I’m back with another book list, this time filled with science fiction and fantasy novellas. If you’re wondering what makes a book a novella, it’s basically one that’s longer than a short story but shorter than a full novel. Novellas usually contain between 20,000 to 50,000 words and have roughly about 100 – 200 pages (could be a bit lesser or a bit more).
But their short length doesn’t make them less intriguing as novellas offer a condensed and impactful storytelling experience, and they’re great for book lovers who are short on time or just aren’t in the mood to read a 300+ page book. Novellas are also a great way to be introduced to an author before you go on to read their longer novels.
I particularly love science fiction and fantasy novellas which is why I’m creating this list and I hope you discover your great next read from here. From dystopian futures to epic quests, these novellas offer a rich blend of genres, with both standalone and novella series included in this list.
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The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Genre: Africanfuturism | Sci-fi | Fantasy | Young Adult
Kicking things off with a personal favourite. The Binti Trilogy follows Binti, a girl from the Himba tribe who is selected to attend Ooomza, a prestigious intergalactic university, and the different things she has to go through as she finds herself thrust into a brutal war between aliens called Meduse and the university and humans. This trilogy is such a great foray into the Africanfuturism genre and Nnedi Okorafor’s books as well.
Content Warnings (click to expand)
Murder (mass), racism, death, gore, animal death, PTSD, panic attacks, war
Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
Genre: Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Adult
Wuxia fantasy, a group of misfits, a stolen sacred object – all can be found in this novella which tells the tale of Guet Imm, a votary who finds herself travelling with a group of thieves in possession of a religious artefact. As we learn more about Guet’s life & beliefs and those in the group, we’re taken on a short journey filled with action, loss, witty dialogue, betrayal and blossoming relationships.
Content Warnings
Violence, sexual assault, death, religious persecution, war themes, misgendering
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Genre: Science fiction | Space Opera | Adult
Ready to follow the misadventures of an antisocial sentient android? Then meet Murderbot, a droid who just wants to be left alone to watch its shows, but as a Sec Unit, it has to fulfil its duty of protecting a team of human scientists carrying out tests on a distant planet. None of whom know that Murderbot is self-aware. But things take a turn when a neighbouring mission goes dark and they have to go investigate why.
All Sytems Red is the first book in The Murderbot Diaries series which is currently made up of 7 books – five novellas and two full-length novels. And one I definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Violence, death, physical injuries & body horror, suicide attempt (on page)
The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain
Genre: Science Fiction | Fantasy | Adult
Here’s another genre-melding novella that’s an entertaining blend of sci-fi, mythology, comedy, cyberpunk and mystery. It follows a Djinn king who is eager for conquest after waking up from centuries of slumber, and an old Gurkha soldier with a vendetta and their misadventures in a city ruled by a tyrannical AI whose citizens are mostly happy with their situation …or are they?
Content Warnings
Violence, animal death, sexual content
📖 Related Post: 9 Diverse Anthologies to Add to Your TBR!
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Fantasy | Young Adult
Of course, fairy tale retellings are not left out. A Spindle Splintered is a fantasy novella that puts a unique twist on the Tale of Sleeping Beauty. It’s Zinnia’s 21st birthday and sadly her last one due to her rare illness. To make it extra special, her friend organizes a Sleeping Beauty-themed birthday party for her. But when she mistakenly pricks her finger on the spinning needle, she’s thrust into a different world, one where a real sleeping beauty exists who just might hold the key to their fates.
Content Warnings
Terminal illness, imprisonment, sexual assault (referenced), violence against women
The Black God’s Drum by P. Djèlí Clark
Genre: Science fiction | Fantasy
I’m a sucker for steampunk, especially when it’s mixed with African mythology & alternate history and this novella definitely delivers.
Creeper wants nothing more than to leave New Orleans, and now she’s found a way. She plans to gain the trust of a smuggler airship captain with some information about a mysterious weapon. Things get complicated when they’re all pulled into a mission to prevent the weapon from being unleashed on the city, and Creeper also has to deal with the Orisha whispering in her head who might have ulterior motives.
Content Warnings
Violence, slavery, torture, war themes, loss of a parent, racism, murder, death of a parent
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
Genre: Fantasy | Adult
Fonda Lee, author of The Green Bone Saga is back with a novella that follows a young girl on a path of vengeance. Ever since Ester’s mother and brother were killed by a manticore, she’s been obsessed with killing the monsters that destroyed her family. She gets her chance when she joins the King’s Royal Mews, where people are paired with giant creatures called Rocs, to hunt and kill manticores. She’s paired with a roc called Zahra, and together they go hunting manticores while Ester tries to bond with her roc and stay alive.
