The Best of Fiction: Our Editor's Top Picks
Sophia Schoepfer - Folio Fiction Editor
Are you ready to immerse yourself in worlds filled with intrigue and adventure? We thought so! That's why we've invited our new Fiction Editor, Sophia Schoepfer to share her top picks from the Folio fiction collection.
"Books have an incredible power to bestow gifts upon their readers, like wonder, empathy and escape. The books in this selection promise a whole smorgasbord of gifts, and I hope you will find as much joy in discovering – or rediscovering – them as I have."
So dive right in and uncover the stories that have captivated imaginations worldwide.
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
By taking the bones of one of the most well-known myths in history and redressing them with a tale that even the great Gods can empathise with, Madeline Miller has created a modern masterpiece. Arguably the title that has paved the way for a whole new era of myth retelling, The Song of Achilles is a canonical queer love story that paves its way into readers’ hearts, staying with you well beyond its final pages. Our edition captures Achilles and Patroclus’ love with such tenderness, with expert Emily Wilson’s introduction exploring the lasting effect the Iliad has had on all generations it has touched.
Illustrated by Julie Dillon
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
The American frontier stretches out in front of you. You shade your eyes against the relentless sun and follow the journeys of ‘the kid’ as he traverses across the plains with the blood-curdling Glanton gang… Quite unlike anything ever written, Blood Meridian is a novel that catches your throat, both in fear and in terrible, terrible beauty. McCarthy is a writer beyond his time, filling a gap created by the passing of Melville. This truly is his masterpiece and to accompany that we have Gérard DuBois’s chilling illustrations that complement McCarthy’s writing in a way no one else can. A personal favourite is the moment the judge brings a stone down on the kid’s horse's head. It should not be a captivating moment, but it is.
Illustrated by Gérard DuBois
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The streets of Barcelona are a character in their own right in Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind. I first picked up this book as a curious sixteen-year-old and was hooked. It has everything you need from a story – mystery, love (not only romantic love, but one for books that runs through generations), adolescence. It is such an impeccable example of a bildungsroman and manages to capture a period in history so vividly that you feel as if you are with Daniel on the page. Get lost in the vast labyrinths of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, learn what it means to be obsessed by a story, by a lover, by a mystery; become all-consumed with Daniel’s quest. This is a tale to be read when you want time to stand still, and Jorge’s illustrations bring the world of post-civil war Spain to life in a way that perfectly captures the moments of light amongst the dark.
Illustrated by Jorge González
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell is an enigma. We know so much about him, yet so little about his motives; that is until we delve into Hilary Mantel’s masterpiece. She dissects the man behind one of history’s most obsessed-about figures in a way that feels brand new, her narrative style purposely unreliable – we as readers are never quite sure who is telling the truth. I am enveloped in a world filled with characters that are familiar from history but that feel so alive I might meet them walking the streets. Igor and Marina’s pencil drawings make us feel as if we are the only people privy to intimate narrative moments, not the formal moments of a Holbein masterpiece, but just as important, nonetheless.
Illustrated by Igor & Marina
The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead
This is the rarest of beasts – a classic from the time it was published. A reckoning of America’s past, The Underground Railroad combines fantasy with historical fact to teach us about an extremely dark time in its history. Whitehead’s writing is electric and confronting, and although the reader is experiencing the protagonist’s horrors, they are unable to put the book down. By combining the real with the surreal, the storyline feels timeless and even more relevant today than ever. Jamaal Barber’s combination of print media and collage brings Cora’s world and experiences to life like no other, whilst renowned author Emma Dabiri’s introduction contextualises Whitehead’s masterpiece in a way that is accessible and educational. This is an absolute firecracker, a must-read and one that will be etched on your heart forever.
Illustrated by Jamaal Barber
The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro is one of those authors that can do it all – his books are ones that pack my shelves, filled with underlined passages and range from post-war introspective tales to speculative dystopias. So it is of no surprise that he also has a stellar fantasy novel amongst his offerings. The Buried Giant immerses you in everything you love about Arthurian England – dragons, wars, kings, even Sir Gawain makes an appearance. But beyond its fantastical façade, it deals with even deeper reckonings: the complexities of trauma and memory and the endurance of a parent’s love. Daniel Kehlmann explores this and more in his cracking introduction, whilst Jana Heidersdorf’s dark and ethereal illustrations insert you into the ancient world of Axl and Beatrice as they search for some form of salvation.
Illustrated by Jana Heidersdorf
Best Selling Adventures in Fiction
-
A glamorous family, unbearable suspense and murder. The Folio edition of this classic mystery from the queen of detective fiction, Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence is illustrated by Laura Hope.
-
Cormac McCarthy’s sparse and beautiful writing is perfectly mirrored by Gérard DuBois’s hauntingly understated images for this Folio Society edition of the Western thriller No Country for Old Men.
-
An exceptional Folio edition celebrating more than 700 years of Dante’s monumental work, The Divine Comedy is illustrated by Neil Packer and includes an exclusive essay by Jhumpa Lahiri.
-
Italo Calvino’s beguiling and mysterious Invisible Cities defies explanation. Dave McKean’s rich visuals illustrate the wondrous and impossible urban landscapes in a Folio edition that is introduced by Jeanette Winterson.
-
The Folio Society presents a bewitching limited edition of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Illustrated by Angie Hoffmeister and with a brilliant new afterword by Donna Tartt, this edition is limited to just 500 copies and has been signed by both contributors.
-
Dare you walk the path that leads to the Pet Sematary? Stephen King’s most terrifying book is celebrated in this spectacular 40th anniversary edition. Illustrated by award-winning series artist Edward Kinsella.
-
A powerful story of nature and nurture, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is beautifully illustrated by Abigail Rorer and introduced by David Vann for this exceptional Folio Society edition.
-
Multi-layered, violent and beautiful, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is a modern classic justly celebrated in this Folio Society edition, illustrated by award-winning artist Gérard DuBois.
