The Incomparable

67 “Witch King” by Martha Wells

Scott read Wells’ latest and thinks you should too! Now we await the eventual Murderbot/Witch King crossover.

66 “Blood, Sweat, and Pixels” by Jason Schreier

Antony recommends a book that (finally) accurately explains how videogames are made, and the struggles involved.

65 “The Cruel Stars” by John Birmingham

Antony reads the first in a rip-roaring space opera series in which humanity is faced with an existential threat, and comes away impressed.

64 “The Man on the Street” by Trevor Wood

Antony recommends a crime novel that’s already won multiple awards, and which he considers one of the most accomplished debuts he’s read.

63 “Blade Reforged” by Kelly McCullough

Erika continues enjoying her reread of the Fallen Blade series. And Blade Reforged is a good jumping-on point!

62 The Nightshades Series by Melissa F. Olson

Sometimes entertaining escapism means three short, bloody books about vampires.

61 “Fireheart Tiger” by Aliette de Bodard

A beautifully written, complicated queer romance … plus politics … plus a fire elemental.

60 “Tea and Sympathetic Magic” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Who would want to jockey against a sea of debutantes to win a marriage to a Duke when there’s a library full of books to be read and plenty of good tea to drink?

59 “Brightfall” by Jaime Lee Moyer

A post-myth Robin Hood tale that is at turns sad, dark, frightening, and eventually hopeful. With fae and dragons!

58 “The Galaxy, and the Ground Within” by Becky Chambers

It’s a book in which nothing much happens, just a bunch of aliens sitting around waiting for the sky to clear. And yet Becky Chambers works her magic on it, and makes it memorable and moving. What a magic trick.

57 “Slow Horses” by Mick Herron

In anticipation of the upcoming Apple TV+ show, Antony recommends a spy series quite unlike any other.

56 “Broken Blade” by Kelly McCullough

Erika revisits an old favourite and discovers it’s even better the second time!

55 “Guns of the Dawn” by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Erika enjoyed a regency-style fantasy novel about war! Who woulda thunk it?

54 “Beneath the Rising” by Premee Mohamed

This book is (partially) set in Edmonton, which is exciting for Erika. It’s about monsters and friendship and what monsters can do to friendship.

53 “Stasiland” by Anna Funder

A compelling book on a difficult subject, telling the stories of people who lived behind the Berlin Wall and lived in fear of the Stasi.

52 “Or What You Will” by Jo Walton

Do you like meta-fictional meditations on the nature of storytelling and Italy? Has Scott got the book for you!

51 “Plague Land” by S D Sykes

Scott hasn’t left his apartment in 4 months, so he decided to read a book about fictional people who had it even worse.

50 “Interior Chinatown” by Charles Yu

Charles Yu has been working in television for awhile, and it isn’t hard to see that (obvious) influence on this novel.

49 “Working” by Robert Caro

Scott finally finished a book by Robert Caro (no, not that one).

48 “The City We Became” by N.K. Jemisin

Need a book to restore your readerly habits? This one worked for Scott!

47 “Famous Men Who Never Lived” by K. Chess

People from an alternate timeline live as refugees in our New York City. It’s full of grief, sadness, frustration, and coincidences.

46 “Underground Airlines” by Ben H. Winters

Nathan reviews Ben H. Winters’s Underground Airlines, a gripping thriller set in an alternate history that feels too close to our own.

45 “Six Stories” by Matt Wesolowski

Antony discusses SIX STORIES by Matt Wesolowski, a book tailor-made for podcast listeners.

44 “How To Do Nothing” by Jenny Odell

How hard is it to do nothing, anyway?

43 “The Long Lavender Look” by John D. McDonald

Re-reading the Travis McGee adventure novels of the 60’s and 70’s in the twenty-first century.

42 “Children of Ruin” by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The sequel to “Children of Time” does the original one better by adding new planets, new species, and maybe even aliens?

41 “Fall; or, Dodge in Hell” by Neal Stephenson

Once again, Neal Stephenson has buried 250 great pages in a 900-page book.

40 “My Book of Genesis” by Richard Macphail

Antony discusses the infamously-not-dead Genesis road manager’s story, finally told in a delightful book.

39 “His Majesty’s Dragon” by Naomi Novik

Erika needed some dragons. She got them. She also got a war. So, swings and roundabouts.

38 “Ghosts in the Schoolyard” by Eve Ewing

Quinn talks about school closings, civil responsibility, and Eve Ewing’s sociology book “Ghosts in the Schoolyard.”

37 “Educated” by Tara Westover

One million people have read and recommended Educated, but Quinn is here to be number one million and one.

36 “Places in the Darkness” by Chris Brookmyre

Antony discusses Chris Brookmyre’s sci-fi murder mystery PLACES IN THE DARKNESS.

35 “Terminal Alliance” by Jim C. Hines

Do you love post-apocalyptic fiction, but for your soul’s sake you need to keep it light? Has Erika got a book for you!

34 “Spirits, Spells, and Snark” by Kelly McCullough

The sequel to Magic, Madness, and Mischief delivers more of what Erika loved about the first book.

