List of oddball fantasy/sci-fi recommendations ⋆˚࿔
(Broadly defined) Poetic, dreamy, strange, odd fantasy/sci-fi. Doesn’t have to be all of these things at once, mostly it’s fantasy/sci-fi that ‘breaks the norm’ (in style, prose and story)- whatever that means. Or books wonderfully odd, in any sort of way.
I’m not such a fast reader, neither do I have the golden touch finding only books that fit in this list… ‘Breaking the norm’ can be seen as rather subjective, so I’d love any suggestion that you feel fit (and why do you feel they fit?).
created by paper-knife
last updated March, 2026
Comments
Fab list! I keep seeing the Mad Sisters of Esi, might have to check it out... If you're looking for suggestions Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera and Metal from Heaven by August Clarke would fit!! Both v esoteric in structure and execution but both great.
Credit for suggesting Mad sisters of Esi goes to @ayzrules. From what I’ve heard it truly does fit this list and I can’t wait to read it!
I will look into those suggestions, thank you so much 🌹💗
i cannot wait to see your thoughts on it, truly a wondrous beautiful book and i have never read anything else like it!
What a lovely list! I'm sooo eager to read Patricia McKillip and CSE Cooney. (actually - do you have any recommendations of where to start with Patricia McKillip's work?) Would Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta, or Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings fit? I've heard good things about Tanith Lee's work in the vein of her writing being quite poetic, especially the Paradys series, but I also need to figure out where to start with her haha
Thank you!! I appreciate the suggestions greatly. I haven’t read any of these yet, im definitely putting Mad sisters of Esi on my tbr: that one also seems totally fitting! I’ve also added Flyaway and Piranesi, Thank you again!
As for where to start with Patricia- I’m not so sure myself (she has so much!). I think Moon flash is a very nice place to start, it’s poetic but an easier introduction to Patricia (I’ve only read moon flash 1+2 and beasts of Eld though). I’ve also been wanting to start on Tanith Lee! I’m hoping to add some books of hers to this list as well… <3
Oooh that's super helpful, thank you! I had Eld penciled in, but Song for the Basilisk seemed really cool too... and the book forums here for Mad Sisters of Esi and Piranesi are both quite active, if you ever want to discuss those books as you're reading/after you finish! :D
I forgot to mention earlier - i haven’t read The Spear Cuts Through Water yet but I’ve heard it has beautiful prose + does some funky things with the narration. Maybe that might fit this theme, too?
I’ve had my eye on the Somg for the Basilik as well! Or the changeling sea… there’s a lot of options. Thank you for the tip: I’ll check the forums out once I start reading those books!! <3
I have read the spear cuts through water- you’re right that totally fits with its own odd-ness… It’s a book I truly struggled with whilst reading though, until the very end- it seemed a little pretentiously odd- but looking back on it, I think I’d read it again. Thank you for the suggestion!
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☺️ glad to hear, I hope you’ll enjoy the books on this list!
Book Recc: The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek! It's kinda western, fantasy, non-Earth setting, mlm romance. It's a standalone and quite difficult to get ahold of a physical copy except online
This sounds interesting! Could you tell me a bit more on why you think this would fit? I’m curious what the writing style is… I’m looking for fantasy that falls outside the mold of typical adventure/fantasy storyline or story-prose, if that makes sense (which is hugely based on opinion, so I’m curious in your opinion on this one). I placed it in the list for the time being.
I'm glad you asked, so! The story doesn't have a high fantasy foundation, the magic system is based in supernatural perception of auras and control of the environment. I consider this pretty unique, outside of anime that is. There's a satisfying rise and fall of thrill and harmony as the chapters move between protagonist and antagonist POVs. I especially like this book because it doesn't "bury the gay" characters and still replicates a setting with relatable social ostracization of the MCs. The history of this world's gods unraveling is a powerful B-plot that mirrors the emotional development of the MCs, too. I hope this answers your question! Thank you very much for adding it here btw 💙 and if you decide the book doesn't fit here I hope you still get to try it out!
Thank you so much for explaining it! I appreciate that a lot. It sounds very interesting, and indeed seems like it could be fitting with a special magic system and a “this worlds god unravelling” sounds interesting- if maybe not so fitting, it’s alteast a book I’d love to read now! Maybe once read I’ll decide if it fits or not… but until that time I’ll trust your opinion on this!
At the end of the day this is your curation thats shared with the rest of us so there's no pressure to keep TGE listed! I've been treating Lists like I treat a Free Little Library, take a recc & leave a recc y'know 💙
That’s such a sweet way to treat lists! I love imagining it as a free little library, that’s so cute! I’m super grateful for any recs, I’d love to see this list grow- but I don’t read enough books fast enough to feed it, so I’ll take all the help I can get 🙈💗
Hello hello i’ve been thinking of you and this fabulous List; I hope you are doing well! 💗💗💗💗
I came here to suggest Poison by Chris Wooding, mostly because it has a pretty meta twist/narrative framework that is only revealed at the end! it would be a pretty major spoiler for me to specify exactly how it breaks the norm, but let me know what kinds of details you’d like to make a determination either way hehe
💗💗 that is so sweet! Thank you very much. I’ve been having a hard time with school and life the last weeks, so hearing this from you lifts my spirits ☺️ I hope you are doing well too!
I really love the sound of meta twist/narrative framework, instant addition to my tbr! And I’ll add it to this list as well. I’ll be making a post explaining why each book is added to this list in the coming week, so this question feels extra relevant. Since I am unable to read all the books suggested to me, it really helps me when the suggestion is paired with an explanation (like you’ve done). To me, because “unique-ness” is so subjective i am a fan of the idea of making this list somewhat based on community recommendations (that way I also get good recs from this list!), but it would be very helpful to have a more defined categorisation for this.
