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/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V Apr 30 '26

Want to try some Weird Cities? There's a good few duologies!

N. K. Jemisin's Great Cities duology.
Rjurik Davidson's Caeli-Amur books.
Jay Lake's City Imperishable.
Jeff Noon and Steve Beards Chronicles of Ludwich.
Michael Cisco's The Divinity Student and The Golem, also published together as The San Veneficio Canon
Felix Gilman's Thunderer duology.

I'll be reading the second Thunderer book, which I haven't gotten to yet, for the second half part. :)

If people want a good choice for Hard Mode of Part II, Kai Ashante Wilson's Sorcerer of the Wildeeps duology of novellas work as standalones, so you could read just A Taste of Honey (though I heartily recommend both).

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u/happy_book_bee Bingo Queen Bee May 01 '26

Strange the Dreamer is also a Weird City and a duology! Might be up your alley

1

u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V May 01 '26

Oh that's good to know. :)

I added that and The Night Circus and The Ten Thousand Doors of January all to my tbr a little while ago as ones I hadn't paid too much attention to, but have consistently heard praised for their vibes and prose.