71 books like Dime Store Magic

Science fiction is rightly famous for experimenting with new and strange social worlds, but fantasy tends to fall back on the usual feudal tropes: the whims of kings, the valor of knights, the always-temporary powerlessness of farm boys, the technicalities of succession. Which is a shame, because fantasy provides just as much opportunity to reimagine what society could look like. That’s what I try to do in my books, and at my job, where I’m working to bring 21st-century data literacy and quantitative reasoning to a state government stuck resolutely in the ’90s. When I think of books that have done what I’m trying to do, these five are at the front of my mind.

I’ve always been an avid reader, ever since I was old enough to hold a book upright. Today, I’m a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers, with credits spanning novels, short fiction, television, comic books, and video games. I’m especially fond of heroic tales that feature female main characters, both in books and on-screen. Several of my nearly 40 novels have featured heroic female main characters, including my newest book, Star Trek: Picard: Firewall, which is a coming-of-age tale about Seven of Nine’s journey to becoming a Fenris Ranger.

I’ve loved reading novels about strong, quirky women since childhood (Nancy Drew, Ramona Quimby, Harriet the Spy, the heroines of Judy Blume novels, just for starting examples!). As I grew into writing my own stories, I also started studying women’s history. I merged these two interests to begin writing historical novels with strong women protagonists. I love the challenge of researching to figure out the details of women’s day-to-day lives–so many unrecorded stories!–and I love to advocate for the idea (fortunately not as revolutionary as it once was) that a woman can be the hero of her own story and that each woman’s story is important to tell.  

As a magical realism/horror author, born and reared in Ireland—I love stories that scream strange and unusual. By adding an extra dimension to a story, you can open the mind to the most wonderful places. I love to write for everyone with no exceptions, and while there are many worlds to lose yourself in while reading, I am drawn to the what ifs of magic. The worlds of witches, the dead, the unimaginable and realms beyond our own. This is why I love to write, and the reason I share my mind with those who enjoy a tale outside the norm of daily life.

I started reading mysteries in elementary school: Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, and Stephen King fed my thirst for story, puzzles, and the “super-psychological.” There’s so much about the mind we don’t understand—including our relationships with animals (like an octopus detective)—or the bond between twins (like the one in my Cici series). When I worked with Irene Webb as an associate literary agent in the 2000s, my fascination with the written word and “super-psychological” blossomed. I enjoy connecting motivations, secrets, and passions into a tapestry of humanity. At their core, stories teach us how to be more human, and I want to be part of that lesson. Please enjoy this book list I’ve curated for you.

As a magical realism/horror author, born and reared in Ireland—I love stories that scream strange and unusual. By adding an extra dimension to a story, you can open the mind to the most wonderful places. I love to write for everyone with no exceptions, and while there are many worlds to lose yourself in while reading, I am drawn to the what ifs of magic. The worlds of witches, the dead, the unimaginable and realms beyond our own. This is why I love to write, and the reason I share my mind with those who enjoy a tale outside the norm of daily life.

As a magical realism/horror author, born and reared in Ireland—I love stories that scream strange and unusual. By adding an extra dimension to a story, you can open the mind to the most wonderful places. I love to write for everyone with no exceptions, and while there are many worlds to lose yourself in while reading, I am drawn to the what ifs of magic. The worlds of witches, the dead, the unimaginable and realms beyond our own. This is why I love to write, and the reason I share my mind with those who enjoy a tale outside the norm of daily life.

Every time I read book I imagine being part of the world of the story. I like to open my mind to the experiences of the characters, which is helpful in my work as an actor, as well as my writing. I mean, studying and interpreting character is literally an actor's job! It's a huge part of a writer's job, too, and I have tried to create characters my own readers would like to be friends with! These are all some of my favourite books/series. A couple are serious, the others are funny, but they all have wonderful characters I hope you feel as drawn to as I do.

I’ve been reading for 69 years, writing fiction for 43 years. I’ve read many more than 10,000 books. In my own writing, I begin with characters I create from combinations of traits and personalities I’ve met in life. I get to know them as friends. I then put them into the setting I’ve devised and given them free rein to develop the story. I know the destination, but the route is left to them. This involves much re-writing once the story is down on paper, but allows me to experience the excitement, concern, fear, love, and delights felt by the characters as I write the tale.

I grew up in Michigan where I was outdoors in the woods most of the time, running around with my imaginary friends. I built an entire world in my imagination where girls and women were powerful and ruled the world. I wrote stories about that world, and I’ve never stopped writing or reading myths, folklore, and fairy tales. Stories are the best way to bring the mythic and hidden realms of our existence out into the open. When I catch a glimpse of other worlds through storytelling, it always feels healing. It gives me hope that there is more to our existence than what we ordinarily see.