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Ampersand, Erin: Time to Play (Tor 978-1250470171, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF LitRPG novel, the first book in the Apocalypse Parenting series. A mom has to teach their kids how to fight after Earth is transported to an intergalactic game show, and everyone is given supernatural powers.

Andersen, Kurt: The Breakup (Penguin Random House/Random House 978-1984801371, $30.00, 576pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Near-future satirical/dystopian political SF novel. In 2045, a couple with a failing marriage is brought together to tour colleges with their seventeen-year-old. They road trip through a broken America that’s been reshaped by a civil war.

Anonymous: Dreams Divine (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835627952, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance anthology. Features stories from Benjamin Adams, Aishatu Ado, Dee Alberts, Danielle Marie Cahill, Bella Chacha, Victor W. Clubb, Irene W. Collins, K.S. Dearsley, H.L. Docherty, Philip Brian Hall, and many more.

Anonymous: Of Swords & Roses (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835627969, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance anthology. Features stories from Erica Barnes, Keyan Bowes, Kim Chance, Deborah L. Davitt, Sarina Dorie, Umenyi Chisomaga Evelyn, Jonathan Ficke, Jess L. Freed, M.A. Gardner, and many more.

Blackwood, Lauren: The Queen’s Bodyguard (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217092413, $32.00, 307pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Queen Theora selects Argos to be her bodyguard during negotiations, and while they’re technically married, she has no plan to have their souls bound together, but over time she begins to change her mind.

Blake, Olivie: Dreamland (Tor 978-1250368935, $29.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy novel. Anya is invited to work for the de Witt family, one of the most important film dynasties in LA. It’s there where she finds herself oddly attracted to Jude, and discovers a family curse that lives within the walls of their villa. Simultaneous with the Tor UK edition.

Cantor, Jillian: The Season of Light and Darkness (Simon Pulse 979-8347107285, $21.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult dystopian SF novel. Ellie and her family decide to freeze themselves cryogenically in order to escape a dictatorship. When the government finds the lab, Ellie is the only one who gets unfrozen, and she must become “initiated.”

Cavendish, Catherine: The Ghosts of Chanterlands (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1787589919, $26.95, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. In the year 1940, Pamela Courtney is evacuated to Chanterlands, where her aunts live, but secrets are stirring in the house, and greater danger is awaiting Pamela as the safety her mother hoped for is not gaurunteed.

Cesare, Adam: Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Harper 978-0063325081, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult slasher horror novel, fourth in the Clown in a Cornfield series. Sabrina Alvarez is cast as the final girl in a horror movie, but things feel off as this movie based on real events begins to feel like it might repeat itself.

Cornell, P.A.: The Astronaut Among the Flowers and Other Stories (Stars and Sabers 978-1967550005, $30.00, 218pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, 08/18/2026)

Collection of 21 stories that look into human connections to each other, to technology, to the world, and to themselves. Includes stories such as “Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont,” and “Split.”

Fletcher, C.A.: The Two of Us at the End of the World (Orbit US 978-0316538695, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Post-apocalyptic SF novel. As the world is falling apart, a couple is falling in love, and when they realize they’re some of the only people in the world who can still have kids, the government does too. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Gilman, Carolyn Ives: Testament of Leaves (Fairwood Press 978-1958880302, $16.99, 120pp, formats: paperback, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novella. On a faraway planet, inscrutinator Shameesh Kulkarni must find out why a linguist has died, but no one wants to help her besides a digital copy of the victim, and an octopod.

Hallow, S.M.: The Halls of the Dead (Harper Voyager US 978-0063446984, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Gothic fantasy novel. Irene Haley has been practicing necromancy her entire life, and when her love, Agnes, is hanged, she decides to perform a resurrection, something that hasn’t been done successfully in two thousand years. A first novel.

Jae-Jones, S.: Guardians of Dawn: Suhwa (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250191519, $22.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, fourth in the Guardians of Dawn series. When Min Suhwa leaves her convent for the first time in her life, she finds herself having to flee from a Huntsman who’s trying to take her life. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

Lemming, Kimberly: I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593818657, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF romance novel. Blair is captured by aliens, and taken to their planet where she is to be put into a breeding program with the arrogant king Osid. Together, they must complete increasingly difficult, and dangerous challenges

Monét, Noelle: Bound by Fury (Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665979870, $21.99, 496pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Harper goes to Black Mountain Academy to discover more about her new powers, but as she digs deeper, she realizes that the academy has sinister secrets beneath the surface. A first novel.

Moronova, K.M.: Once Written in Gilded Blood (Sourcebooks/Bloom Books 978-1464279041, $29.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Cruel Fates duet. Alira married the Blood Knight in order to end the war, and prove that peace between demons and demigods is possible, but the gods are restless and people keep fighting. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Pacton, Jamie & Podos, Rebecca: Homeward for a Spell (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593873670, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Cozy romantic fantasy novel, second in a series. Sage and Araphi go on a life-changing adventure together with a team of ragtag explorers. As time goes on, Sage and Araphi begin to develop great chemistry together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Pedersen, Kailee: The Minimalist (St. Martin’s 978-1250328274, $18.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Mia Voss must finish the unfinished manuscript of her late teacher, Ryder Wakefield. Mia abandons her girlfriend to work in Ryder’s home, where she begins to unpack with the complicated bond she had with him.

Pratt, Tim: The Jewel and the Comet (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730224, $18.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novel, the second in the Nigh-Space multiverse. Glenn is pulled out of his normal life to navigate through the multiverse, while his girlfriend, Vivy, is called on a scouting trip to stop a comet.

Pulley, Natasha: The Salt King (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639737291, $29.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novel. Former Jesuit priest Avelyn Brocken teams up with Jericho, a doctor, to protect the world from salt light, a dangerous substance that’s been turning people into salt. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

Sandeen, Del: These Walls Remember (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593955666, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Strange things begin happening to sisters Mickie and Delilah after learn ingmore about the history of the house they inherited. Mickie must save her sister before they’re both changed forever by the house.

Schwab, Kathleen: Queenswood (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228465084, $29.99, 346pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Historical fantasy novel set in 12th-century Ireland. Angus, the Crown Prince of Faerie, must travel to the human world in order to find a maiden who can become the next Queen of Faerie, despite how much he doesn’t want to.
A first novel.

Sharabianlou, Lexie: The Blue Moon Café and 24-Hour Occult Emporium (Penguin Random House/Dell 979-8217094684, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Paranormal romance novel. Talula Smith runs the worst coffee shop in town, but that’s the point. The true purpose of the café is to protect and provide new identities for magical beings that are at risk. A first novel.

Singh, Amal: Slow Burn (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589889, $26.95, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy novel. Failed actor Rishi Tripathi is sent to an inverted version of Mumbai. In this world, he’s a superstar, but when the actions of his doppelganger start having consequences, he’s forced to make a hard decision.

Snow, Eli: The Divine Gardener’s Handbook (St. Martin’s/Saturday Books 978-1250395184, $31.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

New adult SF novel. Cyprin cheats her way into getting a job in the divine gardens, and starts working with her rival, Purcell. They begin to form a bond that might ruin Cyprin’s life. A first novel.

Young, E.G.: A (Dead) Thing Like Me (Holiday House 978-0823461066, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult ghost novel. A ghost named Hot Dog is summoned by Logan, an artist grieving the death of her best friend. Hot Dog hopes this will make her feel alive again, but she’ll need to confront the reason behind her death. A first novel.

