These are some of the new Australian fiction releases that have us excited for 2021.

The conclusion to Ali Smith’s ambitious Seasonal Quartet is both beautiful and bittersweet.

Severance is a riveting zombie apocalypse novel with brains and the perfect way to round out 2020.

Across twelve succinct, visceral stories, Roupenian takes us deep under the skin of what it means to be female in a male-dominated world.

A unique and atmospheric debut novel where nothing is as it seems…

These twelve short stories delve into the imagined lives of women in the shadows of bad men throughout history.

Warm and moving, Cheng’s first novel explores loneliness and connection through an unlikely friendship.

These sinewy and unsettling short stories explore the darker side of the human psyche.

Relationships, distance, disappointment and acceptance are key themes in this funny and heartfelt novel.

A surreal and experimental debut that mixes teenage angst with modern noir.

With characteristic lightness and clarity, Smith’s six personal essays explore life under lockdown.

Set over one night, this witty and effervescent debut novel explores the challenges of connection for a young neurodiverse woman.

This insightful and challenging novella explores power, sex, intimacy and friendship in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

This Pulitzer-winning ‘novel in stories’ illuminates the inner lives of a small community in Maine, whose joys and sorrows are linked by the infamous Olive Kitteridge.

A gripping psychological thriller explores trauma, manipulation and control in remote New Zealand.

A brutal and poetic story of a young girl from a broken family and her search for belonging.

Domestic bliss? With emotional intensity and wry humour, this slim novella charts the highs and lows of a marriage.

These satirical and imaginative short stories explore our evolving relationship with technology and modern life.

A fable-like novel reveals the beauty and terror of the natural world - however, its human characters may be lacking.

Highlights from our Gemini season reading list.