A Few of My Favorite Science Fiction Novels

The most delightful Science Fiction category winner is hands down Susan Kaye Quinn. I love every book of hers I have read: the bollypunk Three Sisters, The Debt Collector, Mind Jack, and Singularity series.

In the Mindjack series, in a world where everyone can read minds, Kira believes herself a zero, someone who can neither read nor be read. But she has the greatest power of all, she can mindjack: enter other people's minds and manipulate them.

In Singularity, most humans have become augmented with AI. Seventeen-year-old painter Elijah Brighton is on the verge of "ascending," but what he learns will change everything as a battle wages between the ascended and humankind.

In the luscious Royals of Dharia series, Aniri is the third daughter without much responsibility. When a barbarian prince proposes, Aniri is forced to accept to avoid war. But Aniri finds the prince has secrets that she can use to her advantage in this Bollywood-meets-steampunk adventure.

In the Debt Collector SciFi thriller series, Lirium and Wraith are debt collectors in a world where your time on earth is a commodity to be  taken, bartered, and sold. A dark, sexy, gritty ride in a wonderfully visualized futureworld.

The latest is her four book hopepunk series, Nothing is Promised. 
They're about our future, how society will shift and flex like a solar lily in the storms of our own making, and how breaks in the social fabric have to be expected, tended to, and healed. Because we’re in this together, now more than ever before. I have downloaded this to my Kindle. 

Follow Susan Kaye Quinn on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Kaye-Quinn/e/B003TTJRXU

In which I compare dystopian novels: http://dianahurwitz.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-tale-of-two-dystopias.html

I loved Alexandra Bracken's world building in the The Darkest Minds dystopian series

Protagonist Ruby is sent to a brutal government "rehabilitation camp" when a mysterious disease kills most of America's children. Ruby attempts to hide the truth about her magical abilities, but when they are discovered, she barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She joins a group of other kids on the run: Zu, a young girl haunted by her past; Chubs, a standoffish brainiac; and Liam, their fearless leader. They search for answers as well as a safe haven.

Follow Alexandra Bracken on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alexandra-Bracken/e/B002JVAEM2

In Insignia, the first book of the fast-paced SciFi trilogy, the planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom's life completely changes. Suddenly, he's someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there's a price to pay.

Follow SJ Kincaid on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/S.-J.-Kincaid/e/B006X7SD5S

The time traveling series, The Last Magician, takes place in modern-day New York where magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.  Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.  But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Follow Lisa Maxwell on Amazon:
 https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Maxwell/e/B00MZXXN54

Stay tuned for more book recommendations. 

Short Stories, Serials, and Novellas

In a climate where even traditional publishers are demanding constant content, writers are asked to produce filler to keep readers engaged between book releases.

There are several types of "filler" content utilized in today's marketing regimen. 

A word about length: stories under 7,000 are short stories. Novellas run 20,000 to 50,000 words (100 - 150 pages). Novels are 50,000 - 80,000 (300 to 800 pages).

The Kindle Shorts program was discontinued and all books that were less than 2,500 words were removed from the platform (except for children’s books). Kindle books less than 2,500 words might not be accepted.  You can read more about their expectations here. 

1. Seasonal Stories

Christmas or other holiday themed short stories and novellas are very popular in Mysteries and Romance series. The reader stays in touch with the characters and story worlds they've come to love. The holiday tie-in is a proven marketing strategy.

An example would be Deanna Raybourn's Christmas novellas related to her Julia Grey series: Silent Night, Midsummer Night, Twelfth Night, and Bonfire Night. 

2. Related Novellas and Short Stories

Providing related novellas and short stories is a way of keeping your readers engaged. Some readers will love them, others not so much.  It's like getting a nibble but not a full meal. Whether traditionally published or self-published, these offerings have become part of the game. You can also utilize the novella to expand a secondary character's story or furnish a primary character's backstory. It could also be used as a prequel or bridge.

Cassandra Clare offers short story collections for her Shadowhunters series: The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, and Ghosts of the Shadow Market.

I recently read A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Mass. It is a full length ( 320 page) installment to bridge the gap between the first Trilogy A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the next trilogy in the series not yet published. To be honest, not a lot happens. At first, I expected it to be the beginning of the next trilogy and was mightily annoyed to find it wasn't. The story is split between four POVs, which I also found off-putting. Note: make it very clear in the description that it is a filler, not an installment of a series.

Some fans enjoy spending time in the story world with characters they have come to love. I'd highly suggest providing a satisfying mini story arc to make the investment of time and money worthwhile.

