Favorite SFF Mysteries and a Free Nghi Vo eBook!

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( FOR YOUR TBR [Eight Works That Blend Mystery and Detective Fiction With Fantasy and Horror]( Speculative fiction has the ability to make space for all kinds of plot lines and story features, including epic mysteries and magical crime-solving detectives. James Davis Nicoll shares eight examples of works that combine mystery, detective, police, and legal procedurals with fantasy and horror, with so many more suggestions in the comments. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( E-BOOK CLUB [Download Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune — Before October 8!]( With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women. Download your copy before 11:59 PM ET on October 7! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( MARK AS READ [Do Whatever You Want With Your Books]( How do you take care of your books? Are you careful when shelving them, wanting to keep them pristine? Or do you let your books prop open doors, act as coasters, or smash bugs? The reality is, books are heavy. Moving them takes work. Not every book needs to stay on your shelf forever. And not every book needs to be given the white-glove treatment, either. Molly Templeton makes the argument for handling your books a little less delicately. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( CHILLS AND THRILLS [Five Scary Novels That Use Setting To Embody Horror]( A story environment—if built properly—provides opportunity for a character to battle with, and perhaps overcome or transcend, their flaws and needs. Setting is so vital to horror—whether it’s an old hotel, a small town, or a summer camp, writers use all sorts of backdrops to scare their characters and us as readers. Stephanie Feldman recommends five novels that prove setting is everything. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( POLITICS & PROSE [“The Screwfly Solution” Captures the Violence of Our Current Moment]( “The Screwfly Solution” by Raccoona Sheldon (aka James Tiptree Jr) chronicles the rapid spread of a seemingly untraceable pathogen which triggers men into violent acts of misogyny. And while the wave of gendered violence we currently face may come from a different source, it’s easy to draw parallels between the story’s fictional world and the realities of 2022. In this personal essay, Nic Anstett looks at the violence and fear at the heart of “The Screwfly Solution”, a story that’s more vital now than ever. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( SFF BESTIARY [Dragon Lion Bee People: Martha Wells’ Raksura]( Martha Wells’ Three Worlds are a single planet populated by literally hundreds of different species, many of them sentient, and most more or less able to coexist. The series centers on the Raksura—originally two species combined into one. In a new SFF Bestiary, Judith Tarr takes a look at Wells’ unique creation in all their gorgeous complexities. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( SPINNING STORIES [Five Genderbent SFF Retellings and Reimaginings]( Modern takes on familiar classics that manipulate the gender spectrum can be a refreshing way to set up a story and spotlight the issues in our own real-life, hyper-patriarchal society. Sarah Henning highlights five retellings that spin gender on its head and help us see the world in a new way. [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.