33 “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik

Like “Uprooted” before it, “Spinning Silver” is a more modern remix of classic fairy tale and fantasy scenarios. Royal weddings! Ice kings! Just don’t mention Rumpelstiltskin.

32 “In The Company of Others” by Julie E. Czerneda

Scott doesn’t remember why he had a copy of this book, but finally got around to reading it and enjoyed it!

31 “Trail of Lightning” by Rebecca Roanhorse

Quinn got recommended a book by the Chicago Public Library, and now trusts the library completely.

30 “Magic, Madness, and Mischief” by Kelly McCullough

Erika read this middle-grade fantasy both recently and not-so-recently. Turns out re-reading it is just as delightful as the first time through.

29 “Hidden Sun” by Jaine Fenn

Erika went in search of a novel worthy to add to her Hugo nomination list — and she found one!

28 “The Wise Man’s Fear” by Patrick Rothfuss

Monty’s a few years late, but he just got to the second book in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles.

27 “Crimson Frost” by Jim C. Hines

Merry Christmas, readers! For your holiday pleasure, Erika brings you a wacky-yet-dark Christmas mashup. It’s a shortie, so you can read it while your wine is mulling or your chestnuts are roasting.

26 “Children of Time” by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Arachnophobes, steer clear. Hard sci-fi fans, pull up a chair!

25 “Salvation” by Peter F. Hamilton

Scott is a fan of Hamilton (no, not that one), but does his latest hold up?

24 “Love and Romanpunk” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

In which Erika loves “twisted history” and Tansy. Not necessarily in that order. But maybe.

23 “Embers of War” by Gareth L. Powell

In which a good tweet convinces Erika to read a good book.

22 “Record of a Spaceborn Few” by Becky Chambers

The third book in Becky Chambers’ “Wayfarers” universe — but there’s no need to read either of the other two before diving into this one.

21 “Impostor Syndrome” by Mishell Baker

The third book in the “Arcadia Project” series is great, but start with “Borderline” if you haven’t read any of them—and if you’ve read the first two, be sure to bone up before diving in to book three.

20 “The Golden Minute” by John Birmingham

A rollicking time-travel adventure featuring an 1870s lawman and a 21st century game developer, lost in time—and on the run from historical danger as well as deadly time police. It’s fun!

19 The Sam Clair Mysteries by Judith Flanders

Scott read all 4 books in the series over the course of 4 days. You will too.

18 “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World” by Dan Koeppel

I guess you could say that this is a book that has… appeal.

17 “The Fictional Man” by Al Ewing

If we made flesh and blood versions of fictional characters, would they be “real” people? Antony enjoys some late-night misanthropic philosophy with Al Ewing’s 2013 novel “The Fictional Man.”

16 “The Ends of the World” by Peter Brannen

“The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions” puts the history of Earth and our role in it in perspective. Too much perspective, probably.

15 “Girl Reporter” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Tina Valentina may not be Lois Lane, but without Lois and Vicki and April and Cat and Trish and so many more, there’d be no Tina. And without Tina, there’d be no Friday. And without Friday, we wouldn’t have this delightful superhero comedy romp.

Disclaimer: Erika podcasts with Tansy on Verity!

14 “Summer in Orcus” by T. Kingfisher

Erika’s continued Hugo (ahem, not-a-Hugo) reading yields excellent results!

13 “Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of YMR” by John Crowley

A crow that lives forever? What’s that all about?

12 “Summerland” by Hannu Rajaniemi

You probably wouldn’t want to vacation in Summerland, but is “Summerland” worth reading? Find out what Scott thinks.

11 “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers

Antony gives his thoughts on an Incomparable favourite, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

10 “The Flowers of Vashnoi” by Lois McMaster Bujold

A surprise Vorkosigan novella appears!

9 “The Calculating Stars” by Mary Robinette Kowal

An alt-history space race with commentary on the science and technology successes and cultural failings of the mid-20th century.

8 “84K” by Claire North

Scott is stressed out, so he decided to read about a depressing possible future. What could go wrong?

7 “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel” by Mary Ann Shaffer

After seeing the Netflix trailer for the movie that is being made from this book, Kathy was intrigued by such a mouthful of a title and had to read it. Would she recommend it? Listen and find out!

6 “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells

It won the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novella, and Scott McNulty also recommended it. Jason finally read “All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries)”, only to find that the titular Murderbot is not at all what he expected. And do you want to pay novel price for a novella?

5 “Night Fall” by Simon R. Green

Scott has read 26 books to prepare for this book. Was it all worth it?

4 “The Mountain of Kept Memory” by Rachel Neumeier

Does Scott think this fantasy book is fantastic?

3 “When Gravity Fails” by George Alec Effinger

Antony discusses his re-read of the classic cyberpunk novel “When Gravity Fails” by George Alec Effinger.

2 “The Prodigal Tongue” by Lynne Murphy

Recording from England, Jason discusses “The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English” by Lynne Murphy.

1 “Revenant Gun” by Yoon Ha Lee

Scott read a book, and now he wants to talk about it! That book? “Revenant Gun” by Yoon Ha Lee.

What does he have to say about it? Listen to the podcast and find out.