ALSO OUT

s ever, there are stacks more titles we couldn’t squeeze in. “Psychic cats” is the standout phrase in the blurb for Valerie Valdes’s debut (out now, Orbit), a comic space opera centred on a foulmouthed spaceship captain and her crew of misfits. Rivers Solomon’s novella (out now, Hodder & Stoughton) also has an intriguing premise: it focuses on the water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard, who have built their own underwater society. If it’s more bite-sized reading you’re after, there are two interesting new anthologies: (5 March, Solaris) marks the 100th anniversary of Czech playwright Karel Capek’s coinage of the word “robot”, with tales by the likes of Peter F Hamilton, Annalee Newitz and Alastair Reynolds. (3 March, Titan) collects dark fairytale stories from names such as Charlie Jane Anders, MR Carey and Neil Gaiman. Turning to existing literary worlds: (out now, Harper Voyager) sees Katherine Kerr continuing the series – her epic fantasy rooted in Celtic mythology, which interweaves human and elven history – with the first in a fresh trilogy. Also back for more: Cassandra Clare’s saga, with (3 March, Walker Books). Part one of new series , it pits Shadowhunter Cordelia Carstairs against seemingly invincible demons in Edwardian London. Finally, (out now, Abrams) might help you start writing that book of your own.