Books by Julia Armfield
“It’s focused on sisters in a near-future Britain ravaged by the climate catastrophe and concerned with the illness and then death of their father. It’s a variant on King Lear, which of course doesn’t end well, and it nods to horror, even folk horror. The family is falling apart, and its secrets are beginning to surface. It’s a far from comforting book.” Read more...
Best Science Fiction Books of 2025
Andrew M. Butler, Film Critics & Scholar
“I’ve had my eye on quite a few literary debuts this season, not least Julia Armfield’s beautifully unnerving Our Wives Under the Sea. Armfield previously published a remarkable short story collection, salt slow, which saw her shortlisted for the title of Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year here in the UK, and this book underlines her reputation for finely crafted tales of the horrifying, the strange and the contemporary gothic.” Read more...
Cal Flyn, Five Books Editor
Interviews where books by Julia Armfield were recommended
Notable Novels of Spring 2022, recommended by Cal Flyn
If you’re nervous of what 2022 has in store for us, you’re not alone. But at least there will be plenty of excellent new books to read. Here, Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a round-up of the notable novels of spring 2022, including exciting new work from Sheila Heti, Ali Smith and Marlon James.
Best Science Fiction Books of 2025, recommended by Andrew M. Butler
The Arthur C Clarke award highlights six outstanding science fiction books every year. The judges look for books that reward re-reading and make them think, says chair of judges Andrew M. Butler. He introduces this year’s shortlist, taking in everything from time travel to heist novels: books that provoke questions, confront crises, and make us laugh.
