Best fiction books of 2024 | From Booker-shortlisted James to debut novel Martyr! and Dalit historical ‘Sanatan’

Discover 10 impactful works of fiction from 2024, exploring themes of identity, equality, history, and societal complexities in literature.

Fiction is a reflection of life. It allows writers the liberty to speak the truth — about themselves, about their countries and the world. 2024 has been no different. Authors have written personal stories, new and old, by means of metaphors or alternative realities, with universal meaning and socio-political undercurrents. Some of them have been nominated for multiple awards; some deserved but did not receive enough spotlight. Some, like Hisham Matar’s My Friends or Swadesh Deepak’s rediscovered plays and short stories, may not be on this list but are worth an investment. Here are 10 (of many) works of fiction, across genres, that have made a dent in the literary world this year:

A retelling in the most modern sense, Everett breathes new life (and meaning) into the 140-year-old Mark Twain classic in this Booker-shortlisted novel. Jim, the subdued slave from the original Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, gets a voice and the courage to stand up for others like him, albeit subtly. Everett proves through Jim’s political awakening that real freedom lies in equality — of resources and the means to use them. Ever the more reason why his story needed to be retold.

(Also: If you like your reading to reflect the current socio-political/economic climate of the world, then this year’s Booker Prize winner, Orbital by Samantha Harvey, makes for as good a read as James does.)

This debut novel, a National Book Awards finalist, is an ode to love that resembles longing. The protagonist, Cyrus Shams, lost and displaced and with a family legacy of trauma, chooses to write about martyrs, in his search for a lost mother and a lost identity. Akbar’s writing reflects his poetic flair, making Martyr! a meditative pursuit of the meaning of life. 

Shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature this year, Limbale’s Sanatan also won him the highest literary award in India, the Saraswati Samman, in 2020. Creating space for the neglected Dalit community of Maharashtra in Indian history, Sanatan exposes the foul play of caste inequalities, with or without its label, at a time when British India faced reform and revolution — be it educational, political or religious; giving readers of modern India something to reflect upon, as labels (and their untoward consequences) make their way back to the political nomenclature.

Like most short story collections, Animals (translated from the original German) is a mixed batch, although these stories reinvent metaphors like no others. Menasse picks unique characteristics of animals such as sharks, bees, caterpillars and so on, and places, if not personifies, them in social context, amplified by human complexities. Her astute observations coupled with her openness and ability to explore emotional depth make this volume an underrated gem for the English reader.

This novel is a contemplation of how much a person can exist outside their bodies and in their minds. The unnamed narrator in Greenwell’s latest novel unexpectedly finds himself in a hospital ward. As he lets literature and memories rescue him, peace eludes him. His mind wanders — his personal crisis is painted in the emerging global health crisis brought on by COVID-19; he wonders not only what it means to be in a hospital but what it means in the current American political climate. Although a recent release, Small Rain deserves more attention by readers.