Halloween-minded readers who have the guts to go beyond bloody lit picks will be rewarded with brain candy they can gnaw on all year long. We asked Zyad Hammad and the rest of the Bluestockings Bookstore staff to suggest a few unconventional choices, and they responded with four literary selections that draw their strength from suspense, speculation, and satire.
CHANGERS | by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper
What happens when, after getting through the terrors of middle school as a boy named Ethan, you wake up on your first day of high school as a girl named Drew? This sci-fi series for young adults centers on a little-known race of ancient humans who live out each of their four years of high school as someone new — specifically, as someone of the opposite gender. After living life through four different sets of eyes, which life will they choose for themselves?
THE HANDMAID’S TALE | by Margaret Atwood
With the unification of church and state, a militaristic, bigoted ruling class sets up a new government in the United States. As global health declines due to pollution — and infertility rises — women are put into bondage, where they are kept in existence only to be used by men. Will equity be regained, and who will join hands to make it happen? You’ll have to read to find out!
SEVENEVES | by Neal Stephenson
The Earth is doomed, with a meteor shower imminently wiping out all of existence. As the human race scrambles to save what natural life it can, scientists work to create a future for our planet. This title uses the fictional progeny of humanity to explore what it means to engage with one another. Sacrifice and hardship pour out onto these pages, and what it means to be “human” is redefined.
SISTERS OF THE REVOLUTION | edited by Ann & Jeff Vendermeer
This new feminist speculative fiction anthology — including works from celebrated authors Octavia E. Butler, Ursula K. LeGuin and Vandana Singh — presents us with politically charged works of science fiction, horror, and satire. Content from around the globe, sometimes stretching back several decades, makes this collection a great find for the reader who seeks a challenge.
These books are available for purchase at Bluestockings Bookstore is located at 172 Allen St. (btw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.). Call 212-777-6028 or visit bluestockings.com.
