At the best of times, August is a weird month. (Ask our managing editor to tell you about his childhood experience of insomnia, which could also be described as an allergy to the month in question.) When looking at books due out this month, you’ll see an unexpected assemblage of titles: surreal fiction juxtaposed with incisive sociopolitical commentary; harrowing memoir abuting existential horror. Read on for ten books we’re looking forward to this month.
Ross Barkan, Fascism or Genocide: How a Decade of Political Disorder Broke American Politics
(Aug. 1, Verso Books)
It’s been a busy year for Ross Barkan, who’s one of two writers this month with multiple books out this year. Unlike his novel Slow Century, this one finds Barkan in nonfiction mode, looking back at the 2024 election and the national and international issues that got us there.
Chloe Caldwell, Trying: A Memoir
(Aug. 5, Graywolf Press)
In a recent piece at Foreword Reviews, Rebecca Foster called Chloe Caldwell’s new book “a candid, intrepid memoir that documents shifting desires by interlacing infertility and queerness.” Caldwell’s deft prose and eye for detail make this a promising addition to an excellent bibliography.
Megan Cummins, Atomic Hearts
(Aug. 5, Ballantine Books)
First: a hat-tip to the cover designer for this one, which has an eye-catching look that stands apart from many books on the shelves. Second: if you’re fond of complex family dynamics, this coming-of-age story about the fraught relationship between a daughter and her father. At Literary Hub, Rachel Lyon called this “[a]n exquisite first novel about the body’s fragility, the spirit’s opacity, and the elastic absolution of narrative. ”
Gretchen Felker-Martin, Black Flame
(Aug. 5, Tor Nightfire)
Gretchen Felker-Martin’s previous novels abounded with visceral scenes and haunting concepts. With her latest novel, she gets into a particularly intriguing side of horror: the story of a haunted film that exerts an unsettling influence on the people around it. That this novel opens in 1985 New York City adds another compelling element to the proceedings.
John Langan, Lost in the Dark and Other Excursions
(Aug. 5, Word Horde)
The intricately-constructed stories of John Langan combine technical finesse with disquieting moments of dread. This new collection focuses on cosmic horror and includes an introduction by the great Victor LaValle; what’s not to like?
Jesi Bender, Child of Light
(Aug. 12, Whiskey Tit)
We’re always happy to see a new work by Vol. 1 Brooklyn contributor Jesi Bender — last seen here answering some very surreal questions — and this is no exception. Set in the waning years of the 19th century, Bender’s latest brings together interpersonal drama and an immersion in the Spiritualist movement, which makes for a potent combination.
Cleyvis Natera, The Grand Paloma Resort
(Aug. 12, Ballantine Books)
Given the prominence of works like The White Lotus and Triangle of Sadness in recent years, storytellers are increasingly drawn to the dramatic possibilities of idyllic vacations taking a dramatic turn. In a recent interview with Hola Cultura, Natera noted that she “wanted the book to be centrally concerned with survival and the juxtaposition between the individual and community.” Consider us on board.
Denne Michele Norris, ed., Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color
(Aug. 12, HarperOne)
Earlier this year saw the publication of Denne Michele Norris’s acclaimed novel When the Harvest Comes. Now Norris has returned in editorial mode; the anthology Both/And features contributions from writers like Tanaïs and Akwaeke Emezi. This looks to be a memorable and insightful look into the contributors’ lived experiences.
Mads Gobbo and Miles Klee, Double Black Diamond
(Aug. 14, Double Black Diamond)
What does a skiing term have to do with the nineteen surreal stories contained in this volume? You’ll need to delve into Mads Gobbo and Miles Klee’s new book to find out. That said, you can read some of the duo’s work online; we’re also interested in whatever the publisher refers to that’s “glowing green with mutant ingenuity.”
Harald Voetmann (translated by Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen), Visions and Temptations
(Aug. 19, New Directions)
In a 2023 piece for The New York Review of Books, Meghan O’Gieblyn observed that “reading [Harald] Voetmann’s slender, bilious historical novels is not unlike descending into a nightmare.” So that’s our interest piqued right there; this particular volume tells the story of an ailing monk whose soul travels through surreal visions of the afterlife.
All release dates and cover artwork are subject to change.