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“supports BIPOC poets developing unpublished and in‑progress speculative poetry collections.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Applications open January 18, 2027, requiring a collection of 10 unpublished speculative poems.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!

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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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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.

Editor, critic, and publisher Malcolm Edwards, 76, died October 3, 2026. He had Parkinson’s disease.

Malcolm John Edwards was born December 3, 1949 in London, England. He received a degree from the University of Cambridge. He worked at several publishing houses, including Gollancz from 1976-89, HarperCollins from 1991-7, and Orion Books from 1998-2019, first as managing director, then as deputy CEO and group publisher. For Gollancz, he edited the SF Masterworks series, re-releasing SF novels from notable genre authors including Joe Haldeman, Samuel R. Delany, and Ursula K. Le Guin. He later co-edited the companion series, Fantasy Masterworks, with Jo Fletcher. After this, he undertook the SF Gateway project, an ebook library noted as the largest digital SF/F library of its kind at the time, which launched in 2011 alongside the third edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

Edwards was active in the UK SF fandom space throughout the 1970s and ’80s, and soon he was working as a critic and magazine editor. He edited for Vector in 1972-4, penning several editorials and reviews. He was the administrator of the Science Fiction Foundation for three years and edited its journal, Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction, in 1975-80. He was a founding board member of Interzone, which he edited in 1982-3. He also wrote one novel around this time, Succubus (1985) with Robert Holdstock under the name John Stock, and one work of short fiction, BSFA Award winner “After-Images” (1983).

He wrote several works of non-fiction, in frequent collaboration with other authors. He wrote Spacecraft in Fact and Fiction (1979) with Harry Harrison; The Complete Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy Lists (1983) with Maxim Jakubowski; and Alien Landscapes (1979), Magician: The Lost Journals of the Magus Geoffrey Carlyle (1982), and Lost Realms (1984) with Robert Holdstock; among others. He edited anthologies Constellations: Stories of the Future (1980), The Gollancz / Sunday Times SF Competition Stories (1987), and A Is for Brian (1990), the latter with Margaret Aldiss and Frank Hatherley. As a fiction editor, he worked with numerous authors, including J.G. Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Stephen King, William Gibson, Terry Pratchett, and more. In 1996, as part of HarperCollins, he won the British Book Award for Imprint & Editor of the Year.

For more, see his entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

Rebecca Yarros’s Threshing Day (Entangled: Red Tower Books), fourth book in the author’s Empyrean series, ranks #1 on all four print lists compiled here. Other books debuting this week include titles by T. Kingfisher, Amber V. Nicole, and Kate Golden.

Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.18	LAT 10.11	USAT 10.04	PW 10.12	Amz (10.12)	UK: Amz UK (10.12)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.12)
Items on list -x- number of lists surveyed		10×3	10×2	150	15×3	100	100	100
Hardcovers
Bardugo, Dead Beat	09.28.26 / 3	xx	x	90 -41	x
Bright, Wings of Reverie	08.17.26 / 9	5 -1		xxx..	xxx
Brown, Red Rising (Deluxe Slipcase Edition)	10.27.25 / 50	xxx..		56 +12	xxx..
Burke, Yesteryear	04.20.26 / 26	12 -4	xx	33 +10	12 -2	35 -9	42 -10	8 +5
Dinniman, A Parade of Horribles	04.27.26 / 25	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xx	90 +		75 -49
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario	01.12.26 / 40	xxx..	xxx..	80 -18		xxx..		82 -58
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl	05.26.25 / 60	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	80 +		xxx..
Dinniman, The Butcher’s Masquerade	04.21.25 / 36	xxx..		89 -16	xxx..	xxx		93 -6
Dinniman, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook	02.02.26 / 36	x		69 -15		58 +27		20 +5
Dinniman, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	05.26.25 / 34	xxx..		85 +39	xxx..	77 +		80 +
Dinniman, The Gate of the Feral Gods	03.24.25 / 38	xxx	xxx..	63 +2	xxx..	96 +		33 -23
Dinniman, This Inevitable Ruin	10.06.25 / 30	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xx	75 +		95 +
Due, Mazywood	10.05.26 / 2			140 -92
Gillig, The Knave and the Moon	09.14.26 / 5	xx	xxx..	x	22 -6
Hoffman, The Witches of Cambridge	09.21.26 / 4	xxx		93 -37	xx
King/Straub, Other Worlds Than These	10.05.26 / 2					52 -27	59 +12	30 +4
Kingfisher, Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion	10.12.26 / 1	7 ++		23 ++	6 ++
Kuang, Taipei Story	09.21.26 / 4	xxx	9 =	38 +55	x
Maas, A Court of Forgotten Melody	03.09.26 / 17			xxx..		21 +2	15 -5	22 +13
Maas, A Court of Splintered Harmony	03.09.26 / 22			xxx..		1 +1	2 +1	3 -1
Mandel, Exit Party	09.28.26 / 3	xx	2 =	14 -6	25 -4
Marske, Bodies of Magic	10.12.26 / 1			110 ++
Mostyn-Brown, The Need	10.12.26 / 1			116 ++
Nicole, The Dawn of the Cursed Queen	10.12.26 / 1	8 ++		26 ++	7 ++
Roth, The Sixth Faction	04.20.26 / 2					53 +	53 ++	38 +
Rundell, The Neverfear	09.14.26 / 5			xxx..	24 -8
Tahir, Empire	10.05.26 / 2	6 -5		x	x
Yarros, Fourth Wing	05.15.23 / 122	15 +	xxx..	55 +	15 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Yarros, Iron Flame	06.19.23 / 118	xxx..	xxx..	73 +	19 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Yarros, Onyx Storm	04.01.24 / 129	xxx..	xxx..	82 +	xxx..	xxx..	84 -30	xxx..
Yarros, Threshing Day	04.20.26 / 24	1 ++	1 ++	1 +14	1 ++	39 -30	4 -2	1 =
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.18	LAT 10.11	USAT 10.04	PW 10.12	Amz (10.12)	UK: Amz UK (10.12)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.12)
Paperbacks [tpb=trade]
Borison, Grim Tidings [tpb]	09.28.26 / 3	15 -4		112 -67	14 -2
Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451	07.20.03 / 509		xxx..	145 -31	xxx..	xx	xxx..	xxx..
Brown, Red Rising [tpb]	05.02.16 / 50	11 +2	xxx..	xxx..		87 +6		xxx..
Buehlman, Between Two Fires [tpb]	09.09.24 / 33			52 +15
Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping [tpb]	08.17.26 / 9				6 -3	82 +	60 -13	46 +
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario [tpb]	08.17.26 / 9	10 =	6 +		10 +1	79 -5		41 +
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl [tpb]	01.12.26 / 40	4 =	1 +1	18 -7	4 =	24 +3		17 +15
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel) [tpb]	06.01.26 / 19			xxx	25 +
Golden, Cursed City [tpb]	10.12.26 / 1	9 ++		29 ++	9 ++
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses [tpb]	05.16.16 / 287	13 +2	xxx..	95 +5	xxx..	xxx..	80 -23	69 +26
Miller, Circe [tpb]	09.06.21 / 109	xxx..	8 -3	xxx		xxx		xxx
Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set [tpb]	10.20.02 / 59			xxx..		xxx..	xxx..	45 -14
Weir, Project Hail Mary [tpb]	10.03.22 / 99	7 +1	x	46 +9	xxx..	88 +1	xxx..	77 -5
Yarros, Fourth Wing [tpb]	09.16.24 / 107	14 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	51 -20	xxx..
Yarros, Iron Flame [tpb]	06.02.25 / 68	xxx..		xxx..	xxx..		79 -19	xxx..
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.18	LAT 10.11	USAT 10.04	PW 10.12	Amz (10.12)	UK: Amz UK (10.12)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.12)

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

= same as last week

+/- change since last week

+ back on list

++ new on list

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

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

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

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.

[sponsored content]

Must Read Magazines has issued a statement shared by Analog Science Fiction and Fact on Bluesky in response to public criticism by John Picacio, Donato Giancola, Victoria Strauss, and others about its contract terms for artists.

According to the statement,

We previously commissioned illustrators to create covers as work-for-hire when they were asked to adapt authors’ original stories for elements such as cover art.

This will be changing.

The rights granted to MRM are limited, and therefore we can’t protect the intellectual property and rights of the original author of the story, if we at the same time grant the authors’ rights to the illustrator so that the illustrator can then retain an adaptation copyright. We don’t acquire rights from authors that allow us to grant illustrators broad unencumbered use of the worlds, characters, and other elements created by the author.

We’re planning to pause cover contracts based on specific stories for the foreseeable future while we figure out the best way forward with those kinds of commissions.

…

Regarding retention of “moral rights” in illustrations: our licensing agreements for original art and original fiction use language prepared by an international IP attorney based on notes we received from SFWA’s contracts committee. These kinds of agreements no longer include a waiver of moral rights.

We always appreciate when contributors to the magazines express their concerns.

The response comes after a public memo from Picacio shared to “strongly advise” against submitting stories to or creating art for any of Must Read’s magazines. Picacio has sent Locus a copy of the boilerplate contract he received. Elements he rejected read as follows:

Artist hereby waives the benefits of any provision of law known as “droit moral” and/or “moral rights” or any similar law in any jurisdiction of the universe and hereby agrees not to institute or support, maintain, or permit any action or lawsuit on the grounds that the The Work or any ancillary uses thereof violates any of Artist’s rights or is in any way a defamation or mutilation of the The Work. Company shall solely own the copyright in the The Work. Neither the suspension nor termination of Artist’s services nor the expiration of this Agreement shall in any way adversely affect Company’s ownership of the The Work.

Company or its divisions may be credited as the copyright holder of the work…

Workable files shall mean layered files suitable for use in Adobe Photoshop or such similar software.

At no additional cost, Company will be presented with at least Two (2) and at most Three (3) rounds of drafts of the The Work for review by Company. … Company may instruct Artist to make changes up to Three (3) times upon review of the The Work and drafts inclusive of Company’s notes on such drafts.

