All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

In a great war over the fate of humanity, what will prevail: science or magic? The question propels this unconventional fantasy love story, which finds two childhood friends driven apart by their differences. Patricia is a witch with magical powers, while Laurence is a tech genius with a time machine. After becoming estranged in their adolescence, the pair is reunited in adulthood, just as the planet seems to be tilting toward self-destruction. They hold opposing views on how to save the world and, of course, fall in love as they fight against each other. The burgeoning romance brims with eccentricities, but the true fun of Charlie Jane Anders’ Nebula Award-winning novel is its blend of the fantasy and science fiction genres. Anders reveals an intersection full of possibilities. “Everybody has seen a million spy-with-gadget movies and read a million gritty urban fantasy novels,” she said in a 2016 interview. “Which means that you can have a bit of fun playing with the reader’s expectations.” —Annabel Gutterman

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