10 science-fiction and fantasy releases you’re bound to fall for this February

The Light Years by R.W.W. Greene

R.W.W. Greene has been part of numerious science-fiction collections, but this month he’s releasing a novel of his own: The Light Years. A tale of arranged marriages and spaceships, Greene’s story meshes romance with adventure and suspense. According to the synopsis for The Light Years:

"“Before Hisako Saski is even born, her parents make a deal on her behalf. In exchange for a first-class education and a boost out of poverty, Hisako will marry Adem Sadiq, a maintenance engineer and self-styled musician who works the trade lanes aboard his family’s sub-light starship, the Hajj.”"

As readers might imagine, Hisako isn’t on board with her parents’ plan at first. Not only is she reluctant to start a life with someone she’s never met, but their deal also means she’ll have to study a field of physics she’s not even interested in. After uprooting everything though, she soon discovers it isn’t so bad — though she and Adem have much to contend with when it comes to secrets and their goal of achieving faster-than-light travel.

It’s not often a science-fiction novel handles the arranged-marriage trope (we usually reserve that for fantasy stories), and the scienctific component of The Light Years sounds somewhat unique as well. Readers looking for a change of pace from their usual sci-fi lineup will want to give this one a try when it comes out on February 11.