There was surprisingly (and disappointingly) little epic fantasy to find when making this list. If any of that plot sounds familiar to you, it might be because the Metro 2033 series has been transformed into an excellent series of sci-fi/horror, first-person shooter video games! There’s even a shiny new installment, Metro Exodus, coming out next month (February 15), and I am stoked. Artyom, who has never ventured outside of his home station, suddenly finds himself on a perilous journey into the heart of the Metro system to warn the survivors about a new and devastating danger. Outside the various bunkers that now house a whole generation of people born underground in repurposed metro stations, the surface is covered in poison and populated by terrifying mutants. Russia, 2033, and those still alive in post-apocalyptic Moscow survive underground ever since a devastating event decimated the earth above. Highly praised, and described as a “startling, relentless portrait of a troubled and troubling empire” and a “richly imagined vision of the future and a razor-sharp diagnosis of a country in crisis,” Day of the Oprichnik is the story of Andrei Danilovich Komiaga, oprichnik, trusted courtier of the czar, and one of the most feared men in all of Russia. Maybe I’m bending the definition of SFF a little bit here – and maybe I’m not, we all know that the idea of SFF, in particular science fiction, can be subjective at times – but Sorokin’s disturbing, high-tech Russia of 2028 is too intriguing to leave off this list. Slavic SFF Novels in Translation – Russian Day of the Oprichnik by Vladimir Sorokin

Because there are so many amazing Slavic-language SFF titles that I came across while researching this piece that I wish I could share with you! But which have not yet been, and may never be, translated. Which, in a way, makes it all the more satisfying to share with you! Yet the fact remains that my list of Slavic SFF books I want to read is still considerably larger than the list of books currently available in translation. This is probably on of the most interesting and frustrating lists I’ve ever worked on. A new century approaches, but as the djinn gather for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north, one that seeks the aid of an ancient warrior trapped between worlds.

As Nahri carefully navigates life in the dangerous royal court, Ali has been exiled and must rely on the frightening abilities gifted to him by unpredictable spirits in order to survive. In Daevabad, djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger, blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom in the thrilling sequel to THE CITY OF BRASS.

This list of Slavic SFF in translation for World of Fantasy Day is sponsored by Kingdom of Copper by S.A.

Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko