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Having grown up with a reading list consisting mainly of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, I feel that humorous writers don’t get enough credit. It takes skill to make people laugh just with the words you put on paper.
Plus, comedies are a great way to explore meaningful and thought-provoking topics. Humor can make people who wouldn’t otherwise let their guard down think about issues in a new light. Funny SFF novels can not only entertain readers, but also be life-changing. The Discworld series, from Vimes’ boot theory of economics to its sage advice on living in a chaotic and strange world, is ample proof of that.
Whether you’re in the mood for something escapist or something witty and profound, you’ll enjoy these 12 witty sci-fi and fantasy novels. I’ve selected a mix of established authors like Connie Willis and rising stars like Kaliane Bradley to give you a wide range of choices for your next read.
After you’ve gone through the recommendations and added them to your TBR list, read on to read Book Riot author Elisa Shoenberger’s essay “Don’t Panic: Paying Tribute to Douglas Adams,” in which she visits the legendary writer’s grave in London’s Highgate Cemetery and reflects on how visitors honored his legacy and her own connection to Adams’ work.
And now to the books!
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The unnamed narrator of this witty novel is a British-Cambodian woman who works for a secret organization that studies the effects of time travel and abducts people from different eras who otherwise would not have survived. Her job is to help these “emigrants” adjust to life in the present.
But when she meets 19th-century explorer Graham Gore, their shared bond over feelings of being out of place in the world turns all her expectations upside down.
The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez
If you’re in the mood for a book that’s as hilarious as it is moving, this one is for you. It follows recently deceased rock star Mal, who is determined to contact her estranged sister Cris before moving on to what comes next.
However, things get complicated when sparks fly between her and the medium who is trying to help her with her unfinished business. Why is her love life finally taking off after her death?
not to mention Connie Willis’ dog
Inspired by Jerome K. Jeromes Three men in a boatthis novel captures his delightfully absurd humor, but with a speculative twist. Visiting Victorian England for a brief mission and a bit of relaxation, time-traveling Oxford student Ned Henry’s journey turns incredibly chaotic when he loses his only contact and discovers that one wrong move could trigger a butterfly effect for World War II.
Someone to Build a Nest in by John Wiswell
With its sharp wit and thought-provoking social commentary, this horror comedy is an excellent read for Terry Pratchett fans. After being rescued from monster hunters by a kind-hearted woman named Homily, shapeshifter Shesheshen feels something for humans she’s never felt before… Love? Maybe. But they both have more pressing concerns, namely the curse that’s killing Homily’s family and is linked to Shesheshen’s traumatic past.
Prophet by Sin Blaché and Helen MacDonald
The dark humor of this sci-fi thriller is highlighted by the exchanges between special agents Adam Rubenstein and Sunil Rao. Estranged after a mission gone wrong, Rao and Rubenstein reunite to track down the origin of a drug that sends its victims into a nostalgic delirium. What they discover throws their understanding of reality itself into chaos.
Horrible by Caitlin Rozakis
After waking up with amnesia, Gav is shocked to discover that the Dread Lord that all the goblin henchmen around him keep talking about is none other than… him. But Gav doesn’t feel like a bad person, even though the princess is apparently locked up in his dungeon.
How can he take part in the evil deeds that people expect of him when he does not even know who he is? wants to be?
Stolen from MT Anderson
Brother Nicephorus is a monk at a monastery in 11th century England, but when he has a vision of a saint, he vows to steal a holy relic with supposed healing powers in order to save his city from smallpox. His traveling companion, a treasure hunter named Tyun, is only too happy to accept the riches promised to him for the journey.
But a journey that begins with a vision inevitably takes a mystical turn that transforms Brother Nikephorus and Tyun into completely different people than when they left home.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Although he was created for one purpose – to kill anyone and everything that attacks his research team – the intelligent android Murderbot would rather be left alone so he can watch TV. But despite his disdain for humans, he ultimately protects those entrusted to him when their mission goes awry.
How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe by Charles Yu
Charles Yu (the Minor Universe 31 version of him, anyway) is a time travel technician. When a client’s travels across the multiverse go awry, he’s called in to set things right. With his own universe and self-esteem increasingly in trouble, Charles throws himself into his desire to reunite with his lost father, an inventor.
Key Lime Sky by Al Hess
Denver Bryant, an autistic and nonbinary person living in rural Wyoming, often feels out of place. He channels his passion for cakes into a blog but, aside from one viral post, doesn’t have an enthusiastic (or profitable) following.
That changes when his blog skyrockets in popularity after an accidental UFO sighting. Now he must team up with bartender and misfit Ezra to save a town from an alien invasion that doesn’t believe anything strange is happening.
“The Dead Take the A Train” by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
This darkly humorous novel that mixes fantasy and cosmic horror stars Julie, a New York City monster hunter who, in her early 30s, is already feeling her age. People in her profession often live short lives and die particularly gruesomely, and she fears her fate will be no different when she accidentally forms a soul connection with a sinister god.
On Earth as on TV by Emily Jane
Everyone speculates about what humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial life would look like. But in this novel, their arrival is as sudden and confusing as their disappearance. Knowing that aliens are real but unable to do anything about it, humans respond to the absurdity of the universe in strange and unexpectedly life-affirming ways.
For more captivating SFF recommendations, check out the best adult fantasy audiobooks of all time.
