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The LeadThe Guardian presents a compelling roundup of recent science fiction, fantasy, and horror books that demonstrate the vitality and innovation in contemporary genre literature. These five distinctive offerings explore everything from apocalyptic survival to historical fantasy, each bringing something unique to the genre landscape.Survival Stories and Character DepthNot With a Bang by Temi Oh stands out as a masterful exploration of family dynamics during civilizational collapse. The novel follows four daughters of a doomsday prepper who must navigate a world-shattering event, each making difficult survival choices. What elevates this beyond typical disaster fiction is its complex characterizations and conflicted relationships, presented through multiple perspectives that reveal flawed, human protagonists. The author's background in screenwriting contributes to the perfectly paced narrative, creating a suspenseful yet character-driven examination of survival.Modern Gothic HorrorClare Cavenagh's Tillinghast offers a fresh take on gothic horror, inspired by the 19th-century New England vampire panic. The novel centers on Stutley Tillinghast, a former minister turned church caretaker with a dark secret. His solitary existence is disrupted by Sarah, a young English woman searching for her mother who shares his mysterious illness. This debut novel distinguishes itself through its haunting atmosphere and original approach to familiar tropes, creating a compelling modern gothic narrative that explores themes of inheritance, necessity, and the darkness within human nature.Cold War Espionage Meets Supernatural HorrorBenedict Anning's Atomic Coffin ingeniously combines Cold War spy thriller with supernatural horror. Set in 1984, the novel follows Heidi Sperling, a British field asset in East Germany who intercepts information about a mysterious Soviet nuclear submarine. As the only Russian speaker, Heidi must overcome her fears to join the boarding party, only to discover something unnatural aboard the seemingly empty vessel. The novel excels in creating a disorienting atmosphere of paranoia and fear, while exploring themes of isolation and the unreliability of memory in a claustrophobic underwater setting.Historical Fantasy with Folkloric ElementsKatherine Arden's The Unicorn Hunters transports readers to 15th-century France, offering a rich historical fantasy inspired by the life of Anne of Brittany. In this immersive world where Breton fairies are real, Anne encounters a unicorn in the legendary forest of Brocéliande and meets a man who has emerged from the Lost Lands after two centuries. The novel succeeds in creating a wonderfully escapist narrative that seamlessly blends historical detail with folkloric elements, offering readers a deeply imaginative exploration of legend and reality.Contemporary Horror with Psychological DepthMark Morris's Bad Things Happen Here presents a terrifyingly believable modern horror centered on a haunted residence hall. Twenty years after disturbing events affected first-year students, the survivors find their lives disrupted by intrusive thoughts and hallucinations. The novel explores the concept of spirits that can travel between locations, examining how trauma can linger and manifest in unexpected ways. This work stands out for its psychological depth and ability to terrify both believers and skeptics alike, offering a fresh perspective on the haunted location trope.The Evolution of Genre FictionThese five books collectively demonstrate the remarkable diversity and innovation within contemporary genre fiction. From Temi Oh's character-driven apocalypse to Katherine Arden's historical fantasy, each work pushes boundaries while honoring the traditions of its genre. What unites them is their commitment to strong storytelling, complex characters, and atmospheric world-building—qualities that continue to attract readers to science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature.The Future of Genre PublishingThe success of these debut and established authors suggests a healthy future for genre publishing. Publishers are increasingly willing to take risks on innovative voices like Clare Cavenagh and Benedict Anning, while established authors like Katherine Arden and Mark Morris continue to push their creative boundaries. The market appears particularly receptive to works that blend genres, as seen in Anning's fusion of spy thriller and horror, and Morris's psychological approach to supernatural elements.Reader Trends and Market ImpactThese books reflect several emerging trends in genre fiction: the popularity of character-driven narratives within high-concept premises, the continued fascination with historical settings reimagined with fantastical elements, and the growing appetite for horror that explores psychological rather than purely supernatural threats. As readers increasingly seek stories that offer both escapism and meaningful commentary on contemporary issues, these exemplars of genre fiction demonstrate how the category continues to evolve while maintaining its core appeal.

The Birth of a Classic The Bluetones' lead singer Mark Morriss and guitarist Adam Devlin share the story of their hit song 'Slight Return', from its humble beginnings to its massive success in the 90s. Mark Morriss' Vocals and the Song's Early Days We were still a three piece: Adam Devlin, my brother Scott and myself. We hadn’t met Eds Chesters yet, so we didn’t have a drummer. We were spending a lot of time writing songs, trying to hone this west coast, mid-60s, Crosby, Stills & Nash sound – even though it was the 90s and we were from Hounslow in London. Slight Return was the fourth or fifth song we wrote. Scott wrote the chord progressions and structure, but didn’t have any words or melody. He recorded guitar into a cassette player, then played that back on a second cassette player so he could record himself playing along to what he’d just recorded, in a very rudimentary way of four-tracking. We liked it, but we weren’t skipping around the room going: “My God, we’re going to be millionaires.” That came later. The Song's Rise to Fame It went down well at our early shows. It was catchy and memorable. We recorded a demo version and sold it on blue 7-inch vinyl at our gigs. When we got signed to A&M, they were keen for it to be a single, but we felt like it would be short-changing our fanbase, which was about 200 people, who had already bought it. We had to be talked around by the label, who said: “We can hear it being played on the radio.” But they wanted us to change the song’s name because Slight Return isn’t actually in the lyrics. The title in part refers to the last line of the song: “I’m coming home but just for a short while.” It’s also a kind of sideways tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child (Slight Return). When we finally succumbed and let them release it as a single, lo and behold, it went ballistic. Adam Devlin's Perspective on the Band's Journey We thought we could write half-decent songs, so we cobbled together a set that would get us on the London circuit. I remember Scott bringing in a faster, simpler version of Slight Return. I fleshed out the guitar parts and put in a guitar solo. Mark worked out the vocal melodies, and we added a coda – the instrumental that fades out at the end, which originally had a sample from Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar, which was all very 60s. We had very different ideas from the record label and thought Can’t Be Trusted should have been the single. By then, I was living in another shared house in Wimbledon that didn’t have a washing machine. I was in the launderette when our manager phoned and said: “You’ve gone in at No 2.” I don’t think we were ready for it being so successful. The Legacy of Slight Return We've been playing it for 30 years. One tour, we’d got so bored with it, we didn’t even play it, which was a mistake because people thought we’d gone up our own arses. We learned our lesson: it’s the song everyone wants to hear. People get confused because Slight Return isn’t actually in the lyrics. I was at a farmers’ market recently when one of the stallholders said: “You were in that band who sang Where Did You Go?” I said: “Yes, but that’s not what it’s called.”