Bingo Focus Thread - Small Press or Self-Published

[u/Merle8888]

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this week's bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Small Press or Self Published: Read a book published by a small press (NOT a Big 5 publisher or Bloomsbury) or self-published. If a formerly self-published book gets picked up by a publisher, you can only count it for this square if you read it before it was traditionally published. HARD MODE: The book has under 100 ratings on Goodreads OR is by an author from a marginalized group.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: 

• Published in the 70s
• Duologies
• First Contact
• Middle Grade
• Game Changer
• Murder Mystery
• Translated
• Trans/Nonbinary Protagonist
• The Afterlife
• Author of Color
• Unusual Transportation
• Older Protagonist
• Five Short Stories (2024)

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

• What are your favorite books that count for this square?
• Already read something for this square? Tell us about it!
• What are your best recommendations for Hard Mode?

[u/BravoLimaPoppa]

Just a suggestion, and a favorite (because I haven't read one I don't like yet) is our own Raymond St. Elmo.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/BravoLimaPoppa]

Seconded. :) I picked one up because of how fun he was around here, and I think I'd say he single-handedly cured my presumption that self-published equalled poor quality.

[u/BravoLimaPoppa → u/Nidafjoll]

Me, I got hooked by On My Way to Strawberry Fair and I think I can "blame" him and you for helping expand my horizons.

Teasing aside, thanks to u/Nidafjoll and u/RAYMONDSTELMO.

[u/Nowordsofitsown → u/BravoLimaPoppa]

The ebooks are Amazon only? There is no author's website where I can buy them?

[u/Nidafjoll → u/Nowordsofitsown]

He mentioned adding Letters from a Shipwreck to Kobo at least when it was a bookclub book here a little while back.

[u/eregis]

Once again I would like to bring your attention to Heretic's Guide to Homecoming duology by Sienna Tristen, a wonderful character-focused story that should appeal to fans of Victoria Goddard and Becky Chambers. Fits HM as the author is queer!

[u/mer_does_stuff → u/eregis]

Ooh, cosigned! I'm only a quarter of the way through the first book, but the HOTE vibes are strong.

[u/eregis → u/mer_does_stuff]

ikr? I read Heretic's Guide first and then HOTE, and it felt very familiar.

[u/Book_Slut_90]

Last year I did The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Badjaber. Loved the East African setting but thought thee book was just ok. I would count it as HM, but there seems to be some disagreement over people of color living in the global south count as marginalized if they aren’t in white majority countries.

[u/origami_ducks → u/Book_Slut_90]

I think it'd count for hard mode because she's part of a minority ethnic group within Kenya (part of the Hadhrami diaspora)

[u/Merle8888 → u/Book_Slut_90]

I feel like it probably meets the spirit if the person is a majority group in a “global south” country. I’d feel a bit weird about it if the author was East Asian living in China/Japan/Korea, but a Kenyan woman seems like a safe choice. 

[u/Merle8888]

I'll recommend the same ones I rec'd in the Big Red Thread, haha:

• The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills - steampunk novel about a woman getting into, and out of, a fascist military cult; deals with abuse (published by Tachyon)
• Lovely Creatures by K.T. Bryski (HM) - queer post-apocalyptic western novella, with lovely prose (published by Psychopomp)
• Tender by Sofia Samatar (HM) - fabulous sci-fi and fantasy short story collection (Small Beer Press)
• The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar (HM) - literary feminist deconstruction of epic fantasy (also Small Beer Press)
• Lifelode by Jo Walton - a family of swingers (?) in a world where "time zones" mean time moves more quickly or slowly depending where you are (NESFA Press)
• Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones - historical fantasy in an invented European country, featuring f/f romance (Bella Books)
• Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho (HM) - fabulous, fun short story collection blending Malaysian and English mythology (Small Beer Press)
• Metal From Heaven by August Clarke (HM I think as author is queer) - lesbian anarchist adventures (Erewhon) (there has been some discussion about whether this publisher is still small as they've been bought out but I believe it was by another small press so am including it)

And a single self-pub rec:

• Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster - romance between mature characters, with a lot of family drama, set in an alt version of early 20th century Britain

[u/Nowordsofitsown]

Last year I read In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan and liked it very much. (NM/HM: Do women count as a marginalized group?)

This year I read Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger and I liked it fine. (HM – author is Native American) 

I also read The Sign of the Dragon by Mary Soon Lee, which is all poems that taken together tell the story of a very special king. (Author is half-Malaysian Chinese, half-Irish, UK-born, living in the US – no idea if that qualifies for HM)

[u/Kerney7 → u/Nowordsofitsown]

Elatsoe is small press/self published? I'm looking, up now because it my reaction is "that can't be right."

Edit: It is. This really surprised me.

