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
For the next four weeks, I’ll be highlighting upcoming 2022 science fiction releases!
Hunted by those who want to study his gravity powers, Jes makes his way to the best place for a mixed-species fugitive to blend in: the pleasure moon. Here, everyone just wants to be lost in the party. It doesn’t take long for him to catch the attention of the crime boss who owns the resort-casino where he lands a circus job. When the boss gets wind of the bounty on Jes’ head, he makes an offer: do anything and everything asked of him, or face vivisection.
With no other options, Jes fulfills the requests: espionage, torture, demolition. But when the boss sets the circus up to take the fall for his about-to-get-busted narcotics operation, Jes and his friends decide to bring the mobster down together. And if Jes can also avoid going back to being the prize subject of a scientist who can’t wait to dissect him? Even better.
The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong. Releases March 8 2022 from Angry Robot. Wow, this sounds like crazy fun! I have already been hearing great buzz about this book, and Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, which is pretty awesome.
Think The Handmaid’s Tale but with the women in charge, set in a world where all men are electronically tagged and placed under strict curfew, and the murder investigation threatening to undo it all.
Imagine a near-future Britain in which women dominate workplaces, public spaces, and government. Where the gender pay gap no longer exists and motherhood opens doors instead of closing them. Where women are no longer afraid to walk home alone, to cross a dark parking lot, or to catch the last train.
Where all men are electronically tagged and not allowed out after 7 p.m.
But the curfew hasn’t made life easy for everyone. Sarah is a single mother who happily rebuilt her life after her husband, Greg, was sent to prison for breaking curfew. Now he’s about to be released, and Sarah isn’t expecting a happy reunion, given that she’s the reason he was sent there.
Her teenage daughter, Cass, hates living in a world that restricts boys like her best friend, Billy. Billy would never hurt anyone, and she’s determined to prove it. Somehow.
Helen is a teacher at the local school. Secretly desperate for a baby, she’s applied for a cohab certificate with her boyfriend, Tom, and is terrified that they won’t get it. The last thing she wants is to have a baby on her own.
These women don’t know it yet, but one of them is about to be violently murdered. Evidence will suggest that she died late at night and that she knew her attacker. It couldn’t have been a man because a CURFEW tag is a solid alibi.
Isn’t it?
Curfew by Jayne Cowie. Releases March 22 2022 from Berkley Books. I love stories that put women in charge, and the idea of putting all men on a 7:00 p.m. curfew is so unusual. Throw in a murder mystery and I’m definitely excited to read this one!
In a virus-fearing world, skin hunger can drive you crazy — and human petting zoos can return you to yourself.
Ten years after the deadly virus nicknamed Henny Penny, the world has largely recovered — there’s an interim government as well as law and order, and life is returning to normal for its greatly reduced population. But despeite effective vaccines, the law still requires people to wear protective masks and gloves at all times in public, and many still fear a resurgence of the virus. On top of this, people who haven’t been touched in years are going crazy from skin hunger.
Lily has lived in isolation for ten years, afraid to rejoin the world. But a return-to-work order and an invitation to go to a petting zoo — a highly illegal club where people go to touch and be touched — start to bring her back to life.
A post-apocalyptic sex adventure and a woman’s journey of self-discovery, The Petting Zoos is an erotic love story for an age of extreme caution, in which the value of safety itself is questioned.
The Petting Zoos by K.S. Covert. Releases May 24 2022 from Dundurn Press. Usually I’m leery of any stories that deal with Covid-like pandemics, I mean do we really want to read about that? But this one seems to be a cool twist on that trope. I’m definitely curious!
Petting Zoo sounds really good. “Skin hunger” is what what the hubster and I call it when it’s been too long since our last hug. I realized a couple of days ago that it’s been AGES since I greeted someone with a handshake. I never would have thought I’d miss something so simple as a friendly handshake.
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I love the idea of “skin hunger” and it makes a lot of sense.
Curfew gave me the shivers — an it sounds brilliant! I also adore that cover !
Me too, I think it sounds amazing:-)
“Curfew” looks very intriguing thanks to the mix between murder mystery and speculative fiction, while “Petting Zoos” might cut far too close to present reality to avoid some… reading discomfort.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maybe by the time Petting Zoos comes out we’ll be in a better place with the pandemic:-)
Here’s to hope, indeed…
Do anything the Circus master asks, never stay out past 7 pm, or break the law going to erotic petting zoos. That’s quite a choice you’re giving us this week. 🙂
Ha ha!! Yes, lots of rules in the post:-)
I’d read anything with a circus kind of theme so The Circus Infinite sounds good to me!
“Think The Handmaid’s Tale but with the women in charge” UM YEAH!
I really don’t want to read about viruses these days so I’m not sure The Petting Zoos will be for me.
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Ha ha I know! The virus stories are sort of iffy for me too;-)
They are all intriguing but I’m most intrigued by Curfew! Like you, I am all about the women in charge kind of books. I’m about to read Femlandia and really looking forward to it.
I hope you love Femlandia, I’m very curious about it!
Petting Zoos sounds a little too out there for me, less because it’s about a pandemic and more because of the description line calling it a “sex adventure”. Curfew sounds really good!
Ha ha I’m not so sure about the “sex adventure” part either:-)
Okay, bravo! The first book sounded fun, the second fantastic, and third amazing – they just got better as the post went on! I want all three off them. 🙂
I swear I thought of you when I ran across The Petting Zoos:-)
As ever, you’ve provided an intriguing list of books – but Curfew is the one that I love the sound of! Thank you, Tammy:)).
I love the sound of it too, hope we can both try it out:-)
The Petting Zoos sounds so interesting and weird, I’ll have to keep an eye out for that one. I’m also loving the sound of The Circus Infinite and Curfew (which I agree, very unusual!)
Jordan @ Forever Lost in Literature recently posted…Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The Liar’s Knot (Rook & Rose #2) by M.A. Carrick & A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Petting Zoos is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I may try it:-)
You always pick the books with the best covers! Hope you enjoy these books when they come out!
Ronyell (a.k.a Rabbitearsblog) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday #209: Curse of the Midnight King by Yakira Goldsberry and Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Thanks Ronyell!
I like the sound of the Angry Robot Circus Infinite book – very intriguing.
Lynn 😀
I agree, it sounds a bit unusual but very good.
Yep, those look like your type of book so hope you enjoy them if you get your hands on them. 🙂
Ha ha I can’t wait to read all of them:-)
Thanks for introducing me to Curfew. That sounds interesting. It’s going I my tbr.
Doesn’t it sound good? Can’t wait:-)
Oh my that first cover- LOVE it.
“Where all men are electronically tagged and not allowed out after 7 p.m.” This is awesome 🙂
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I love that idea too, I’m so curious to read it!
Yay, more sci-fi to add!
There really is a lot out there:-)
Oh wow, Curfew sounds amazing. I’m loving the idea of a reverse Handmaid’s Tale.
I know! I’m so curious about it.
So I very much need Curfew in my life! I love that type of book, sounds right up my alley! And I will admit, I am quite curious about The Petting Zoos because well, I do love a plague book! But I worry a little that it will be too much sex, not enough apocalypse? (Wait is that actually a sentence that should be typed? Probably not, makes me sound pretty messed up ) Thanks as always for adding new books to my list!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…November 2021 Of Books Giveaway Hop
Ha ha I agree with you on “too much sex” lol.