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The post New Book Releases: Aug 18, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

KUZHALI MANICKAVEL is now represented by Michael Curry at Don­ald Maass Literary Agency.

KATH RICHARDS is now repre­sented by Bethany Weaver at Weaver Literary Agency. Fangs with Benefits resold to Sam Brody at Forever via Jessica Purdue at Sphere.

The Horror Writers Association will partner with Raw Dog Screaming Press to publish HWA Poetry Showcase Volume XIII and future volumes.

KATHERINE LOCKE is president of the executive board of Authors Against Book Bans as of July 1, replacing Mag­gie Tokuda-Hall after her term.

CLAIRE MCKADE sold The Bridge to Nowhere and Everywhere, set in a postapocalyptic world with a mysteri­ous skyscraper stretching into space with a televised gauntlet, and two more books to Laura Schreiber at Voyager at auction via Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

JAMIE CASS’s Starfall, first in the historical fantasy Oxford Book of Magick series, and two more titles went to Chelsea Villareal at Podium Publishing for six figures at auction via John Baker and Julie Gourinchas of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency.

TRINITY MONTOYA’s “feminist techno-thriller” Kitsune 2.0 sold to Gemma Creffield at Solstice in a pre-empt via Barbara Zitwer of Barbara Zitwer Agency.

ANTOINETTE VAN SLUYTMAN sold The Red Then to dave ring at Neon Hemlock via Julie Crisp of Julie Crisp Literary Agency.

R.A. SANDPIPER resold romantic fantasy To Touch a Silent Fury and sold an untitled sequel to Gretchen Durning at Berkley XO via Alyssa Mor­ris of Trellis Literary Management. UK rights sold to Alexa Allen-Batifoulier at Del Rey UK via Maddalena Cavaciuti of David Higham Associates on behalf of Tori Clayton and Allison Malecha of Trellis Literary Management.

REBECCA ZAHABI sold The Mon­key Queen, “a gender-flipped retell­ing following the trickster god Sun Wukong,” and another title to Toni Kirkpatrick at Diversion Books via Alice Speilburg of Speilburg Literary Agency.

CASSANDRA KHAW’s “cozy fan­tasy” Sweet Saints sold to Mika Kasuga at Union Square & Co via Michael Curry of Donald Maass Liter­ary Agency.

MICHAEL SIMON sold Dark Pas­sage, Lost Nexus, and Chosen Des­tiny in the Stellar Crossing series to Marilyn Kretzer at Blackstone Publish­ing at auction via Michelle Hauck of Storm Literary Agency.

CAMILA URIOSTE’s “speculative literary novel” Fearsick, set in a Mid­western town on the anniversary of a school shooting, went to Jim McCoy at University of Iowa Press via Veronica Goldstein of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

JAMIE KILLEN sold The War of Hours, “an anti-capitalist time-travel novel,” and its sequel to Nidhi Pugalia at Viking at auction via Elizabeth Pratt of Trellis Literary Management.

JANNA MILLER’s contemporary fantasy Blessings from War Island sold to Darian Bianco at Apex.

ANNE BISHOP sold the third novel in the Isle of Wyrd series to Anne So­wards at Ace via Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

ASHLEY POSTON sold Elodie and the Dark Lord, first in a fantasy duol­ogy, and another book to Amanda Bergeron at Berkley via Holly Root of Root Literary. UK rights went to Priyal Agrawal at HQ.

ELLIOT GISH’s “historical specula­tive novel” Ruby and Jude, set in an underground 1960s lesbian bar, went to Jen Sookfong Lee at ECW Press via Geffen Semach of Westwood Creative Artists.

ZANDER WOOLLEY’s How to Raise a Human, “set in a galaxy re­building after a devastating war,” sold to Peter Joseph at Crown via Sarah Scarlett of Penguin Random House UK. UK rights went to Jorgie Bain at Michael Joseph via Sam Edenborough of Greyhound Literary.

KHALIA MOREAU’s Tainted, about a cursed young woman whose attempt to defect from her militarized unit goes wrong, sold to Ashlyn Inman at Keylight via Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary Agency.

J.D. ROBINSON sold When Tomor­rows End, about a man who is stuck in time and must ally with a fellow time-traveler to escape a temporal storm and get home, to Marilyn Brigham at 47North via Brandi Bowles and Ethan Schlatter of UTA.

JOANNA RUSS’s The Collected Stories went to Jeanne Thornton at Feminist Press via Diana Finch of Diana Finch Literary Agency.

LASHAWN M. WANAK sold col­lection The Works of Her Hands to Patrick Swenson at Fairwood Press via Kristopher O’Higgins of Scribe Agency.

WILLIAM SHUNN’s collection Scouring the Deep Skies sold to Patrick Swenson at Fairwood Press via Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Literary.

JAMES VAN PELT’s collection Slow Dance at the High School and Other Imaginings went to Patrick Swenson at Fairwood Press.

CALLIE ROWLAND sold Gate of Nightmares to Elizabeth Agyemang at 47North via Safae El-Ouahabi of Rogers, Coleridge & White.

CHARLEIGH FREDERICK’s Pete Versus the Heroes, following a no­torious antihero in a world where superheroes have absolute power, and two more titles went to Anna Stileski at Bow’s Bookshelf.

LEE A. EVERETT’s The Oaths that Bind Us went to Gwyn Jordan at Rogueheart Press via A.J. Van Belle of Booker Albert Agency. Chelsea Karol will edit.

PAUL CORNELL sold historical fantasy Oh Fortuna!, set in an alternate Britain, and another book to Marcus Gipps at The Broken Binding Press via Stacia Decker of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

BASIL TALBOT sold Soulstones to Hannah Graves at Olive Press. Kelley York will edit.

KYLIE CHEUNG sold “speculative, autofictional, literary novel” Genesis to Christoph Paul at Clash.

N.E. DAVENPORT’s Immortal Empire, first in a dark romantasy duol­ogy, and a second title sold to David Pomerico at Voyager for six figures via Emily Forney of BookEnds.

BRITTNEY ARENA sold Prince of Night and another title, a romantic fantasy duology “about a chronically ill sculptor caught dreaming in a land where dreams are forbidden,” to Vi­engsamai Fetters at Erewhon at auc­tion via Jennifer Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency. UK rights went to Vicky Leech Mateos at Bloomsbury Archer UK for six figures; Sam Brad­bury will edit.

TIFFANY DAUNE sold Love is Dead, first in a five-title paranormal romance series with a vampire hunter, and four more books to Jasmine Callaghan at Boldwood via Kayla Bramante of Storyteller Talent Agency.

KRISTINA FOREST sold The Un­requited Love Department, “a work­place romance with a light speculative twist,” to Emilia Rhodes at Atria via Sara Crowe of Sara Crowe Literary.

BETH MERLIN and DANIELLE MODAFFERI’s A Kingdom of Sky­scrapers and Fire Escapes went to Marilyn Kretzer at Blackstone Publish­ing via Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.

CORAL VEGA’s A Dance of Fire sold to Jean Lowd at Creative James.

MILA FINCH resold previously self-published Runebreaker and sold two more books to Alessandra Roche at Bloom Books at auction via Haley Heidemann of WME. UK rights sold to Calah Singleton at Voyager UK in a pre-empt via Kimberley Atkins of WME.

RUBY RUNE’s “dark academia ro­mance” A Game of Cat and Witch and another book went to Ghjulia Romiti at Forever in a pre-empt via Angie Ojeda Hazen of Lunar Literary Agency.

