If you’re looking to dive into captivating new worlds this spring, our curated list of the Best SciFi and Fantasy Books to Read in May 2025 has you covered. From cosmic horrors and postcolonial noir to time-bending tales and richly imagined futures, these nine standout titles offer a thrilling mix of imagination, adventure, and profound storytelling. Curated by Storizen, this selection showcases voices both fresh and acclaimed, perfect for readers eager to explore the most compelling speculative fiction this May.
1. The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin
From the acclaimed and bestselling Grace Lin, author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, comes a beautifully illustrated tale rooted in Chinese folklore about Jin, a young Stone Lion guardian tasked with protecting the Old City Gate and the Sacred Sphere. While Jin finds his guardian duties dull, he’s passionate about mastering his zuqiu kick and dreaming of becoming the greatest spirit-world player. But when a powerful kick accidentally sends the Sacred Sphere tumbling through the gate and into the human world, Jin must chase after it, trapped outside his realm. Alongside an unlikely team—a girl who hears a mysterious voice and a worm convinced he’s a dragon—they embark on a daring quest to retrieve the sphere and save both worlds. Grace Lin’s latest adventure weaves themes of duty, friendship, and balance with the same warmth and magic that made her earlier works beloved.
2. These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
In this gripping YA dystopian from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Gabe Cole Novoa, All Gods Must Die follows Crow, a teen descended from the god of Death, forced to conceal their true identity in a brutal world ruled by violence. After surviving a deadly genocide against Death’s descendants, Crow hides their magic while living in the city’s toughest slum, the Shallows, where they’ve become a fierce fighter in an underground ring. When Crow’s uncles are arrested for sheltering Deathchildren, Crow enters the dangerous Tournament of the Gods—a gladiator-style battle where the winner earns a favor from the gods. But in a city where power rules, Crow knows they can’t simply ask for freedom—they have to seize it by force. Packed with action, adventure, and heart, this story is a thrilling fight for justice against divine tyranny.
3. Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol
In this enchanting middle-grade adventure from bestselling comics creator Vera Brosgol, Magic, Mystery, and a Marvelous Mailbox takes readers on a whimsical journey with Oliver, a kid trying to find his place in a world that feels both dazzling and out of reach. After moving to a fancy new school where classmates arrive by helicopter and flaunt expensive sneakers, Oliver wishes for an easier life—and when a mysterious mailbox grants his wishes, everything seems to change overnight. But as the magic unfolds, Oliver quickly learns that every wish comes with a price. Packed with playful illustrations and clever humor, this vibrant story blends the charm of Roald Dahl with imaginative twists, perfect for kids ready to leap from graphic novels to full-fledged novels.
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4. Every Version of You by Grace Chan
Set in late-21st-century Australia, Every Version of You follows Tao-Yi and her partner Navin, who live most of their lives immersed in Gaia—a fully immersive virtual reality where work, socializing, and even meals happen digitally, while their real bodies remain suspended in cramped pods. Meanwhile, Tao-Yi’s mother chooses to stay offline, fading away in the real world between hospital visits and memories of her past in Malaysia. When a new technology promises to upload a human brain permanently into Gaia, Tao-Yi faces a heart-wrenching choice between embracing a digital future or honoring the authentic past. This stunning, thought-provoking novel explores the delicate balance between life and technology, asking what truly defines our humanity and what parts of our world are worth holding onto.
5. Requiem by John Palisano
From Bram Stoker Award winner and former Horror Writers Association President John Palisano comes a chilling gothic horror set aboard the Eden—a moon-sized space cemetery haunted by restless souls. Ava battles a sinister entity determined to wipe out the ship’s crew, all while grappling with the return of her lost love, Roland, among the dead. As a visiting musician composes a haunting Requiem that awakens a cosmic force exposing their deepest fears and secrets, madness spreads through the crew. With time running out, Ava must confront her grief and face the darkness before the entity escapes and threatens Earth itself.
6. The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien
In The Book of Records, Lina and her ailing father find refuge at the Sea, a mysterious enclave that serves as a crossroads between migrations, where time seems to fold and stories from different eras intertwine. Surrounded by neighbors like Bento, a Jewish scholar fleeing 17th-century Amsterdam; Blucher, a philosopher escaping Nazi Germany in the 1930s; and Jupiter, a poet from Tang Dynasty China, Lina journeys through their lives and learns how fate and ideas shape history. As she unravels these layered tales, she confronts the painful legacy of her father’s betrayals and discovers deeper truths about home, faith, and humanity. Profound and richly imagined, Madeleine Thien’s novel is a sweeping exploration of identity and the threads that connect us across time.
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7. The Quiet by Barnaby Martin
A mother’s love can be both fierce and overwhelming. For Hannah, her son Isaac is everything—his extraordinary gifts making him both special and vulnerable in a world transformed by the arrival of the Soundfield twenty years ago. With deadly heat forcing people to live only at night and resources growing scarce, the unsettling hum of the Soundfield is a constant reminder of the fragile reality they face. Once a brilliant scientist chasing answers about the Soundfield, Hannah now dedicates herself wholly to protecting Isaac, guarding him with every ounce of her strength. But to keep him safe, she must weave a web of lies, navigate fragile trusts, and confront a truth more dangerous than anything else—a truth that could shatter everything she’s fought to protect.
8. Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi
Award-winning author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers a gripping standalone fantasy noir set in a postcolonial West Africa, where gritty detective tales meet dark magic and political unrest. Boubacar, a down-on-his-luck veteran and private eye, prefers solitude as the dusty Harmattan winds sweep through the city, but fate has other plans. When a mysterious bleeding woman appears at his door and disappears just as suddenly, Bouba is pulled into a dangerous web of secrets amid a city simmering with tension. Between French colonial forces desperate to maintain control and fractured indigenous groups fighting to reclaim their heritage and powers, Bouba must confront the shadows within himself and decide how far he’s willing to go. Harmattan Season is a sharp, evocative blend of Raymond Chandler-style noir and rich, postcolonial fantasy, marked by Onyebuchi’s signature wit and intensity.
9. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Europe teeters on the edge of collapse—ravaged by plague, famine, and lurking monsters, while selfish princes chase their own power. Amid this chaos, one chilling truth remains: the elves will return, and no one will be spared. Beneath the grandeur of the Celestial Palace lies the secretive Chapel of the Holy Expediency, a sanctuary for society’s most damned souls where every sin is committed, every boundary crossed, and every mission risks spilling blood. Brother Diaz, an unlikely leader, must rally these convicted monsters to a higher purpose: to place a thief on Troy’s throne and unite a fractured church against the looming apocalypse. When the path leads through darkness, sometimes only the devils can guide the way.
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Whether you crave the eerie suspense of haunted space cemeteries, the gritty intrigue of fantasy noir, or the heartfelt journeys across time and technology, these Best SciFi and Fantasy Books to Read in May 2025 have something to ignite every reader’s imagination. Curated by Storizen, this list invites you to explore the vast and vibrant landscapes of speculative fiction—where every story is a gateway to new adventures and unforgettable worlds. Make this May your month of discovery and escape through these extraordinary tales.
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