3. Serialized Novellas

The best example I've read is Susan Kaye Quinn's Debt Collector series. In her futuristic society, debt collectors take your life energy and give it to someone more “worthy.” Quinn released nine individual episodes then issued a boxed paperback as Season One featuring protagonist Lirium. Season Two features Wraith as protagonist. Susan has five planned seasons, each from the perspective of a different debt collector.

If you've read other successful serials, leave the titles in the comments.

4. Serialization of a Novel

In the 1900s, a long list of  famous authors' books were published piecemeal by newspapers and journals. Luminaries included Alexandre Dumas, James Thackery, Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Gaskill, and Agatha Christie.

Serializing a novel today can be done through self-publishing platforms such as Medium, or Wattpad.


There are pros and cons with serials. On one hand, you have readers who appreciate the short form. On the other, some readers hate waiting for the next installment. They may even forget to return. Many readers will wait until the installments are finished to read it. For that matter, many readers now wait until a series or trilogy is finished before buying it so they can binge read. 

Whether the benefit is worth the effort is up to you. Will it interrupt or derail your progress on the actual books in your series or will you enjoy the detour?

Related topics:

The Novella Economy: Making Novellas Profitable

The novella: Stepping stone to success or waste of time? Writers and editors weigh in.

Ten Tips for Writing Novellas

The Debt Collector, an Interview with Susan Kaye Quinn

Things You Should Know If You Are Writing A Serial

Serialize Your Novel on Medium

Why Writing Network Startups Are Banking On Serialized Storytelling 

Should You Serialize A Novel on Kindle

First Lines Don't Have to Be Complex

Writers are instructed to craft riveting first lines for their books, which causes many writers undue stress. While it would be an achievement to craft the most perfect first line ever written, such as "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times," it isn't necessary to live up to that expectation. A first line just needs to be interesting. 

I took a random sampling of the books I've read recently to illustrate how simple a first line can be and still draw a reader in.

1. "The island appeared first as an inky smudge on the horizon, beaded with pinholes of light against the greying sky." While you sleep, A Novel by Stephanie Merritt

The sentence immediately transports us to an interesting place. An island functions as a locked room. Characters can be trapped there, suggesting suspense.

2. "Shadow Market nights were Kit's favorite." Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

A Shadow Market is something different, suggesting a fantasy world. The character likes to go there, suggesting interesting things are about to happen. We get a sense of anticipation.

3. "I've always considered myself to be, basically, a lucky person."  The Witch Elm by Tana French

Introduces the POV character's voice and suggests a "but," so we know that he will not be a lucky person much longer.

4. "If only the swans would swim side by side on the dark green lake, this picture might turn out to be the crowning achievement of the wedding photographer's career." Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

There is a wedding. It isn't going perfectly. There will be conflict ahead and we want to know what that is.

5. "We believe what we want to believe." Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker 

Suggests the character is fooling herself and we want to find out the truth.

6. "Kitten - that is what everyone called her." The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter

The nickname suggests something cute and harmless, but kittens have claws and we want to know more about her.

7. "I used to think that drawing studio would be my favorite way to start the school day. Then we started doing nudes, and I realized - after spending an hour and a half staring at an old dude's junk - that no amount of coffee or optimism could get me through the full two-hour class." Shades of Darkness by A. R. Kahler

Okay, I included the second sentence here because I love Kahler's word sorcery. The first sentence places us at an art school. By saying "used to think" we know things aren't going as well as hoped.

8. "They say when you are about to die, your entire life passes before your eyes in a flurry of poignant images, but all I could think of, rather absurdly, was that I should have worn the blue hat." This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

Introduces the POV character's sense of humor and the fact that her life is threatened. We want to know when, why, what, and how.

9. "The peace and quiet never last." Locked Tight by Susan Kaye Quinn 

We know something is about to disrupt the status quo. We will read to find out what it is.

10.  "To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate."  Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Dead body suggests a mystery is ahead and Nicholas Brisbane will be a figure of interest to the point of view character, hinting at a future relationship.

I studied examples like these to come up with my first line in the Mythikas series. I decided to start every chapter with an interesting first line, which isn't essential, but can add that special something to your manuscript.

"My day of glory was at hand." Mythikas Island Book One Diana by Diana Hurwitz


We know the main character is about to get something she wants, or thinks she will. We will stay tuned to find out if she does.

You don't need to agonize over a first line until you are on your final revision layers. Does your first line hint at something more to come? If not, it is an easy fix. Just read the first line and if the words "and then" naturally follow, you've succeeded. If not, change it until it does.

A good closing line can make the difference in getting the reader to turn the page too.

You can see more examples of opening and closing lines here.