Stephen King’s 1982 collection Different Seasons (Warner) is the most recent book banned from all public schools in Utah after being removed in four school districts. Utah state law requires a book to be removed state-wide if a sufficient number of districts identify it as “objective sensitive material,” which is defined in state code as “instructional material that constitutes pornographic or indecent material.” The Davis School District website comments that “[t]here is sexual stimulation, arousal, and masturbation in the book.”

The collection includes four novellas: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Hope Springs Eternal”, “Apt Pupil: Summer of Corruption”, “The Body: Fall from Innocence”, and “The Breathing Method: A Winter’s Tale”. Three of the stories were adapted to film as The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and Apt Pupil.

According to the Utah State Board of Education website, this is the latest of 36 book bannings from Utah public schools, including five books in Sarah J. Maas’s Court of Thorns and Roses series and one book in the Throne of Glass series, George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings (Voyager UK; Bantam Spectra US), and Stephen King’s Bag of Bones (Simon & Schuster).

For more information, see coverage by The Salt Lake Tribune and KPCW.

The post Utah Bans Stephen King Collection from Public Schools appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

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Bontrager, Megan: The Sea Hides Its Dead (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316588010, $19.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Horror novel. Grad student Caro joins a sea-cave expedition to find the ancient Cult of the Leviathan, only for the entrance to collapse and trap them inside the site. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK/Run For It UK edition.

 

Carrick, M.A.: The Eye of Leviathan (Orbit US 978-0316584845, $19.99, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in The Sea Beyond series. In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, a human in the otherworldly Sea Beyond and a fae disguised as a human must take down the empire. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Agamemnon Falling (Planetary Books 979-8183814347, $19.99, 162pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/01/2026)

SF novel, second in the House of Atreus series. As Agamemnon returns home after war, Trojan prophetess Cassandra tells him that the “goddess” he sacrificed his daughter to was actually an ancient machine.

 

Grist, Rhiannon: Home Sick (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1837867639, $16.99, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Horror novel. Tamsin, after a traumatic incident, moves to a cottage with only a thin wall separating her from an unnerving woman.

 

Hachemi, Munir & Sanches, Julia: The Mulai (Coach House Books 978-1552455197, $18.95, 176pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. An archaeologist travels to a remote planet to study the Mulai, descendants of a lost space mission with unrecognizable customs who live in domes. Translated from the Spanish by Julia Sanches. Simultaneous with the UK Fitzcarraldo edition.

 

Hunter, Faith: Unpredictable Magic (Ace 979-8217187621, $20.00, 560pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Urban fantasy novel. Siblings (and private investigators) Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood are drawn into a disappearance case that seems to involve Angie’s aunt and vampire ex-husband.

 

Kwok, Jean: Dominion (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217044368, $32.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, the first in the Silk and Iron trilogy. In a world of four rival factions and tyger-bonded riders, Rubi enters a deadly competition and encounters a frustratingly handsome leader.

 

Lambert, Jennifer K.: Among the Thorns (Macmillan/Tor Bramble UK 978-1250360373, $32.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Never the Roses series. Dream sorceress Rose is acclaimed and sought after by the prince, while isolated dream sorceress Thorn wants everything she has. This author also writes as Jeffe Kennedy; copyrighted by Jennifer M. Kennedy.

 

Marie, I.V.: Ruinous Ends (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593898840, $21.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult dark academia fantasy novel, second in the series The Souls of Blackwood Academy series. After the Decennial competition, six former pupils discover new secrets about Blackwood.

 

Marillier, Juliet: The Amber Owl (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1763662513, $29.35, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy novel in the Heartwood series. Stasya lives by the Heartwood Forest, where she uses her gift with animals, but is relocated to court when she protests soldiers trying to hack through the woods.

 

Niven, Larry & Barnes, Steven: Ice Vegas (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228329577, $29.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF thriller novel. Carver, a security operative, and Spider, world’s deadliest assassin, team up to stop saboteurs from damaging BALDR, a nuclear facility that powers half of Europe.

 

Oh, Temi: Not With a Bang (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668203460, $18.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. The Minton family, from prepper father Marcus to Briar, drawn into a UFO cult, are confronted with an extinction-level event. Copyrighted by Temitoyen Ochuboju Douglas-Scott. First US edition (Simon & Schuster UK 5/26).

 

Olsson, Lindsey: To Drown a Witch (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217004799, $20.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, first in a duology. When the deadly entity “the Witch” shows signs of being reborn, thief Nes, who can detect magic, is drawn into the hunt by Toran of the King’s Guard.

