Welcome to Future Fiction, my reimagining of the Waiting on Wednesday meme! There are so many amazing new books coming out, that I can no longer pick just one. My goal with Future Fiction is to share at least three new books each week, a combination of recent cover reveals and books that I’ve recently added to my TBR pile. I’m still going to be linking up with Wishful Endings/Can’t Wait Wednesday, and I also want to give a shout out to Jill at Breaking the Spine for starting the original Waiting on Wednesday meme. I hope you’ll find some new books to add to your TBR piles, and as always, I look forward to hearing what YOU’RE looking forward to:-D
Three new cover reveals, take a look:
From the author of The Remaking, a true crime-inspired horror novel about a young boy whose little white lies about his elementary school teachers contributed to the Satanic Panic of the 80s, forcing him to hide his identity into adulthood until someone recreates his past lies at his own child’s school.
Richard doesn’t have a past. For him, there is only the present: a new marriage to Tamara, a first chance at fatherhood to her son Elijah, a quiet but pleasant life as an art teacher at Elijah’s elementary school, and the dream of becoming a real artist some day. Then the body of a rabbit, ritualistically murdered, appears on the school playground with a birthday card for Richard tucked beneath it. Richard is shocked; he doesn’t have a birthday…but Sean does.
Sean is a six-year-old boy in 1980s Virginia. His father has just walked out and his mother is juggling multiple jobs on food stamps. Meanwhile, all the grown-ups in his life seem worried. Cult leaders, serial killers, and stranger danger is on the rise, with moral crusaders and televangelists stoking the fires of panic. In this pressure cooker environment, Sean’s school sends a note to parents alerting them that a teacher is under investigation. Sean likes Mr. Woodhouse, but when his mother asks if the bruises caused by the school bully were really caused by Mr. Woodhouse, a few small lies spiral into a terrible tragedy.
Now, thirty years later, those lies are coming back to haunt Richard, because someone knows who he really is–and they’re out for revenge. Inspired by the McMartin preschool trial and the Satanic Panic of the ’80s, the critically praised author of The Remaking delivers a nuanced portrait of parenthood and mass hysteria.
Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman. Releases in April 2021 from Quirk Books. I’m currently reading Chapman’s last book, The Remaking, and now I’m super excited to check out his next book! Creepy cover, right?
K. J. Parker returns to the amoral world of Prosper’s Demon with a wry, sardonic novella that flips the eternal, rule-governed battle between men and demons on its head.
An anonymous representative of the Devil, once a high-ranking Duke of Hell and now a committed underachiever, has spent the last forever of an eternity leading a perfectly tedious existence distracting monks from their liturgical devotions. It’s interminable, but he prefers it that way, now that he’s been officially designated by Downstairs as “fragile.” No, he won’t elaborate.
All that changes when he finds himself ensnared, along with a sadistic exorcist, in a labyrinthine plot to subvert the very nature of Good and Evil. In such a circumstance, sympathy for the Devil is practically inevitable.
Inside Man by K.J. Parker. Releases in June 2021 from Tor.com. This isn’t a sequel to Prosper’s Demon, which I read earlier in the year, but it looks like it’s set in the same world. I really enjoyed Prosper’s Demon and I’m curious to see what he does with this one.
A princess in exile, the boy she left at the altar, six enchanted cranes, and a dragon from the deepest sea… From the author of Spin the Dawn comes a breathtakingly original fantasy inspired by East Asian folklore and perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo or Tomi Adeyemi.
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne–a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain–no matter what it costs her.
Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes #1) by Elizabeth Lim. Releases in July 2021 from Knopf. Lim wrote Spin the Dawn and its sequel, which were very well received in the blogging community. I didn’t read them myself, but I am looking forward to starting this new series of hers. Isn’t that cover pretty?
Oh my! Six Crimson Cranes seems interesting, and Inside Man seems amazing! I haven’t read anything from Parker but he is on my list and I hope to do it soon!!!
I need to read more Parker, he’s written quite a few books, I think.
Okay, Whisper Down the Lane sounds awesome (I may just be old enough to remember the Satanic Panic nonsense of the 80s), but Six Crimson Cranes is the one that really catches my eye. Nice picks!
I sort of remember the Satanic Panic but I’m anxious to learn more about it, ha ha.
I really like the cover of Six Crimson Cranes and it sounds like an interesting fantasy, Tammy.
I love the cover too, definitely a lovely traditional fantasy vibe:-)
Whisper Down the Lane is a must-read for me!! I loved The Remaking. Great choices!
I just started The Remaking and it’s really good so far!
I love the sound of Six Crimson Cranes, Tammy. And that cover is sumptuous! While the others look brilliant, they are just a tad too dark for wussy old me:)).
Six Crimson Cranes is a lovely cover:-)
Ooh! I love the cover of the first book! Nice and creepy! Great list!
Ronyell (a.k.a Rabbitearsblog) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday #190: The Cousins by Karen M. McManus and Link by Link: An Anthology of Haunted Holidays by Meg Dailey
I know, it’ super creepy!
I remember the McMartin Preschool scandal. I was just a child then, but I remember the impact it had (and continues to have). Whisper Down the Lane sounds like an intriguing read! I was just eyeing my copy of Spin the Dawn a few minutes ago and up your post pops with Six Crimson Cranes! I need to read that one too when it comes out! I hope you enjoy all three of these when you read them, Tammy!
I’m surprised I don’t remember that scandal, but I can’t wait to read this story that’s based on it:-)
The covers for Six Crimson Cranes looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
I just love that cover too:-)
The whole Satanic Panic of the 80’s is something I’ve been interested in so a book partly inspired by that would be great to read! And the cover of Six Crimson Cranes is indeed so pretty!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison
I agree, the Satanic Panic theme has me so curious!
I’d like to try K.J. Parket at some point. He seems to have an intersting range of work.
I’ve heard really good things about his last series. I’ll definitely try it at some point.
Ooh Cranes looks awesome!
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Tues
It’s pretty, right?
Ooh, I was sticking with horror books for #spooktasticreads and I swear I was *this* close to using Whispers Down the Lane! I ended up going with another book though as it would be featured on my roundup post in a few days since I snagged an eARC. Never read him, so I’m looking forward to it!
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday 10/28/20
I’m reading his last book right now and so far so good!
Six Crimson Cranes sounds fantastic!
I think so too, and such a pretty cover!
Oh man, Six Crimson Cranes is intriguing, I’m going to have to check that out!
Caitlin G. recently posted…Most Anticipated SFF Book Releases: November 2020
Wow – that cover for Six Crimson Cranes is fantastic.
Lynn 😀
Well I am CERTAINLY intrigued by the new Lim book!