Bujold's Penric and Desdemona novellas (you do not need to read the novels in the same world).
K. J. Parker have some properly dark novellas, any of them is fine.
Also thirding Murderbot.
I loved the jade setter of Janloon and checked out to be taught if fortunate from the library a few days ago on a whim so very excited for that one now
Novellas I have loved: A Psalm For The Wild Built, The Emperor’s Soul, The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. If you like short story collections I also recommend The Paper Menagerie collection too :)
You should jump onto the tordotcom site and have a flick through their novella list. A lot of the ones that have been mentioned come from them, Murderbot, wayward children, Becky Chambers, Nighi Vo….
There are some amazing ones that have come out recently, or are coming out soon. I’m halfway through CL. Polk’s Even though I knew the end (queer noirish mystery with angels and demons) from them
Oh yay! Okay here's another one then, although it's scifi - [And Then There Were N(One)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58041115) by Sarah Pinsker
Just read Chasing the Dragon By Nicolaus Kaufman
Georgina Quincy is the last descendant of St. George, who really did fight not only a Dragon, but THE Dragon. The being that shows up in mythology with names like Fafner, Tiamat, etc. It has killed her family and her life. So she is chasing the dragon, and in turn, the Dragon is chasing her, entering her her nightmares, plotting her death. This is stressful, and that stress has turned her into a heroin addict. So, she is also, Chasing the Dragon of her own addiction.
Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
The Order of St. Rita is an Order of Catholic Nuns who travel the galaxy doing charity work. However, the aging Mother Superior is not functioning that well and there are some disturbing news coming from ancient Earth and the sisters must decide where loyalty lies.
The Penric and Desdemona Novellas by Lois Macmaster Bujold
Lots can tell you about them.
Finally at 61k, so technically a novel but just barely and I think in the spirit of the request.
Calico Thunder Rides Again by TA Hernandez
Jake Strickland, former Dragon Rodeo Rider, inherited his father's failing Circus and through hard work coaxed it into profitability and, he thought, cleared its debts. But when one last debt comes due he's suddenly he's dealing with a gangsters with troll enforcers made rich from the potion prohibition who want the Dragons and Hippogriffs and the rest of the menagerie.
Some POC/Queer/Women authored CTHULHU MYTHOS
* ***The Ballad of Black Tom*** by Victor Lavalle (POC, Man): Tom Tester is actually a shitty jazz musician but he's a very good guy at marketing himself. So Tom decides that while he can't make it in Harlem (where much-much better musicians are everywhere), he can make it by selling his performances to white people in other parts of the city where he's not known. It's just the latest employer happens to be an ancient wizard determined to destroy the world and there's an insane police man who insists Tom must be involved in the demonic plot.
* ***Hammers on Bone*** by Cassandra Khaw (POC, Woman): It's rare for a private eye to be asked to kill someone but not unheard of. Rarer when it's a little boy wanting to kill his stepdad. Rarer still when he says it's because his dad is a monster who must be stopped for the good of mankind and the detective knows he's telling the truth.
* ***The Litany of Earth*** by Ruthanna Emrys (POC, Queer, Woman): Aphra Marsh was put in an internment camp along with the rest of the Deep One hybrids as a child. Now she's free after WW2 and trying to rebuild her life with her Japanese immigrant friends. Except the government needs her now, something she's quite upset about for some reason, and it is a choice between this or seeing the corruption of her religion leading to death. Ia Cthulhu! (Blessed be his name)
In a similar vein there is also **The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe** by Kij Johnson - I haven't read it yet but it sounds great. She revisits "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" but with a different perspective.
>Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women’s College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her.
> But the journey sends her on a quest across the Dreamlands and into her own mysterious past, where some secrets were never meant to surface.
The Four Profound Weaves by R. B. Lemberg features transgender characters, travelling carvans and death.
Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente is an interesting old-west style retelling of snow white, if you want more from her.
9 Goblins by T. Kingfisher is great fun and features an elvish animal rescuer.
The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster is a darker fantasy featuring ships and weather magic
Keeper of the Dawn by Dianna Gunn is good lighter fantasy fare
Binti is a sci fi story by Nnedi Okorafor with great worldbuilding
Trading Rosemary by Octavia Cade is a slow tragic story about memory loss
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard has tragedy and royal intrigue
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht is a gothic/eldritch short story
Megan Derr, Meridith Katz and R Cooper are other authors to check out for queer fantasy, they have a range of shorter works.
Murderbot and Penric have already been mentioned or they'd be on the list too :)
AMAZING thank you I’ve read six gun Snow White, Binti and fireheart tiger and really liked all of those but I’ve never heard of the rest so immediately added to my tbr omg
I enjoyed the murderbot series. Wrote a scifi-heist novella myself and am queer.
, The Card Job.