 

Parker, Natalie C.: The Assassin’s Guide to Dating (Candlewick Press 978-1536243291, $12.99, 256pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult superhero romance, sequel to The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting. At an academy for those with powers, Lila finds her “bombshell” powers are subject to increasing surveillance, hindering her growing relationship with Tru.

 

Rivers, Erynne: Wench (HarperCollins UK/Avon UK 978-0008798246, £16.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Maid Marian, unhappily betrothed to the Sheriff of Nottingham, is kidnapped in the forest by the notorious fae Merry Men and Robin Hood. A first novel.

 

Rowland, Alexandra: Yield Under Great Persuasion (Macmillan/Tor Bramble UK 978-1035087556, £22.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Tam sets out on a quest to find himself, finally fed up with his lover Lord Lyford, who smashed his prize-fair vegetables when they were children and is favored by the goddess Tam feels betrayed by.

 

Shunmugam, Megam: The Mortal Trials (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730156, $19.99, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel. Mistaken for someone else, Lirah enters a deadly competition and encounters a frustratingly handsome trainer.

 

Tierney, Joan: Misery’s Wife (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250421791, $28.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. In this retelling of a Portuguese folktale, trans woman Elixane receives a message from a toad to rescue her sister, who is married to the King of Misery.

 

Wellington, David: Erebus-13 (Orbit US 978-0316569361, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel, third in the Red Space series. Petrova and her crew must unite the solar system’s factions to stop Erebus, a dark entity hurtling towards Earth. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Wiswell, John: The Dragon Has Some Complaints (Astra House/DAW 978-0756420499, $29.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel. A three-headed (formerly four-headed) dragon with bickering heads tries to sneak into a dragon-riding academy for food, and bonds with rider Rania, who’s desperate for a dragon of her own.

 

Woodroe, Alex: Brave New Weird: The Best New Weird Horror, Volume Four (Tenebrous Press 978-1959790655, $19.99, 230pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

Year’s best anthology of 23 weird stories from 2025, selected as winners of the Brave New Weird Award. Authors include Corrie Haldane, Alistair Rey, Ashley Stokes, and Audrey Zhou. Edited by Woodroe with Matt Blairstone.

 

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The post New Book Releases: Jul 14, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Of half a dozen debuts this week, the highest ranking is Melissa K. Roehrich’s Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Kensington), Book 2 of The Legacy, ranking on two lists at #12 and #20. Other debuts are by Rachelle Raeta, Paul Tremblay, Emily Varga, Shalini Abeysekara, and Rebecca Thorne.

Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.19	LAT 07.12	USAT 07.05	PW 07.13	Amz (07.13)	UK: Amz UK (07.13)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.13)
Items on list -x- number of lists surveyed		10×3	10×2	150	15×3	100	100	100
Hardcovers
Aster, Starside	04.13.26 / 14	xxx..		xx	13 +2			xxx..
Brown, Red Rising (Deluxe Slipcase Edition)	10.27.25 / 37	xxx..		39 +25	xxx..
Buehlman, Between Two Fires	03.16.26 / 13	xxx..			22 +	xxx..		x
Burke, Yesteryear	04.20.26 / 13	1 =	1 +1	3 =	1 =	3 =	4 +1	2 -1
Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping	06.10.24 / 86			xxx..	x	xxx..	xxx..	65 +28
Dinniman, A Parade of Horribles	04.27.26 / 12	15 -3	xxx..	x	11 -3	81 -11		78 +
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario	01.12.26 / 27	7 =	x	15 +12		17 -1		6 +4
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl	05.26.25 / 48	5 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	19 =		61 +
Dinniman, The Butcher’s Masquerade	04.21.25 / 23	xx		52 +13	xxx..	53 +42
Dinniman, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook	02.02.26 / 23	8 =		19 +14		20 -2		19 -7
Dinniman, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	05.26.25 / 21	xx		61 +73	xxx..	60 -7
Dinniman, The Gate of the Feral Gods	03.24.25 / 25	12 +1		32 +22	xxx..	35 -2		7 +84
Dinniman, This Inevitable Ruin	10.06.25 / 18	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	14 -4	75 -17
Haig, The Midnight Train	05.18.26 / 9	x	x	57 +35	16 =	xxx..	x	xxx..
Moronova, Once Upon a Demon’s Heart	07.06.26 / 2			135 -116	x
Parker, The Ballad of Falling Dragons	05.25.26 / 8	xxx..		x	15 -3		xxx..	xxx..
Pham, The Secret World of Briar Rose	06.15.26 / 5	7 -1		xxx..	xxx..
Raeta, These Immortal Truths	07.13.26 / 1			141 ++
Roberts, Powerless	11.20.23 / 101	xxx..		xxx..	12 -3	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Roehrich, Storm of Secrets and Sorrow	07.13.26 / 1			20 ++	12 ++
SenLinYu, Alchemised	10.06.25 / 40	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	23 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Tingle, Camp Damascus	07.31.23 / 5			91 +57	xxx..
Tremblay, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep	07.13.26 / 1			31 ++
Varga, The River She Became	07.13.26 / 1	6 ++		74 ++
Yarros, Onyx Storm	04.01.24 / 116	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	12 -2	xxx..
Yarros, Untitled Empyrean (Not Book Four)	04.20.26 / 11					10 +78	60 +	33 +
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.19	LAT 07.12	USAT 07.05	PW 07.13	Amz (07.13)	UK: Amz UK (07.13)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.13)
Paperbacks [tpb=trade]
Abeysekara, This Blade of Ours [tpb]	07.13.26 / 1			41 ++
Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451	07.20.03 / 496		xxx..	97 +	xxx..	66 +6	xxx..	xxx..
Brown, Red Rising [tpb]	05.02.16 / 37	14 +	xxx	xxx..		83 +		15 +25
Buehlman, Between Two Fires [tpb]	09.09.24 / 20			44 +6
Butler, Parable of the Sower [tpb]	07.06.20 / 46	xxx..	xxx..	118 +		xxx..
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl [tpb]	01.12.26 / 27	4 -1	1 +2	5 -1	3 -1	30 +1		14 -7
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel) [tpb]	06.01.26 / 7			54 -19	19 -6
Haig, The Midnight Library [tpb]	05.22.23 / 86	xxx..	xxx	136 -85	xxx..	x	xxx..	xx
Kraus, Angel Down [tpb]	05.18.26 / 9		5 +2	69 +24	xxx..	xxx..		xxx..
Lalami, The Dream Hotel [tpb]	07.13.26 / 1		10 ++
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses [tpb]	05.16.16 / 274	xxx..	xxx..	56 +2	xxx..	xxx..	67 -5	xx
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set	06.19.23 / 149			xxx..		xxx..	xxx..	71 +3
Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin [tpb]	05.14.18 / 194	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	91 -19	xxx..
Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set: The Complete Collection (UK) [tpb]	03.23.15 / 458						xxx..	72 -5
Thorne, Moss’d in Space [tpb]	07.13.26 / 1			29 ++	12 ++
Weir, Project Hail Mary [tpb]	10.03.22 / 86	2 =	3 +3	8 -2	xxx..	4 =	24 -5	3 +1
Yarros, Fourth Wing [tpb]	09.16.24 / 94	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	15 -2	xxx..
Yarros, Iron Flame [tpb]	06.02.25 / 55	xxx..		xxx..	xxx..		11 -2	xxx..
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.19	LAT 07.12	USAT 07.05	PW 07.13	Amz (07.13)	UK: Amz UK (07.13)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.13)
This cell color indicates rankings on children’s bestsellers lists		This cell color indicates rankings of books based on pre-publication sales				[Italics and brackets, and/or this cell color, indicate stale data — rankings from one or more weeks before — and do not contribute to the cumulative weeks on any list totals]

The table shows the current rank of each book and the change since last week, where:

= same as last week

+/- change since last week

+ back on list

++ new on list

x no longer on list (number of x’s: weeks off list)

All lists rank hardcovers and paperbacks separately, except for the USA Today list, which is a single list combining fiction and nonfiction in all formats. Dates shown are posted dates, except those in parentheses, which are dates compiled. New York Times posts its list one week in advance of print publication.

Note that some sources do not compile paperback bestsellers, and some exclude YA books (like the Harry Potter series) from their hardcover and paperback fiction lists.

The post Weekly Bestsellers, 13 July 2026 appeared first on Locus.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) announced the 2026 inductees to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: Lois McMaster Bujold and Tim Burton were honored as creators. “Metropolis” and the X-Men franchise were also recognized as exceptional creations in genre media. Inductees are added to the SF&F Hall of Fame display in the museum.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame was founded in 1996 and then relocated from the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy at the University of  Kansas to its permanent home at MoPOP (formerly EMP) in 2004.

For more information, including a complete list of Hall of Fame members, see the MoPOP website.

The post 2026 SF&F Hall of Fame Inductees appeared first on Locus.

The Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS) has announced A Kiss for Damocles by J. Kenton Pierce (Raconteur) [amazon / bookshop] as the winner of the Prometheus Award in the Best Novel category, honoring pro-freedom works published in 2025. Other nominees were:

Brave New World, a 1932 title by Aldous Huxley (Chatto & Windus), is the winner of the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for Best Classic Fiction. Other finalists were:

Nominees for Hall of Fame may be in any narrative or dramatic form, including prose fiction, stage plays, film, television, other video, graphic novels, song lyrics, or epic or narrative verse; they must explore themes relevant to libertarianism and must be science fiction, fantasy, or related genres. All members of the Libertarian Futurist Society were eligible to vote.

“The 46th annual Prometheus Awards will be presented online Sunday afternoon Aug. 16, 2026, in a zoom awards ceremony open to the public. This year’s hourlong ceremony, tentatively scheduled for 2-3 p.m. Eastern time and emceed by LFS President William H. Stoddard, will feature a guest speaker: Lifelong science-fiction fan Ilya Somin (George Mason University law professor, Cato Institute scholar and author), who will present the Hall of Fame award.”

For more information, see the official press release.

The post 2026 Prometheus Awards Winners appeared first on Locus.

SF poet and author Suzette Haden Elgin is the winner of the 2026 Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award, intended to bring attention to lesser-known SF and fantasy authors. Her first story publication, “For the Sake of Grace”, was in F&SF in 1969. She wrote several SF series leaning into her background in linguistics and was the founder of the SFPA, now the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association.

The award was announced at Readercon 35, held July 9-12, 2026 in Burlington MA. The jury members are Ann VanderMeer, Steven H Silver, and Rich Horton.

For more information about the award, see the Wikipedia page.

[via File770.com]

The post Elgin Wins Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award appeared first on Locus.

The winners of the 2025 Shirley Jackson Awards for outstanding achievement in horror, psychological suspense, and dark fantasy fiction were announced Saturday, July 11, 2026 at Readercon 35 in Burlington MA, hosted by Readercon guests of honor P. Djèlí Clark and David Gerrold.

The post 2025 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners appeared first on Locus.

Dive into a fresh week and a whole new pile of incredible books to obsess over! In this episode, we’re highlighting the biggest, most anticipated releases in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and YA hitting shelves during the week of July 7th, 2026. Whether you’re searching for mind-bending futures, spellbinding magic, spine-tingling scares, or powerful young adult journeys, this week’s lineup has a little something for every fiction lover.

We’ve curated the ultimate list of standout new arrivals to help you refresh your TBR and track down your next favorite obsession. Make sure to subscribe for your weekly dose of fresh genre releases, curated book recommendations, and everything speculative fiction. Thanks for hanging out with us, and we’ll catch you next time with another stack of amazing books to discover!

The post New Book Releases Video: July 7, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

The European Science Fiction Society (ESFS) announced the Hall of Fame Awards, Achievement Awards, and winners of the Chrysalis Awards for emerging talent.

The Hall of Fame Awards winners are:

Thomas Recktenwald (Germany) was honored as European Grandmaster.

Winners were announced at Metropol Con 2026, held June 2-5, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. For more information, see the ESFS website.

The post 2026 ESFS Awards Winners appeared first on Locus.

Winners of the Heinlein Society’s annual undergraduate scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year were announced on July 7, 2026, Robert A. Heinlein’s 119th birthday.

This year’s winners are Riya Gupta, Nora Kane, Leslie Manga-Abomo, William Mar, and Evan Sturdivant. The scholarship awards $4,000 to each recipient. Winners were selected from 310 applications, including 40 international submissions from 22 different countries.

Gupta receives the Society’s new, unnamed scholarship and will attend “California Institute of Technology as a sophomore, majoring in mechanical engineering.” Kane, a repeat winner from last year, received the Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship, which is “dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.” Sturdivant received the Dr. Jerry Pournelle Memorial Scholarship, and Mar received the Dr. Yoji Kondo Memorial Scholarship. Manga-Abomo is the winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship.

The post 2026 Heinlein Scholarship Recipients appeared first on Locus.

The post 2026 Deutscher Science Fiction Preis Finalists appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

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Brooks, Mike: This Is Where the Future Bleeds (Titan Books UK 978-1835417614, $18.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Diviner Kitt finds destinies for the rich and powerful, but when one destiny sets off a chain of violence and she sets out with a ragtag group to warn the recipient.

 

Bullen, Chiara: The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593982693, $29.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Aspiring scholar Ainsworth sets out to write his thesis about Mount Vengeance, an attraction for bold adventurers, and discovers a kind innkeeper and a mystery. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK edition.

 

Cassidy, Kalie: In the Wake of the Ruined (Little, Brown 978-0316587587, $19.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, second in the Siren Mage series. Imogen has claimed her crown and powers, and faces a war while trying to end her bond with the deity Eusia. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

 

Chien, Florence: The Revenant of Surolifia (Rising Action 978-1998672349, $18.99, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/07/2026)

Political fantasy novel. After the Empire slaughters thousands of Lucas’s people, he infiltrates the imperial forces, while Prince Faye joins violent revolutionaries to reclaim his throne.

 

Cleeton, Chanel: An Infinite Love Story (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593816950, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Science fiction romance novel. During the space race, astronaut Joe loses contact with earth — a mishap written off as an error, while his wife Vivian tries to unravel what really happened.

 

Connolly, Amanda: The Lure of Wolves and Whispers (Simon & Schuster 978-1665989510, $21.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, first in the Martyred Isle series. To save her sibling, Maeve enters a deadly competition and encounters a frustratingly handsome leader.

 

Cross, Charlotte: The Brides (Macmillan/Tor Nightfire UK 978-1335000965, $30.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Horror novel about the brides of Dracula. Mafalda, her lover Lucy, chaperone Eliza, and maid Alice seek out a cure for wasting illness at a castle in Transylvania.

 

Ernshaw, Shea: Habits of the Sea (Simon & Schuster/Atria 978-1668097731, $28.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Magical realist novel. Clay’s wife dies, and a violent storm tears their home property away from Scotland, and now it exists as an island out of time where Clay hasn’t aged.

 

Foxfield, Kathryn: Our Wicked Gifts (Penguin Random House/Random House 979-8217122080, $20.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

YA fantasy novel. Cecily is the overlooked daughter of the Winter family, who made a deal with the devil for riches and magic; she investigates Soren, a boy they banished to the underworld.

 

Goff, Ellen Pauley: The Farewitch of Foxe Holler (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668099179, $19.00, 480pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Contemporary fantasy romance. Honey — a farewitch who can heal ailments with the right baking recipe — deals with a moody warlock who asks her to heal his mysterious illness.

 

Hinkley, Sara: The Red Sacrament (Titan Books UK 978-1835410820, $19.99, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Horror novel. In 1869 Paris, ageless actors led by the vampire Arnault perform at midnight for those with elusive entry slips. A first novel.

 

Holness, Nevin: King of Lost Dreams (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum 978-1665946940, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, sequel to King of Dead Things. After defeating the daughter of Death, Malcolm, Eli, and Sunny grapple with their magic and origins and set out to find a key.

 

Hotston, Stewart: The Next Enemy Shall Be the Last (NewCon Press UK 978-1917735308, £26.99, 278pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, 07/07/2026)

SF novel. A father and son’s narratives intertwine as a paranormal artefact lands on a beach in Devon, bestowing nearby humans with psychic powers, and a similar one may have surfaced in Russia decades later.

 

Kagawa, Julie: Deathless (HarperCollins 978-1335008466, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, second in the Fateless series. Sparrow and her companions must slay the Deathless King, and must journey to the Loom of the goddess of Fate to be granted her powers.

 

Knightley, Brigitte: The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Ace 978-0593819487, $31.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Dearly Beloathed duology. Osric the assassin and Aurienne the healer confront their growing attraction as well as a deadly Pox that may have been unleashed by a mysterious Order. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Lambridis, Scott: St. Ulphia’s Dead (Regal House 978-1646037506, $19.95, 210pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Folkloric horror novel. Disgraced researcher Mirs and his supervisor Jo investigate the island of St. Ulphia, where locals claim they’re being possessed by a cannibalistic Wendigo. A first novel.

 

Lanzen, Meredith: Formula Zero (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593956694, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Science fiction romance novel. Madeline earns competes in the dangerous, male-dominated, zero-gravity racing sport Formula Zero, and is rescued from an accident by her former situationship Julian.

 

Markov, Haralambi: The Language of Knives: Stories (Mythic Delirium Books 978-1956522051, $17.95, 218pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/07/2026)

Collection of 13 horror stories blending Slavic mythology, body horror, sexuality, and queerness. Introduction by Ann VanderMeer.

 

McCarthy, Wil: Thieves’ Sky (Baen 978-1668073322, $28.00, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 07/07/2026)

SF novel, fourth in the Rich Man’s Sky series. When pirates steal an alien technology with dangerous powers, the crew of the CV Defender must find them before it destroys the Solar System.

 

McCaughrain, Kelly: Just Another Dead Boy (Candlewick Press 978-1536251739, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. In a world where everyone knows when they’ll die, Regan works as a “Juliet” at a luxury resort, offering sensational end-of-life romances to rich guys until her relationship with client Jude becomes something more.

 

Miles, Jo: The Final Chronicle of Yeneh (Horned Lark 978-1998390182, $24.99, 136pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 07/07/2026)

Science fantasy novella. Lady Ada Quintrall wants to terraform her family’s new planet and restore their fortune — but xenobiologist Dr. Zamora and some troubling revelations about the native wildlife give her second thoughts.

 

Olthoff, Melissa: Tempered By Fire (Baen 978-1668073339, $17.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/07/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Griffin Corps series. After bonding with her griffin and graduating the Training Academy, Harper is sent out from Tennessan to find out what’s happening to rival Savinia’s griffins.

 

Rowan, Leah: Marion (Titan Books UK 978-1835418949, £9.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Horror novel, a feminist retelling of Psycho. When Norman attempts to murder Marion in his motel, she turns the knife on him and goes on the run. First UK edition (Nightfire 6/26).

 

Roy, Lucinda: The Bird Tribe (Tor 978-1250816887, $32.99, 512pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 07/07/2026)

Futuristic fantasy novel, third in the Dreambird Chronicles trilogy. Ji-ji sets out on a transatlantic quest to discover the truth about the Flying Africans, their origins, and whether they’re a myth or genetic experiment.

 

Sampson, Freya: Most Ardently Yours (Sourcebooks Landmark 978-1464277894, $32.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Contemporary fantasy romance. A struggling romance writer swears off men, then accidentally summons Mr. Darcy from an abandoned copy of Pride and Prejudice she finds in a London bookshop.

 

Sims, Jonathan: The Burn Line (Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1399620703, £25.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/09/2026)

Horror novel. During the hottest summer on record, passengers on the London Underground witness a terrible event that messes with their memories, and bond together to confront the force responsible.

 

Song, Yu-jeong: The Memory Bookshop (HarperCollins/Morrow 978-0063475120, $17.99, 192pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Fantasy novel. Jiwon, mourning her mother, and stumbling into a bookstore, is offered an hourglass that can let her relive the past — in exchange for giving up time in her future. Translated from the Korean by Shanna Tan.

 

Suh, Yejin: The Last Soldier of Nava (HarperCollins UK/Magpie 978-0008683474, $18.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Fantasy novel. Shadow, having escaped her power-hungry father, is pulled back into court life as magical dead zones consume the world and her father’s new protege seeks revenge. A first novel.

 

Tingle, Chuck: Fabulous Bodies (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250398567, $27.99, 240pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/07/2026)

Horror novel. Poppy, influencer by day and grave-robber by night, steals the body of her idol, flamboyant pianist Eddie Michaels, only for him to wake up. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

 

The post New Book Releases: Jul 7, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

The five-title shortlist for the 2026 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic was announced July 6, 2026:

The winner, who receives a medallion with the Sunburst logo and a cash prize of CAD $3,000, will be announced in the fall. The jurors for the 2026 Award are A.G. Pasquella, Daniel Perry, and A.C. Wise.

For more information, see the Sunburst Award Society website.

The post 2026 Sunburst Award Shortlist appeared first on Locus.

Author and historian JAMES RAY COMER, who wrote as J. Comer, 59, died in late April or early May 2026.

Comer was born August 5, 1966. He wrote sev­eral pieces of short fiction, including “Soldier’s Coat” (2015), “Scratch” (2016), “The Wooing of Etroklos” (2016), “Star Thistle” (2018), “Beam That Is In” (2019), “Tilting the Wick” (2020), “Sky Machine” (2021), “Sometime Called Parchment” (2021), “Quicksilver” (2023), and “The Weather Maker” (2024). His stories were published in magazines including Cirsova Magazine and Daily Science Fiction, and anthologies includ­ing Secret Stairs (2018), Lost Trails (2015) and Lost Trails 2: Forgotten Tales of the Weird West (2016), and anthologies for Queer Sci Fi’s annual flash fiction contest. He also wrote a number of articles for Cir­sova and Queer Sci Fi and sourcebooks for tabletop role-playing game Were­wolf: The Apocalypse.

#noinsta

The post James Ray Comer (1966–2026) appeared first on Locus.

Three debuts, Danielle J. Jensen’s The Inadequate Heir (Del Rey), K.M. Moronova’s Once Upon a Demon’s Heart (Bloom), and Jaymin Eve’s Night Witch (Mira), each debuts on both the USA Today and Publishers Weekly lists.

Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.12	LAT 07.05	USAT 06.28	PW 07.06	Amz (07.06)	UK: Amz UK (07.06)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.06)
Items on list -x- number of lists surveyed		10×3	10×2	150	15×3	100	100	100
Hardcovers
Aster, Starside	04.13.26 / 13	xxx..		x	15 -2			xxx..
Brown, Red Rising (Deluxe Slipcase Edition)	10.27.25 / 36	xxx..		64 -21	xxx..
Buehlman, Between Two Fires	03.16.26 / 12	xxx..			xxx..	xxx..		85 ++
Burke, Yesteryear	04.20.26 / 12	1 =	2 =	3 -1	1 =	3 =	5 -2	1 +4
Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping	06.10.24 / 85			xxx..	22 +1	xxx..	xxx..	93 +
Dinniman, A Parade of Horribles	04.27.26 / 11	12 -5	xxx..	128 +	8 =	70 +		xx
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario	01.12.26 / 26	7 -2	8 ++	27 -2		16 +19		10 +15
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl	05.26.25 / 47	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	19 +43		xx
Dinniman, The Butcher’s Masquerade	04.21.25 / 22	x		65 -21	xxx..	95 +
Dinniman, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook	02.02.26 / 22	8 +2		33 =		18 +33		12 +
Dinniman, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	05.26.25 / 20	x		134 -74	xxx..	53 +40
Dinniman, The Gate of the Feral Gods	03.24.25 / 24	13 -2		54 -12	xxx..	33 +47		91 ++
Dinniman, This Inevitable Ruin	10.06.25 / 17	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	10 =	58 +40
Gillig, The Knight and the Moth	06.02.25 / 17	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..		82 ++
Haig, The Midnight Train	05.18.26 / 8	15 +	7 +	92 -38	16 -2	xxx..	92 -3	xxx..
Jensen, The Inadequate Heir	07.06.26 / 1			22 ++	20 ++
Moronova, Once Upon a Demon’s Heart	07.06.26 / 1			19 ++	13 ++
Parker, The Ballad of Falling Dragons	05.25.26 / 7	xxx		82 -32	12 =		xxx..	xxx
Pham, The Secret World of Briar Rose	06.15.26 / 4	6 =		xxx	xxx
Roberts, Powerless	11.20.23 / 100	xxx..		xxx..	9 =	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Spann, A Stage Set for Villains	02.16.26 / 13	10 -3			xxx..
Tingle, Camp Damascus	07.31.23 / 4			148 +	xxx..
Yarros, Fourth Wing	05.15.23 / 118	xxx..	xxx..	131 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Yarros, Onyx Storm	04.01.24 / 115	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	10 +1	xxx..
Yarros, Untitled Empyrean (Not Book Four)	04.20.26 / 10					88 -9	x	xxx..
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.12	LAT 07.05	USAT 06.28	PW 07.06	Amz (07.06)	UK: Amz UK (07.06)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.06)
Paperbacks [tpb=trade]
Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451	07.20.03 / 495		xxx..	x	xxx..	72 +	xxx..	xxx..
Brown, Red Rising [tpb]	05.02.16 / 36	xxx..	xx	xxx..		xxx..		40 +
Buehlman, Between Two Fires [tpb]	09.09.24 / 19			50 +7
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl [tpb]	01.12.26 / 26	3 +2	3 =	4 =	2 +1	31 -7		7 =
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel) [tpb]	06.01.26 / 6			35 +21	13 +2
Durst, The Faraway Inn [tpb]	04.13.26 / 12			xxx..	21 -4			xxx..
Eve, Night Witch [tpb]	07.06.26 / 1			24 ++	7 ++
Gillig, The Knight and the Moth [tpb]	06.01.26 / 6	xxx..	xxx..	110 -39	x		xxx..
Haig, The Midnight Library [tpb]	05.22.23 / 85	xxx..	xx	51 +	xxx..	96 -59	xxx..	x
Kraus, Angel Down [tpb]	05.18.26 / 8		7 -5	93 -30	xxx..	xxx..		xxx..
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses [tpb]	05.16.16 / 273	xxx..	xxx..	58 +17	xxx..	xxx..	62 -29	x
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set	06.19.23 / 148			xxx..		xxx..	xxx..	74 +22
Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin [tpb]	05.14.18 / 193	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	72 -2	xxx..
Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set: The Complete Collection (UK) [tpb]	03.23.15 / 457						xxx..	67 -21
Weir, Project Hail Mary [tpb]	10.03.22 / 85	2 =	6 -2	6 -3	xxx	4 +5	19 +20	4 =
Yarros, Fourth Wing [tpb]	09.16.24 / 93	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	13 =	xxx..
Yarros, Iron Flame [tpb]	06.02.25 / 54	xxx..		xxx..	xxx..		9 +5	xxx..
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 07.12	LAT 07.05	USAT 06.28	PW 07.06	Amz (07.06)	UK: Amz UK (07.06)	Canada: Amz.ca (07.06)
This cell color indicates rankings on children’s bestsellers lists		This cell color indicates rankings of books based on pre-publication sales				[Italics and brackets, and/or this cell color, indicate stale data — rankings from one or more weeks before — and do not contribute to the cumulative weeks on any list totals]

The table shows the current rank of each book and the change since last week, where:

= same as last week

+/- change since last week

+ back on list

++ new on list

x no longer on list (number of x’s: weeks off list)

All lists rank hardcovers and paperbacks separately, except for the USA Today list, which is a single list combining fiction and nonfiction in all formats. Dates shown are posted dates, except those in parentheses, which are dates compiled. New York Times posts its list one week in advance of print publication.

