10 must-read SFF releases to make October your best reading month yet

Does anyone else have a tendency to reach for SFF books as the weather gets colder? Here are some of our must-read October releases for the genre.

October is officially upon us, and while many readers choose to read horror and thriller novels in the weeks leading up to Halloween, I have a tendency to reach for SFF as the weather gets cold and the leaves start to fall. If you have the same inclination, you’re in luck: There are plenty of exciting science-fiction and fantasy stories hitting shelves this October.

Even more exciting, some of these SFF releases tackle just the right themes for the spooky season. We’ve got witches, we’ve got curses — all the things that make this time of year even more enjoyable. These new releases will no doubt be fun to escape into, especially with Halloween festivities at a minimum this year.

Of course, there are also several selections that are jarringly relevant to real life coming out this October. This month marks the release of a new science-fiction story about a pandemic, a sci-fi narrative tackling global warming, and even an alternative-history fantasy that digs into the hatred fueling the KKK. These releases may not bring the escapism often associated with SFF, but they’ll offer some perspective on all that’s happening in the world — and let’s be honest, it’s important to have a good balance of both.

So what SFF books are we most pumped about this October? Here’s what we’ll be diving into.