The Speculative Literature Foundation is now accepting proposals for the Gulliver Travel Research Grant. The deadline is November 30, 2026. One grant of $1,000 is awarded annually, earmarked for airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses associated with non-academic research conducted by speculative fiction authors (in fiction, poetry, drama, or creative nonfiction).

More information is available at the Gulliver Travel Research Grant site.

The November 2026 Locus magazine, issue #790, has interviews with Alix E. Harrow and Johnny Compton, and a spotlight on artist Daniel Gonzalez. News includes remembrances of Malcolm Edwards (1949-2026), Alex T. Singer’s Sturgeon Award win, the Ignyte Awards and British Fantasy Awards winners, continued contract controversies at Must Read, and more. Cory Doctorow’s column is entitled “Everybody Pees”. Events include Litquake: San Francisco’s Literary Festival and ICon 2026 in Tel Aviv. Reviews cover new titles by Olivie Blake & John Joseph Adams (eds.), K.J. Parker, Stephen King & Peter Straub, Kim Bohyun (translated by Archana Madhavan), Pol Guasch (translated by Mara Faye Lethem), Ellery Lloyd, Rebecca Thorne, Clare Edge, Laura Creedle, Audrey Niffenegger, Xueting C. Ni (ed.), Geoff Ryman, Oliver K. Langmead, Annalee Newitz, Stephanie Feldman, Micah Dean Hicks, Carrie Lee South, Sarah Pinborough, P.A. Cornell, Everina Maxwell, Premee Mohamed, DaVaun Sanders (ed.), Neal Asher, Adam Oyebanji, Derek Künsken, Robert J. Sawyer, and more.

Short Fiction Reviews by RICH HORTON / 15

F&SF 8/26.

Reviews by GABINO IGLESIAS / 23

In the Woods They Wait, Carrie Lee South; They Say a Girl Died Here, Sarah Pinborough.

Reviews by DIVERS HANDS: JOANNE ANDERTON, LIZ BOURKE, ALEX BROWN, VANESSA FOGG, RUSSELL LETSON, ALEXANDRA PIERCE, ADAM ROBERTS, ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO / 24

The Astronaut Among the Flowers, P.A. Cornell; Call Me Traitor, Everina Maxwell; Wickhills, Premee Mohamed; Forged in FIYAH, DaVaun Sanders, ed.; Dark Agent, Neal Asher; Line of Descent, Adam Oyebanji; The Quantum Dawn, Derek Künsken; Sawyer on Science Fiction, Robert J. Sawyer.

Asher, Neal • Dark Agent (Russell Letson)
Blake, Olivie, & John Joseph Adams, eds. • The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2026 (Gary K. Wolfe)
Bohyun, Kim • Mothersucker (Ian Mond)
Cornell, P. A. • The Astronaut Among the Flowers (Joanne Anderton)
Creedle, Laura • The Girl in Green (Colleen Mondor)
Edge, Clare • Natural Selection (Colleen Mondor)
Feldman, Stephanie • The Night Parade (A. C. Wise)
Guasch, Pol • Paradise Burns (Ian Mond)
Hicks, Micah Dean • Vulture Gold (A. C. Wise)
King, Stephen, & Peter Straub • Other Worlds Than These (Ian Mond)
K nsken, Derek • The Quantum Dawn (Adam Roberts)
Langmead, Oliver K. • The Killing of a Chestnut Tree (Niall Harrison)
Lloyd, Ellery • Time to Burn (Colleen Mondor)
Maxwell, Everina • Call Me Traitor (Liz Bourke)
Mohamed, Premee • Wickhills (Alex Brown)
Newitz, Annalee • A Wall Is Also a Road (Niall Harrison)
Ni, Xueting C., ed. • China+100 (Niall Harrison)
Niffenegger, Audrey • Life Out of Order (Niall Harrison)
Oyebanji, Adam • Line of Descent (Alexandra Pierce)
Parker, K. J. • Sister Svangerd and the Chosen One (Gary K. Wolfe)
Pinborough, Sarah • They Say a Girl Died Here (Gabino Iglesias)
Ryman, Geoff • They’re Here (Niall Harrison)
Sanders, DaVaun, ed. • Forged in FIYAH (Vanessa Fogg)
Sawyer, Robert J. • Sawyer on Science Fiction (Alvaro Zinos-Amaro)
South, Carrie Lee • In the Woods They Wait (Gabino Iglesias)
Thorne, Rebecca • Moss’d in Space (Colleen Mondor)

Discover your next great read with Locus’s October 27, 2026 new releases video, featuring a fresh selection of books across Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult fiction.

This week’s newest titles bring readers everything from extraordinary futures and magical adventures to disturbing nightmares, eerie supernatural mysteries, and compelling tales of self-discovery. Explore the latest offerings in speculative fiction, find stories that catch your attention, and uncover exciting possibilities for your next reading obsession.

Follow Locus and subscribe for weekly looks at new book releases, noteworthy genre fiction, and discoveries from across the speculative fiction landscape. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to return next week for another roundup of fresh Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult titles!

Bouchercon has announced the winners of the 2026 Anthony Awards, honoring the best in crime fiction. Winners, along with their fellow nominees of SFF genre interest, include:

Harper Collins UK has announced a New Adult imprint, Wildlit. The imprint will publish “unabashedly bold, commercial and page-turning fiction,” with “romance as the thread that ties” their titles together. Publisher Lindsey Heaven and publishing director Sarah Levinson will run the new imprint, with first titles expected June 2027. This comes after the July announcement of the MoonFire imprint.

Heavens said,

Establishing our New Adult imprint, Wildlit, and bringing such exciting talent on to the list has been a long-held dream of ours and we’re thrilled to seize this perfect moment to launch. Wildlit will be bold, commercial and dedicated to irresistibly addictive stories that capture the intensity of New Adulthood. With an exceptional roster of authors already in place and an ambitious acquisition program underway, we’re hugely excited about the big impact we know that Wildlit will have on the New Adult market.

From more information, including the imprint’s initial list of authors, see the Wildlit announcement.

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

Buba, Gabrielle: Of Stolen Pearls and Broken Rice (PS Publishing / Absinthe Books 978-1803945934, £20.00, 120pp, formats: hardcover, 11/01/2026)

Historical fantasy novella. In occupied Manila during WW2, witch Isa-Gani inherits a Famine spirit from her dying uncle. Signed, limited hardcover edition of 200.

Cady, Jack: Hooch Tuesday (Fairwood Press 978-1958880456, $30.00, 204pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 11/01/2026)

Satirical fantasy novel. Misfits and outcasts, including a DAR witch and a talking bulldozer, deal with mishaps like a grenade delivery. An early work of the author, never before published. Introduction by Gordon Van Gelder.

Dutton, Alysandra: The Stolen Women (Harlequin/Park Row 978-0778306801, $30.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Historical novel with speculative elements. When the Sabine women around her start disappearing, Safinia sets out to figure out why, and is helped by a mysteriously knowledgeable stranger named Livy. Copyrighted by Sarah Alysandra Dutton.

Feldman, Stephanie: The Night Parade and Other Stories (Fairwood Press 978-1958880432, $19.99, 264pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Collection of horror stories. Mid-Atlantic tales of friendships, families and grief with a feminist twist, including the titular novella about a young widow trying to bring her husband back. The author’s first collection.

Fracassi, Philip: Overpass (PS Publishing / Absinthe Books 978-1803945897 , £20, 144pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, 11/01/2026)

Horror novella. When an earthquake strands them on a collapsing LA overpass, commuters also discover that one of them has a mutilated corpse in the trunk. Limited, signed hardcover edition of 200.

Gregory, Daryl: The Porcelain Sisters (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964719, $17.95, 208pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/27/2026)

Humorous dark fantasy/horror novella. Ruth accidentally damages her porcelain-doll sister Isabel, and must overcome a ruthless Clan des Sorcières as she seeks the witch known as the Dollmaker.

Iijima, Brenda: Shelter is Necessary for Existence (Two Dollar Radio 978-1953387592, $18.95, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Satirical horror novel. A family buys and renovates a Brooklyn brownstone, but after they move in Sue learns of the mysterious deaths of the previous residents, the house starts to bleed.

Kiernan, Caitlín R.: Gethsemane (Subterranean Press 978-1645243779, $40.00, 56pp, formats: hardcover, 10/31/2026)

Dark fantasy novelette set in the world of Threshold. Dancy Flammarion faces ancient sea threats at an abandoned alligator farm on the Florida-Georgia line. A signed, limited hardcover edition of 600.

Kvita, AM: An Uncertain Magic (Orbit US 978-0316586658, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Green Witch Cycle series. Joan, enjoying her otherwise tranquil life, has to deal with her best friend’s possession by a god — and a crush whose best friend is also possessed. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Langmead, Oliver K.: The Killing of a Chestnut Tree (Tordotcom 978-1250448613, $24.99, 176pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Fantasy novella. Dapper detective Havelock Harper and his partner Sebastian Wright investigate the murder of The Duke of Farleigh — only to discover The Duke is a tree.

Lee, Shannon & Lee, Fonda: Mark of the Warrior (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250902702, $21.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, second in the Breathmarked duology. Li Jun tries to find his mother and twin brother, and is forced to make uneasy allies on the Council of Virtue. Based on characters and themes created by Bruce Lee, and copyrighted by Bruce Lee Enterprises. Ebook also available.

Lee, Yoon Ha: Code and Codex (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668059975, $29.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Space opera novel. Valentina works for the Censorate empire and its ruler Aurelia, extracting useful information from forbidden languages and then destroying them.

