Stephanie Delman’s Wish List
In fiction, I look for books that are “many things at once”: i.e., a literary thriller that’s also a social satire, historical fiction threaded with folklore, a dark comedy that serves as a parable for something larger than ourselves. I’m not the best fit for anything too straightforward (for better or for worse!). I’m drawn to ambition and accessibility—immersive, inventive fiction intended for a wide audience. I like authors who are inspired by the strange and the fantastical, but remain grounded in their writing.
In fiction, I’m looking for…
Sharp literary suspense/thrillers that contain multitudes, like MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite, GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore, and MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim
Literary love stories that transcend time and place, like THE SAFEKEEP by Yael van der Wouden, ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan, and BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall
High-concept/speculative novels that dip a toe into magic but remain grounded in our world, often driven by a “what if?”; like THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio (“what if your attic produced an infinite supply of husbands?”), THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kailane Bradley (“what if time travel were real, but regulated by the government?”), THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by VE Schwab (“what if you could live forever, but you’re forgotten by everyone you meet?”)
Spiky, funny, smart romps with insight into personhood/womanhood/motherhood, like THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach, ALL FOURS by Miranda July, and MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES by Rufi Thorpe
Rich, immersive historical fiction driven by exceptional characters and atmosphere, a la GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead, HAMNET by by Maggie O’Farrell, and THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Alexander Chee
Ghost stories, folklore, and literary horror; think Carmen Maria Machado, Angela Carter, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Sarah Waters
I represent a very limited selection of narrative nonfiction: authors who use their own experience as a jumping-off point for further investigation.
Speculative memoir—nonfiction that uses folklore, fairy tales, or other forms of speculative storytelling to examine the author’s own life, like IN THE DREAM HOUSE by Carmen Maria Machado or THE NIGHT PARADE by Jami Nakamura Lin
Memoir plus, i.e. nonfiction threaded with true crime, or food writing, or something else entirely, like THE FACT OF A BODY by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich and WILD GAME by Adrienne Brodeur
In nonfiction, I’m looking for…
Military thrillers/police procedurals/traditional or masculine crime fiction
Nonfiction, with the exception of superb hybrid memoir
High fantasy/hard sci-fi
Children’s books/YA/new adult
Anything dystopian/bleakly post-apocalyptic or featuring a Covid-like virus
Anything centering AI or start-up/tech culture