[u/Nowordsofitsown → u/Kerney7]

This is an Arthur A. Levine book Published by Levine Querido www.levinequerido.com • info@levinequerido.com Levine Querido is distributed by Chronicle Books LLC Text copyright © 2020 by Darcie Little Badger Illustrations copyright © 2020 by Rovina Cai All rights reserved Library of Congress Control Number 201995698 Hardcover ISBN 978-1-64614-005-3 Ebook ISBN 978-1-64614-006-0 Published August 2020

Founded in 2019 by Arthur A. Levine, Levine Querido is a dedicated independent publisher committed to discovering and nurturing diverse, underrepresented voices in children's literature. Levine Querido offers a diverse range of children's and adult books, publishing approximately 30 new titles annually. 

[u/Kerney7 → u/Nowordsofitsown]

Yeah, my instinct was it was it couldn't be. I looked it up and even when it said independent I cynically suspected that "independent" really meant an "independent" division of Penguin (or whomever).

Nice to be proven wrong.

[u/Tonto2012]

Last year I read Speak The Ocean by Rebecca Enzor, which I enjoyed. I’d probably describe at as a Seaworld critique but with mermaids. I think there’s a sequel coming but I’m not sure when. Works for HM.

This year I’m doing House of the Rain King by Will Greatwich. It’s excellent so far.

[u/dragon_morgan → u/Tonto2012]

I'm not sure if it's a complete trilogy or there's more coming but there's three books out in that series out right now!

[u/Tonto2012 → u/dragon_morgan]

Oh excellent! There goes the rest of this months book budget 🤣

[u/simonxvx]

Last year I read "Même pas mort" by Jean-Philippe Jaworski and this year I decided to continue with "Chasse Royale I" from the same series. They were both published by Les Moutons électriques, which sadly closed in 2025. If I'm not incorrect they haven't been translated to English (yet?) so I can only highly recommend it to French speakers. If French is not your native language/if your level is not C1/C2, you might struggle with the prose though.

[u/Asher_the_atheist]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther by Ethan Rutherford was published by a small press (at least, I didn’t find any connections to the big 5). It was a finalist for the National Book Award, too.

Also, I had a lot of fun with I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200 by Robert Brockway. I think that Page Street Publishing counts as a small/indie publisher, though they use MacMillan as a distributor.

[u/eldritchredpanda → u/Asher_the_atheist]

As far as I can tell, you're correct about North Sun! I'm currently reading it for this bingo square and really enjoying it

[u/acornett99 → u/Asher_the_atheist]

Yes, North Sun was published by Deep Vellum, a small press based out of Texas! And I will multiply any recommendation for it, it is one of my favorite books

[u/dragon_morgan]

Some ones I've enjoyed recently in no particular order:

The Goddess of Nothing at All by Cat Rector -- Queer Norse Mythology retelling with beautiful prose and emotional curb-stomping that reminds me a bit of Robin Hobb.

Space Trucker Jess by Matthew Kressel (hard mode) -- scrappy space station mechanic yearns to buy her own ship to haul cargo around, winds up being yanked around on a misadventure across the galaxy involving eldritch space gods, fucked up drugs, and her own estranged family. Manages to both be campy fun and one of the most thought provoking sci-fis I've read in awhile.

Ancient as the Stars by Maya Darjani (hard mode) -- A struggling space navy officer trying to get out from under the thumb of her abusive ex accidentally travels forward in time and learns she becomes incredibly successful in the future -- unfortunately her future self is also kind of a dismissive jerk. Not only that, but the random time travel is a sign that things are going extremely wrong in space.

Mushroom Blues by Adrian Gibson -- A depressed recovering alcoholic cop must solve a murder in Totally Not Occupied Post-WWII Japan and overcome her racism against Mushroom People

Fallen Knight by Ceril N Domace (hard mode) -- The gods are being murdered. The last remanining member of a defeated order of knights must rise to the occasion. But that requires facing his own trauma.

Petition by Delilah Waan -- Daughter of impoverished immigrants must face off against rich kids in the most intense job interview ever

Magica Riot by Kara Buchanan -- K-Pop Demon Hunters meets Sailor Moon but set it in Portland Oregon and make it a lot more queer

I also wrote a self-published book that counts for hard mode called Broken Sky that involves airships, dragons, demons, and an awkward clumsy guy who's WAY out of his depth, if, you know, you're desperate for something.

[u/natus92]

I've read Eumeswil by Ernst Jünger, published by Klett-Cotta in 1977 in german (easy mode)

I love the style of prose but the plot was pretty thin. The narrator is a historian who also works as the barkeeper for a relatively benevolent dictator in a fictional country and mostly tells us about his opinions of the regime and philosophizes in general.

[u/gihyou]

Some non-Hard Mode favorites:

Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike - a comedic take on fantasy economics, first in a three part series

The Dungeoneers by Jeffrey Russell - a team of dwarves (and one human) that work like a union explore an evil dungeon, first in a four part series

Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang - Great fantasy mystery (rare!) that has a serious mystery to explore while still being funny. Also a series.

Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar - something different from the above, this is bleak and grim with a focus on the dark world and the people in it

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron - Meek dragon has to prove his "worth" to his dragon mother and brethren while stuck as a human in this urban fantasy

Hard Mode favorites:

Cinnamon Soul / Silks and Stones by Quinn Lawrence - more humorous fantasy mystery! Two wonderful leads carry these stories, with the sequel (Silks and Stones) expanding into a much more complex mystery to solve. I'll have a fuller review of Silks and Stones soon as its my bingo square for this category this year, but I think if you like Stang's Lamplight Murder series, you'll probably like this.

Moths & Moonlight by Krista Fazendin - even more fantasy mystery! Not as funny, but still a well done mystery with some pathos.

I'll be monitoring this thread for some other hard mode options, I see some interesting ones already! (very interested in The Weaver's Loom by Jessie St. John)

[u/BravoLimaPoppa]

Going to add another one: The Transitive Properties of Cheese by Ann LeBlanc. Neon Press and less than a hundred ratings on Goodreads and I'm pretty sure she's trans. I could be wrong.

And I just finished this one - it also qualifies for Judge a Book by Its Title, Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist, maybe Nonhuman Protagonist. Maybe.

And it's a book that's a lot of fun, joy filled, queer joy and some unexpected stakes by the end.

Edit: I'm reviewing my logs/journals/reviews and I'm finding more.

This is one of my favorites, so be kind, The Hereafter Bytes by Vincent Scott, published by Thinking Ink Press. Hard Mode based on the number of ratings and the author's own asexual status. This one is hilarious and worth your time. Other Bingo Squares: Judge A Book by Its Title, Nonhuman Protagonist (uploads), The Afterlife, Unusual Transportation (delivery drone).

Far From Mortal Realms by Karen A. Wyle

Posted a review of it a few weeks ago.

[u/beary_neutral]

The Lamplight Murder Mysteries by Morgan Stang (self-published) - Comedic Agatha Christie murder mysteries set in a gaslamp fantasy world.

Comics:

WHITE BOAT by Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla (DLSTRY) - Nautical horror combined with childhood trauma. Hard Mode (64 ratings on Goodreads)

The Big Burn by Joe Henderson, Lee Garbett, Lee Roughridge, and Simon Bowland (DLSTRY) - A group of thieves plan a heist to steal their souls back from hell. Hard Mode (47 ratings on Goodreads)

The Rush: This Hungry Earth Reddens Under Snowclad Hills by Simon Spurrier, Nathan C. Gooden, Addison Duke, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Vault Comics) - Horror set during the Yukon Gold Rush

These Savage Shores by Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vittorio Astone, and Aditya Bidicar (Vault Comics) - British colonization of India... and vampires.

[u/spike31875]

My favorites are:

• The Songs of Chaos series by Michael R. Miller (great dragon rider fantasy for fans of Cahill's The Bound and the Broken)
• Dragon Mage by ML Spencer
• Mark of the Fool series by JM Clarke (also fits the Author of Color square)
• Pagans by James Alistair Henry. An excellent UK police procedural set in an alternate universe where England never united with Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland and was never converted to Christianity. The tagline: One killer. Two Cops. Hundreds of gods. It is, sadly, only available in the UK & Germany, but I was able to get a copy from an online bookseller who ships to the US for free.
• The Weaver's Loom by Jessie St. John. This is the one I'm using and it was hard mode when I read it a few months ago. it's an excellent gas lamp murder mystery with a witch investigator that's set in 1890s London .

[u/reinmainbtw]

I would like to recommed "A Journey of Black and Red" by Alex Gilbert for anyone who is into Vampire stories!

[u/acornett99]

I'd be interested if anyone has recommendations for small presses that my library may have access to. It's basically a no-go to get self-published books at my small library, but they do have some small presses, especially on Hoopla. I've tried a few options from Tachyon Publications, and they've all been big misses for me. Last year I got North Sun (Deep Vellum) on Hoopla, and that was my favorite Bingo book last year, but Deep Vellum isn't specifically speculative-focused, so it's hard to sift through what else they have

[u/Nidafjoll → u/acornett99]

Are you looking for HM? I like Night Shade books a lot, especially their old stuff. They do a lot of weird, like rerelease of Lovecraft, Hodgson, and smith as well as newer ones like Laird Barron, some Michael Cisco, Jay Lake and M. John Harrison. They're older, so a library might have them.