Liang, Ann: To Dream in Darkness (St. Martin’s 978-1250289483, $32.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Historical fantasy novel. Rujia, the healing god, makes a deal with Death, offering to free him in exchange for a reprieve of her sentence. Simultaneous with the Macmillan/Tor UK edition.

Lovecraft, H.P.: Lurking Fear and Other Early Terrors (Skyhorse/Talos 978-1945863462, $16.99, 576pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/27/2026)

Collection of cosmic horror stories. Includes “all your Lovecraft favorites,” including “The Outsider,” “Dagon,” “The Shadow over Innsmouth,” and “The Dunwich Horror.”

Maas, Sarah J.: A Court of Splintered Harmony (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639739134, $32.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Fantasy novel, sixth in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and Movement I in The Valkyrie Cycle (3 Movements). Betrayals rock the Night Court, and Koschei the Deathless wakes in his mountain lake.

McGinnis, Mindy: What Rough Beast (HarperCollins 978-0063370746, $19.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

YA horror. Outcast Ava distracts herself from a traumatic event in her past by working at a wildlife rehabilitation center, where she accidentally awakens an underground entity.

McKenna, Juliet E.: The Riven Kingdom (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730378, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Fantasy novel. When the king dies without an heir, two princesses vie for the throne of Arafaze, while the land’s Priests and Priestesses are drawn into the struggle.

Medina, Nick: Savage Lake (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593952177, $30.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Horror novel. Nell returns to Torchlight Lake where her estranged father died, but a road barricade traps her and her teenage son Oscar there for weeks, and she starts acting strange.

Mohamed, Premee & Sim, Jonathan: From the Library of Jurgen Leitner (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 979-8217092635, $30.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Horror novel in the Magnus Archives universe. Research assistant Hugh and acquisition specialist Sebastian work in Jurgen Leitner’s ominous private library years apart, but their stories intertwine. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK edition.

Ntekim, Ikwo: Where We Go At Night (HarperCollins 978-1335453853, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

YA fantasy novel. Trixie lives in Woods Crossing, a town where everything is perfect except the dangerous fae in the forest; one night, she sees her grandfather murdered in supernatural circumstances.

Otto, Braidee: Daughter of the Tempest (Penguin Random House/Dial 979-8217153855, $28.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Myths of the Empyrieos series. Betrayed and declared a traitor, Aella goes on the run with a stranger who promises to help her harness her powers.

Piper, Hailey: She Isn’t Herself Tonight (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668077122, $17.99, 256pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Horror novel. Rabbit is abducted by aliens every ten years, but as her life gets worse and her boyfriend evicts her, the aliens have yet to show up.

Ryan, Anthony: The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories (Subterranean Press 978-1645243632, $48.00, 264pp, formats: hardcover, 10/31/2026)

Collection of dark fantasy stories set in the world of The Seven Swords saga. A hero seeks to end his curse at the Scarlet Ziggurat, a thief queen leads her army to the Tomb of the Corpse King, and more.

Schoenbrun, Jane: Public Access Afterworld (Penguin Random House/Hogarth US 978-0593978382, $33.00, 608pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

SF horror novel. Throughout the decades, scattered people in Texas start to receive transmissions from Public Access Afterworld. Author is a noted director. A first novel.

Stech, Joe: Think Weirder 02: The Year’s Best Science Fiction Ideas (CSF Press 978-1949787054, $18.00, , formats: paperback, ebook, 10/29/2026)

Year’s best anthology of “concept-driven” SF published in 2025. Includes stories by stories by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Thomas Ha, Isabel J. Kim, Rich Larson, and more.

Stein, Charlotte: Falling for a Villainous Vampire (St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250352378, $18.99, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Paranormal romance novel, third standalone book in the Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures series. Vampire Halsten, after stalking Marley Maples, follows her to Hollow Brook, where he forgets his undead life and wants to woo her.

Sui, A.D.: Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends (ECW Press 978-1770418912, $19.95, 312pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Apocalyptic SF novel. On a floating trash island, Cassandra works on her plastic-dissolving fungi, but is arrested when her ex-lover Yana (expert in escapist parallel-timeline drug deleria) is murdered.

Talabi, Wole: The Fist of Memory (Astra House/DAW 978-0756418243, $29.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Science fiction thriller novel. Assassin Tope, working for witchdoctor Baba, is caught up in a high-stakes global power struggle when an alien spacecraft appears in the sky. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

Tan, Sue Lynn: For Ever More (Little, Brown 978-0316576239, $19.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Yining flees to her ancestral home to seek the truth about her new powers, but is hunted by the queen now on the throne of the Three Kingdoms. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK/Hodderscape edition.

Warren, Kaaron: Going to Summertime (Meerkat Press 978-1965740156, $16.95, 106pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/27/2026)

Horror novella. Salon workers go on a team-building trip in the abandoned houses on Summerland Place, finding ghosts of many types.

White, Andrew Joseph: You’re No Better (Peachtree Teen 978-1682638224, $21.99, 334pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/27/2026)

Young-adult horror thriller novel. Trying to prove he’s better than his serial-killer father, trans teen Morgan sets out to unravel what happened to his father’s final, never-found victim. Simultaneous with the Daphne Press UK edition.

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.

Matt Dinniman’s dominance of our hardcover list continues with Dinniman taking seven out of the top 10 spots, including the top two books – A Parade of Horribles in first place, and The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook in second. Sarah Beth Durst’s Sea of Charms (Bramble), the third book in her cosy romantasy series The Spellshop, was our first runner-up. There were 36 nominated titles, down from 51 last month.

In a repeat of last month’s ranking, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman held onto our top spot, followed by Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. There were no runners-up. Thirty-six titles were nominated, down from last month’s 72.

Due to diffused voting, no book received enough votes to appear on our Media- and Gaming-related Books list. We had 18 titles nominated, down from 20 last month.

Compiled with data from: Bakka-Phoenix (Canada), Book Moon (MA), Borderlands (CA), McNally Robinson (two in Canada), White Dwarf (Canada).

Data period: July 2026.

The World Fantasy Awards winners were presented at a ceremony in Oakland CA, held on October 25, 2026, during the 2026 World Fantasy Convention.

Best Novel

This year’s judges are Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, Tamsyn Muir, Madeleine E. Robins, Richard Thomas, and Ann VanderMeer. For more information, see the WFC website.

August Clarke, The Felicity Complex (Erewhon 7/26) This darkly humorous SF dystopian satire pushes the concept of fembots to the limit. Six “women” bioengineered to serve billionaires in a Cold-War-era luxury fallout shelter start to rebel against their programming. All except Hallelujah, our heroine specimen. “The readers are left to wonder whether Hallelujah dreams of being a caretaker because it accords with the image of the feminine that she has been taught, or because it helps to allay her fears that she is actually a monster.” [Abigail Nussbaum]

Chuck Wendig, The Calamities (Del Rey 8/26) A contemporary dark fantasy that melds horror and shocking family drama from the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers. The first in The Fiends series. The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret of their power: they’re half-demon fiends with dark magic from buying human souls – but he’s considering a different path and has some interesting friends who might help.

Hawk, Shane & Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., eds. Never Whistle at Night Part II: Back for Blood (Penguin Random House/Vintage 8/26) This hair-raising second volume to the beloved Never Whistle at Night anthology consists of 21 dark stories by Indigenous authors, focusing all on all things horror. Authors include Kimberly Blaeser, Jessica Johns, Stephen Graham Jones, P.C. Verrone, and Joshua Whitehead. Foreword by Richard Van Camp; illustrated by Brent Learned.

James Patrick Kelly, The Book of Bots (Fairwood 8/26) Over the past 30 years, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author James Patrick Kelly has been thinking a lot about robots, hence this collection of 12 stories all about them and their many forms. Fans of Kelly’s long running column in Asimov’s will be interested in two new essays included here: “The Comedy of Science” on the history of robots in SF and “Robots on Parade 2026” focusing on current developments in robotics and AI.

Jo Walton, Everybody’s Perfect (Tor 6/26) This colorful fantasy novel is set in the Serenissima, a magical, shadow version of Venice, set at a cross­roads of nine worlds with nine different races/species who live together in the city. A laborer has a dream that the city will elect a magistrate who will marry the sea, and he passes his vision along, creating a chain of gossipers. Their shared beliefs shape the story which is told through all manners of sailors and seers, rogues and beggars, of all genders and forms.

M.R. Carey, The Tinder Box (Orbit US 6/26) The bestselling author of The Girl With All the Gifts brings us a dark fantasy novel inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. A former soldier works for a reclusive widow who is secretly a witch of great power. He finds a magical artifact on a dead demon’s body that has fallen out of the sky, a tinderbox that can grant wishes – and could change the world. A story of witchcraft, trickery, and devilish wickedness.

Natasha Pulley, The Salt King (Bloomsbury USA 6/26) This is a contemporary fantasy novel about religion and the power of belief from the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. A Jesuit priest returns to the small hometown he fled as a teen years later, investigating the strange death of a fellow priest, who was turned to salt after being healed. He learns that other strange events involving “salt light” have occurred in the mines where their god, the Salt King, is said to reside. The story unfurls into a global catastrophe, focusing on faith and apocalyptic magic with touches of queer romance.