TASHA SOLOMONS’s Blood God­dess, first in a dark academia roman­tasy duology, went to Sydney Collins at Delacorte Press in a pre-empt via Ariele Fredman and Kelly Karczewski of UTA on behalf of Sue Armstrong at C+W.

JENNY L. HOWE, writing as LUCY HELEN HOWELL, sold A Frenzy of Fae and Feelings and Kaiju and Kisses to Elora Hartway at Titan Books via Katelyn Detweiler of Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

SOFIA AVES’s That Time I Fell for a Sea Monster and at least one other book went to Emma Grundy Haigh at Boldwood via Nicky Lovick of WGM Atlantic Group.

LILY X’s “sapphic time-slip rom-com” Loched in Time and another book sold to Junessa Viloria at Forever at auction via Patrice Caldwell of The Caldwell Agency.

ALEXANDRA KENNINGTON, writ­ing as A.A. KENNINGTON, sold “sapphic horromance” The Minotaur Project to Gabrielle Pachon at Ace via Bethany Hendrix of Spencerhill Associates.

LORA SENF sold Death No. 114 to Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co via Ali Herring of Spencerhill Associates.

KEALAN PATRICK BURKE’s Night­lights for Eyes, set against the Satanic Panic and following a group of teenag­ers who “mess with the occult in the ruins of an abandoned church,” sold to Alan Lastufka at Shortwave.

GABE CONVERSE sold The Body Remembers, “in which a trans man’s pre-transition body washes up on the beach in his hometown and is coaxed back to life by his transphobic family,” to Rebecca Brewer at Bloomsbury Archer via Mara Hollander of Azantian Literary Agency.

RUDY RUIZ’s “Southern gothic horror” Diablo Creek went to Marilyn Kretzer at Blackstone Publishing via Laura Strachan of Strachan Literary Agency.

TR ROWE sold “queer horror ro­mance” Backsliders to Katie McGuire at Crooked Lane via Dorian Maffei of Kimberley Cameron & Associates.

SARAH UNDERWOOD’s The Changeling Rule and another book went to Kristin Daly Rens at Storytide for six figures via Catherine Cho of Paper Literary. UK rights to both books and a third went to Sarah Levison at Electric Monkey, also for six figures.

BRIDGETTE WAY sold How to Seduce a Dark Lord, “about a famous necromancer hell-bent on becoming the trophy husband to the most dan­gerous man in New York,” and another title to Esi Sogah at Berkley and to Stephanie Alleyne at Random House Canada on behalf of Amanda Ferreira at auction via Cheyenne Faircloth and Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary. UK rights went to Elora Hartway at Titan Books via Tawanna Sullivan at Berkley.

TESSA STONE sold “paranormal suspense” book Strange Neighbors and at least one other title to Kreceda Tyler at Black Odyssey Media in a pre-empt.

JOE KOCH sold “cosmic-erotic slasher and queer anti-murder mys­tery” Dead Boys Don’t Cry to Chris­toph Paul at Clash.

NEAL SHUSTERMAN’s second and third books in the First Blades series sold to Justin Chanda at Simon & Schuster Children’s via Andrea Brown of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

ANN LIANG sold speculative novel The Lost Life of Sylvia Song to Claire Stetzer at Harper Children’s via Kath­leen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Sara Schonfeld will edit.

SASHA PEYTON SMITH sold The Fox Bride and another title to Erica Sussman at Harper Children’s via Hill­ary Jacobson of CAA. UK rights sold to Sarah Levison at Farshore via Sarah Mitchell of CAA.

R.M. GRAY sold The Bloodwolf Tri­als, “pitched as Spirited Away meets Wednesday,” and another book to Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown Children’s via Gwen Beal and Peter Steinberg of UTA.

ROZ MACLAREN’s Burning Skye, second in the fantasy trilogy Ruined Skye, went to Sofia Aves at Evernight Teen.

S.M. DAVIS’s Disconnected, set in a future of shared knowledge through neural implants when a teenager finds his connection is failing, went to Sofia Aves at Evernight Teen.

SADIE SUKSIRI’s The Undoing, in which girls are born with a magical gift they must give up in adolescence, sold to Katherine Harrison at Knopf Chil­dren’s at auction via Molly Ker Hawn of David Higham Associates.

MARISA URGO sold The Midnight Coven, involving a celestial curse at a haunted boarding school, to Afua Antwi at Puffin UK via Moe Ferrara of TriadaUS Literary Agency.

S.G. PRINCE’s YA fantasy No Glory for Thieves went to Kortney Nash at Godwin Books via Haley Casey of Creative Media Agency.

MARIANNA SHEK’s “time-traveling dystopian adventure” The Wrangler’s Daughter sold to Shalu Vallepur at Chicken House.

GABRIELA MARTINS’s Love at First Bite sold to Carolina Mancheno Ortiz at Avon A.

DANA GRICKEN sold paranormal fantasy Ghost Game and mystery The Lost Pharaoh to Sofia Aves at Evernight Teen.

SASHA HIBBS and CHRISTINA HOOKER sold paranormal romance The Wicked Door to Sofia Aves at Evernight Teen.

VICKIE LAN’s debut But First Take Off Your Shoes, “in which a biracial daughter and her estranged Vietnamese mother try to reconcile as cities crumble, green laser beams rain down, and old grudges reemerge,” and another title went to Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co in a pre-empt via Ali Herring of Spencerhill Associates.

KIRSTEN GARRISON’s The God­bound King, debut and first in a “dark quest fantasy duology,” and another title sold to Jela Lewter at Saga Press via Jane Chun of Transatlantic Literary Agency.

DANI RAANAN’s debut fantasy novel The Crafter’s Wife sold to Ian Whates at Newcon Press via John Jarrold of John Jarrold Literary Agency.

HELENA BAILACH ADSUARA’s debut Monstrous Alchemy, a “dark academia fantasy,” went to Kirsiah Depp at Grand Central at auction via Hayley Steed of Janklow & Nesbit UK. UK rights went to Sania Riaz at Harvill Secker via Steed.

SALLY HAMILTON sold debut fan­tasy The Greenglass Guide to Magi­cal Antiques to Brianna Fairman at Putnam in a pre-empt via Sara Crowe of Sara Crowe Literary.

AUGUST PONTHIER’s debut Ev­erywhere Isn’t Texas, “blending speculative, horror, sci-fi, and Western elements,” sold to Pilar Garcia-Brown at Dutton in a pre-empt via Julie Fla­nagan of CAA.

SHANNON RAMPE sold debut Gods of Sky and Dust, pitched as Empire of Silence meets Final Fantasy, and another title to Toni Kirkpatrick at Diversion Books via Susan Velazquez Colmant of JABberwocky Literary Agency.

CARRIE KWIATKOWSKI’s debut, historical fantasy The Bindery Guild went to Stephanie Stein at Wildthorn at auction via Alexandra Machinist of CAA. UK rights sold to Gillian Green at Wildthorn UK via Daisy Arendell of CAA.

SADIE NICOLE sold A Haunted House Is Not a Home, pitched as Get Out meets Practical Magic, and another book to Sam Brody at Forever via Jessica Faust and Keifer Ludwig of BookEnds.

SHAYA LIN SUSAN sold debut There’s Something Wrong with the Girls, pitched as “The Stepford Wives for the TikTok girls,” to Abby Knudsen at Gallery via Thais Afonso of Azantian Literary Agency.

CLAIRE WELLS sold debut, “apoca­lyptic rom-com” Shoot Prey Love, and another book to Maxine Shen at Alcove Press via Sandra Sawicka of Marjacq Scripts.

