01
Why it matters
Wiswell uses body horror and tenderness together to question monstrosity, abuse, and the compromises demanded by love.
Opening the archive
2024 selection · Science fiction & fantasy
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster who assembles a body from whatever materials are available and expects humans to hunt her. After Homily nurses her back to health, affection grows even as Shesheshen learns that Homily's family is searching for the monster they blame for a curse.
02
Read this if…
You like unconventional romances, sympathetic monsters, and gruesome humor.
03
Ideas inside
MonstrosityLoveAbuseIdentity
Get or borrow
Continue with this book.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. Editorial selections are independent.
Further reading
Read the critics
Independent reviews and criticism from established publications. Links open at the original outlet.
Primary record
Verify the selection
Every inclusion traces back to the organization that made the selection.
Nebula Award for Best Novel — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)NPR Books We Love — official recommendation recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)NPR Books We Love — official recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)Continue reading
From the same conversation
Ancillary Justice
- Nebula Award for Best Novel
- NPR Books We Love
Breq is the sole surviving human body of a troop carrier whose artificial intelligence once occupied a ship and thousands of ancillary soldiers. Her search for revenge exposes a civil conflict within the ruler of the vast Radch empire.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
- Nebula Award for Best Novel
- NPR Books We Love
A contemporary academic discovers a hidden journal containing a Blackfeet man's testimony to a Lutheran pastor in 1912. The confession recounts his transformation into a vampire and a long pursuit of vengeance tied to the destruction of buffalo and violence against Native people.
A Song for a New Day
- Nebula Award for Best Novel
- NPR Books We Love
After terrorism and disease make public gatherings illegal, music is consumed through corporate virtual spaces. Former performer Luce keeps live music alive underground while recruiter Rosemary begins to question the company that controls her access to artists.