Robert Jackson Bennett, A Trade of Blood (Del Rey 8/26) This is the third volume of Bennett’s popular Shadow of the Leviathan fantasy mystery series “starring the impishly grinning, cheerfully inappropriate genius detective Ana, and her earnest and somewhat emo assistant Din.” [Abigail Nussbaum] This entry has Ana and Dinios investigating murder charges against the heir to a powerful rancher, whose death could trigger war. “As in the previous volumes, the mystery is twisty and entertaining, carrying our heroes… from the halls of great families now fallen into ruin, to shrines to forgotten gods hidden in the depths of the forest, to crypts and mausoleums.” [Abigail Nussbaum]

Tlotlo Tsamaase, House of Margins (Erewhon 5/26) From the author of Womb City comes this contemporary horror novel featuring a promising young African writer who disap­pears during an exclusive writing residency at a colonial mansion. After her disappearance, her sister realizes that a new true crime podcast – sensationalized and surreal – contains details about exactly what happened. This haunting horror story is steeped in truths about the pub­lishing industry, racism, cultural appropriation, and online culture and utilizes a variety of sharp storytelling techniques.

Vonda N. McIntyre, The Curve of the World (Aqueduct 5/26) A stunning posthumous his­torical fantasy novel of bronze-age Minoan civilization: a former bull dancer is required by tradition to take her adopted son to meet his birth mother, an epic journey from the Mediterranean to a far land on the Pacific coast. “The Curve of the World has its moments of adventure and thrills – including one transcendently imagined mountain crossing – but is more fundamentally a patient story of a slower world. It is a world with violence and cruelty, but where good-faith dialogue offers rewards….” [Niall Harrison]

#noinsta

Ready to explore this week’s newest books? Our October 20, 2026 new releases video showcases a fresh wave of titles spanning Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult fiction.

From thrilling journeys through distant futures and imaginative fantasy settings to spine-chilling horror, unexplained supernatural phenomena, and engaging stories of growing up, this week’s arrivals offer plenty for readers to discover. Take a look at the latest in speculative fiction, uncover intriguing new authors and stories, and find your next addition to your ever-expanding TBR list.

Subscribe to Locus for weekly highlights of upcoming and newly released books, genre recommendations, and more from the world of speculative fiction. Thanks for watching! Join us again next week for another look at the newest Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult releases.

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) has announced the winners of the 2026 Dwarf Stars Awards, for speculative poetry of 10 lines or fewer, the 2026 Elgin Awards, presented for the best speculative poetry book and chapbook, and the 2026 Rhysling Awards for speculative poetry. The Dwarf Stars winners are:

Dwarf Stars

• First Place: “Concrete Cuneiform Poem #1”, Robert Frazier (Sublimation 1-2/25)

• Second Place: [bound with plaited grass], F. J. Bergmann (SFPA Poetry Contest ’25)
• Third Place: “What Black Holes Read”, Mary Soon Lee (Star*Line Summer ’25)

Honorable Mentions

• “Familiar Spirit”, Sarah Cannavo (SpecPoVerse 4/25)
• “The Point of Measurement”, Lynne Sargent (Baubles from Bones Fall ’25)
• “Mushroom lung”, Yuliia Vereta (Star*Line Fall ’25)

Jean-Paul L. Garnier is the 2026 Dwarf Stars editor. Nominees and winners are chose by SFPA memebers.

Elgin Awards

Best Full-Length Book

• First Place: Everything Endless, Linda D. Addison & Jamal Hodge (Raw Dog Screaming)

• Second Place: Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud, Lee Murray (The Cuba)
• Third Place: Sleepless Nights in the Dreamers, Herb Kauderer (Island of Wak-Wak)

Best Chapbook

• First Place: The Women of Myth, M. Frost (Island of Wak-Wak)

• Second Place: Over It: Goddesses Who’ve Reached Their Limit, Gerri Leen (Island of Wak-Wak)
• Third Place: Risk Assessment, David C. Kopaska-Merkel (Island of Wak-Wak)

Eliza Claudia Filimon and Miguel O. Mitchell are the 2026 Elgin chairs. Nominees are chosen by SFPA members.

Rhysling Awards

Short Poem Category

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

Barnes, J.S.: Ebenezer Scrooge: Ghost Hunter (Titan Books UK 978-1803362946, $27.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/20/2026)

Horror novel. Seven years after the events of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge now works as an eradicator of troublesome spirits.

Blacke, Olivia: The Key to a Killer (St. Martin’s/Minotaur 978-1250336736, $29.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Supernatural mystery novel, third in the Ruby and Cordelia series. Roommates and co-investigators Ruby (living) and Cordelia (ghost) investigate their most difficult case yet: Cordelia’s own hazily-remembered death.

Blackwood, Lauren: Knight of the God King (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250891167, $21.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Aspiring knight Calliope and her handsome squire Beric are drawn into the schemes and secrets of a God King, who’s been waging war with something called The Dark for centuries.

Blake, Olivie & Adams, John Joseph: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2026 (HarperCollins/Mariner 978-0063441521, $19.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Year’s best anthology, 12th in the series, with stories from 2025 by authors including Thomas Ha, Sarah Langan, Naomi Kanakia, and Alex E. Harrow. Introduction by guest editor Blake; foreword by series editor John Joseph Adams, who also provides a list of additional notable stories.

Card, Orson Scott: Ender’s Tribe (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228744219, $29.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Collection of 8 science fiction stories from the Ender Universe. Includes the original story version of “Ender’s Game.”

Clarke, Susanna: The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City (Bloomsbury Circus US 978-1639739813, $16.99, 96pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Fantasy short story set in the universe of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Faeiries attacking medieval Durham surround it with trees, and the savvy Bishop seeks the new King, leader of the fairy host. llustrations by Victoria Sawdon. Simultaneous with the Bloomsbury Circus UK edition.

Cooke, C.J.: House of Cursed Daughters (HarperCollins UK 979-0008775681, $20.00, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/22/2026)

Historical supernatural novel. In 1312, 1865, and 2026, three women in England and France confront terrifying curses and madness.

Daniel, Katherine: When the Night Comes Knocking (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217191338, $30.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Horror novel. Siblings Jane and Thomas, estranged after a near-fatal accident, encounter a mutilated man at a gas station in the North Georgia Appalachians.

Dewitt, Amanda: Devil’s Advocate: The Anti-Divine Comedy (Peachtree Teen 978-1682638682, $19.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

YA contemporary fantasy novel. Ada Faust, daughter of the devil, attempts to become her father’s successor by sabotaging a do-gooder senator, only to fall for Hasan, a half-angelic intern.

Everson, John: The Witching House (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1805520238, $26.95, 366pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/20/2026)

Horror novel. Giana tests an urban legend by writing the name “Madelyn” in blood on the mirror, only for Madelyn to appear and demand revenge for her murder.

Foster, Alan Dean: Lost on Paradise (Blackstone Publishing 979-8236033794, $32.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

SF novel. Trash scavengers Jonos and Liina try to escape polluted Earth for the alien-run planet Paradise, which they’ve seen in videos.

Grothe, Taylor: Lethal Kiss (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250433879, $19.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Horror romance novel. A new hire at Preston University, Marcella is a monster that feeds on humans, but a spate of murders that don’t involve her cause her to align with desperate postdoc Lacie. Simultaneous with the Macmillan/Tor Nightfire UK edition.

Harrow, Alix E.: The Slantwise Histories and Other Stories (Tordotcom 978-1250345363, $29.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Collection of stories, centered around alternate timelines and pasts. Includes 5 new stories and Hugo-winner “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies.”

Hellmund, Wanda: Our Dark Incantations (Ace 979-8217190737, $32.00, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. In a university of deadly magic and demonology, ex-healer Mira encounters Aidric, a frustratingly handsome soldier, only to discover a mystery that threatens the kingdom.

Kikic, Natalie: The Haunting of Lavender House (Harlequin/Park Row 978-0778307198, $30.00, 162pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Horror novel. Magdalena, a healer in 1895 Croatia, is suspected of being a witch; in 2026 Petra learns that her Croatian grandmother is still alive, living in their ancestral home surrounded by lavender fields.

King, Ani: Family Night (Mason Jar Press 978-0951853259, $21.00, 156pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/20/2026)

Collection of 52 magical realist flash-fiction stories. Queerness, family, and retro oddness center in tales, including a girl summoning her missing mother with yacht rock and a woman tries to raise daughters from the bones of her rabbits.

Marie, I.V.: Twisted Vows (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217234530, $17.99, 192pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, third in The Souls of Blackwood Academy series. Wren is dropped at the gates of Blackwood, a school in purgatory, and is assigned a project with bad boy August.

Morris, Mark: Ghost Lights (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1805520115, $26.95, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 10/20/2026)

Horror anthology, 7th in the ABC of Horror series. Contains 20 original stories by Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, Rachel Harrison, and more.

Onoh, Nuzo: The Turning of Sally-Mae (Titan Books UK 978-1-835416075, $18.99, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Horror novel. Assaulted and impregnated by wealthy ranch heirs, Sally-Mae Jenkins is sent from Texas to Africa on a missionary ship, and her unborn twins become the focus of Aja-Mmo, a spirit entity who’s also claimed local healer Amara.

Qurratulayn: Soot & Sacrifice (Page Street 979-8890035028, $22.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Young-adult historical horror novel, second in the Blood & Breat duology. Evan Wilde got her revenge, but in the process unwittingly freed many devils from their Necro masters, and must team up with Rhys to stop the devil Jack.

Raughley, Sarah: The Queen’s Command (HarperCollins 978-0063344433, $19.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Young-adult historical fantasy. Victorian courtier and heiress Vicky Davis attends Cheltenham Ladies College, where a secret game among senior girls allegedly grants the winner’s wish.

Robert, Katee: The Tarot Trials (Tor 978-1250412355, $32.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Tarot Trials series. Kestrel, daughter of the executed Moon Champion, enters the deadly Tarot Trials to try to find the other Champion who killed her mother. Simultaneous with the Macmillan/Tor UK edition.

