It’s time once again to look back at some of our favorite non-fiction articles from the past year! Today, we’re highlighting many of our favorite essays about books, reading, writing, and storytelling—there will be a separate list of articles discussing TV, movies, and other media coming soon.
While our end-of-year lists are focused on standalone essays and articles, we’re also incredibly proud of our lineup of regular columns, along with the amazing array of fiction recommendations and discussion provided by our many wonderful contributors. This year saw the end of our Elantris Reread and the beginning of our Wind and Truth Read-Along with Sanderson experts Paige Vest, Lyndsey Luther, and Drew McCaffery. Emmet Asher-Perrin recently wrapped up their excellent Terry Pratchett Book Club, while Alex Brown kicked off The Martha Wells Book Club. The indefatigable Keith R.A. DeCandido reached the end (for now) of his comprehensive Star Trek rewatch with the Enterprise Rewatch… and then immediately embarked on the Babylon 5 Rewatch! We’ve also been excited to launch Leah Thomas’ fun and fascinating Anime Spotlight column, and Kali Wallace’s weekly Science Fiction Film Club series, a brilliant exploration of the many different facets of sci fi moviedom!
There’s so much more to come in 2025—for now we hope that you enjoy the selections below, and since these are just some of our favorite book-centric essays from the last twelve months or so—we couldn’t possibly include all the things we love—please feel free to tell us about the articles, columns, and discussions that have stuck with you this year!
Iconic Books and the Future of SFF
The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century by Christina Orlando
We surveyed some of our favorite writers and asked them to share their choices for the most iconic books of the 21st century (so far).
Readers Pick the Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century by Christina Orlando
We asked, you answered! Here are the most iconic books of the century so far—as chosen by you, the readers!
On Selecting the Top Ten Genre Books of the First Quarter of the Century by Jo Walton
What criteria do you use to pick a Top Ten? Where do you start, and what do you cut? It’s not easy…
Eighteen Authors, Two Big Questions: What Is the Best Thing Happening in SFF Right Now, and What Do We Need More Of? by Christina Orlando
What do some of the biggest names in SFF have to say about current bookish trends, or what the future might hold?
Exploring Political and Social Questions
Tools for Thinking About Censorship by Ada Palmer
One price of free speech is eternal humility, recognizing that none of us is immune to becoming a tool of censorship if we fail to recognize its manipulative tactics.
All Insurrections Are Not Created Equal: On Writing Resistance After January 6th by Micaiah Johnson
On the limits of dystopian science fiction as a model for direct action.
Unimaginable Wealth, Decadence, Decline: Scaling the Walled Gardens of J.G. Ballard by Ryan Berger
Ballard’s fiction is filled with spoiled elites, hoarded luxuries, and class warfare, but no easy answers or predictable outcomes…
Beyond the Workplace Novel: Speculative Fiction and the Horrors of Capitalism by Tobias Carroll
A look at four contemporary workplace novels that dive into the world of speculative and surreal fiction
How Peter Gillis’ “What If Captain America Were Not Revived Until Today?” Speaks to Readers in 2024 by Paul Morton
It takes Captain America—greatest of all soldiers, man of violence, blonde-haired and blue-eyed beneath the mask—to describe so plainly the threat of American nationalism.
Probing the Limits of Genre
Let’s Start a Fight: Are Science Fiction and Fantasy the Same? by Kristen Patterson
What are the differences that separate sci-fi and fantasy into different genres? Do they really hold up, and are they important?
Defining Our Terms: What Do We Mean by “Hard SF”? by James Davis Nicoll
Hard SF has never been a unified subgenre. Here are five overlapping varieties of story to which the label applies…
Unlimited Flow: Beyond the Horizons of Genre by 墨客hunxi
Death games, omniscient gods, and limitless possibilities: A deep dive into a sub-genre of SFF practically unknown to English readers.
What Exactly Makes a Romantasy by R. Nassor
Let’s look at the key aspects of this wildly popular new subgenre, and discuss some of the best romantasy books and series around…
The Evolving, Living Art of Books by Abi Walton
There’s something timeless about holding a novel in your hands, feeling the weight of its pages, and getting lost in its world.
