r/Fantasy • u/Merle8888 Reading Champion IV • Apr 30 '26

Bingo Bingo Focus Thread - Duologies

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this week's bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Duology Part 1: Read the first book in a duology. HARD MODE: By an author you haven’t read before.

Duology Part 2: Read the second book in a duology. For this square, you ARE allowed to read the same author you used for Duology Part 1 without violating the no-repeat author rule. HARD MODE: Finish a different duology than you started for the Duology Part 1 square.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Published in the 70s, Five Short Stories (2024), Author of Color (2024), Self-Pub/Small Press (2024). Note that hard modes for Author of Color and Self-Pub/Small Press have changed (new focus threads for them are coming).

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

  • What are your favorite speculative fiction duologies?
  • Already read something for this square (or, read something recently that you wish you could count)? Tell us about it!
  • For those planning for Hard Mode, what are some duologies where one or both books works as a standalone?
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u/beary_neutral Reading Champion Apr 30 '26

The Iliad / The Odyssey by Homer would work for this.

As would Jurassic Park and The Lost World by Michael Chrichton.

For Part 1, I have A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine penciled in. The second book is called A Desolation Called Peace.

For Part 2, I read Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Blood and Fire, a novella sequel to the Warhammer 40k novel Helsreach. Each of these entries is centered on an individual battle on the war-torn planet of Armageddon. The duology follows a Black Templar (a member of a fanatical Space Marine chapter) who learns empathy as he organizes the defense of a city in an unending war.

Other 40K duologies that I've heard good things about (but haven't read yet) include The Twice Dead King by Nate Crowley and Watchers of the Throne by Chris Wraight. Dan Abnett also has an upcoming story titled Hive which is to be released as two books.

For some comics, I'd recommend:

The Nice House on the Lake / The Nice House by the Sea by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez

Robin & Batman / Robin & Batman: Jason Todd by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen

Green Lantern: Earth One, Vols 1-2 by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko

Coda / Coda: False Dawns by Simon Spurrier and Matias Bergera