Singer, Alex T.: Angel Country (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668216521, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/20/2026)

Historical horror novel. Scientist Ada Franklin wakes in her own grave in 1904 and finds her lab abandoned and her life’s work — a device that enables human-angel communication — missing.

Woodroe, Alex: Tatratea (Clash Books 978-1968043360, $17.95, 164pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/20/2026)

Eco-horror novel. Armed with gear and sanity-check protocols, researcher Errata investigates strange signals coming from Tatratea, an abandoned Romanian manner, while the world outsidegoes insane.

Wynne, Douglas: Wellspring (Promethean 979-8995262510, $20.00, 318pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/26/2026)

Folk horror novel. Three former bandmates, fans of the classic rock band Bad Mother, investigate their friend Adam’s disappearance, all surrounding an infamous well that inspired Bad Mother’s magnum opus and drove its lead singer to madness.

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LAcon V, the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention, received 2,492 valid ballots (two paper), up from 1,962 at Seattle Worldcon 2025. There were 1,488 nominating ballots received (six paper), up from 1,338 last year.

The procedure for counting nominations remains the E Pluribus Hugo, or EPH, system, instituted in 2017 to help reduce the effect of bloc voting. The rather complicated system gives a single point to each voter’s ballot, dividing that point among the nominees. The points are counted, the two nominees with the fewest points are compared, and (points notwithstanding) the one with the fewest nominations (votes) is dropped. The process repeats until down to six finalists; the last position on the ballot is determined strictly by votes unless there’s a tie. This system complicates discussing how close a runner-up was to making the ballot, as some nominees might have eliminated others earlier on if they’d had just a few more points. We used to try to determine ourselves how far back the closest runner-up to the ballot was, but for the last several years the official nomination statistics have included their own determination of the margin by which the last place on the final ballot was decided, and we’re using those summations.

Once again, it’s time to explain the Australian ballot preference system (also called ranked voting or ‘‘Instant Runoff Voting’’) used for the Hugo Awards. First-place votes (including those for No Award) are counted in column one. If no entry has the majority of the vote then the entry with the fewest votes is dropped (e). The dropped entry’s second-place votes now become first-place votes (column two) and the process is repeated until a nominee has a majority of the votes (usually six drops, with six finalists), deciding first place. Second place is determined by dropping the winner, counting their second-place votes as if they were first, etc. Therefore, the item that originally placed second doesn’t necessarily win second place. Likewise, third place is decided by dropping both first- and second-place winners, promoting the next eligible entry, and counting all over again. The system ensures that the winner is liked by a majority of voters, even though it may not have received a majority of first-place votes.

BEST NOVEL

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow won easily, starting with the most first-place votes and holding the lead through all six rounds of voting to take first place. The Incandescent by Emily Tesh, which had the most nominations, then took second place in similar fashion. Third place was more of a contest, with The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson leading in the first two rounds, only to see A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett take the lead in the last two rounds. The Raven Scholar then took fourth place in three rounds without challenge. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor took fifth in a single round, and Shroud followed in sixth. The closest runner-up to the ballot was Katabasis by R.F. Kuang, which needed three more nominations to make the ballot. This was Harrow’s seventh Hugo nomination and second win.

BEST NOVELLA

Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots came in with the most nominations, the most first-place votes, and led through all six rounds to win. The rest of the places also went without significant challenge, with Annalee Newitz’s Automatic Noodle in second place, Freya Marske’s Cinder House in third, Naomi Novik’s The Summer House in fourth, T. Kingfisher’s What Stalks the Deep in fifth, and Olivia Waite’s Murder by Memory in sixth. The closest runner-up to the ballot was A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo, which needed 11 additional nominations to make the list. This is El-Mohtar’s third Hugo nomination and third win.

BEST NOVELETTE

‘‘Never Eaten Vegetables’’ by H.H. Pak led all the way to take the Hugo in six rounds. Second place saw a bit of a scuffle, with ‘‘Kaiju Agonistes’’ by Scott Lynch leading in the first two rounds, only to have ‘‘When He Calls Your Name’’ by Catherynne M. Valente pick up enough votes to move into the lead when ‘‘The Millay Illusion’’ by Sarah Pinsker dropped, and hold on to take second place in the fifth round. ‘‘Kaiju Agonistes’’ then led all the way in voting for third place. Fourth place saw a tie between ‘‘Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy’’ by Martha Wells (which had the most nominations and led the first round of voting) and ‘‘The Girl My Mother Is Leaving Me For’’ by Cameron Reed, which pulled up to tie in the third round. The Pinsker then ended up in sixth place. John Scalzi’s ‘‘3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years’’ was the closest runner-up, needing one nomination worth more than half a point to make the list. This is Pak’s first Hugo nomination and win.

BEST SHORT STORY

‘‘In My Country’’ by Thomas Ha led the voting all the way, taking the award in six rounds. Second place was more of a contest, with ‘‘Wire Mother’’ by Isabel J. Kim leading the first two rounds of voting, only to have ‘‘10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days’’ by Samantha Mills move into the lead in the third and fourth rounds; then the Kim surged ahead in the fifth round to snag second place. ‘‘Missing Helen’’ by Tia Tashiro then led all the way in voting for third; the Mills took fourth without a challenge. ‘‘Six People to Revise You’’ by J.R. Dawson, which had the most nominations, ended up in fifth place, and Effie Seiberg’s ‘‘Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything’’ followed in sixth. ‘‘Barbershops of the Floating City’’ by Angela Liu needed just one more nomination to make the ballot. This is Ha’s second Hugo nomination and his first win.

BEST SERIES

John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series started with a solid lead in first-place votes and held on to win the award in the sixth round. Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series led the first four rounds of voting for second place, but when Elizabeth Bear’s White Space dropped, enough of its votes went to Katherine Addison’s The Chronicles of Osreth (which had the most nominations) to push it into the lead, taking second place in the fifth round. The October Daye series then waltzed off with third place without a contest, Bear’s White Space took fourth in a bit of a squeaker with Max Gladstone’s The Craft Wars, which then took fifth in one round; Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde came in fifth. Two series got enough nominations to make the list, but were declared ineligible: Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut due to having fewer than 240,000 new words since its last appearance on the ballot in 2019, and Nghi Vo’s The Singing Hills Cycle due to having fewer than 240,000 words total. Because of the two dropped series, it’s difficult to determine the closest runner-up; T. Kingfisher’s Sworn Soldier needed two more nominations to make the ballot, but might not have enough words to be eligible; Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Dogs of War needed nine more nominations to make the ballot. This is Scalzi’s 14th Hugo nomination and fourth win (previous wins are for fan writer, related book, and novel).

BEST GRAPHIC STORY

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, based on Le Guin’s novel and adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham, led for all six rounds to take the Hugo. Things got a little more interesting in the voting for second place: The Space Cat, written by Nnedi Okorafor and illustrated by Tana Ford, led in the first two rounds, only to see Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon, written by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. pull ahead in the third and fourth round; then The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio dropped, and enough of its next votes went to The Space Cat for it to take second place. The Invisible Parade led the first two rounds of voting for third place, only to have Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon take the lead and keep it to take third in four rounds. The Invisible Parade, which had the most nominations, then led all the way in the voting for fourth place. The Power Fantasy Vol. 1: The Superpowers took fifth place in one round, and webcomic A Girl and Her Fed written by K.B. Spangler and illustrated by Ale Presser took sixth. The closest runner up is Who Killed Nessie? written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Rachael Smith, which needed two more nominations to make the ballot. This is Fred Fordham’s first nomination and win, as well as Ursula K. Le Guin’s 27th nomination and ninth win.

BEST RELATED WORK

Ada Palmer’s Inventing the Renaissance led from the first round and held on to win. Second place was mostly a contest between two titles: The Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, maintained by Renay, which led in the first two rounds, then tied in the third round with Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia Butler by Susana M. Morris, which pulled ahead in the fourth and took second in the fifth round. The Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom (which had the most nominations) took third place without a challenge, and Colourfields: Writing About Writing Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid took fourth. Essay ‘‘The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)’’ by Elizabeth Sandifer took fifth in one round, followed by ‘‘Ragnarök vs the Long Night’’ by Ashaya & Aziz in sixth. We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories About Political Protest, Resistance, and Hope edited by Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older needed eight more nominations to make the ballot. This was Palmer’s third Hugo nomination and first win.

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG FORM

Sinners started with the most nominations, the most first-place votes, and went unchallenged through six rounds of voting to take the Hugo. Second place went to Andor (Season 2) without a contest. KPop Demon Hunters trounced the opposition for third place, taking it in just three rounds. Superman led the first two rounds of voting for fourth place, only to lose to Frankenstein in the third and final round. Superman then snagged fifth, and Mickey 17 took sixth. The closest runner up was Pluribus, which needed either one more nomination, or for the series Andor to have been eliminated in favor of the Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form entries; enough nominations were made for Andor to make the ballot in either category, but more voters nominated the longer form than nominated individual episodes, so the Short Form nominees were eliminated. Under the same rules, Murderbot could have made the ballot here, but was eliminated in favor of the episodes in Short Form.

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – SHORT FORM

Murderbot: ‘‘All Systems Red’’ won with a dramatic display of dominance, coming in with the most nominations, a big lead in first-place votes, and building that lead to take the prize in only five rounds. Murderbot: ‘‘The Perimeter’’ similarly took second place in just four rounds. Pluribus: ‘‘We Is Us’’ led all the way in the voting for third place; Severance: ‘‘Cold Harbor’’ tooks fourth without challenge. Doctor Who: ‘‘The Story & the Engine’’ only needed one round to take fifth place, followed by The Wheel of Time: ‘‘The Road to the Spear’’ in sixth. A number of items that could have made the ballot were dropped; as mentioned in the previous category, three Andor episodes were dropped here in favor of having the series on the Long Form ballot. Due to the limit on the number of episodes of the same show on the final ballot, Murderbot: ‘‘Free Commerce’’ was dropped at the showrunners’ request. This many changes make it effectively impossible to determine the next runner up, or how far back it was, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: ‘‘A Space Adventure Hour’’ was next on the list by number of nominations, at least nine nominations back of the ballot.

