Trying to figure out what to read next can be overwhelming, especially with the number of excellent science fiction and fantasy books that come out every year. But dozens of BookTokers — TikTokers who focus on books, from sharing favorites to critiquing classics — are here to help.

We’ve made a list of some of our favorite BookTokers who either focus on SFF, or have broad taste that includes a lot of speculative books. Fear not; this list expands beyond the much hyped books like Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six or Sarah J. Maas’s numerous fantasy titles. This isn’t an exhaustive list either — the wide world of BookTok is full of creators who do excellent work. Since publishing this list, we’ve updated it with new BookTokers on the scene, and have removed a few BookTokers who have since stopped posting on the platform.

@torithatnerd

Tori reads broadly across science fiction and fantasy — doing everything from hyping up specific books to recommending books based off of the video games you might like. I am extremely envious of the bookshelf that’s the backdrop in most of her videos.

@greekchoir

Bailey is a fantasy and sci-fi lover, and her bio specifically shouts out her love of dark academia stories. Though her recommendations run the gamut, she is also a linguist, and I particularly enjoy her list of best SFF books with great world-building around language. She also has a great list of stand-alone fantasy recs — which feels like a rarity given the number of excellent fantasy series with numerous entries.

@fictionalfates

Joel has been a content creator on other platforms, but finally joined TikTok in 2023. They’re more than a booktoker, as their fantastic book recs work alongside cozy lifestyle content — like bookshelf decoration, cozy desk setups, and skincare routines — while talking about books.

@book_reviews_kill

Evan’s focus is on SFF, though his taste leans fantasy. His TikToks range from thoughtful analysis of individual titles, like V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Elder Race, to best books of the year, all-time favorites, and book hauls. His videos can tend toward the longer side, since they’re analysis-heavy — but they’re very accessible, and a great choice for those just starting to get into SFF or seasoned readers who are looking to dig deeper.

@aresreads

Ares recommends tons of SFF like hefty fantasy series, graphic novels and comics (like Saga and Monstress), as well as manga. Ares also shares resources to help readers diversify the authors featured on their shelves. (And when I see someone who loves Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty, I have to feature them.)

@dreareads

Drea recommends science fiction and fantasy books, shares her thoughts on favorite nerdy movies and TV shows — like House of the Dragon, Star Wars or, more recently, The Marvels — and also makes fun content around things like throwing Pokémon launch parties. She also makes tons of recs lists for books written by queer authors in the SFF space.

@thoughtsontomes_

If you love SFF tropes and are looking to add to that to-read stack, you’ve come to right place. Sam makes lots of specific recommendations based on tropes and themes like female rage, hero to villain, or dark academia — along with sharing queer readings of SFF.

@chaptersofchi

Adannia’s taste is broad and fairly omnivorous, including literary fiction like Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom as well as romance and YA. Of course, she also features tons of science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on an inclusive range of reads — featuring lots of SFF heavy hitters like Octavia E. Butler and Nnedi Okorafor. Adannia’s TikToks also touch on subjects like anti-Blackness in BookTok (and in publishing and criticism more broadly).

@books.with.lee

Lee’s taste is also very broad, but with a focus on international authors — especially with her 2022 “Reading Across Africa” challenge and 2023 “Reading Across Asia” challenge. Throughout the year, she also recommends speculative fiction, among many other genres. She also originated a trend where BookTokers share images of their favorite books in the thumbnail — browsing these is a great way to quickly find other creators to follow.

@melissas.bookshelf

Melissa Blair, who is also the author of A Broken Blade, recommends a broad range of books, including science fiction and fantasy, often highlighting indigenous authors (like Karen McBride, who wrote Crow Winter, a speculative literary fiction work). I’d recommend watching her tour of her local bookstore, where she points out great books from indigenous authors in Canada and the United States.

@limmadi8

Madi Lim recommends books across a variety of genres, but science fiction and fantasy are in regular rotation. She also makes “BookTok News” TikToks dedicated to news — and BookTok tea — from movie adaptation announcements to conventions gone wrong. Some of her recommendations include Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Aiden Thomas’ Cemetery Boys.

@asthebookends

If you’re in the mood for lots of SFF lists to dig through, especially centered on granular themes — like urban fantasy or fallen heroes — or simply books with a certain level of “spice” (BookTok speak for how explicit or hot a book is), Erin Fehres’ account is for you. Peppered with lists and individual recommendations, there’s lots to choose from.

@amivireads

Amivi runs a bookclub called “Sapphic and Proud” with queer favorites across genres, including science fiction and fantasy. They share tons of sapphic must-reads and fantasy recommendations from Black writers, with favorites that include Ayana Gray’s Beasts of Prey and N.E. Davenport’s The Blood Trials.

@bookwormbullet

Ayushi champions a number of books that haven’t taken off on BookTok, but still deserve the love and attention of readers. She also highlights YA fantasies written by women of color, and reps lots of Desi authors — both SFF and outside the genre. (If you’re also a romance reader, Ayushi has got you covered.)

@libraryofclaire

If you were looking for queer recommendations, you’ve come to the right place. Claire champions books from across genres — with a frequent focus on science fiction — but they do an excellent job of highlighting queer SFF as well as sapphic books of all types. (Hello, Gideon the Ninth.) They also have an excellent list of books to read if you like D&D.

@johannawithbooks

If you’re looking to add more Latinx authors to your shelf, you can’t go wrong with Johanna’s recommendations. This book haul alone has a ton of excellent books to dig into (Fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow rise up!!!).