Personal Reflections and Storytelling
Motherhood: A Fairy Tale by Roshani Chokshi
Once upon a time, a couple longed for a child…
The Horrors of a Starter Home by M.L. Rio
Broken pipes, rodent infestations, and the many domestic horrors that can haunt a home…
Many Worlds and the Queer Imaginary by Emet North
Imagine three possible futures for yourself. Let your future selves be bold…
How Trigun Taught Me the Importance of Storytelling and Love by Tara Sim
Trigun—a space-western that promises “future gun action”—is a masterpiece in character, motivation, theme, and tragedy.
Deep Dives and Literary Criticism
Octavia Butler, Audre Lorde, and the Power of Pleasure by Logan Dreher
In three of her stranger works, Butler asks us to interrogate the nature of pleasure, and the relationships and connections made possible through desire.
How Brandon Sanderson’s Yumi and the Nightmare Painter Captures the Artist’s Need to Create and Share by Ratika Deshpande
The story of two artists discovering that art doesn’t need to serve a practical purpose to be deeply meaningful.
Why Compassion Is a Common Theme in Space Opera by Yume Kitasei
In the cold vastness of space, we paradoxically find cozy stories of found family, empathy, and hope that reason and love will win the day.
Grief Is the Thing Worth Feeling: On Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story by Sarah McCarry
Bastian’s journey offers lessons on grief, despair, and how to reshape the Nothing.
Wilson’s Iliad and Le Guin’s Battle Between Good and Evil, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sword by Kristen Patterson
On translating Homeric epics, Ursula Le Guin’s thoughts on fantasy war, and scrutinizing our commonly held notions about the past.
Thoughts on Adaptations and Retellings
The Comfort (and Discomfort) of Retellings by Wen-yi Lee
There’s comfort in returning to familiar worlds—but there can be power in the discomfort of certain retellings, as well…
How to Fight a Fairy Tale: Retellings in the Age of Romantasy by Jenny Hamilton
The trouble with structuring a book around a fairy tale is that fairy tales make no sense—but books have to.
Tolkien’s Precious Words and the Rise of Canon Gatekeeping by Curtis A. Weyant
With apologies to overzealous fans, there is no One Canon to rule them all…
Author Spotlights
Arkady Martine in Singapore: On Sci-Fi City Planning and What Makes a “City of the Future” by Alexis Ong
A discussion of futuristic cities and architecture as inspiration for science fiction.
Cults, Covens, and Childhood Goddesses: A Conversation With Author Melissa Albert by Natalie Zutter
How bestselling author Melissa Albert shifted from writing fairy tale noir to suburban fantasy.
Myth, Fantasy, and Lives Shaped by Stories in the Work of A.S. Byatt by Jonathan Thornton
The fantastical elements are always there in Byatt’s fiction, underpinning the fabric of the story and guiding the fates of her characters…
Asking the Tough Questions…
But Do They F*** The Dragon? An Oral History of Dragon Romance by Bree Bridges
Whether you like historicals or futuristics, our world or another, sweet or spicy, cozy or dark—someone has already written the dragon romance of your dreams.
Mark as Read
Molly Templeton’s Mark as Read column gives readers a place to talk about all the things that connect us (and occasionally frustrate us) as lovers of books. Over the past year, the column has examined the language we use to talk about reading, asking Why Are We Talking About Books Like This?, and ruminated on Bookish Death Cleaning, the idea that you may never get to read all the books on your shelves, and why we hold on to the books we choose to keep, year after year. There’s been discussion of books that answer the question “What Happens After the World Gets Saved?” and thoughts on Coming to Terms With “Cozy” Fiction, and what the label “cozy” really means. And in case you missed it, Molly recently shared some ideas about how to keep literature and the book community alive: It’s a Really Good Time to Get Loud About the Books You Love. You can find the full list of columns (and the conversations they’ve inspired) at the series page, here.
That’s all for now, but keep an eye out for the second half of our 2024 highlights, where we’ll be talking all about old and new movies, TV series, and other pop culture favorites. In the meantime, if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can always check out our “Some of the Best…” article round-ups from previous years. Happy reading!