BEST GAME OR INTERACTIVE WORK

A clear favorite with voters, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had the most nominations, a big lead in first-place votes, and held on to win in six rounds. Second place had Blue Prince leading through the first three rounds of voting, but Hades II managed to pick up a 20-vote lead in the fourth round, holding on to take second in the fifth round. Blue Prince then took third place without challenge, Hollow Knight: Silksong similarly took fourth, Dispatch took fifth in one round, leaving Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector in sixth. Split Fiction was the closest runner-up, needing 11 more nominations to make the ballot.

BEST EDITOR – SHORT FORM

Neil Clarke won easily, starting with the most nominations and a solid lead in first-place votes that only grew through six rounds of voting. Sheila Williams took second place with similar ease. Third place ended in a tie; Jennifer Brozek had a slim lead over Michael Damien Thomas in the first two rounds, but Thomas pulled ahead by two points in the third, only to have Brozek pull up to tie in the fourth round. Lee Harris then took fifth place in one round, and Scott H. Andrews ended up sixth. John Joseph Adams needed six more nominations to make the ballot. Clarke now has 18 Hugo nominations and eight wins overall; this is his 14th nomination and fifth win in this category.

BEST EDITOR – LONG FORM

Diana M. Pho started with a slim lead in the first few rounds of voting, but held on and grew that lead to win in six rounds. Lee Harris, who had the most nominations coming in, then took second place without serious challenge. Third place was more of a contest; Carl Engle-Laird led the first two rounds of voting, but then Jaymee Goh pulled ahead in the third round and took third in the fourth round. Engle-Laird then led through three rounds of voting to snag fourth place, Jenni Hill followed in fifth, and Joe Monti in sixth. Lindsey Hall declined nomination in this category; the closest runner-up was Navah Wolfe, three nominations back of the ballot. This was Diana M. Pho’s fifth Hugo nomination and third win.

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

Another category with a clear winner from the start: John Picacio came in with the most nominations, a big lead in first-place votes, and won without serious challenge in six rounds. Second place saw a scuffle between three contenders: Tran Nguyen led the first four rounds of voting, with Tom Roberts running second for the first two rounds, then Kelly Chong moved up into second place for the third and fourth rounds and then took the lead in the fifth and final round. Tran Nguyen led all the way to take third place in four rounds. Tom Roberts claimed fourth place in a single round, Dave Kellett snagged fifth place in one round, and Lulu Chen followed in sixth place. Maurizio Manzieri needed just one more nomination to make the ballot. Picacio now has four wins out of 19 Hugo nominations (16 in this category). Next year, the name of this category will change to Best Artist in Professional Illustration.

BEST SEMIPROZINE

Uncanny won without a fight, leading through all six rounds of voting. None of the places in this category saw any real contest: Strange Horizons, which had the most nominations, placed second, followed by Escape Pod in third, and Khōréō in fourth. On Spec took fifth place in a single round, leaving The Deadlands to take sixth. Beneath Ceaseless Skies declined nomination. The Sunday Morning Transport was the first runner-up, needing four more nominations to make the ballot. This is the 11th nomination for Uncanny and the ninth win.

BEST FANZINE

The voting started with An Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog having the most nominations and the lead in first-place votes, a lead it kept through four rounds, but when Journey Planet dropped out nerds of a feather flock together picked up enough votes to move into the lead and win in the sixth round. The rest of the places went without challenge: An Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog coasted into second place in the usual five rounds, Ancillary Review of Books took third, Journey Planet fourth, Intergalactic Mixtape took fifth, and Galactic Journey sixth. The closest runner-up was The Rec Center, 11 nominations away from the ballot. This was the eighth nomination and third win for nerds of a feather flock together.

BEST FANCAST

Worldbuilding for Masochists led through the first five rounds of voting, only to have Hugo, Girl! pull off a last minute surge and win in the sixth round with a nine-point lead. Worldbuilding for Masochists had to settle for taking second place without challenge, followed by Eating the Fantastic taking third in similar fashion. Octothorpe, which had the most nominations, came in fourth. The Coode Street Podcast took fifth place in a single round, and A Meal of Thorns ended up in sixth place. The Sword and Laser needed 13 more nominations to make the ballot. This is the fourth nomination and second win for Hugo, Girl!

BEST FAN WRITER

James Davis Nicoll led the first three rounds of voting, only to see Jason Sanford vault into the lead in the fourth round and build that lead to win in the sixth round. Nicoll then led the first four rounds of voting for second place, only to have Roseanna Pendlebury grab the lead in the fifth and final round. Nicoll then took third place without a fight. Örjan Westin followed in fourth place, Alex Brown in fifth, and Jay Brantner (AKA ‘‘Tar Vol’’) in sixth. There was some confusion about Brantner’s name; this was his first time on the ballot and most of his nominations were variations on TarVolon or Tar Vol, only five including any part of ‘‘Jay Brantner’’, who said he preferred to have his real name on the ballot; initially the Hugo Administration team tried to avoid confusion for fans who didn’t know the author’s real name by using ‘‘Jay Brantner (for ‘Tar Vol On’)’’, but on further discussion settled on the version with (AKA ‘‘Tar Vol’’) to make it clear Tar Vol is a pseudonym. The closest runner-up is Cora Buhlert, two nominations away from the ballot. This is Jason Sanford’s seventh Hugo nomination and first win.

BEST FAN ARTIST

Yuumei came in with the most nominations, a big lead in first-place votes, and held the lead to win in just five rounds. Geneva Bowers led all the way in the voting for second place, Sara Felix took third place in the same style, Richard Man then took fourth in only two rounds, España Sheriff grabbed fourth in one round, and Terri Ash followed in sixth. Brad Foster needed two more nominations to make the ballot. This was Yuumei’s first nomination and win.

BEST POEM

‘‘Hex Supply Customer Support Log’’ by Elis Montgomery led all the way through six rounds of voting to win. All of the places in this category went without challenge: ‘‘How to Become a Sea Witch’’ by Theodora Goss took second, ‘‘Care for Lightning’’ by Mari Ness (which had the most nominations) was third, ‘‘The World to Come’’ by Jennifer Hudak was fourth, ‘‘The Mourning Robot’’ by Angela Liu took fifth in a single round, and ‘‘Landing: Seattle’’ followed in sixth. The closest runner-up was ‘‘the jacarandas are unimpressed by your show of force’’ by Gwynne Garfinkle, two nominations away from the ballot. This is Elis Montgomery’s first nomination and win. The Best Poem category was a special Hugo Award for both Seattle Worldcon 2025 and LAcon V; a special amendment to make the category permanent got its first passage in 2025 and was ratified in 2026, becoming effective in 2027; it will need to be re-ratified in 2029.

LODESTAR AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK (NOT A HUGO)

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins had the most nominations, started the voting with a solid lead in first-place votes, and held onto the lead for five rounds, only to lose to Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee, which had the fewest nominations and was only fourth in first-place votes, but picked up enough votes when other titles dropped, particularly They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran, to pull ahead in the final round. This is one of the interesting effects of the Australian voting system – even big bestsellers with lots of first-place votes can have trouble winning if they don’t have support lower down on the ballot. Sunrise on the Reaping then started in the lead in the voting for second place, but Among Ghosts by Rachel Hartman pulled ahead in the fifth round (again, after the Tran dropped) to take second place. The Collins again led the first three rounds of voting for third place, but it was Tran’s turn to pull ahead in the last round. The Collins then ended up taking fourth place, just two votes ahead of Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen, which then took fifth, leaving Oathbound by Tracy Deonn in sixth. Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee needed just one more nomination, or 0.18 points, to make the ballot. This was C.B. Lee’s first Lodestar nomination and win.

ASTOUNDING AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER (NOT A HUGO)

Antonia Hodgson started out with the most nominations, a big lead in first-place votes, and led throughout the voting to win. H.H. Pak took second place without challenge, Jared Pechaček took third in similar fashion, Sophie Burnham took fourth, Kamilah Cole landed fifth in a single round, and Molly O’Neill followed in fifth. Hodgson and O’Neill were the only two nominees not in their second year of eligibility. Hodgson herself questioned her elegibility in this category, as she has a number of previous novels, but since none of her earlier works had genre elements she was deemed eligible for her first work of SF/F, The Raven Scholar. Two other authors with enough nominations to make the ballot were ruled ineligible due to qualifying publication(s) before 2024: Barbara Truelove and Silvia Park. The closest runner-up was Carolyn Zhao, two nominations away from making the ballot.

–Carolyn F. Cushman

Searching for your next must-read? Our October 13, 2026 new books video explores the latest arrivals in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult fiction.

This week’s selection offers something for every kind of reader, from futuristic adventures and fantastical realms to terrifying tales, mysterious supernatural encounters, and captivating coming-of-age stories. Discover fresh additions to the world of speculative fiction and find new titles to spark your interest or earn a spot on your ever-growing reading list.

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REBECCA MATTE has joined kt literary. She was previously at Bradford Literary Agency.

MEGAN LALLY is now repre­sented by Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media. Lally’s “romantic gothic horror” To Death, We Dance and another title went to Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books at auction via Mandy Hubbard of Emerald City Literary Agency. UK rights sold to Pan Macmillan.