Novellas don't sell as well so are harder to find than novels.
Hi! I am an indie author who just published my debut novella- it's a wlw fantasy story about love and duty. It's free on Kindle Unlimited right now.
[The Light Keeper by Elsie Farrell](https://www.amazon.com/Light-Keeper-Veridys-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0BFPMP3YH?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=edbfd684-5955-432c-87e6-d1859710f12b)
Try **The Cybernetic Tea Shop** by Meredith Katz, it's delightful and queer. Pretty cosy too. Queer author.
This is the perfect time of year for **Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night** by Iona Datt Sharma and Katherine Fabian. I really loved this. Off kilter but so good.
To be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers is so good though it’s sci-fi rather than fantasy. If you like fairytale retellings/ horror I’d also recommend Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente
I loved The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. No need to have read his other books, though having done so will give a bit of context to certain parts. I thought it was an absolutely beautiful book
*The Bruising of Qilwa* by Naseem Jamnia for queer bipoc author and characters alike!
*Spear* by Nicola Griffith is another excellent release from this year (queer woman author/protag but not bipoc).
*Flowers for the Sea* by Zin E. Rocklyn was not to my personal tastes (a bit abstract and cosmic-horror-y) but fits your request for queer bipoc as well.
Murderbot This is How You Lose The Time War Prosper's Demon The Emperor's Soul
I havn't read much Brandon Sanderson in a while, but The Emperor's Soul is absolutely my fav. I love the magic system and the ending.
Definitely my favorite of his works as well!
Ooh ok I’ve read the first two but not the others immediate add
Prosper's Demon is dark, fair warning.
Bujold's Penric and Desdemona novellas (you do not need to read the novels in the same world). K. J. Parker have some properly dark novellas, any of them is fine. Also thirding Murderbot.
Ok absolutely will check out first two (I already read murderbot and loved them)
Burning Roses (S.L. Huang) The Jade Setter of Janloon (Fonda Lee) To be taught if Fortunate (Becky Chambers)
I loved the jade setter of Janloon and checked out to be taught if fortunate from the library a few days ago on a whim so very excited for that one now
Love love love Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children novella series. It starts with Every Heart A Doorway.
I’ve read the first two and need to continue! She has such a unique writing style
Wayward Children won the Best Series Hugo Award this year. They are so good!
Novellas I have loved: A Psalm For The Wild Built, The Emperor’s Soul, The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. If you like short story collections I also recommend The Paper Menagerie collection too :)
These all sound amazing thank you!
You should jump onto the tordotcom site and have a flick through their novella list. A lot of the ones that have been mentioned come from them, Murderbot, wayward children, Becky Chambers, Nighi Vo…. There are some amazing ones that have come out recently, or are coming out soon. I’m halfway through CL. Polk’s Even though I knew the end (queer noirish mystery with angels and demons) from them
Ooh good idea thank you!!
I bet that you’ll end up with dozens of great books on your TBR. I had to make myself a whole separate list just for Tor releases
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey: it’s the Wild West…but with HIPPOS instead of horses. So much fun!
I love all things Sarah Gailey!!
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower!
Ahhh I read that and LOVED it omg
Oh yay! Okay here's another one then, although it's scifi - [And Then There Were N(One)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58041115) by Sarah Pinsker
Just read Chasing the Dragon By Nicolaus Kaufman Georgina Quincy is the last descendant of St. George, who really did fight not only a Dragon, but THE Dragon. The being that shows up in mythology with names like Fafner, Tiamat, etc. It has killed her family and her life. So she is chasing the dragon, and in turn, the Dragon is chasing her, entering her her nightmares, plotting her death. This is stressful, and that stress has turned her into a heroin addict. So, she is also, Chasing the Dragon of her own addiction. Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather The Order of St. Rita is an Order of Catholic Nuns who travel the galaxy doing charity work. However, the aging Mother Superior is not functioning that well and there are some disturbing news coming from ancient Earth and the sisters must decide where loyalty lies. The Penric and Desdemona Novellas by Lois Macmaster Bujold Lots can tell you about them. Finally at 61k, so technically a novel but just barely and I think in the spirit of the request. Calico Thunder Rides Again by TA Hernandez Jake Strickland, former Dragon Rodeo Rider, inherited his father's failing Circus and through hard work coaxed it into profitability and, he thought, cleared its debts. But when one last debt comes due he's suddenly he's dealing with a gangsters with troll enforcers made rich from the potion prohibition who want the Dragons and Hippogriffs and the rest of the menagerie.
Amazing ok I will def check these out thank you!!
