Dune, Malazan, and Black Girl Magic

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( SOMETHING TO READ [Seven Must-Read YA Black Girl Magic Books]( When was the first time you heard the phrase Black Girl Magic? Popularized by CaShawn Thompson in 2013, it’s a concept that celebrates Black girls and women persevering and stands against the negative stereotypes, misogynoir, and racism that they deal with on a regular basis. In fiction, we also have Black girls who have magic or are magical, and are the heroes of their stories. Liselle Sambury recommends seven books featuring Black Girl Magic. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( THE STORY CONTINUES [The Malazan Saga Returns: Read Chapter One of Steven Erikson’s The God Is Not Willing]( New York Times best-selling author Steven Erikson continues the beloved Malazan Book of the Fallen with The God Is Not Willing, first in the thrilling new Witness sequel trilogy—publishing November 9, 2021 with Tor Books. Read the first chapter here! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( MASTER STORYTELLER [Let’s Rank Every Ted Chiang Story Ever Published]( Ted Chiang’s long and illustrious career includes some incredible short stories, which have won him Nebula, Hugo, and Locus awards across the board. Grant Forbes has taken on the challenge of ranking them all. Where does your favorite fall on the list? [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( REPRESENTATION MATTERS [Five SFF Novels With Trans Women Protagonists]( Despite the world of SFF encompassing everything from dragons to witches to time travel, trans women’s representation in SFF is still in its most nascent stages. Though trans voices are a growing power in the genre, there are still so few books with trans women protagonists. Alina Boyden shares five essential novels featuring trans women. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( I HATE SAND [Lawrence of Arabia, Paul Atreides, and the Roots of Frank Herbert’s Dune]( At first glance, Frank Herbert’s Dune might appear to be a mere copy of the story of Lawrence of Arabia with some science-fictional window dressing, but there are also critical contrasts in the portrayals of Lawrence and Paul, the Arabs and the Fremen, women, and religion. Kara Kennedy takes a look at the two classic stories and how they intertwine. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( CLASSIC SCI-FI [Would-Be Utopias: Five Books Featuring Arcologies and Domed Cities]( The term arcology was coined by visionary architect Paolo Soleri in 1969, combining the words “architecture” and “ecology,” used for ecologically low-impact and self-sustaining structures. There are frequent depictions of such buildings in SFF, but tragically, none in real life. James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories that feature eco-cities and structures. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( LIGHTSABERS OUT [The Last Jedi Tried to Free Star Wars From Its Fixation on Legends]( Critical opinions on The Last Jedi are varied and passionate, but it’s the film’s status as odd duck in the Star Wars series that makes it so vital. Tropes and expectations are upended throughout the film. Dan Persons takes a look at how Rian Johnson made choices towards bringing the franchise out from under the Skywalkers’ shadow. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( WEIRD SCIENCE [Seven Times Science Fiction Got Genetic Engineering Right]( The concept of genetic engineering provides a playground for sci-fi writers, who love to dream of what science could do for society in the future. But sometimes writers get it eerily right, and it’s easy to see how current scientific research could be used for great good or great evil. Sue Burke takes a look at seven times sci-fi and real science aligned. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. FOLLOW US: [Follow Us on Facebook]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Follow Us on Tumblr]( [Follow Us on Pinterest]( This email was sent by: Macmillan 120 Broadway New York, NY, 10271, US We respect your right to privacy - [view our policy]( Macmillan believes piracy hurts writers, readers and everyone who loves books. Learn more and report suspicious activity [here.]( To subscribe to this or other email communications from Macmillan, please click [here](. Visit our [profile center]( to update your email address and/or other information. If you no longer wish to receive this email communication, click [here]( to unsubscribe.