The 50 Best Works of Non-Realist Fiction of the 21st Century (Part 2 of 5)

I share my favorite works of science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, and alternate history since 2000

Below is the second installment of my guide to the 50 best works of non-realist fiction published since 2000. For part one of the survey, click here.

I’m sharing the entire list in five installments (because of email length constraints).

To be eligible for the list, a book must be either science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, alternate history, or some other genre that violates our notions of everyday reality. As I’ve written elsewhere, I believe that much of the best contemporary fiction falls into these categories—and is often unfairly neglected because of its genre origins.

Each of the titles below links to a full review of the book only accessible by paid subscribers to The Honest Broker. By the way, paid subscribers also get full access to all 436 essays and articles in The Vault—a compendium of some of my best critical writing from the past.

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William Gibson: The Peripheral (2014)

Gibson would have never been crowned king of cyberpunk if he hadn’t captured the whole ethos of that movement in his artfully-constructed texts. But in The Peripheral he shows, against all odds, that punks can keep their edge even in their late sixties. (More at this link)

Matt Haig: The Humans (2013)

I note that The Humans has attracted a cult following since its initial release. Teachers are sneaking it into their classrooms. Fans are building its reputation by word of mouth. I even hear accounts of readers who found their lives changed and psyches healed by this novel. That’s what books should do, but it so rarely actually happens. (More at this link)