to its own devices, and these are the markings of truly great new sci-fi authors.

Kate Mildenhall

Like many of the greats of sci-fi, the genre doesn't need to be everything to the author. Kate Mildenhall is coming out in the literary world to resounding praise, and she is writing with true freedom. Her first science fiction novel, The Hummingbird Effect, weaves together six time-spanning narratives akin to The Female Man. Mildenhall? looks at multiple women narratives throughout time ranging from the past to the distant future, carrying the theme of the woman and her ability to cope and persevere.

Mildenhall has written in several?? other genres, including thrillers and historical fiction. However, this foray into science fiction shows off her ability to adapt to the weird and wonderful world of the future and technology. As a writer who clearly loves exploring concepts and the human psyche, science fiction could end up serving her very well as one of the new sci-fi authors in the years to come.

Justin Cronin

Science fiction moves through the ages, adapting to the environment and group mentality of its environment. Before the Second World War, science fiction was mostly positive, believing in a possible utopia. However, once the atomic bomb fell, everything changed. In the modern age of science fiction, I feel there is a prevalence of suspicion and paranoia pointed at the powers that be. A running theme of mistrust of institutions and a lack of autonomy seems to run true through many of sci-fi's new authors. Justin Cronin captures this in his first science fiction novel, The Ferryman.

Although Cronin has touched on science fiction elements with his Passage trilogy, The Ferryman is his first real exploration of the genre. The book takes a look at the idea of recyclable bodies. The island is a utopia, with people being told about their?? coming dea??ths by a chip in their arm. When their time comes, they visit the ferryman who takes their bodies to be recycled. However, as our protagonist, the ferryman, comes to the end of his life, he starts to realize this peaceful utopia may be covering up some rather dark secrets.

Kaliane Bradley

Time travel is a trope used frequently throughout the sci-fi genre, to varying degrees of success. In Kaliane Bradley's debut sci-fi novel, The Ministry of Time, she takes the often convoluted? topic and makes it completely munda??ne in the funniest way. Time travel leaves a narrative open to huge amounts of creativity, and Bradley has used it to produce a truly gripping and very funny story. In a world where time travel is possible, it has been incredibly bureaucratized in a way that only human beings ever could. This gives space for Bradley to flex her sci-fi creative muscles and bring characters out of their usual settings and into somewhere completely new.

The Ministry of Time is set in a world where time travel is now possible. It is up to the protagonist to act as a 'Bridge' with the responsibility of helping time-traveling people from the past adjust to the modern age. This leaves the story open to some hilarious observations from a man transported from 1845 and the shock of living wi??th a modern woman in a modern age. This hilarious, inwardly turned view of modern society promises great things from this new, up-and-coming sci-fi auth??or.

Cixin Liu

Despite having published work for the past twenty years or more, Cixin Liu still has a vast amount of potential as a new sci-fi author. His most famous work, The Three-Body Problem, has been turned into a successful Netflix show. Cixin Liu is a modern writer, focussing on the hard sci-fi element of the genre. He isn't afraid to tackle serious, technical science fiction in a way that often scares many authors away. He plays with current technology and theories, painting pictures that we could easily, as readers, see ourselves living within. The Three-Body Problem? trilogy is a magnificent example of just what he can do as ??an up-and-coming sci-fi writer.

Hard sci-fi is the idea of writing science fiction as far from the fantasy border as possible. The theories and concepts within this sub-genre need to be plausible and relatable. Cixin Liu captures these perfectly, building scenarios that could easily be realized on the earth we know today. With the roaring success of The Three Body Problem, I hope to see many mor?e works in this fantastic sci-fi writer's career.

Yume Kitasei

With two books under her belt, written in quick succession, Yume Kitasei is on the road to being one of the shining lights in the list of new sci-fi authors. She isn't afraid to paint huge intergalactic pictures. In doing so, she never loses sight of the smaller things, either. Her characters are still intricate and personal, despite existing in often huge spaces. With her first book, The Deep Sky, being set on a colony ship, she then spread her creative wings and her her second, The Stardust Grail, being intergalactic.

These two books, contrasting in scale, still focus on one central character. Her sci-fi explores the ideas of colonialism and race while still providing a gripping read. Kitsei has blended genres with each of her two current books. The first, Deep Sky, is a thrilling murder mystery. However, her second, Stardust Grail, is a heist narrative with some very serious rep?ercussions.

Chris Cosmain

With only one book under his belt so far, Chris Cosmain is making waves in the new sci-fi authors scene. His book, Navikov Windows, deals with time travel and the issues surrounding it. However, with time tr??avel novels, there are alwa??ys people who get hung up on the technicalities. Hard sci-fi demands we explain the paradoxes and many time loop issues. If you somehow stop your grandad from sleeping with your grandma, how did you exist and do it in the first place, etc? However, Cosmain faces these conundrums one by one.

In this book, time is predetermined. A time traveler heads back in time to build the time machine the world will eventually use. However, he explains to the people building it that there is no free will and that everything is already played out. The folks working on the time machine aren't exactly overjoyed with this revelation. Navikov Windows explores the p??sychological weight o??f this knowledge.

Nick Harkaway

Pick up a book by Nick Harkaway, and you're guaranteed a wild ride. With a few published books under his belt, this new sci-fi author has real potential. His two main publications, Gnomon and Titanium Noir, are only the first installments in a series. This promises at least a few more books as we look into this sci-fi author's future. He shows great skill in genre-blending, with Titanium Noir be??ing the perfect example of cyberpunk and gritty crime fiction. These, in my opinion, are two genres?? that were born to be combined, and he does it well.

Nick Harkaway, as a writer, doesn't shy away from narratives dripping in criticisms of the world of today. By painting dystopias, such as the Big Brother style world of tomorrow in Gnomon, we are made ??to look at the direction we are moving and question if it is right. Harkaway writes vast and complex stories that will keep you turning page after page, waiting for the next big reveal.

Kira Peikoff

With a number of books under her belt already, Kira Peikoff is becoming one of the most highly anticipated new sci-fi authors on the market. With her latest success with Baby X, she is only paving the way for her future as one of the modern greats. She combined Black Mirror-esque horror with a decidedly science-fiction theme. The verisimilitude of the worlds of her science fiction narratives makes the reality she weaves all that more terrifying to the modern reader. It's not so much a case of if these futuristic horrors will happen, and much more a case of when. As a crossover, sci-fi horror is one of my favourites.

With Baby X, the near future of the USA has a new celebrity fixation. With the very real and present IVG technology, any cells can be used to create sperm and eggs. This means that if you're able to somehow swipe someone's DNA, their DNA can be used to create a child. Because of this, celebrity DNA is often sold on the black market to fans and other unhinged people. However, one celebrity is tired of it, and hired security to protect him from the DNA thieves. The narrative follows the relationship between the guard and her task to protect this man from potential threats. However, it's never going to be that simple. This is another one of those books that could make a great video game.

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