Science Fiction invites us to explore themes of outer space and extraterrestrial life, alternate realities, time travel, advanced technology, and the near and faraway future, while fantasy offers us a glimpse into worlds of magic and mystery; those dreamlike places inhabited by impossible creatures where enchanting spells and sorcery abound. Both genres include stories that are fueled by imagination, adventure, curiosity, and wonder.
Bellingham Public Library is featuring displays of science fiction and fantasy books and films throughout the month of August 2026. Visit us at any BPL location to dream, imagine, and explore with us.
“Imagination and ideas. You cannot find a solution to a problem until you imagine that solution first. If you are incapable of imagining that which is not there or has never been, you are already at a huge disadvantage. Science fiction does all this.” – author Nnedi Okorafor
SciFi and Fantasy Books for Adults
SciFi and Fantasy Book Lists for Adults Compiled by Bellingham Public Library Librarians
Library Staff Recommend
“An angel and a demon have their paths converge when an ancient city is destroyed. Somber, intimate, and evocative.”
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
“A fantastical retelling of Snow White by one of my favorite authors. When Healer Anja is recruited to solve the mysterious illness plaguing Princess Snow, she’s sucked into a world full of more treason, poison, and magical intrigue than she could have ever imagined. I love the worldbuilding, and the story is such a fun take on a classic, I’m a huge fan!”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
“The Invisible Library dances right on top of the dividing line between fantasy and sci-fi. There are dragons and fae, but also laser guns and time travel. Our main character is an interdimensional librarian stealing rare books to strengthen their various timelines (and also, on occasion, battle evil). It’s a fun roller coaster of a book that launches into a fun roller coaster of a series.”
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
“One of my favorite sci-fi anthologies! New Suns is a collection of amazing writing by so many skilled writers of color. The stories span all kinds of themes and moods, but all of them are great reads!”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
“A robot from the wilds of the world enters the life of a wandering tea monk, here to ask humanity a single question: What do people need? This book is a gentle, heartfelt love song to what humanity is and could be. Chambers’ writing is achingly lovely as Dex aids Mosscap in its existential quest. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
“The set up and payoff of so many little things are just done so well in this book. Everything feels very cozy despite there being real stakes for each of the characters, and everyone is very loveable and has their own part to play in the adventure.”
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher (2026)
“Do you like macabre tales of dark woodlands, old mansions, reclusive scientists, and parasitic insects? T. Kingfisher once again delivers everything I didn’t know I needed!”
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
SciFi and Fantasy Books for Young Adults
SciFi and Fantasy Book Lists for Young Adults Compiled by Bellingham Public Library Librarians
Library Staff Recommend
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
“This series is still one of my absolute favorites! Sardonic djinni Bartimaeus is summoned into the service of a scrawny, snooty, too-smart-for-his-own-good magician’s apprentice. And worse, the kid wants him to steal one of the most powerful artifacts from London’s most skilled government magician. What could possibly go wrong? (Everything.)”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Glitch. Vol. 01 by Shin’ya Shima
“A touch of Ghibli, a touch of X-Files, and a touch of Saga in this gently atmospheric supernatural investigation series.” Recommended for ages 13 and up.
– Arbor, Public Services Clerk
Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue
“One moment, Margo is alone on the train to boarding school; the next, there’s a salesman in her seat as she’s swept along with him into a strange, politically charged multiverse where status and power belong to those who literally have more hours in their days. I loved the characters, and the world(s) the story inhabits are so alive and well-planned out! I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out, as this ends on quite a cliffhanger!”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Song of the Lioness. Book 01, Alanna : A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Vita Ayala and Sam Beck (2025)
“Loved this adaption of one of my all-time favorite stories! Can’t wait for more.” Recommended for ages 12 and up.