Death of the Author by NNEDI OKORAFOR and The Rush by BETH LEWIS are among the five titles shortlisted for the eighth annual Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award. The winner will be announced October 1, 2026 and receives a handmade glass bell and a cash prize of £2,000.

MARISSA LINGEN’s SF That Fatal Discontent sold to Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co via Kurestin Armada of Root Literary.

SARATOGA SCHAEFER sold Zeroth, “in which a chronically lonely artist signs up for an AI boyfriend beta test,” to Stephanie Manova at Podium Publishing via Amy Giuffrida of Belcastro Agency.

TAMSYN MUIR sold standalone fantasy Floralinda, “a subversive fairy tale blended with a desperate dungeon crawl” and expansion of novella Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower, to Carl Engle-Laird at Tor Books via Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Literary Agency. UK rights sold to Tor UK.

AI JIANG sold dark fantasy Vessel Eater, “pitched as Mulan meets The Ghost Bride,” to Vi­engsamai Fetters at Erewhon via Danai Christopoulou of The Tobias Literary Agency.

MICHAEL F. FLYNN’s The Shipwrecks of Time, “in which a man who has stayed alive since the early Middle Ages will stop at no length to keep his immortality a secret,” went to Shahid Mahmud at Caezik SF & Fantasy.

Four books in DEVNEY PER­RY’s dystopian City of Saint series went to Susan Barnes at Bramble for eight figures at auction via Ge­organa Grinstead of The Seymour Agency. UK rights went to Gillian Green at Bramble UK for seven figures at auction.

WILL WIGHT’s Overworld went to Lindsey Hall at Tor in a pre-empt via Seth Fishman of The Gernert Company (NA).

J.S. MERESMAA’s short story collection Tears for the Sea, trans­lated by Greta Katz and Christina Saarinen, went to Wizard’s Tower.

SARAH BETH DURST sold “cozy fantasy” The Ninth Life of an Erstwhile Witch and the fifth and sixth books in the Spellshop series to Ali Fisher and Dianna Vega at Bramble for seven figures via Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger. UK rights sold to Gillian Green at Tor UK via Chris Scheina at Macmillan.

AR FREDERIKSEN sold “coast­al gothic horror novel” Portrait of Two Women and another book to Daniel Carpenter at Titan Books via Christine Goss of FinePrint Literary Management.

CHARLIE N. HOLMBERG sold A Charm for Mythical Beasts, “a cozy fantasy version of All Creatures Great and Small” to Julia Elliott at Voyager; Holmberg’s contemporary fantasy romance Willow Vane went to Bria Ragin at Delacorte, both via Hayley Nus­baum and Joseph Veltre of Gersh Agency.

EUGEN BACON sold short story collection Betwixt, Children of the Storm: Sauútiverse Stories, and “Norse murder mystery no­vella” Jintu to Nick Wells at Flame Tree Collections.

SHANNA MILES’s contempo­rary fantasy The Witch of Star Jasmine went to Elizabeth Agy­emang at 47North via John Cusick of Folio Literary Management.

J.D. SOUTHWELL’s Ezra and the Forbidden Scroll, first in a dystopian epic fantasy series, plus two more books sold to Kei­sha Mennefee at Honey Blossom Press.

ANDROMEDA ROMANO-LAX’s Fixed Stars, a re-imagining of Sylvia Plath’s life, went to Alexa Wejko at Soho Press via Michelle Brower of Trellis Literary Manage­ment.

SARAH DAY sold Moonchaser, “a courier’s discovery of a forsaken body leads to a remote mining settlement strained by murder, ambition, and secrets,” to Mark Teppo at Underland Press.

LEGION20’s Supreme Magus and two more titles went to Rhett Bruno at Aethon & Vault. Damian Wassel will edit.

JKSMANGA sold My Vampire System and two more titles to Rhett Bruno at Aethon & Vault. Damian Wassel will edit. JKS­Manga sold The God Slayer with L.E. GRAVES to Bruno at Aethon & Vault in a separate deal with two more books via M.H.F. Saint of Achilles Literary Agency.

ANNA SHOMSKY’s The Abbey of Saint Zosimos went to Kayla Mullinax Puga at Ooligan Press. Isabel Matthews will edit.

REBECCA F. KENNEY’s Rift­walker duet sold to Kelly Smith at Zaffre via Nicole Resciniti of Alliance Rights Agency on behalf of Allyson D’Antonio at Midnight Rose.

ANNE BISHOP’s third book in the Isle of Wyrd series went to Anne Sowards at Ace via Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

ANDREA BARTZ sold specula­tive thriller Delete Your Account to Hilary Rubin Teeman at Bal­lantine via Alexandra Machinist of CAA.

DIANA PETERFREUND sold Ghost/Writer to Susan Barnes at Wildthorn with another title in a pre-empt via Kate Schafer Tester­man of kt literary.

MAX WALKER’s romantic fan­tasy Dating & Dragons went to Thaisheemarie Fantauzzi Pérez at Alcove Press via Kirsten Lang of Zeno Agency.

JAMES L. SUTTER’s Hearts Against the Machines, “a gay romance between a young medic and a newly paralyzed soldier in a field hospital for humanity’s doomed resistance after robots massacre civilization,” went to Marcy Harris at Alcove Press via Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

GRYFFIN MURPHY’s roman­tasy Ash’s Airborne Apothecary sold to Meg Hood at Bindery Books via Brent Taylor of TriadaUS Literary Agency.

CLAIRE WINN sold Shadecall­er, first in a romantic dystopian fantasy duology, and a second title to Amanda Ferreira and Stephanie Alleyne at Random House Canada via Kaitlyn Katsoupis of Belcastro Agency.

LEXI C. FOSS and ANNA FURY sold Rebel Bloodlines and an untitled book sold to Lizzie Poteet at Bantam Dell via Amy A. Collins of Talcott Notch Literary Services.

Brittany Ziegler writing as BRIT­TANY BADAHSS sold Salt Eden, “a selkie romantasy-eco thriller,” to Leah Wilson at Benbella Books via Amanda Elliott of Movable Type Management.

VICTORIA M. SORENSON sold An Immortal’s Grievance, “a gender-bent paranormal fantasy retelling of Dracula,” to Caroline Timmings at Alcove Press in a pre-empt via Liz Gettle of Myth Literary Agency (world).

E. CATHERINE TOBLER’s Sour Girl went to Tee Tate at City Owl Press via Jennie Goloboy of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

JENNIFER ASCIENZO’s The Golden Lord and The Butterfly Princess went to Tanya Anne Crosby at Primera.

ELIZABETH DEAR sold three books in the Shifter Guardians series to Sarah McCabe at Scarlett Press via Katie Reed of Katie Reed Literary.

ANASTASIA RYAN’s Ruin, first in the Daughters of the Black Tide trilogy, sold with two more titles to Meredith Wild at Page & Vine via Jess Gilbert of D4EO Literary Agency.

BREANNE RANDALL’s The Se­cret Society of Second Chance Magic went to Daniel Ehrenhaft at Blackstone Publishing via Natalie Lakosil of Looking Glass Literary & Media.

CHRISTINE WITCHER sold Congratulations, Your Fake Boy­friend Is Evil and another title to Kimberly Laws at Gallery via Brent Taylor while part of TriadaUS Liter­ary Agency.

AMALIE HOWARD’s The Eclipse in the Mirror and another book went to Liz Berry and Jillian Stein at Blue Box Press via Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

JENNIFER NATALYA FINK sold A Mischief to Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore at Bunny Presse via Amanda Annis of Trident Media Group.

CATRIONA WARD sold The Solitude, “a supernatural tale in which a personal assistant aboard a superyacht must try to survive the voyage as the affluent passengers are murdered one by one,” and another book to Kelly Lonesome at Nightfire via Robin Straus of Robin Straus Agency on behalf of Jenny Savill of Andrew Nurnberg Associates. UK rights went to Sophie Robinson at Night­fire UK via Jenny Savill of Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

MATS STRANDBERG’s “gothic folk horror” The Muse went to Michael Homler at St. Martin’s via Brittney Payer at Pan Macmillan on behalf of Elisabet Brannstrom of Grand Agency.

LUKE DUMAS sold Forever Home and Fury on the Waves to Loan Le at Atria via Maria Whelan of Mushens Entertainment.

BITTER KARELLA’s untitled gothic novel and another untitled campus novel sold to Angelica Chong at Run For It via Julie Gou­rinchas of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency.

MARIA TUREAUD’s Her Blood Is Ruin, pitched as reclaiming the folklore that inspired Dracula, to Elizabeth Trout at Kensington via Amy Giuffrida of Belcastro Agency.

M.I. MINAEVA’s Saint’s Hotel, “pitched as The Shining meets Silent Hill,” went to Bindery Books via Miriam Cortinovis of Ki Agency.

JEAN-BAPTISTE DEL AMO sold The Ravaged Night to Chris­topher Richards at Scribner via Laurence Laluyaux of Rogers, Coleridge & White.

JOSHUA BLACKWOOD sold Our Boy to Cassandra Thompson at Quill & Crow. Mathew Reyes will edit.

PHILIP FRACASSI sold short fiction collections Behold the Void, Beneath a Pale Sky, and No One is Safe to Alan Lastufka at Shortwave via Elizabeth Copps at Confluence Literary Agency.

ANIA AHLBORN sold supernat­ural novel Valerie to Ed Schlesing­er at Gallery via David Hale Smith of Inkwell Management.

STEVEN PATCHETT’s Flock for a Dead God went to Alex Woodroe at Tenebrous Press.