ALEXANDRA RENWICK’s debut Horn, “reimagining the unicorn myth,” went to Olivia Zavitson at Hyperion Avenue via Jennifer Weltz of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency.

KRASH MEGIDDO’s debut, SF Pax Bin Yil sold to Bloom and Nectar Books.

J.I. LOCATELLI’s debut, YA hor­ror Little Sisters, Big Lies, “about a freshman sorority pledge investigat­ing a fellow pledge’s disappearance… as she begins to literally lose parts of herself in seductive sorority bonding rituals,” went to Tyiana Combs at Pen­guin Workshop via Rebecca Matte of Bradford Literary Agency.

NICOLE CREMEANS sold debut Deities and Calamities, Conquer Your Demons, and Bound by Law to Sabine Berlin at Roan & Weatherford via Bonnie Swanson of FinePrint Liter­ary Management. Lindsay Flanagan will edit.

ZIN E. ROCKLYN delivered a novella tentatively titled Blue Plate to Claire Eddy and Oliver Dougherty at Tordot­com via Arley Sorg of kt literary. Mal Frazier will edit.

JAMES PATRICK KELLY, JOHN KESSEL & JONATHAN LETHEM sold Ninety Percent of Everything, which will contain the story of the same name, and “a separate new or rare story from each author,” to Patrick Swenson at Fairwood Press via John Silbersack of the Bent Agency.

CHESYA BURKE sold Let’s Play White, Too, “exploring the existence of Black women in America” with horror fiction and nonfiction essays to Jason Sizemore at Apex.

SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA and illustrator STEPH C. SOLIS sold a graphic novel adaptation of Mexi­can Gothic to Sebastian Girner at BOOM! Studios via Eddie Schneider of JABberwocky Literary Agency for Moreno-Garcia and via Jane Chun of Transatlantic Literary Agency for Solis. Maya Bollinger will edit.

K-MING CHANG sold “speculative essay” Ghostworld: On Girlhood to Lizzie Davis at Transit Books via Julia Kardon of HG Literary.

KATE ASHER resold Crown of Olympus, Blood of Olympus, Blade of Olympus, and another book to Christine Ebbs at Penguin Australia via Saffron Dodd of ASH Literary.

MICHAEL SWANWICK’s fantasy book The Iron Dragon’s Daughter resold to Caroline Tew at Saga Press via Danielle Bukowski of Sterling Lord Literistic.

MARIAH MONTOYA and GRACE PEARCE resold the Guardians & Mon­sters duology to Alessandra Roche at Bloom Books via Rikki Bergman and Caitlin Mahony of WME. UK rights sold to Natasha Bardon at Voyager UK via Francesca Ali and Suzannah Ball of WME.

SHIM EUNJUNG and CHOI HYU­NYU resold The 25:00 Magic Lantern Express, translated by Gene Png, to Anne Sowards at Ace in a pre-empt via Stella Giatrakou of Bonnier Books UK.

SAM MILLER resold previously self-published SF collection Still Lost to Nidhi Pugalia at Penguin at auction via Angeline Rodriguez of WME. UK rights went to Ben Brusey at Del Rey UK via Francesca Ali of WME.

JULIANN GAREY resold Grace, Falling to Mark Doten at Soho Press via Paul Bresnick of Bresnick Weil Literary Agency.

JIM BUTCHER resold The Law to Kate Runde at Podium Publishing via Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

KATIE DENT has been appointed commissioning editor at Orbit UK. She was previously fiction editor at Titan.

FAYE IOSOTALUNO has been appointed as president and chief op­erating officer of Entangled. She was previously CEO of Tinder.

NINA LEON has joined Hardman & Swainson as literary agent, “fo­cusing on romantasy, YA, upmarket, and contemporary romance.” Leon was previously at Pérez Literary & Entertainment.

GABRIELLE PACHON has been promoted to associate editor at Berk­ley/Ace Books.
#noinsta

The post People & Publishing Roundup, August 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Ready to discover your next great read? Our August 11, 2026 new releases roundup brings together a fresh selection of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult novels arriving on shelves this week.

Whether you’re in the mood for sprawling sci-fi adventures, immersive fantasy worlds, dark and unsettling horror, or engaging YA stories, there’s plenty to explore in this week’s lineup. We’ve highlighted some of the most noteworthy new titles to make finding your next read a little easier.

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The Associazione World SF Italia announced the winners of the 2026 Premio Ernesto Vegetti, an Italian SF award.

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

Afifi, Nadia: A Fugitive’s History of the Known Universe (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589483, $26.95, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/11/2026)

SF novel. Azad is being hunted across the galaxies by the Vitruvian Authorities because he exposed the dark past of his world. Azad and his team need to team up with a space pirate to start a revolution.

Anonymous: Critical Role: The Mighty Nein: Stories Untold (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 979-8217298488, $30.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Tie-in anthology of Critical Role, stories based on the livestreamed roleplaying game. Nine different tales of some of the most memorable characters, including: Essek Thelyss, Isharni, and Pumat Sol. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Ayinde, M.H.: A Dance of Burning Blades (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668086858, $22.00, 688pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, the second in the A Song of Legends Lost series. Tension is growing everywhere across the nine lands. The people hope to find out the secrets the king has been keeping from them.

Bennett, Robert Jackson: A Trade of Blood (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723852, $32.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy mystery novel, third in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. Ana Dolabra must prove the innocence of the heir of one of the Empire’s most powerful families, and if she doesn’t, the Empire will fall apart. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

Kim, Bo-Young & Bowman, Sophie: A Plagued Sea (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250380753, $24.99, 102pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. An earthquake on the coast of Haewon, a small seaside village, released a plague that turns its victims into fish monsters. Mu-young has been doing everything she can to survive here for the past three years.

Chapman, Clay McLeod: Devil Inside (Harlequin/Mira 978-0778306214, $18.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror romance novel. After an accident that nearly cost his life, Jordan’s grip on reality seems to be slipping. After getting ghosted by a woman named Lilith, things start to get even weirder. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

Dade, Olivia: World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593818220, $20.00, 458pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Supernatural romantic comedy novel, the second in the Supernatural Entanglements series. Gwen Wexloff can see the future, but not when it matters, until one day, she experiences a world-changing vision, and she needs to find help.

Doty, Max: The House that Eats the Dead (Macmillan/Tor Nightfire UK 979-8217092239, $20.00, 336pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Claire discovers that her family’s new house eats anything that used to be alive. When she exploits this power, she forms a bond with the house, but its hunger starts to grow.

El-Arifi, Saara: Earthbound (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723067, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel. Alder returns to the cave he was born in to discover more about his past, and the truth has him shaken. In the fae court, Yeeran is trying to create a peace treaty with the elven army.

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Orestes’ Return (Planetary Books 979-8188214753, $19.99, 144pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 07/20/2026)

SF novel, third in the House of Atreus series. Agamemnon’s exiled son, Orestes, has finally come of age, and must prove himself to Apollo, as he returns home to the kingdom.

Hanrahan, Gareth: The Dungeon Book (Orbit US 978-0316595421, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel. After Bait is captured by a dragon, and left for dead in a dungeon, she’s taken in by a family of goblins, and is given the chance to decide where she belongs. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Jafari, Sara: Heavensent & Hellbent (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217028634, $20.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. After seeing Zain kill a man, Roxana realizes that demons (and also angels) exist, but she can’t help her attraction towards him.

Johnston, E.K.: The Third Period Comeback (Penguin Random House/Dutton 979-8217110421, $17.99, 176pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Upper middle-grade “magic-tinged” novel. Hayley Rilko is cursed to ruin any hockey team she plays for, but it doesn’t go into effect until she’s no longer a kid, so she becomes determined to break the curse.

Kelly, James Patrick: The Book of Bots (Fairwood Press 978-1958880418, $19.99, 302pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/14/2026)

Collection of 12 stories about robots and AI that come in all different forms. Some are in the shape of a car, some are from the far future, and some only exist in cyberspace.

Keslowitz, Steven: Traveling the Yellow Brick Road: What We Learn from The Wizard of Oz and Wicked (McFarland 978-1476699646, $39.95, 236pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/13/2026)

Critical non-fiction focusing on the films, looking at the world of Oz as a reflection of American society, exploring how beliefs about heroism, villainy, ethics, and truth change between the classic film and the recent Wicked films.

Maberry, Jonathan: Bewilderness (WordFire Press 978-1680577969, $23.99, 514pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/11/2026)

SF horror novel. A doorway to a parallel dimension malfunctions and causes infinite parallel Earth’s to collide with our’s. Abby Corman is the only one who knows how to stop this, but an alien hunter is determined to stop her.

Okungbowa, Suyi Davies: Season of the Serpent (Orbit US ‎978-0316428996, $19.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, the third book in the Nameless Republic trilogy. The Nameless Republic and Kangalaland are on the verge of war, and everyone must pick a side. Lilong lost her power, and is doing everything she can to get it back.

Penelope, Leslye: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316594691, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Contemporary fantasy novel. After the disappearance of Zahara’s sister, no one remembered she even existed in the first place, besides her. Four years later she finds evidence of her existence, and hires a private investigator to look into her past.

Ribay, Randy: Nest of Tongues (Penguin Random House/Random House 979-8217024346, $19.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult paranormal horror novel inspired by Filipino mythology. Lily and her brother Caleb are vampires, but choose to keep it a secret, until one day when a monster hunter kills another vampire.

Smith, Jasmine: Death Card (Penguin Random House/Putnam 978-0593858295, $13.99, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult contemporary fantasy novel. Mikaela Broussard has a vision of a customer stabbing her in the heart. She decides to spend time with the customer, Joelle, in order to gather more information, but starts to find her irresistible. A first novel.

Spotts, Isabelle: Saint Delilah (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189816, $30.00, 311pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. Delilah, a ghost, is trying to clear her unfinished business, and she needs to start with finding who her killer is, so she teams up with the owner of a strip club she used to dance at, and a stranger who can hear and touch her. A first novel.

Tchaikovsky, Adrian: Preaching to the Choir (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1837867301, $32.99, 176pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/13/2026)

SF novel, second in the Terrible Worlds: Transformations series. Ross asked Elena to come with her to a mysterious family gathering for moral support, despite the fact that spouses aren’t invited, and they uncover dark secrets.

Tooley, Adrienne: There Are Ghosts Here (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217027897, $19.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult speculative horror novel. Willa Childs forgets the details of the accident that sent her to the Dorsey House, and the others stuck there, Caroline and Ivy, are intending to keep it from her.

Walter, Heather: The Witch Queen (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593598399, $30.00, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Crimson Crown duology. Queen Ayleth knows that having the kingdom under her rule isn’t perfect, and she’s consumed by fears that the witches will come to remove her, or that people will find out her secret. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Whitten, Hannah: Reliquary (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316579537, $30.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. The estranged family of Claire’s late fiancé, Elias, reaches out after his death, and invites her to a three day stay at Harrow Point. While she’s there, she uncovers the reason behind her traumatic connection to the ocean.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

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The winners for the 2026 Prix Rosny Aîné have been announced. The prize is awarded to SF novels and short stories written in French and published in print in 2025.

For more information, see announcements from ActuSF and Soufflereve.

[via File770]

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The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) has announced the 2026 winners of its annual book awards.

The post 2026 SFRA Awards appeared first on Locus.

Looking for your next unforgettable read? This week’s lineup of new releases for August 4, 2026 delivers an exciting collection of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult novels that are making their debut today.

From epic adventures through distant galaxies and imaginative fantasy realms to chilling supernatural tales and compelling YA stories, this week’s selection offers something for every speculative fiction fan. We’ve gathered some of the standout releases to help you discover your next favorite book without the hassle of searching through endless lists.

If you enjoy keeping up with the latest releases, be sure to subscribe so you never miss our weekly new book roundups. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week with another collection of exciting new titles!

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The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) has announced the winners of the 2026 National Fantasy Fan Federation Laureate Awards (AKA the Neffy Awards). 

The awards are presented irregularly by the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F), “the oldest (founded 1941) national science fiction club in the world.” For more information, see the N3F website.

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Dream Foundry, a “non-profit dedicated to bolstering the careers of nascent professionals working with the speculative arts,” has announced the finalists for its 2026 contests.

Writing Contest

The post 2026 Dream Foundry Contest Finalists appeared first on Locus.

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

Arena, Brittney: To Dance with Death (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593973226, $30.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, the second in the Edge of Glass series. Vasalie sacrificed herself to kill King Illian. Now his brother, Anton, made a deal with the goddess of the underworld to bring King Illian back.

Broadbent, Carissa: The Lion & the Deathless Dark (Tor/Bramble 978-1250367846, $29.99, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, fifth in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. Kyrene makes a deal with her enemy, Septimus, to slay the gods in exchange for money. Simultaneous with the Tor Bramble UK edition.

Corr, Katharine & Corr, Elizabeth: Queen of the Gods (Candlewick Press 978-1536244540, $19.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, second in the House of Shadows trilogy. Deina is trapped in the underworld, and is offered the chance to become a goddess by Hades, but she refuses, and decides to escape.

Diaz, Glenn: Yñiga (Coffee House Press 978-1566897556, $17.99, 264pp, formats: paperback, 08/04/2026)

Novel about modern Philippine life with supernatural elements. Yñiga’s neighborhood is burned down, so she visits an old friend, and they go to the nearby forest that houses trauma that still haunts her family.

Erbach, Dane: Meat Bees (Clash Books 978-1968043056, $21.95, 290pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Horror novel. Scarlett finds herself searching for a co-worker that disappeared, but instead of finding him, she discovers a swarm of yellow jackets eating meat off of his corpse.

Flint, Eric & Barber, Griffin: 1637: The Pilgrim’s Passage (Baen 978-1668073346, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/04/2026)

SF novel in Flint’s Ring of Fire series. Princess Begum Sahib is being escorted to Jeddah, but the real reason she’s leaving is so she can have her child in secret.

Forst, Devin: Strange and Terrible Things (Abrams 978-1419780615, $19.99, 208pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Upper middle-grade non-fiction/art book. Guide to nearly 80 creatures of different myths, and folklore from all over the world. Includes chapters such as: Fiendish Faeries, Menacing Monsters, and Creepy Cryptids.

Gong, Chloe: Eyes of Kings (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668000298, $29.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, third in the Flesh and False Gods series. Unrest is stirring in the kingdom of Talin. The recently dethroned king August Shenzhi is ready to go to war with the one who dethroned him, Calla Tuoleimi.

Hampson, Robert E.: The Sands of Mars (Baen 978-1964856735, $17.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Near-future SF novel, second in the Bionic Frontier series. Colonel Shepard is on a mars base and struggling with missing his family, but the rest of the base is struggling with trusting each other as suspicion of sabotage arises.

Karlie, Logan: Cursed by the Dawn (Little, Brown/Ottaviano 978-0316610889, $24.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Esmer and Erebus must stop the demon king from destroying everything, but they realize something horrible has already happened, and their love might be the first thing to go.

LaRocca, Eric: We Turn Gruesome at Night (Titan Books UK 978-1803369556, $28.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/09/2026)

Horror novel. Second in the Burnt Sparrow series. Gladys Esherwood and Rupert Cromwell are trapped in the End House. One day Rupert is introduced to a secret organization that shows him the secrets of the town.

Larue, Taylor J.: Steelborn (Little, Brown/Requited 978-0316599412, $32.00, 432pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Reya Connery is a thief who follows a strict set of rules, but when a heist goes wrong, she needs to rethink her principles, which is when she meets Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior. A first novel.

Lloyd, Ellery: Time to Burn (Harper 978-0063323056, $28.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, 08/04/2026)

SF mystery novel. Time travel is real, but only available to the ultra-wealthy, and on the first ever trip to the past, a group of billionaires return covered in blood, and with one of their members missing. Simultaneous with the Macmillan UK edition.

MacLean, S.A.: Sunsplitter (Orbit US 978-0316573146, $9.99, 581pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Spicy fantasy romance novel, second in the Beasts of the Void series. Fi needs to rebuild her city with the help of Antal, but Antal is brought home by his father, and he must prepare himself for the first homecoming in 50 years. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

Moriarty, Jaclyn: Time Travel for Beginners (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593820339, $30.00, 544pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

SF novel. In Sydney, Australia, there is a coffee shop known as the time travel agency, which allows you to go anywhere in the past, without the risk of changing the future. Simultaneous with the HarperCollins UK edition.

Rath, Emily: Devour Me (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0063484764, $22.00, 528pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Paranormal love triangle romance novel, the first in a trilogy. Dáinn has spent two centuries working for a witch. While on a mission to kill a rival witch, Dáinn makes a deal to spare a life, if they kill his mistress.

Revis, Beth: Chaotic Orbits (Astra House/DAW 978-0756420802, $20.00, 400pp, formats: paperback, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Omnibus of the Chaotic Orbits trilogy: Full Speed to a Crash Landing (2024), How to Steal a Galaxy (2024), and Last Chance to Save the World (2025).

Rose, Stephanie: Small Town Slasher (Death by TBR Books 979-8218635510, $8.99, 276pp, formats: ebook, 08/04/2026)

Serial-killer horror novel. Horror fan Jenna rents a horror themed cabin in rural Montana, but the day before she arrives, people begin to get murdered, and it’s clear a massacre is starting.

Saft, Allison: Immortal Game (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250404763, $22.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Shea Fury is given the chance to participate in a chess tournament, where the winner is granted one wish, and hers is to free her sister from the land of fae.

Salisbury, Melinda: Local Gods (Simon & Schuster/Sarah Barley 979-8347101474, $19.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

YA folk horror novel. Sylvie spends most of her time in an abandoned railway station avoiding carnivorous deer, but one day she finds a dying god named Illican, who can teach her magic that would save her town.

Sambury, Liselle: A Clash of Carnivores (Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665957397, $24.99, 608pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult horror novel, second in the Mastery of Monsters trilogy. August Black is bonded with a monster, Virgil, for life, and they must prepare for the Monster’s Ball, despite their challenging relationship.

Stiefvater, Maggie & Milledge, Sas: The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel (Penguin Random House/Viking 978-0593621233, $17.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Graphic novel adapted by Stiefvater from her Raven Cycle. Ronan Lynch has a secret ability to pull things out of dreams, and it’s almost killed him multiple times.

Stovall, Shami: One-Fifth Dragon (Baen 978-1668073353, $28.00, , formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy Novel. Story of a person whose “found family” murdered their true family, and now they’re determined to get revenge using the techniques this family taught them.

Swan, Richard: The Infinite State (Tor 978-1250386229, $29.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Dystopian SF novel, the first in the Decurion Saga. Katherine Fuller’s father is a member of the fascist Pater Aeternus, and she’s using this power to attempt to create a more fair world. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

Ward, Tristis: Assassin at Allgate (Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy 978-1770532588, $15.95, 236pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Space opera/mystery novel, the first book in the Desire & the Law series. Desire, an android, was built to assassinate an alien aristocrat, but when the aristocrat is murdered by someone else, she tries to find the real killer.

Watchorn, Morgan J.: Fire to the Stars (Penguin Random House/Knopf 978-0593708446, $19.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Every month, an event happens that turns people into dragon shifters. Claire forms an alliance with dragon slayer, Abel, to help her get the life she once had back. A first novel.

Weymouth, Laura E.: The Castle & The Cloister (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668069660, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Daughter’s of Light series. A queen that’s teetering on the edge of loyalty and betrayal, and a priest that waits in darkness will decide the fate of a kingdom together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Winters, Julian: Find My Way Down to You (Penguin Random House/Viking , $13.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

YA fantasy romance novel. August is grieving the death of his boyfriend when he accidentally stumbles into the underworld. Down there, he’s forced to choose between a normal life with grief, or a life with love that might ruin him.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

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Ursula K. Le Guin’s longtime residence at 3321 NW Thurman St. in Portland, Oregon has been added to the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its “significance to American literature and women’s history.”

During the 58 years she spent in the distinctive Queen Anne-style home until her death in 2018, Le Guin wrote many of the novels that have since been canonized among the most celebrated classics of speculative fiction, including A Wizard of Earthsea, The Dispossessed, and The Left Hand of Darkness. Among other accolades, her work would earn her five Hugo awards, a National Book Award, and finalist status for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize.

In 2024, her estate donated the house to the local nonprofit Literary Arts, which is in the process of converting it into the Ursula K. Le Guin Writers Residency.

For more information, see coverage from local outlets such as the Portland Tribune and KPTV.

The August 2026 Locus magazine, issue #787, has interviews with Chloe Gong and James Patrick Kelly, and a spotlight on authors Anand Gandhi & Zain Memon and the Maya Universe. News covers the Shirley Jackson Awards winners, the Profile Books acquisition of Solaris, new imprint Pink Beam Press, the Future Worlds prize winners, S&S’s relaunch of Pocket Books, the relaunch of Starlog Magazine with a podcast, and much more. Reports include Westercon78/BayCon 42, Readercon 35, MetropolCon/Eurocon, RichmondCon, and the 2026 Locus Survey results. Obituaries remember R.S. Belcher, Mark J. McGarry, Dafydd Ab Hugh, Russell Kirkpatrick, Robin Johnson, and Katharine T. Carroll. Reviews cover new works by Jaclyn Moriarty, Peter Watts, Cadwell Turnbull, J.P. Lacrampe, Keely Jobe, Deb Olin Unferth, August Clarke, Robert Jackson Bennett, Frances Hardinge, A.D. Sui, Miles Cameron, Yoon Ha Lee, Aimee Pokwatka, Meg Elison, Mónica Ojeda translated by Sarah Booker, Wendy Waring, Richard Swan, Keala Kendall, Cale Plett, Jillian Laine, Farah Naz Rishi, Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, Tessa Yang, Christopher Golden, Paul Tremblay, Gabrielle Sher, Eugen Bacon, Ursula K. Le Guin, David M. Brinley & Amanda T. Zehnder (eds.), Jeffrey Alan Love; John Jos. Miller & Kevin Andrew Murphy, Stephen King, and others.

Reviews by ALEXANDRA PIERCE / 18

Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends, A.D. Sui; Whalesong, Miles Cameron; Code and Codex, Yoon Ha Lee; Accumulation, Aimee Pokwatka.

Reviews by NIALL HARRISON / 20

Foundling Fathers, Meg Elison; Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun, Mónica Ojeda, tr. Sarah Booker; The Hunger of Those Who Built It, Wendy Waring; The Infinite State, Richard Swan.

Reviews by ALEX BROWN / 22

Japanese Gothic, Kylie Lee Baker; The Tapestry of Fate, Shannon Chakraborty.

Reviews by GABINO IGLESIAS / 24

Carry Me to My Grave, Christopher Golden; Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, Paul Tremblay; Odessa, Gabrielle Sher.

Reviews by VANESSA FOGG / 25

Crimson in Quietus, Eugen Bacon.

Reviews by KAREN HABER / 27

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Book of Cats, Ursula K. Le Guin; Icons of the Fantastic: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature from the Korshak Collection, David M. Brinley & Amanda T. Zehnder, eds.; The Last Battle at the End of the World, Jeffrey Alan Love; SHORT TAKES: The Forest of a Thousand Eyes, Frances Hardinge; George R.R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Ante Up, John Jos. Miller & Kevin Andrew Murphy; Hansel and Gretel, Stephen King.

Bacon, Eugen • Crimson in Quietus (Vanessa Fogg)
Bennett, Robert Jackson • A Trade of Blood (Abigail Nussbaum)
Brinley, David M., & Amanda T. Zehner, eds. • Icons of the Fantastic: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature from the Korshak Collection (Karen Haber)
Cameron, Miles • Whalesong (Alexandra Pierce)
Clarke, August • The Felicity Complex (Abigail Nussbaum)
Elison, Meg • Foundling Fathers (Niall Harrison)
Golden, Christopher • Carry Me to My Grave (Gabino Iglesias)
Hardinge, Frances • The Forest of a Thousand Eyes (Karen Haber)
Hardinge, Frances • Traitors’ Nest (Abigail Nussbaum)
Jobe, Keely • The Endling (Ian Mond)
Kendall, Keala • That Which Feeds Us (Alex Brown)
King, Stephen, illustrated by Maurice Sendak • Hansel and Gretel (Karen Haber)
Lacrampe, J. P. • Valet (Ian Mond)
Laine, Jillian • Henry Tudor Must Die (Colleen Mondor)
Le Guin, Ursula K. • Ursula K. Le Guin’s Book of Cats (Karen Haber)
Lee, Yoon Ha • Code and Codex (Alexandra Pierce)
Love, Jeffrey Alan • The Last Battle at the End of the World (Karen Haber)
Miller, John Jos., & Kevin Andrew Murphy • George R.R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Ante Up (Karen Haber)
Moriarty, Jaclyn • Time Travel for Beginners (Gary K. Wolfe)
Ojeda, M nica • Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun (Niall Harrison)
Plett, Cale • The Saw Mouth (Alex Brown)
Pokwatka, Aimee • Accumulation (Alexandra Pierce)
Rishi, Farah Naz • Lovestruck (Colleen Mondor)
Sher, Gabrielle • Odessa (Gabino Iglesias)
Sui, A. D. • Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends (Alexandra Pierce)
Swan, Richard • The Infinite State (Niall Harrison)
Tremblay, Paul • Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep (Gabino Iglesias)
Tubb, Kristin O’Donnell • The Spiritualists (Colleen Mondor)
Turnbull, Cadwell • All the Hidden Places (Gary K. Wolfe)
Unferth, Deb Olin • Earth 7 (Ian Mond)
Waring, Wendy • The Hunger of Those Who Built It (Niall Harrison)
Watts, Peter • Fold Catastrophes (Gary K. Wolfe)
Yang, Tessa • The Jellyfish Problem (Colleen Mondor)Science Fiction and Fantasy (Alvaro Zinos-Amaro)

Ready to give your reading list a mid-summer upgrade? The July 28th drop is packed with highly anticipated new arrivals across Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult—bringing you the biggest and most buzzworthy releases hitting bookstores today.

Whether you’re craving immersive space operas, haunting gothic magic, spine-chilling suspense, or high-stakes YA thrillers, today’s batch of new books has something tailored just for you.

We’ve curated the top highlights so you can skip the searching and dive right into your next obsession. Don’t forget to hit subscribe for your weekly dose of top-tier book recommendations, and thanks for hanging out with us! Catch you next week for another round of must-read titles.

The 13-title longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize has been announced, with works and writers of genre interest including:

The End of Everything, M. John Harrison (Serpent’s Tail)

The Renovation, Kenan Orhan (Hamish Hamilton)

The Vivisectors, Missouri Williams (4th Estate)

Helen of Nowhere, Makenna Goodman (Coffee House)

Switzy, Emma Cline (Random House)

The Disappearers, Marlon James (Riverhead)

The shortlist will be announced September 22, 2026. Shortlisted authors receive £2,500. The winner will be announced November 9, 2026; the winning work receives £50,000.

For more information, including the complete longlist, see the International Booker Prize website.

For previous titles of genre interest listed for the Booker, see past Locus coverage of the award.

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

Winners for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards have been announced. Winners were selected by jury and announced at the Imaginarium Convention, held July 17-19, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Louisville East in Louisville KY.

Best Science Fiction Novel

• WINNER: Dead to Rights: A Car Warriors Autoduel Novel, Jay Barnson (Three Ravens)

• Frozen Echoes, Ed Downes (Undertaker)
• Bifrost Down, Jon R. Osborne (Seventh Seal)

Best Fantasy Novel

• WINNER: Rise From Ruin, Melissa Olthoff (Baen)

• The Blacksmith’s Boy, Bruce Buchanan (Wild Ink)
• The Healer’s Heir, Katie Fitzgerald (self-published)
• A Count of Courage, Nancy Moser (Mustard Seed)

Best Horror Novel

• WINNER: Darkness Calls, Joe Chianakas (Rogue River)

• Southern Cross, Vaughn A. Jackson (Falstaff)
• The Great Dick: And the Dysfunctional Demon, Barry Maher (Crystal Lake)
• The Exorcist’s House: Resurrection, Nick Roberts (Crystal Lake)

Best Urban Fantasy Novel

• WINNER: The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Vengeance, J.M. Celi (Rockamooka)

• A Conundrum of Wizards, K.R. Brady (Woods)
• Reaper, John G. Hartness (Falstaff)
• House of Owls, Jon R. Osborne (New Mythology)

Best Paranormal Romance

• WINNER: Dancing with a Demon, L.R. Braden (Magical Realms)

• S’more Love, K. Rose (self-published)
• Resurrection, Karen White

Best Romance Novel

• WINNER: No Apologies, Andrea Jenelle (Willow Creek Publishing)

• The Scald Crow, Karen White (Baisong)

Best Young Adult Novel

• WINNER: The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine, Lindsay A. Franklin (Enclave Escape)

• Paramour, Robin Alvarez (Tides Collide)
• Missing Mom, Lynn Slaughter (Fire & Ice Young Adult)
• Awakening: Winberie Journals Book One, Lynn Tincher (Hydra)

Best Middle Grade Book

• WINNER: Not Lucille, Mike Steele (Creative James Media)

• Dreams of Gold and Fire, Fred Phillips (Raconteur)
• Scareville: Food to Die For, John Ward (Crystal Lake)

Best Cross Genre Novel

• WINNER: The Eagle Flies at Night, Lance Loot (self-published)

