From bloodsucking vampires to time travelling humanoids; the best Science Fiction out this month: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab, Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver, Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is available now from the Mail Bookshop
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab (Tor £22, 544pp)
Even as they take blood, vampires are the gift that still keep on giving to the genre of dark romance. Now V. E. Schwab's foray into this fertile world has borne ripe and juicy fruit.
Her new book is imbued with love, lust and yearning – mostly of the sapphic variety – and her take on hidden desires, hunger and corruption puts it up there with the classics of the genre.
From 16th-century Spain to 21st-century America via Venice and London, the plotlines are languorously long, yet strong as sinew and soused in buckets of gore.
Three women, three lives and three living deaths – sink your teeth into it and drink deep.
Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver (Orenda Books £9.99, 300pp)
It starts with a knockabout dystopian premise: suppose the leaders of the western world decided to consolidate their power by releasing a deadly virus? Then suppose that the immunologist behind it all went rogue and found a bug that made people nice.
Overnight, carnivorous chefs would go vegan, tech bros develop a conscience and the world would be transformed by little acts of kindness.
Suffice to say, no one would put up with that, either.
Carver delights in grimly plausible overlaps with our recent history. It's clever, compelling, funny and it really makes you think: could it yet happen? Or did it happen already?
Esperance is available now from the Mail Bookshop
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji (Arcadia £10.99, 432pp)
Not many books feature time-travelling humanoids that talk like actor George Raft at his most gangsterish.
There's humour here and also good, solid plotting – key characteristics of this clever, intricate, hugely enjoyable story that still packs a real punch.
People are being drowned with seawater – mysteriously and ruthlessly – in inner-city apartments and grand country mansions alike.
After the murderers are a pair of straight-talking cops, a glamorous Amazonian Nigerian with mysterious tech and a charming Bristolian drifter.
Linking them is the Esperance, a 19th-century British sailing ship, whose historical business is very much the point of it all and will keep you gripped and leave you furious.
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At the moment I'm only finding ones draped in red flags and 'do not cross' signs IF YOU WERE THE CEO OF SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'm the CEO of empowerment. I want women to feel beautiful and validated in themselves and feel their best self. NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Tommy Bradley AGE: 22 FROM: Hertfordshire OCCUPATION: Landscape Gardener WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A girl who is very ambitious, with a big personality, caring, but also someone that doesn't take themselves too seriously. I don't know if that's asking for too much, but I want a bit of everything. I haven't got a specific type in terms of looks, though. WHAT WOULD YOU BE CEO OF? Taking hours to do my hair NAME: Alima Gagio AGE: 23 FROM: Glasgow OCCUPATION: Wealth Management Client Services Executive WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A tall man with a handsome face. You know when you just look at a guy and they have that Disney prince look to them? That's it WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I think she'd hire me because I'm a good flirt. I always ask guys on a night out to guess which country I'm originally from. If they get it right, they can get my number. But they never guess correctly so it works really well if you don't want to give a guy your number. I'm originally from Guinea Bissau. If they're close and I really fancy them, I'll give them my number anyway. NAME: Ben Holbrough AGE: 23 FROM: Gloucester OCCUPATION: Private Hire Taxi driver WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone sexy, good looking, good chat, good vibes, nice teeth and good eye contact - they're all the traits I look for. Oh, and also a cute smile, I just look at you and know I can be around you all day, every day. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt. I'd have been out of business a long time ago. That's exactly why I'm here. NAME: Helena Ford AGE: 29 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract. NAME: Megan Forte Clarke AGE: 24 FROM: Dublin OCCUPATION: Musical theatre performer and energy broker WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has a sense of humour. If they're not bad looking, that's always a plus. I love a boy that's a bit pasty, like Timothée Chalamet. I don't mind scrawny, or a bit of a 'dad bod'. I'm 5ft1 so any height really. CLAIM TO FAME? Me and my friends made a Derry Girls TikTok for Halloween and it went a bit viral around Brighton. Sometimes I get stopped in the street about it. I've also done Panto. 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Also, I have a little boy, so I'll be taking him into consideration with who I couple up with, too. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I'm confident to go up and introduce myself and say, 'You look beautiful', to get a conversation flowing. NAME: Remell Mullins AGE: 24 FROM: Essex OCCUPATION: Self Improvement Content Creator WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A bubbly, confident, ambitious and fun girl. One feature that stands out to me is a nice smile, nice teeth and someone that can keep me on my toes. IF YOU WERE THE CEO OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'm the CEO of flirting. Sometimes it's just unintentional.