KRISTAL STITTLE sold The Devil’s Address to Alex Woodroe at Tenebrous Press.

CHRIS FORMANT and GARY M. KREBS’s Mortuary Tree, “where a scientist experimenting on combining human and plant DNA discovers an ancient ritual of burying humans inside hollowed trees to form a monstrous new hybrid species,” went to Anthony Ziccardi at Permuted Press.

TYLER JONES’s horror and supernatural short fiction col­lection Arson by Design sold to Mitch Hull at Rapture Trade via Elizabeth Copps of Confluence Literary Agency.

DAVID PEAK sold horror novel XLR8 to Benjamin DeVos at Apoc­alypse Party.

AIDEN THOMAS’s Remember Me, “a twist on Disney Pixar Coco for the Twisted Tales series,” went to Heather Knowles at Disney-Hyperion via Jennifer March Solo­way while part of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

I.V. MARIE sold Cursed and Crowned, first in a romantic high fantasy duology for young adults and another title to Lydia Gregovic at Delacorte via Ariele Fredman and Gwen Beal of UTA. UK rights sold to Sarah Levison at Electric Monkey via Stephanie Thwaites of Curtis Brown UK.

ALEXIS AURIGEMMA’s fantasy Sisters of Sun and Shadow went to Tamara Grasty at Page Street Kids via Elizabeth Copps of Con­fluence Literary Agency. Kumari Pacheco will edit.

A.K. LIM sold YA fantasy Gar­den of Venom and another book to Hoda Agharazi at Mayhem Books via Emily Forney of BookEnds. UK rights went to Rebecca Hilsdon at Michael Joseph.

EMMA CLANCEY sold YA con­temporary fantasy This Blood Will Betray Us to Claire Stetzer at Amulet via Jim McCarthy of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

LOLA STVIL sold Rage of An­gels and at least one other book to Kwame Alexander at Kwame Alexander Books via Allison Rem­check of Stimola Literary Studio. Margaret Raymo will edit.

OLIVIA SUN’s paranormal fan­tasy We Rose from the Sea and another book went to Alvina Ling at Alvina Ling Books in a pre-empt via Gwen Beal of UTA.

SCOTT REINTGEN sold Tita­nos, an SF retelling of the Titanic, to Kate Prosswimmer at Margaret K. McElderry Books via Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency.

JULIA ALEXANDRA sold duol­ogy Hunt the Wild Night and Tame the Vengeful Dark to Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books via Ellen Goff of HG Literary.

HELEN COMERFORD’s The Cafe at the End of the World went to Amber Flame at Generous Press via Christabel McKinley of David Higham Associates. Elaina Ellis will edit. UK rights went to Bloomsbury UK Children’s.

SAYANTANI DASGUPTA’s Daughter of the Sun and another title went to Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree via Brent Taylor while part of TriadaUS Literary Agency.

EMMA LORD sold MJ Loves Spider-Man to Brittany Rubiano at Random House Children’s via Luci­enne Diver of The Knight Agency.

RENA BLAKE sold debut novel Nostalgia, “in which a woman living in a world engineered to erase overstimulation discovers a forbidden word—nostalgia,” to Jen Monroe at Berkley at auction via Emma Leong of Janklow & Nesbit UK.

CONSTANTIN FLORIN BOS­NEAG’s debut, space opera House of Wolves went to Lawrence Knorr at Hellbender Books.

CORVIN A. DOUPAGNE’s de­but, “queer dark academia fantasy” The Academy of Macabre Arts went to Elana Gibson at Alcove Press via Rebecca Podos of Neigh­borhood Literary.

MICHELLE DENHAM’s debut Hell Princess and another book sold to Amy Baxter at Avon UK via Michelle Hauck of Storm Literary Agency.

S.H. CARE’s debut, romantasy The Edge of the Blade sold to Maxine Shen at Alcove Press via Laura Bennett of Liverpool Liter­ary Agency.

CLAIRE GAYLE and MIKE GAY­LE sold debut Not Quite Myself to Leah Mol at Park Row Books in a pre-empt via Amy Mitchell of United Agents on behalf of Ariella Feiner. UK rights went to Clare Gordon at HQ at auction.

CHRISTINA GONZALES sold debut Tongues, “a work of super­natural femgore and body horror,” to Ed Schlesinger at Gallery via Ron Eckel of CookeMcDermid.

JONATHAN MARX’s debut Bump in the Night went to Randall Lotowycz at Quirk Books.

SOPHIA ESCAJEDA sold debut Sins of Levaria to Jean Lowd at Creative James.

EMILY VALE’s debut Wild Thing went to Cassandra Thomp­son at Quill & Crow.

NATASHA MIHELL sold debut, “sapphic, gothic horrormance” Malivestra to Marcy Harris at Alcove Press via Clara Chuiton of The Rights Factory.

CLARE OGAWA sold debut This Town Will Eat You Alive to Dina Davis at Hanover Square Press in a pre-empt via Jenny Bent and James Mustelier of The Bent Agency.

ANNALEE NEWITZ sold no­vella Noodle Union, a sequel to Automatic Noodle, to Stephanie Stein at Tordotcom via Laurie Fox of Linda Chester Literary Agency.

CHERYL S. NTUMY, XAN VAN ROOYEN, and J. UMEH will edit Sauúti Love Songs for Nick Wells at Flame Tree Press via Bieke van Aggelen at African Literary Agency.

ELLEN DATLOW will edit an­thology Dark End of the Street, featuring Dana Cameron, Clay McLeod Chapman, Rachel Har­rison, Nick Mamatas, George Sandison, and others, for R.B. Wood at Ruadán via Merrilee Heifetz of Writers House. Datlow will also edit anthology Bad Sex for Tachyon Publications.

JOHN JOSEPH ADAMS and OLIVIE BLAKE will edit dark academia anthology Forbidden Knowledge, featuring authors such as Alix E. Harrow, Alexis Hen­derson, Ken Liu, and Emily Tesh, for David Pomerico at Voyager via Seth Fishman of The Gernert Company for Adams and Amelia Appel at TriadaUS Literary Agency for Blake.

THOMAS HA sold novella Sons of Nod to Avery Davis at Tordot­com via Michael Curry of Donald Maass Literary Agency. Ann Van­derMeer will edit.

KIRSTY THOMAS is now the Assistant Publisher of Uncanny Magazine.

SHELDON TEITELBAUM has been appointed senior editor of BC BookWorld.

Qilin Press has established the Linda D. Addison Speculative Poetry Fellowship, an award that,

“supports BIPOC poets developing unpublished and in‑progress speculative poetry collections. The fellowship awards $1000 to one poet whose work demonstrates visionary depth, thematic strength, and artistic growth potential, recognizing the essential leadership of BIPOC poets in shaping contemporary speculative poetry.”

Applications open January 18, 2027, requiring a collection of 10 unpublished speculative poems. The fellowship recipient will be announced late September 2027.

For more information on the fellowship, see the Qilin Press website.

The nominees and honorable mentions have been announced for the Frank R. Paul Awards, which honor “outstanding work in book and magazine cover art.”

Best Book Cover

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

Anonymous: Helen of Troy (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628072, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of stories based on the legend of Helen of Troy. Introductory essay by Bella Vivante, and foreword by Emily Hauser. Part of Flame Tree’s Myths, Gods, and Immortals series. This is an international hardcover edition simultaneous with the Flame Tree UK edition.

Anonymous: Of Blood & Petals (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628096, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of fantasy stories themed around forbidden love, with 25 illustrations. Foreword by Ella d’Avoine. Part of Flame Tree’s Romantic Fantasy series.

Anonymous: The Tarot of Love (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628102, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of fantasy stories. Foreword by Niamh Rose. Part of Flame Tree’s Romantic Fantasy series.

Buehlman, Christopher: The Thrice-Bound Fool (Tor 978-1250621214, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Blacktongue series. Thief Kinch has to decipher a sentient ancient book that tries to kill him, and finds himself on the run with knight Galva. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

Campbell, Annabel: The Void Dragon (Orbit US 978-0316580830, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, second In the Shattered Lands series. Naila’s powers threaten to escape her control, and with dragonriders after her, she seeks sanctuary at the library of Awasef. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Cassidy, Nat: Nestlings (Titan Books UK 978-1835418895, £10.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Ana, paralyzed by complications giving birth, wins an affordable housing lottery in a beautiful old NYC building, but after moving in with her husband, sees bite marks on the baby. Originally published October 2023.

Chambers, Becky: As You Wake, Break the Shell (Harper Voyager US 978-0062936066, $32.00, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

SF novel, first in a duology. Cora, a pilot who guides a living ship and is struggling with “mindbleed,” forms a bond with Signy, a reclusive botanist, on the struggling planet Fortune. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

Dawson, Delilah S.: Monstera (Titan Books UK 978-1835416013, $25.99, 192pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Lucy moves into an old house in Savannah and is drawn into a propulsive romance with Saskia, a secretive bodybuilder who keeps a flourishing garden.

Dimitri, Francesco & McDougall, Sophia: Pan (Tor 978-1250406989, $28.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, blending elements of the Roman god with Peter Pan. Pan returns to present-day Rome, and children start dreaming of an island and fighting pirates. Translated from the Italian (Marsilio 2008) by Sophia McDougall. Ebook also available.

Dunn, Kat: Rottenheart (Zando 978-1638934653, $28.95, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Queer romance horror novel, a reworking of Hamlet. Odette, traumatized by her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage to the cruel Claudine, learns her mother’s ghost haunts their manor, Herne House. First US edition (Manilla Press UK 6/26).

Faubion, Rebekah: What a Nightmare (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217192144, $20.00, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Queer horror novel. Repressed receptioning Haven Powers has a dream about her boss dying that comes true the next day, and feeling stifled by her family and conformist town, embarks on a path to revenge.

Forest, Susan: Rivers of Ivy (Laksa Media Groups 978-1988140636, $21.00, 446pp, formats: paperback, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Addicted to Heaven: The Next Generation series. After family catastrophe, Ivy Garton feels to Highglen, a city where magic is enslaved and industry is on the rise, to infiltrate the corrupt elite.

Goldsmith, Amy: A Darker Act (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593814383, $12.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

YA horror. Hazel played the lead role in a local play based on legends of a huntsman on the moors, but something horrible happened — a year later, Hazel and her castmates have to face the presence they awoke.

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Quest (Planetary Books 979-8233142161, $6.99, 154pp, formats: ebook, 10/15/2026)

SF novel, fifth in the House of Atreus series. In a world where the ancient Greek gods were actually ancient artificial intelligences, Orestes reunites with his sister and faces trial in Athens.

Hackwith, A.J.: Goblin Market (Titan Books UK 978-1835418970, £18.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel. Toast is a goblin changeling raised by humans, struggling to adapt to the Goblin Market; when human Sam is accused of murder, Toast has to prove her innocence. The author is Amanda Hackwith, who also writes SF romance as Ada Harper. Simultaneous with the Ace edition.

Jones, Stephen Graham: Off the Reservation (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668225127, $32.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel, sequel to The Only Good Indians. Nate and some older Blackfeet set out to repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, only to find that something has taken the bones first.

Jung, Lynn D.: Mothsblood (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639737888, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel. Alchemist Larkspur investigates the death of her university’s headmistress, wary that the case is drawing her closer to the cult called Promethean Genesis. Simultaneous with the Del Rey UK edition.

Lamberti, Luciano: To Bewitch a Hunter (HarperVia 978-0063455726, $28.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Literary horror novel. An old stalker tells Julia Ruiz that she’s her real grandmother, and warns Julia her parents aren’t her real parents, forcing Julia to confront events during Argentina’s military dictatorship. Translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne.

Levine, Jenna: Love You to Death (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593819937, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal romance novel. Lucy is killed by a bus, and offers a deal to jaded, handsome reaper Daniel: six more weeks of life, and he can spend time on earth. Copyrighted by Jennifer Prusak.

Lewellen, Lyndsey: Karabos (Enclave Escape 979-8886052961, $35.37, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Winslet, homeschooled entomologist, enters the Tournament of Scarabs to save her family and become a magical insect hunter.

Liss, David: The Death and Birth of Iliana Marek (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964696, $18.95, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal crime novel. In rural Florida, Iliana, foster daughter of the corrupt police chief, suddenly starts defending Dan, the town’s most unpopular person — a drug addict who’s been told he led a woman to suicide ten years ago.

MacDonald, Alexander: The Spaceflight Narrative: A Literary History of Leaving Earth (MIT Press 978-0262056830, $45.00, 286pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Non-fiction.A critical look at the “conceptual development of spaceflight” as it appears throughout science fiction history, covering works from the 1620s through the 1890s.

Maclean, Will: Solace House (Grove Atlantic/Grove 978-0802168689, $28.00, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Alex, a university student clearing out a run-down Victorian mansion, uncover elaborate and eerie journals from a former owner about a mysterious realm next to ours First US edition (Atlantic UK 5/26).

Marlowe, Mallory: Entities to Lovers (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593956335, $20.00, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal rom-com novel. Medium and ghost-tour guide Rory is forced to host a tour with cocky professor Ezra, only for them to upset a matchmaker’s ghost and end up hexed. Simultaneous with the Bloomsbury UK/Head of Zeus/Aria edition.

McDonnell, C.K.: Ring the Bells (Penguin Random House UK/Bantam UK 978-0857505392, $33.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, 10/10/2026)

Paranormal holiday murder novel. During a Chistmastime book club, a local librarian is possessed by a chaotic entity who’s set on murdering first the book club members, then the rest of humanity.

McGuire, Seanan: Be Sure, Volume II (Tordotcom 978-1250459305, $21.99, 576pp, formats: paperback, 10/13/2026)

Collection of the fourth, fifth, and sixth books in the Wayward Children series. In three adventures, children visit strange worlds and encounter strange creatures, from goblins to kelpies. Illustrated by Rovina Cai.

Miller, Rowenna: The Dancer and the Dream Thief (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316571920, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Historical fantasy novel. During an alternate Prohibition where dreams are sold illegaly, dancer Evelyn investigates the disappearances of her fellow girls and joins forces with Raife, who sells human dreams to elves.

Mooney, Kate: The Woman of the House (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189885, $30.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Supernatural horror novel. In their lakeside house, Rose tries to hide her secrets from her husband, but scratches on her arms start appearing, and the woman who lived there before her vanished.

North, Claire: As We Fall Through Time (Orbit US 978-0316586467, $19.86, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

SF time travel novel. A rupture in history disrupts the lives of Cal — a time traveler who falls in love with a Drench soldier doomed to die — and Fadimatu, an ancient woman who sees her own mummy in a modern museum. North is a pen name for Catherine Webb, who also writes as Kate Griffin. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

Norton-Kertson, Justine: Gutterspace (Stars and Sabers 979-8992845808, $13.99, 142pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novella. A washed-up Portland artist is pitted against a monster that lurks in the panels of an old comic book. Interior illustrations by Ahmed Raafat.

Proudman, Sandra: The End of Us (Penguin Random House/Joy Revolution 979-8217118199, $19.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young-adult SF novel. In the post-apocalyptic Wasteland, Rico wins a lottery to the safe haven oasis, but gives it up for his lover Jules — only for him to find out that it was rigged, and Jules is in danger.

Rekulak, Jason: Look What the Cat Dragged In (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250895875, $29.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Thriller/horror novel. Cartoonist Penny agrees to catsit a strange feline named Godfrey, but after a week in her house, Godfrey seems to bring violent nightmares, disturbing new drawings, and insects. Features 80 pages of original artwork.

Rivers, Erynne: Wench (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0008798246, $24.90, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Robin Hood-inspired 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. First US edition (Avon UK 7/26). A first novel.

Roberts, Adam: Frankenstein Rex (Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1399617727, £25.00, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/15/2026)

SF horror novel. Frankenstein’s monster, aided by his giant height and strength, becomes world dictator, and to prepare for his own death returns to his maker’s research to create an heir.

Sangoyomi, O.O.: Dreamweaving (Page Street 979-8890034465, $22.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young adult fantasy novel. Deja, a newcomer at prestigious Tanglewood Preparatory School who’s been shielded by her family’s witch legacy, shares disturbing dreams with straight-A school queen Tóbi.

Silver, Josie: Merry Spooky Love (Penguin Random House/Dell 978-0593983041, $20.00, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, third in the Melody Bittersweet series. Melody and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency face the ghost matriarch of a local department store, who doesn’t want her living children to sell out. The author has also written as Kat French.

Willett, Edward: On Spec 2026: New Canadian Literature of the Fantastic (Shadowpaw Press 978-1-998273-72-0, $29.99, 460pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of 28 original stories of fantasy, science fiction, and horror by Canadian authors, a continuation of the magazine.

Zeller, Mathilda: It Looks Like You in the Dark (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250402035, $27.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. When Tapeesa’s sister Esther goes missing from their Alaskan Inupiat village, Tapeesa must contend with white rare-earth miners and a hungry creature as the long dark of winter sets in. A first novel.

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COVER REVEAL!

Check out this gorgeous, colorful cover for THE APPRENTICE LIAR AND THE DEATH OF THE WORLD by Isabel J. Kim, coming out March 2, 2027 from Union Square & Co!

From the publisher:

Arrow-Lee sold his first name to Death in a dream. In return, he relives his family’s death in his nightmares until he can figure out how to rewrite time, cheat Death, and live happily ever after. Should be easy. There’s only one problem: Arrow-Lee is seventeen and doesn’t know how to do any of that. Fortunately, he’s found Calla, a wizard with a library filled with black magics, and Arrow-Lee has no problems lying and grifting his way into an apprenticeship with her.

But apprenticeship comes with its own challenges. Like getting attached to Calla, who he’s supposed to be stealing from. Like learning that there are worse entities to make deals with than Death. And like learning that their timeline is more fragile than Arrow-Lee realized, and he might be the only person who can prevent reality from cracking like an egg. It’s too bad that everyone Arrow-Lee ever loved is on the other side. With reality itself on the line, Arrow-Lee is going to have to decide what really matters to him.

Award-winning author Isabel J. Kim’s The Apprentice Liar and the Death of the World is a smart contemporary fantasy filled with humor, heart, and the mind-bending physics of magic that’s perfect for fans of Lev Grossman and Maggie Stiefvater.

PRAISE
“The Apprentice Liar and the Death of the World is a heartfelt multiverse fantasy about life, death, magic, identity, and responsibility, where characters learn how to let go of the past and move on from their mistakes. Kim shows us that we don’t have to grapple with our grief, loss, and pain alone through the intersecting lives of each of the characters and the guilt and regret they shoulder.” 
—Ai Jiang, Nebula and Bram Stoker award-winning author of An Empire in the Clouds

“There’s breathtaking wizardry in these pages—heartbreak and humor and regret and growth and friendship—and a sense of magic as rich as any I’ve seen. Isabel J Kim is a brilliant writer.”
—Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling author of This is How You Lose the Time War

COVER CREDIT
Jacket design by Liam Donnelly
Illustration © 2027 Carolina Fuenmayor
Jacket © 2027 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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