by Julia Bergen & a cat

Who doesn’t love fun in the sun? But also, who wants to read about people just being happy in the sun all the time without anything going horribly wrong? Gross. So, get rid of the fun, but keep the sun. Or at least, keep the fun for the reader, but not for the characters. No fun for them. Only sun.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Boom! Right there in the title. Sun. But also, son? See, She Who Became the Sun is the story of Zhu Chongba. Nevermind the fact that the original Zhu Chongba died in drought and famine. Prior to this death, a soothsayer delivered unto him a great destiny. After the death, his sister assumes his identity and dares to claim that destiny—a destiny that might be great enough to see her become the sun, as in the emperor. Zhu Chongba’s destined road is fraught with danger and costly decisions, but Zhu is not afraid of a little murder. Or a lot. 

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Not just one sun. Not just two suns. But three whole sun’s worth of fun. Or not fun, as it turns out. Because three suns does not actually mean three times the pool parties, it means a civilization forced to rebuild itself every time there’s a global catastrophe, which happens a lot.

And if you haven’t watched the Netflix series, summer is the perfect time to hide in the air conditioning and binge a good show. And then read the trilogy it’s based on! These books are pretty thick, so we’re thinking this could be your summer of ultimate sun-times.

Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson

The cast of the movies? Hot.

Arrakis? Hot. 

Reading Paul of Dune on a beach this summer? Hot—especially because it takes place immediately after the events of Dune, so if you’ve seen Dune Part Two and need to know what happens next this is the enlightening (see what we did there) that you need.

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

Sun in the Cosmere! Think the Cosmere is going to have some happy fun sun times? Think again. Because this is Cosmere in the future, on a planet where the sun is hot enough to melt stone. Ouch. And there’s a tyrant using the not-so-fun sun to control the planet’s population. Only the Nomad, a man on the run, has the potential to stop him. And of course since it’s Brandon Sanderson you know the world-building will be scorching.

Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott

Princess Sun has finally come of age to become a major political player in the space empire previously helmed by her mother. Just her name is enough to solidly lay claim to a spot on this list, but Unconquerable Sun is actually a gender-spun science fiction reimagining of the conquest of Alexander the Great, a guy with a penchant for sun imagery.