First up, a February release that slipped under our radar: AIRSIDE ( , out now, Gollancz) – sadly, the final novel by Christopher Priest. It centres on the mystery of a Hollywood movie star who arrived in London in 1949 but then disappeared, seemingly without ever leaving the airport – an incident which continues to fascinate a modern-day critic. We said: “An intricate, clever, mysterious and moving slipstream novel… Written in crisp prose, as pared back and devoid of extraneous detail as you’ll find in any noir.” We also highly recommend fantasy GODS OF THE WYRDWOOD ( , out now, Orbit), the opening entry in RJ Barker’s Forsaken trilogy. The worldbuilding here includes a landscape where bloated gasmaw creatures pull airships between crumbling spires, a forest which seems to have a consciousness, and warriors given superhuman powers by a fungal parasite. We said: “Will please fans of David Gemmell. But with its folk-horror vibe, it offers something distinct. This is Avatar meets Dune – on shrooms.” Our final pick is Owen King’s THE CURATOR ( , out now, Hodder & Stoughton). It’s set in a Dickensian city where a revolution has turned things upside down. Through the eyes of various characters (including Dora, caretaker of a dusty, abandoned museum), we see a fledgling regime floundering. We said: “A curious mixture of whimsy and grimdark... Never less than gripping.”