Note that some sources do not compile paperback bestsellers, and some exclude YA books (like the Harry Potter series) from their hardcover and paperback fiction lists.

The post Weekly Bestsellers, 6 July 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Author and editor TED WHITE, 88, died May 24, 2026. He was in palliative care.

Theodore Edwin White was born February 4, 1938. He contributed to SF fan­zines at a young age and won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1968. He was assistant editor at F&SF from 1963-1968 and editor for Amazing Stories and Fantastic from 1968-1978. As an author, he wrote Invasion from 2500 (1964) with Terry Carr, Lost in Space (1967) with Dave Van Arnam, Sideslip (1968) with Dave Van Arnam, No Time Like Tomorrow (1969), By Furies Possessed (1970), Trouble on Project Ce­res (1971), and For­bidden World (1978) with David Bischoff. He wrote Android Avenger (1965) and The Spawn of the Death Machine (1968) in the Tanner series. He wrote Phoenix Prime (1966), The Sorceress of Qar (1966), and Star Wolf! (1971) in the Qanar series. He also wrote more than two dozen works of short fiction. He edited The Best from Amazing Stories (1973) and The Best from Fantastic (1973). He briefly edited Heavy Metal, which won a British Fantasy Award in 1980. As a fan, his fanzine Blat!, edited with Dan Steffan, won a FAAn Award in 1994. He later won FAAn Awards for Fan Writer in 1998 and for Lifetime Achievement in 2009.

He is survived by his daughter, Arielle White, who also goes by Kit.

The post Ted White (1938–2026) appeared first on Locus.

A new week means a brand-new stack of books to get excited about! Join us as we spotlight some of the most anticipated Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult releases arriving the week of June 30th, 2026.

Whether you’re eager for epic quests, imaginative futures, chilling tales, or unforgettable coming-of-age stories, this week’s selection offers something for every speculative fiction reader.

We’ve rounded up a collection of standout new titles to help you find your next favorite read and keep your TBR pile growing. Be sure to subscribe for weekly updates on the latest genre releases, book recommendations, and all things speculative fiction. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you again soon with even more incredible books to discover!

The post New Book Releases Video: June 30, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation (NCSFF) has announced the finalists for the 2026 Manly Wade Wellman Award. The award recognizes “outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors.”

The winner will be announced July 17, 2026 during ConGregate 12, to be held at the Airport Marriott in Greensboro NC.

For more information, visit the NCSFF website.

The post 2026 Wellman Award Finalists appeared first on Locus.

Simon & Schuster has announced that Atria Gallery Group will relaunch the Pocket Books imprint as a core romance imprint that will also publish “additional genres including romantic thrillers, dark romance, and horror.” Anh Schluep, who is joining Atria Gallery, will be vice president, editorial director, and deputy publisher of Pocket Books. Schluep said,

I’m excited to be bringing back Pocket Books. The imprint, which published its first list in 1939, revolutionized the industry by making books available to readers in non-traditional outlets. The first contemporary U.S. publisher to democratize reading, it became the home for legendary romance authors including Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, and Judith McNaught. I look forward to publishing the next generation of fan favorites.

The imprint is planned to publish “two to three titles per month starting in January 2027.”

According to Publishers Weekly, Pocket was S&S’s main mass market paperback publisher until the format was phased out in early 2026. Gallery Books EVP and publisher Jennifer Bergstrom stated that Pocket will be rebranded “as a home for forward-thinking writers, including bestselling indie and hybrid authors looking to amplify their reach,” focusing on print deals for self-published authors.

For more, see the official announcement.

The post S&S Relaunches Pocket Books appeared first on Locus.

The Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association (CSFFA) announced three inductees to the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for 2026: author Kelley Armstrong, author James Alan Gardner, and past president of Fanzine Writers of America Mike Glicksohn.

This year’s jury included David Clink (chair), JM Landels, Y.M. Pang, Clifford Samuels, and Edo van Belkom.

For more information, see the CSFFA website.

The post 2026 CSFFA Hall of Fame Inductees appeared first on Locus.