– Arbor, Public Services Clerk
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
“Okay, so in all honesty this book in particular is very mid, BUT it is the first book in a series and you need it to read book two which starts out with a plot-rendering bang in the first few chapters and absolutely catapults into an epic fantasy full of intrigue, gods, war, and prophecies of impending doom. The third book in this series is one of my all-time favorites. If you like a loveable rogue who’s going to pull off the impossible, wink at fate while doing it, and maybe later become the living avatar of a trickster god–this is the series for you.”
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
“This is a book I would recommend to just about anyone. It’s a wild fantasy adventure. It’s a fun coming of age story. It has a lot to say about community, growing up, thinking critically, and what makes something magic. It’s poignant and reflective, and very, very funny. It’s also an excellent entry point into the Discworld series.”
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
SciFi and Fantasy Books for Kids
Fantasy Adventures Book List for Kids
Library Staff Recommend
Animorphs! by K.A. Applegate (we don’t have many physical copies, but we have them ALL as ebooks)
“This was my gateway series into science fiction as a kid, and they are still fun to read. A group of kids are given the ability to shape-shift into animals, and immediately have to use this new power to battle evil aliens that are attempting to take over the earth! The stakes are high, the characters are easy to cheer for, and we get to explore turning into a new animal in basically every book.” Recommended for ages 9 and up.
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Kay Mejia (2025)
“Evan’s annual trip to a lakeside cabin community is disrupted when a mysterious creature begins to terrorize the nearby area. Evan and her friends decide to solve the mystery in order to save their summer vacation, but Evan is keeping a secret – the wild escapades of the creature seem to be connected to her own repressed hunger.” Recommended for ages 10 and up.
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
The Boy at the End of the World by Greg Van Eekhout
“What a fast-paced, action-packed story! A boy, a robot, and a pygmy mammoth on a far-reaching adventure over a post-human wreck of Earth. Evolutionary adaptations abound in plants, animals, and the remaining machines. And ‘the prairie dog is mighty.’ ” Recommended for ages 11 and up.
– Brigid, Library Assistant
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
“Christopher, a boy from our world, and Mal, a girl who can fly, embark on a quest to save the last magical creatures, hidden away in a strange world long ago. I ADORED this book, it’s so lovely and fantastical. Christopher and Mal have such a sweet bond, and the world is so vivid and full of all kinds of wonderful magical creatures! Definitely a stand-out series that will surely become a classic.” Recommended for ages 8 and up.
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic by Sangu Mandanna
“I love stories that look at mundane things and see the magic in them, and that is the central theme of this story. It’s a straightforward magical school plot except that our main character’s magic isn’t flashy or spectacular, it’s the simple art of making things grow. Even though that is something anyone could do, that doesn’t make it any less magical.” Recommended for gages 8 and up.
– Lorena, Public Services Clerk
The Lost Path by Amelie Flechais (2017)
“A group of kids discover that the woods contain far strangers things than they expected. A great choice for those who love Over the Garden Wall!” Recommended for ages 8 & up.
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
“In a post-apocalyptic Britain, professional thief Scarlett McCain rescues the awkward Albert Browne from danger in the aftermath of a mysterious accident. But Scarlett may have more to worry about than Browne’s clueless attitude, because Browne, and the people after him, may be far more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Such a fun romp, and the sequels are just as good!” Recommended for older kids and teens.
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Protector of the Small. Vol. 01, First Test by Tamora Pierce (2024)
“A graphic novel adaptation of Pierce’s series about a young girl training to be a knight in a fantastical kingdom. I adore Kel’s bravery, determination, and commitment to speaking out against injustice.” Recommended for ages 8 and up.
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
Science Fiction and Fantasy Films
SciFi and Fantasy Films Available on DVD or Kanopy
To find available films, use your library card number to visit Kanopy and browse “Science Fiction and Fantasy” or ask the staff at our Help Desk to help you find DVDs to check out from our collection.
Library Staff Recommend
The Vourdalak (2023) – streaming on Kanopy
“Two words: vampire puppetry!”
– Lark, Public Services Clerk
