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Genre Defying Science Fiction: Written in Starlight and Prophet

13 Oct
Cover of Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks. Features a man in uniform holding a woman dressed as a Victorian maid. On the side of the man is a futuristic city and on the side of the woman is an old fashioned town and an open book near her foot.
Cover of Prophet by Sin Blanche and Helen MacDonald. Features two men standing beside a car at night.

Sometimes novels fit easily into categories, but these two Science Fiction novels cross boundaries. Written in Starlight merges space opera with romance, fantasy, and historic fiction. Prophet on the other hand is a technothriller with horror and romance.

Written in Starlight
by Sloane Brooks
Written in Starlight is the new novel by Sloane Brooks. A maid, Della, living in a city similar to Victorian London finds a book about a daring space captain, Ansel, but she soon learns that he also has found a book about her. They soon discover though finding the books was only the start of each other’s stories and they are still being written. Could they be meant for each other even though they are worlds apart? Della and Ansel are engaging main characters and the other supporting cast are also a fun bunch and form a strong found family. This story will appeal to those who enjoy romantic speculative fiction and readers who are fans of metafiction, which is cleverly handled. The ending left room open for future stories and I’d personally love to revisit the world Brooks created. If you love Written in Starlight, you can also check out her previous novel, another portal fantasy, The Underachiever’s Guide to Love and Saving the World. She also has a paranormal rom-com, Every Wish Way, under the name Shannon Bright.

Prophet
by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché
Prophet is an intriguing novel written by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché together online during the global Pandemic. We read it for the Hoboken Public Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Group for our May discussion in 2026. The group felt even though the book had two authors that it still felt cohesive. While some members loved the book, others were less enthralled, but all had a lot of interesting thoughts on the book which brought some mystery and romance into the mix. The story focuses on two estranged partners who come from vastly different backgrounds, but must come together again when a mysterious substance is discovered that can make people’s fondest nostalgic objects into reality. I found the start and the ending particularly strong and the group agreed that it would make a terrific movie adaptation. If you are looking for a timely novel that merges a variety of genres than check out Prophet and let us know what you think! Helen Macdonald is also the author of the best-selling memoir, H is for Hawk.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Group meets once a month on Mondays. See the library’s calendar for details on upcoming discussions. We also have Mystery, Horror, and more great discussions!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Fabulous Fantasies: West of Wicked and A Master of Djinn

21 Apr

West of Wicked
by Nikki St. Crowe
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe is the first in The Great and Terrible Land series. The second in the series East of Envy will be out in November. The story is a darker and spicier spin on The Wizard of Oz that should appeal to fans of Wicked. Dorothy was abandoned as a young child at a Kansas farm by a loving couple, but she never quite fit in. Now all grown up she is questioning whether to accept the marriage proposal from a handsome friend, when a tornado takes her to a mysterious, gloomy land. She encounters a gorgeous stranger hung up like a scarecrow and a variety of other familiar and new characters as she journeys to find the Wizard. The story is told from multiple perspective which gives a unique perspective on the world and its inhabitants many of whom including Dorothy are hiding intriguing secrets.

A Master of Djinn
by P. Djeli Clark
A Master of Djinn is a spectacular steampunk adventure set in Egypt in 1912 that had plenty of twists and turns that surprised and enthralled me. So often in the past when I would see Egypt depicted in fantasies, it would focus on archeologists and tomb raiders, this story stars Egyptians themselves which gives an insider view of the action that takes place. This was P. Djeli Clark’s first full length novel, but there are additional prequels in this series you can check out, if you enjoy this story. Fatma el-Sha’arawi works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is surprised (and not particularly overjoyed) when she learns she has been assigned a partner, but she will need all the help she can get when she investigates a secret brotherhood dedicated to a famous historic figure, Al-Jahiz, who had first brought the magical into our realm.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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