Djinn Like a Lion: 10 Splendiferous New SFF Books Out March 2024

This is a collection of poetry, Afrofuturism, and flash fiction that asks mind-bending questions about the universe. In this book, there are many universes in (you probably guessed it) the middle of nowhere. What if a Black woman was god of one of the universes? What if Black women were gods of all the universes? What would the lives of all the characters and creatures on these inventive pages look like then? Anastacia-Reneé has some ideas.

Spun from the award-winning novelette Folding Beijing, this is an exciting novel of first contact. In the future, the world is split into two factions, the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic Division of Nations. When three scientists from the Pacific discover that an alien race is sending messages to Earth, they attempt to make contact before the more aggressive Atlantic part of the world takes a harsher stance against the extraterrestrials. And in case you missed it, this novel is translated by the award-winning author Ken Liu!

We here at Book Riot are BIG fans of Johnson’s last novel, The Space Between Worlds. And this promises to be another exciting sci-fi mystery of murder and mystery set in the same world. Scales is a mechanic and fighter in Ashtown, outside the wealthy Wiley City. She’s also the only trusted member of the Emperor’s crew. But when an inexplicable murder happens, and soon more follow, Scales must track an unknown killer under the heart of Wiley City. And into her own past.

Premee Mohamed has quickly become one of my auto-buy authors. This is the second of three books she has coming in 2024 (that we know about), a dystopian novel of war and resistance. It’s about a jailed pacifist named Alefret, who is offered a chance at his freedom by the enemy. In order to gain his life back, he must infiltrate the enemy city’s anti-war protesters and incite them to rise up. But maybe Alefret has an idea of how to just end war altogether.

Cozy sci-fi fans, rejoice! This is a fun novel about a spaceship ship, which also happens to be a luxury hotel. No, not on Fhloston. The Grand Abeona Hotel sails around the solar system, offering the finest in space travel. Carl has been the manager of the hotel for a long time—and a passenger for even longer, ever since he hid onboard. He is at the heart of this story with plenty of mysteries. Like, who is driving the ship, and who is leaving love letters in the lobby? (Say that five times fast.) It’s also about found family, rebels and spies, secrets, and what makes a place a home.

From far in the future, we now travel wayyy back into the past. 60 CE in Britain, to be exact. This is a feminist fantasy retelling of the story of Herla and the Wild Hunt. Herla had hoped to save her people and her land from the Romans by making a deal with the king of the Otherworld. (Julia Roberts voice: Big mistake. Huge.) When she finally escapes the Otherworld, everyone is long gone, and she must carry out her days cursed. But a chance meeting with the queen of the land may help Herla break her curse. That is, if the ancient Otherworld magic doesn’t take over the land first.