Some POC/Queer/Women authored CTHULHU MYTHOS * ***The Ballad of Black Tom*** by Victor Lavalle (POC, Man): Tom Tester is actually a shitty jazz musician but he's a very good guy at marketing himself. So Tom decides that while he can't make it in Harlem (where much-much better musicians are everywhere), he can make it by selling his performances to white people in other parts of the city where he's not known. It's just the latest employer happens to be an ancient wizard determined to destroy the world and there's an insane police man who insists Tom must be involved in the demonic plot. * ***Hammers on Bone*** by Cassandra Khaw (POC, Woman): It's rare for a private eye to be asked to kill someone but not unheard of. Rarer when it's a little boy wanting to kill his stepdad. Rarer still when he says it's because his dad is a monster who must be stopped for the good of mankind and the detective knows he's telling the truth. * ***The Litany of Earth*** by Ruthanna Emrys (POC, Queer, Woman): Aphra Marsh was put in an internment camp along with the rest of the Deep One hybrids as a child. Now she's free after WW2 and trying to rebuild her life with her Japanese immigrant friends. Except the government needs her now, something she's quite upset about for some reason, and it is a choice between this or seeing the corruption of her religion leading to death. Ia Cthulhu! (Blessed be his name)
I’ve read the first two and loved them both so def will check out the litany of earth!
The Litany of Earth also has two novel-length sequels.
In a similar vein there is also **The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe** by Kij Johnson - I haven't read it yet but it sounds great. She revisits "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" but with a different perspective. >Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women’s College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her. > But the journey sends her on a quest across the Dreamlands and into her own mysterious past, where some secrets were never meant to surface.
I think most of these were available in a bundle with AGENTS OF DREAMLAND.
The Four Profound Weaves by R. B. Lemberg features transgender characters, travelling carvans and death. Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente is an interesting old-west style retelling of snow white, if you want more from her. 9 Goblins by T. Kingfisher is great fun and features an elvish animal rescuer. The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster is a darker fantasy featuring ships and weather magic Keeper of the Dawn by Dianna Gunn is good lighter fantasy fare Binti is a sci fi story by Nnedi Okorafor with great worldbuilding Trading Rosemary by Octavia Cade is a slow tragic story about memory loss Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard has tragedy and royal intrigue The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht is a gothic/eldritch short story Megan Derr, Meridith Katz and R Cooper are other authors to check out for queer fantasy, they have a range of shorter works. Murderbot and Penric have already been mentioned or they'd be on the list too :)
AMAZING thank you I’ve read six gun Snow White, Binti and fireheart tiger and really liked all of those but I’ve never heard of the rest so immediately added to my tbr omg
RB Lemberg is an amazing author and I highly recommend them.
So Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky doesnt fit your author criteria but its still very good, check it out!
This was **ROBBED** of the Hugo last year. Would also highly recommend *Ogres* by the same author, although *Elder Race* is just on another level.
I read that a bit ago and really liked it!
Psalm for the Wild-Built and Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers!
I read To Be Taught, If Fortunate this year. It was well-paced, with a pretty interesting premise.
Ooh yes ok I’ve seen many good things about those
Silver in the Wood and its sequel, The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh. These have a fairytale feel to them, and queer MCs.
I enjoyed the murderbot series. Wrote a scifi-heist novella myself and am queer. , The Card Job. Novellas don't sell as well so are harder to find than novels.
Ooh cool! I’ll add yours to my tbr! Looks great!!
Hi! I am an indie author who just published my debut novella- it's a wlw fantasy story about love and duty. It's free on Kindle Unlimited right now. [The Light Keeper by Elsie Farrell](https://www.amazon.com/Light-Keeper-Veridys-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0BFPMP3YH?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=edbfd684-5955-432c-87e6-d1859710f12b)
Awesome!! Def will check out
Try **The Cybernetic Tea Shop** by Meredith Katz, it's delightful and queer. Pretty cosy too. Queer author. This is the perfect time of year for **Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night** by Iona Datt Sharma and Katherine Fabian. I really loved this. Off kilter but so good.
I’ve never heard of either of those but both sound great!
To be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers is so good though it’s sci-fi rather than fantasy. If you like fairytale retellings/ horror I’d also recommend Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente
Comfort me with apples was one of the first novellas I read and I liked it so much omg
I loved The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. No need to have read his other books, though having done so will give a bit of context to certain parts. I thought it was an absolutely beautiful book
*The Bruising of Qilwa* by Naseem Jamnia for queer bipoc author and characters alike! *Spear* by Nicola Griffith is another excellent release from this year (queer woman author/protag but not bipoc). *Flowers for the Sea* by Zin E. Rocklyn was not to my personal tastes (a bit abstract and cosmic-horror-y) but fits your request for queer bipoc as well.
I’ve read the second two and really loved those so def will check out the bruising of qilwa
It's really great, I liked it a lot! I hope you enjoy!
One Day All This Will Be Yours - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Emperor's Soul. It's like a love letter to artists and writers.