We’re diving into Chaos and Cosmos the RIGHT way-with an incredibly chaotic playlist!

We asked our authors to pick theme songs for their main characters and the resulting playlist is…definitely something. We recommend putting this beauty on shuffle for maximum mayhem.

Pick a Theme Song for Your Main Character

Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun

Born to be Wild – in the version played by the Handsome Alika on Idol Faire.

Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Relentless Moon

How High the Moon sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

S. A. Hunt, author of I Come With Knives

In the first, second, and third book I’d say Karliene’s Become The Beast. I just love the feminine aura it has, and the constant, building tension. It’s so simultaneously female and feral, and I love it. In other news, I listened to Halestorm’s cover of Slave to The Grind and Fist Up by Kidneythieves the whole time I was writing the fight scenes in The Hellion, the third book in the Malus series, so that might give you a good idea of where my head was at and what kind of action you can look forward to in that one.

If Tor signs any more Malus books with me, I’m gonna tell you that Robin’s theme song will become What Doesn’t Kill You Will Make You A Killer by Rabbit Junk. After the events of book 3, The Hellion, she’s gonna go Beast Mode.

Alaya Dawn Johnson, author of Trouble the Saints

Summon the Fire by The Comet Is Coming.

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Ryan Van Loan, author of The Sin in the Steel

Blood in the Water by Grandson.

Kit Rocha, author of Deal with the Devil

For Nina, Least Complicated by the Indigo Girls.
For Knox, Hardest of Hearts by Florence + The Machine.

Jenn Lyons, author of The Memory of Souls

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (What? You didn’t think I’d pick a theme song that didn’t have a dragon tie-in somewhere, did you?)

Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons

For Awa— A call and response song with rattles and bees.

For Djola— Whale song.

Christopher Paolini, author of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Gayane by Aram Khachaturian.

. .

S. L. Huang, author of Burning Roses

Murder, Murder! from Jekyll & Hyde. Someone’s killing sinners in the night… lots and lots and lots of them. (Spoiler: It’s Little Red Riding Hood.)

Cory Doctorow, author of Attack Surface

Good as Hell, one for the millennials. I have a 12-year-old, I’m down with the Lizzo! If it’s on TikTok I know it.

V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie.

Stay tuned for more #ChaosandCosmos all year long!