This post is written by Chris M. Arnone.
What is a backlist book, you might be asking? Backlist has a very specific meaning in the world of book publishing. It’s a book that’s been out for at least a year but is still in print. This is opposed to frontlist, which is a new book that a publisher is pushing and placing prominently in stores and online.
So when putting together a great list of backlist science fiction and fantasy (SFF) series, I was looking for slightly older but still-in-print books. This immediately threw out some of my favorite series that are too new or have, sadly, fallen out of print. I also decided to avoid classics or other series that I’ve written about a lot. Let’s spice things up a bit, shall we?
This list is a pretty balanced blend of science fiction and fantasy, spanning cultures and space, past and future, and authors familiar and under-the-radar. Some of these books are doorsteps, while others might be considered novellas. There’s a little YA sprinkled in because great books can be aimed at young readers, too. Trilogies abound, though there’s a nine-book series in there as well.
Enough preamble. Here are eight great backlist sci-fi and fantasy series worth reading.
The Centenal Cycle by Malka Older
We all need a little cyberpunk in our lives, particularly when the commentary hits so close to home. A search engine company created a monopoly two decades ago. Since then, the world moved from nation-states to a global micro-democracy. The Heritage Party, a corporate coalition, has been in power for a long time, but an election looms. When absolute power is at stake, who can you trust with the future?
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
I did promise some YA, didn’t I? This four-book series was romantasy before we had the term, and it’s a great one. Laia grew up on the streets, forever in fear of the empire. When her brother is captured, she’s forced to spy on the empire from inside the military academy. There, she meets Elias, an unwilling cadet. Together, do they have what it takes to bring an empire to its knees?
The Expanse by James. S.A. Corey
The most popular series on this list is also the longest, coming in at nine books. Set in our solar system but significantly in the future, The Expanse follows the ragtag crew of the Rocinante as they navigate complicated politics, warring factions, and an alien protomolecule that threatens to end all life.
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
The First Law Trilogy is a dark, epic fantasy series. Told through rotating points of view, the characters in this series are eclectic. A down-on-his-luck Barbarian, a selfish captain, a disabled torturer, and a temperamental wizard. Their paths are on a collision course that will likely change the face of the world.
Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie
Not only did this series take the SFF world by storm, but it also pushed the boundaries of gender in the process. There is a soldier known as Breq. She’s alone, but she used to be part of the larger AI consciousness for a ship called Justice of Toren. With her larger self and the crew destroyed, she wants revenge and finds that to get it, she’ll have to go all the way to the top of a galactic empire.
Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
Here’s the oldest series on this list, and still one of the best backlist sci-fi and fantasy series you can find. The year is 2026, and 100 Earth colonists are trying to terraform Mars. Some are looking for medical breakthroughs, others for scientific discovery, while yet others just want a fresh start. Amidst the incredible hard science of the novel are the very human stories of 100 people very far from home.
The Nsibidi Scripts by Nnedi Okorafor
Looking for those little wizard boy vibes without the problematic TERF author? Look no further than this great series. Sunny lived in New York until recently when her family moved back to their native Nigeria. That’s enough to make a young woman feel out of place, but she has albinism. Desperate to fit in, she soon discovers that she and her closest friends are “free agents” gifted with powerful magic. They’re not alone — there’s also a serial killer hunting free agents, and only Sunny and her friends can stop them.
The Tensorate Series by Neon Yang
Looking for a quicker and beautiful fantasy read? Then, get these books on your TBR. As children, Mokoya and Akeha were sold to the Grand Monastery, even though they’re the twin children of the Protector. Mokoya has the gift of prophecy, and Akeha always knows how to manipulate adults. Rebellion is growing in the Tensorate, forces moving against Mokoya and Akeha’s mother, and both children must choose a side, even if they aren’t on the same side.
What are your favorite backlist sci-fi and fantasy series? Do you dig into the classics or opt for more recent books? They may not be as popular on BookTok or Bookstagram, but I stan the backlist.