Best in Sci-fi: Ever Dundas' #LighthouseTakeOver

For Independent Bookshop Week, we invited some of our author pals, local and from further afield, to take over our Instagram account for an hour, recommending books on a chosen theme or in a chosen genre. In case you missed, we’ve published a list of each author’s chosen books (alongside their own work!) here on the website. We’re lucky to know some pretty splendid folk!

Our Sunday highlight is none other than the brilliant Ever Dundas!

Ever Dundas’ debut novel Goblin won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award 2017. Her second novel, sci-fi thriller HellSans, will be published by Angry Robot in Oct. To improve publishing industry events access for disabled people, Ever is launching the Inklusion Guide with Julie Farrell at EIBF in August, check out the event HERE!

Ever recommends:

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: I’ve always said there’s no such thing as social justice if it doesn’t involve non-human animals, & this brilliance cuts right through humanity's hypocrisies & rubs our faces in the entrails. Disturbing, devastating, & one of the best books I've read.

H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker: I’m a fan of dystopic utopias & reluctant rebel protagonists, & Barker really nails it with H(A)PPY. It’s an utterly engrossing experimental Brave New World, a delight of a book that plays with form & typography while still telling a damn good story.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Piranesi is a truly beautiful book. It’s particularly poignant for me, because like Clarke, I have M.E. For the protagonist, the House is their whole world; everyone with M.E. will instantly understand that in a different way from any other reader.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: I devoured this epic fantasy, completely sucked into Roanhorse’s brilliantly realised world with all its beauty & horror. I was especially taken with the relationship between Serapio & Xiala.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: The 2 nd in Bardugo’s Crows duology, Crooked Kingdom is a dark gem where protagonist Kaz Brekker comes into his own. He’s my crip hero (& thankfully doesn’t fall into the ‘overcoming’ or ‘inspiration porn’ traps). More books like this by disabled authors, please!

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: Exquisite world-building, extremely clever & an astute commentary on colonialism, while being as gripping as any thriller. This & the follow-up deserve all the awards.

Do check out the lists recommended by the other authors taking part in our Indie Bookshop Week take-overs,