• Clutching Cthulhu’s Pearls, Marilyn Barr (self-published)

Best Anthology

• WINNER: What Swallows the Light, Theresa Derwin, Charlene du Toit, Victoria Kiska & Paula Limbaugh, eds. (Crystal Lake)

• Dancing With Destruction, Jason Cordova, ed. (Baen)
• It Came From the Trailer Park: Double Wide Volume 1, Jesse James Fain & William Joseph Roberts, eds. (Three Ravens)

Best Short Story Collection

• WINNER: Midnight Vintage, Sean Eads & Joshua Viola (Crystal Lake)

• The Wind’s Four Quarters, Alma Alexander (Book View Cafe)
• Six O’Clock House & Other Strange Tales, Rebecca Cuthbert (Watertower Hill)

Best Short Story

• WINNER: “Through the Holler, Into the Dark”, Emma E. Murray (The Drowning Machine and Other Obsessions)

• “The Leper’s Garden”, Jeff Clulow (The Leper’s Garden: And Other Contagions)
• “This Broken World”, Mia Dalia (Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror)

Best Audiobook Narration

• WINNER: Harvest of Evil: The John Fisher Chronicles, Book 1, William H. Lehman, narrated by Perry Wince (Three Ravens)

• Ghostship Derelict, J.R. Handley, narrated by Brian Fairbank (Three Ravens)
• Shadow Card Guardian, Kacey Ezell, narrated by Anna Delphine (Sevillalost)

Best Thriller Novel

• WINNER: The First Wives, S.E. Reed (Storm)

• Cash Target, Edale Lane (self-published)
• Collateral Damage, Mick Williams (Valiant)

Best Western Novel

• WINNER: Legends of the West, Micheal Black (Circulation & Trade Division)

• Blood Lake, C.M. Saunders (Undertaker)

Best Poetry Collection

• WINNER: The Eight, Rita Spalding (Hydra)

• The Book of Hours, Darius Jones (self-published)

Best Magazine/Periodical

• WINNER: Kentucky Monthly, Stephen M. Vest (self-published)

• parABnormal Magazine, H. David Blalock, ed.

Imadjinn prizes were also awarded for categories including Historical Fiction, Thriller, Children’s Book, Graphic Novel/Comic Book, and others. For more information, including a complete list of winners, see the Imaginarium website.

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

Aragon, Jesse: The Demon Star (The Broken Binding 978-0756420536, $29.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Science fantasy novel. Ysira Natkis escaped death and brought back something that could change the fate of her civilization, and now she must battle aliens, cultists, and gods to prevent the apocalypse. A first novel.

Blackwell, Juliet: The Séance Garden (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593638262, $18.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Ghost mystery novel. Professor Harper Grae is a non-believer in the supernatural, but that’s put to the test when a mysterious murder happens at the “haunted” mansion of the Perles family.

Chan, Eliza: Harbour of Hungry Ghosts (Orbit US 978-0316589710, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel inspired by Asian lore. When Kiamling’s grandmother is taken by a strange monster during the Hungry Ghosts festival, she must find out what happened and lead a search to save her grandmother. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Davidson, Cesi: Laterals (Aqueduct Press 978-1619762923, $12.00, N/App, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/01/2026)

Collection of short plays. Part of the Conversation Pieces series.

Durst, Sarah Beth: Sea of Charms (Tor/Bramble 978-1250400673, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Cozy fantasy romance novel. Marin sails from island to island working as a supply runner. When she visits the capital during a revolution she makes a deal with her friend Dax, but starts to discover her underlying feelings towards him.

Eames, Andrea: A Tangled Magic (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1645661894, $28.00, 464pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Dark fantasy novel. Netta has lived in a tower her entire life, with only her hair that moves on its own, and a telepathic raven to accompany her. When her mother vanishes, she goes on a quest to save her.

Hannan, Sophia: We Were Never Here (Simon & Schuster 978-1665958332, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult horror novel. When Georgia’s girlfriend mysteriously dies visiting a haunted house, her life falls apart. Months later, she’s forced to return to her old life as a thief, but when she tries to steal a painting, something horrifying happens A first novel.

Henning, Sarah: Such a Witch (Little, Brown 978-0316584371, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult magic school rom-com. Embry Woodcross, a witch and senior at Raven’s Head School for the Magically Gifted, takes a new student, Oakley Riddle, under her wing, but after a murder, she becomes the main suspect.

James, Calvin: Affairs of State (Titan Books UK ‎ 978-1835416211, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/28/2026)

SF novel. Levar Boylan, a junior supply officer, finds himself as a diplomat discussing peace treaties with the empire, all because his ex is the reigning demon emperor. After they reconnect, they discover the spark is still there. A first novel.

Johnson, Lora Beth: Hell to Pay (Penguin Random House/Putnam 978-0593856529, $20.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. After the death of her brother, and disappearance of her parents, Elle feels lost, until one day, she’s offered a job to steal a soul from the afterlife, a task that’s much easier said than done.

Lim, Elizabeth: Fishbone Cinderella (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 979-8217092987, $30.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel inspired by Chinese folklore and Western fairy tales. A book that explores the family dynamics of mothers and daughters across decades and cultures.

Omar, Sara: The Harpy Knight (Titan Books UK 978-1835412848, $18.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel second in the Chaos Constellation trilogy. After conquering the kingdom of Dumakra, Bataar Rhah focuses attention on Aglea in the north, a land of monster infested marshes, and pagan berserkers.

René, Leslie: Maggie and Arthur’s Magic Moment (Ace 978-0593956182, $20.00, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Maggie Linden, an Incantations Translation professor, becomes forced to share her basement office with Arthur Taliesin, an alchemist with an insufferable attitude, but she starts to realize he’s putting on an act. A first novel.

Roux, Madeleine: Star Wars: Legacy (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 978-0593982662, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Star Wars tie-in novel set between episodes VIII and IX. Leia Organa does everything she can to train Rey, but her knowledge of the force is extremely limited, so they choose to journey to an old Jedi temple on Tython together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

Sierra, Caleb: The Wetworks Miracle (Stelliform Press 978-1738316571, $15.00, 108pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/30/2026)

Dark fantasy novella. After the ecological collapse of society, humans fled their world to a place called the Wetworks, and the only plant there is something called the “Root.” People call it a miracle despite how it alters their bodies. A first novel.

Spires, D.A. Xiaolin: Ellipses (AudioText/Infinivox N/A, $16.00, 100pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/01/2026)

SF novella. Koharu is looking for a landing spot on exoplanet Kepler-62f, when she comes in contact with seemingly friendly aliens. She does everything she can to communicate with them, while at the same time trying to contact her boyfriend.

Thorne, Scarlett J.: Lord of the Heights (Arc Manor/Caezik SF & Fantasy 978-1647102074, $19.99, 316pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Dark gothic romantasy reimagining of Wuthering Heights. James Lockwood moves to Yorkshire for peace, but his car gets destroyed, and the road vanishes, so his only option is to go to Wuthering Heights.

West, Jacqueline: Black Point (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum 978-1665981859, $19.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult dark fantasy novel set in a small town steeped in Norse traditions. When the supposedly haunted Black Point Hotel is bought by outsiders, the town is taken aback.

Zanetti, Rebecca: One Shattered Crown (Kensington 978-1035417964, $32.00, 380pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Erotic fantasy romance novel, the third in the Grimm Bargains series. Justice Beathach and Ella Rendale have a long lasting feud, but when Justice is forced to protect her from people who want her dead, he becomes obsessed.

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