Content Warnings
Violence, child death, animal death, gore
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Genre: Science fiction | Adult
Red discovers a letter on the battlefield which sparks off correspondence between two operatives on opposite sides of the time war. As they chase each other through multiple timelines trying to find ways to change future events, their relationship grows. But they are at war, their relationship could prove deadly and in the end, one side has to win.
Content Warnings
War, torture, body horror
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Fantasy | Mystery | Young Adult
Ever wondered what happens to those kids in fantasy novels who are pulled into magical realms and later have to return to their real world? This novella series explores that.
Nancy is one of those kids, who forever changed by her experience is struggling to cope back in the real world. She’s sent to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a home filled with children like her who long to go back to these magical realms. But things take a dark turn when tragedy strikes and Nancy and her new friends decide to find out who or what is behind it.
Content Warnings
Murder, dismemberment, parental abandonment, gore
Finna by Nino Cipri
Genre: Science fiction | Adult | Horror
Get ready for an adventure through the multiverse in this novella, as you follow Ava and Jules, two low-income employees who have to get back an elderly customer who fell through a wormhole in the store they work in. Battling monsters, pirates, and exploring wacky dimensions while dealing with their interpersonal problems makes for a pretty fun and touching story.
Content Warnings
Violence, sexism, gore
Of Sorrows and Such by Angela Slatter
Genre: Fantasy | Adult | Paranormal
Set in a village where magic users are feared and killed, Mistress Gideon makes a quiet living as her town’s healer while hiding her magic. When a shapeshifter is publicly exposed, a hunt begins for the other magic users in her community and Gideon finds herself captured to be burnt at the stake. She’ll have to work quickly to free herself and her sisters from this predicament.
Content Warnings
Violence, misogyny, child death, rape, body horror
The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
Genre: Science fiction | Adult | Horror
What would you do if every time you bleed, a doppelganger of you is created, intent on killing you? This premise is explored in this horror novella series which follows Molly who is being hunted by her doppelgangers and is desperate to find a way to end this strange phenomenon while having to kill the Molly’s that attack her.
Content Warnings
Child death, body horror, self-harm, suicide ideation
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Genre: Science Fiction | Fantasy | Adult
One day, a tea monk’s life is disrupted when a robot arrives. Robots haven’t been around for centuries since they gained self-awareness and vanished into the forest. This robot is on a quest to find the answer to the question – What do people need? In this heartwarming novella, you follow the conversations and journey to find an answer to this question in a world where most desires are met.
Content Warnings
Cursing, animal death, panic attacks/disorders, mental illness, grief
The Fall by Ryan Cahill
Genre: Fantasy | Adult
With multiple POVs, betrayals, elves, magic & dragons, this fantasy novella is set during the fall of The Order, a group that has watched over the continent of Epheria for centuries. As the City of Ilnaen burns, we get to see the events unravelling through the eyes of characters on opposite sides of this brutal fight. This action-packed novella is a prequel to the Bound and the Broken series and you can get it free on the author’s website if you sign up for their newsletter.
Content Warnings
Violence, death, gore
I hope you’ve added several of these science fiction and fantasy novellas to your reading list. This is in no way an exhaustive list of the SFF novellas out there but it’s a good start. What’s your favorite SFF novella? Let me know in the comments 😊
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6 Comments
Jhon
September 23, 2025 at 12:58 AMGreat selection! I love that you focused on novellas—they’re such a perfect way to explore rich sci-fi and fantasy worlds without committing to huge tomes.
Bri
July 17, 2024 at 4:23 PMThese are great suggestions for sci fi novellas! I’ve read some of the Murderbot Diaries and they are so good, I just want to keep reading and see what Murderbot is up to next.
Etinosa
November 14, 2024 at 10:51 PMSame here! I love the Murderbot Diaries and I hope the author writes some more in the future.
Peter O
December 12, 2023 at 3:14 PMAwesome!
Etinosa
December 19, 2023 at 10:35 AMThanks Peter. I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these novellas and which you plan to add to your reading list.
Peter Omale
November 15, 2024 at 6:22 PMSooooo sorry Eti. I’m not sure how I missed this message. I haven’t read any of them just yet but I’d love to go back to reading novellas. It’s been ages I last picked up a book 🙈.
I’d like to recommend one though. “ A taste of home” by Gabriel Omale. It’s a short book and it’s the most recent one I have been saying I’ll read and haven’t read. Lol.
Hope you are alright though. Been ages.