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A genre-blended book, as you can guess from the name, blends elements and tropes from two or more genres. Popular genre combinations are romance and fantasy, horror and science-fiction, and historical fiction and fantasy. Indeed, some genre blends are so popular that they have become their own established subgenres.
Genre-blending became popular in the late twentieth century. Black authors, in particular, have been reinventing literary conventions through genre-blending for decades. Think of Kindred by Octavia Butler, first published in 1979, which masterfully blends science fiction, historical fiction, and literary fiction in an action-packed story.
This phenomenon hasn’t abated in time. One need only consider Zone One by Colson Whitehead, published in 2011, which is another literary fiction and science fiction blend. Or Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, from 2017, which blends literary fiction and fantasy. The examples go on and on.
The eight books listed here follow this literary tradition of blending two or more genres into one book. The specifics vary: you might find anything from romance-mystery to horror-science fiction. But without fail, they’ll push you out of your literary comfort zone while keeping you turning pages.
Ready? Grab a cup of your beverage of choice (why not a tea blend?) and dive right in.
She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
Set in the early years after the founding of Liberia, She Would Be King follows three characters with special gifts. Gbessa, June Day, and Norman Aragon must lean on each other and their gifts to make their home in this new country.
Blends: historical fiction, literary fiction, fabulism.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Set in 1950, The Reformatory follows Robbie, a boy who is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys for kicking a landowner’s son in defense of his sister. Robbie can see ghosts, which he once liked. But now, the sight of multiple ghosts hints at something sinister happening at Gracetown. Can Robbie discover what it is, and can his sister Gloria get him out before it’s too late?
Blends: historical fiction, horror, fantasy, and mystery.
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
This collection of short stories explores what it means to belong — to one another and to places. It follows a woman who weaves an unsettling child out of hair, the fallout of a mathematical formula to treat trauma, and much more. If you need further convincing, it’s also the winner of the 2017 Kirkus Prize.
Blends: fantasy, literary fiction, and fabulism.
Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours (February 4, 2025)
Sariyah Lee Bryant has a gift: she can hear what people need. But when more than one of her friends ends up missing after she meets one of their needs, she begins to question whether her gift isn’t really a curse. Now Sariyah must find her friend Deja before she becomes another forgotten Black girl.
Blends: speculative fiction and mystery.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
After getting drunk and saving a demon named Fallon, Cinnamon gets sucked into a quest to kill an evil witch that is enslaving his people. Despite her initial reluctance to leave the comforts of home, the tension building between her and Fallon is hard to resist.
Blends: fantasy, romance, comedy.
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
Elle Burns is a former enslaved person — and a spy. She goes back to slavery in order to spy for the Union Army. Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. When the two meet, the attraction is intense…as intense as the danger they’re in.
Blends: romance and mystery.
Forging a Nightmare by Patricia A. Jackson
When FBI Agent Michael Childs is tasked with investigating a series of murders in New York City, he has no idea he’s taking steps to uncover a millennia-old secret…and the details of his own heritage. Only Marine Corps sniper Amana Rained can save him, but only if she’s willing to sacrifice her freedom.
Blends: fantasy and mystery.
The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
The last of humanity is coming back to Earth aboard the ship Calypso, after a failed colony in a far away planet. The acting captain, Jacklyn Albright, must keep the crew alive as they reach their breaking point…and as an intruder begins to kill members in brutal ways.
Blends: sci-fi and horror.
Still looking to expand your TBR pile? Try these 100 must-read new books by Black authors, or this list of canonical Black American literature you shouldn’t miss.
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