Currently the categorisation for me is: books that don’t follow normative fantasy plots (a hero that goes on a quest) and/or that don’t follow normative structure or style (Six Gun Snow White is a good example: it’s narration switches half way through, and is ambiguous at the start. Another one would be: A spear cuts through water, which sometimes switches the point of view to almost anyone at any point)… I think it’s mostly a combination of the two that really pulls me in. When I think of a book like Amina Al-Sirafi, for example: the characters are unique, the setting is too, and even the magic-system that appears has some unique elements, but it still sort of follows the normative fantasy trope? A hero going on a quest. If that makes any sense… but then again, technically you could describe some of the books as “hero going on quest” too.
My original idea came down to: I wanted a list that explored fantasy books which challenge my own concept of what a (fantasy) story is, what the limits of fantasy are, and possibly explore moral/ethical/philosophical questions through the lens of fantasy.
It’s hard to define, and I am still in the brainstorming sessions for the rules, so if you have any particular thoughts, I’d love to hear them!
i love how you've explained your criterias for this list, it was lovely to read 💫 With that in my mind, i think The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin would fit those themes well. i don't want to go too much into details because it is a story that is amazing to discover blind, but it is truly a unique narrative; not only mixing sff and fantasy elements but also blending narrative voices and point-of-views to tell its story! it truly made me re-evaluate the way stories could be told.
i would also add, but more for your personal reading, that if you haven't yet read The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin, i would absolutely recommend it too! It would not fit this list, but this is a neat little essay by Le Guin where she talks about re-imagining the first tool humans invented not as the weapon, but as a bag, a vessel for sharing. She links it to storytelling, and how can we tell story that aren't just epic quests, but, like bags, help a community. leaving one of my favorite quote here:
"I would go so far as to say that the natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They bear meanings. A novel is a medicine bundle, holding things in a particular, powerful relation to one another and to us. One relationship among elements in the novel may well be that of conflict, but the reduction of narrative to conflict is absurd. (I have read a how-to-write manual that said, "A story should be seen as a battle," and went on about strategies, attacks, victory, etc.) Conflict, competition, stress, struggle, etc., within the narrative conceived as carrier bag / belly / box / house / medicine bundle, may be seen as necessary elements of a whole which itself cannot be characterized either as conflict or as harmony, since its purpose is neither resolution nor stasis but continuing process. Finally, it's clear that the Hero does not look well in this bag. He needs a stage or a pedestal or a pinnacle. You put him in a bag and he looks like a rabbit, like a potato . That is why I like novels: instead of heroes they have people in them."
Thank you for your lovely message! I’m so glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed it that way, I’m all the more glad to have written it… ☺️
I’m actually so (happily) surprised about the recommendation of The fifth season — I’ve been wanting to read that for ages! I didn’t know yet it had such a blended style to it (in different ways), now I’m all the more excited. Thank you for recommending it!
And thank you, maybe even more so, for the personal recommendation. It was a true treat to find your comment in my inbox, and read this! I’ve yet to read a book by Ursula (🙈) but I had started the left hand of darkness and read her introduction to it- that was honestly so wonderful, it also made me think about what written story-telling is (I only stopped reading the book because I wanted to save it for colder weather and the Sun was shining). It was also wonderful to read the words you’ve quoted, thank you so much. This essay sounds right up my alley! ✨✨💗
aah i'm so glad to hear it! also completely agree with Left Hand of Darkness, I have yet to read it for the same reason 🍂 i guess we will see each other in the forums next winter? I absolutely adore Le Guin's essays, the way she thinks about stories, writing, and how it relates to us as humans is incredible, i will always recommend them haha.
Yes definitely! See you in the winter 🍂❄️🧣I’m exited to red ale Guins work with such high praise ✨
awww, i’m sorry that things have been a bit rough lately! but so glad to see you around on pagebound still, i always love chatting :DDD
i think your categorization and reasoning makes sense! the combination of non-standard narration style and plot structure seems like it makes for some cool picks.
i’m going to tentatively recommend the locked tomb series for this list based on that, since it does some funky POV shenanigans. however i’ve not yet read any of the books so i can’t really say much more; if someone else sees this they might be able to comment more! but everything i’ve heard about it from my friends points to it being pretty non-standard in structure/voice haha
Aw, thank you that’s appreciated🌹💗 I love seeing your username pop-up and chatting as well 😌 so I thank you for interacting with me :D
I’m glad that it makes sense! Then I’ll stick to something close to this in definition. That series does sound like it fits with the pov shenanigans, I’ll look it up and maybe add it to the list! If anyone does come by who has read those, I’m very curious to hear what they think as well.
💕💕💕💕 sounds perfect!
so many books on that list look amazing, thank you for curating it 💫
You’re welcome, I appreciate that! I’ve added booms suggested by other people, so I feel the credit is shared with all 💗 I hope you’ll enjoy the books on this list!
The fastest I've saved a list ngl. Would love a comment giving a couple words on why each listing is "weird" if that's not too much to ask
I’m happy to hear that and I really hope you’ll enjoy most books on this list!
That’s not to much to ask at all, I’ve been thinking of doing that for awhile… It’s seems a very useful suggestion! Thank you ☺️ I will try to put the ‘the weirdness’ I’ve perceived into words in the following week and post it here in the comments. If there any books you (or any one) has read already I would love to hear how you’d describe that specific book!
I've been looking for a "weird" book for agesss now! Love this!