The contract sets the artist’s pay at $1,200. Giancola, who reported in a separate post that he rejected a cover art contract offering the same pay, described this as being “on the low side and the same fee they had offered six years before for similar work.” Giancola also strongly criticized the usage of a work-for-hire agreement, “NOT a contract structure I had worked under before for ANY of my previous Asimov’s covers,” as well as several other terms for “deviat[ing] far beyond” his contracts with other SF publications, including some of those quoted above.

I went back and forth in contract revisions with Asimov’s SF legal department five times over three months. Nearly as much time was spent on these negotiations, legal revisions, and emails then what I would put into creating art for a final illustration. All for a $1200 fee on a commission who’s legal contract issues were settled in a five minute digital handshake six years ago.

At the end of June, while their legal department was still soliciting me to supply a Non-Disclosure Agreement I would be fine signing after stating I would not sign one, I told Asimov’s SF to find another artist. Their legal department was not negotiating in good faith to get me to work on their magazine – they were looking for an artist to exploit.

Strauss commented on the subject on the SFWA-sponsored Writer Beware blog: “[E]ven if the publisher is willing to make changes, [writers] must think about what it says about the publisher, and its attitude toward its writers, that it would offer a bad contract to begin with. … [W]riters shouldn’t be afraid to negotiate, and publishers should be open to change. It’s just really important not to let the details obscure the big picture.”

Scott Edelman, who has previously written about his decision to withdraw all submissions to Must Read, also commented on the company’s statement: “This defense from the publisher of Asimov’s, Analog, and F&SF is no defense at all. I’d hoped those of us who’d protested rights-grab contracts last year had caused a change in the way the company dealt with creators, but sadly, all three dream markets must still be unacceptable outlets for me.”

For more information, see previous coverage by Locus, including Must Read’s acquisition of several SF/F magazines, its delisting from The Submission Grinder, SFWA’s provision of contract notes, and Must Read’s announcement of contract revisions.

The British Fantasy Society (BFS) has announced the winners of the 2026 British Fantasy Awards:

The Karl Edward Wagner Award went to Jane Johnson, and the Legends of Fantasycon Award went to Chloe Yates.

Winners were announced during Fantasycon 2026, held October 9-11 in Glasgow, Scotland. For more information, see the BFS website.

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

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Anderson, Kevin J.: Sleep With the Fishes (WordFire Press 978-1680578652, $15.99, 276pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Urban fantasy noir novel. When an immortal mafia Don is sentenced to eternal life in prison, the resulting power struggle means Dan Shamble has to deal with Sammy the Salmon along with his other supernatural cases and ex-wife.

 

Andrews, LJ: The Stolen Crown (Ace 978-0593955116, $30.00, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, fourth in The Ever Seas series. In a world of fae factions, Mira is shipwrecked with Tait Heartwalker, a frustratingly handsome royal, only to discover a secret that threatens the kingdom.

 

Anning, Benedict: Atomic Coffin (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-0857508881, $30.15, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Cosmic horror novel. Heidi, codename Thistle — a British spy in East Germany — discovers that a previously unkown Soviet submarine has been motionless and undetected in the ocean for three years. First US edition (Bantam UK 6/26).

 

Bailey, Tessa: Broken Rival (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0063381018, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel. Eighteen-year-old Magnolia lives an ordinary teenage life, with one secret — her brilliant and persecuted parents invented time travel 50 years in our future, and sent her back in time to protect her from hunters.

 

Cameron, Miles: Soulstealer (Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1399632645, £25.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Soulflake Conspiracies series. Arcanist Bekka Trevelyan, on a field trip over the Yule holidays, is pulled into the investigation of the kidnapping of an indigenous woman and her child by a demon. Author writes historical fiction as Christian Cameron.

 

Cogman, Genevieve: A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology and Other Dark Arts (Macmillan/Tor UK 978-1035073924, £20, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, first In the Grayne’s Academy series. Philomela drops out of her PhD to become a Latin teacher at a girls’ school, but discovers it’s a secret training facility for elite demonologists.

 

Cole, Kamilah: Wicked Endeavors (Little, Brown UK/Atom 978-0349125879, £9.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Young-adult fantasy romance novel. In a deadly court of witches, infiltrator Caya must join forces with Bas, a frustratingly handsome co-conspirator. First UK edition (Little, Brown US 9/26).

 

Connor, Quinn: Your Beloved Remains (Macmillan/Flatiron/Pine & Cedar 978-1250461049, $28.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Southern gothic horror novel. To save the moldering Basin College in the Ozarks, archivist Celia recruits postdoc Joan to forge the manuscript of a lost horror novel by the school’s 19th-century benefactress, with whom Celia has been infatuated.

 

Delemhach: The Dues and Don’ts of Magic (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668234105, $30.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, the first in the Magic Dues trilogy. Witch Spidena runs a magic shop at the edge of town, and is approached by fugitive Benthrop asking if she can make his nefarious pursuers forget him.

 

Emerald, A.T.: Under the Iron Sky (Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK 978-1529993493, £22.00, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Romantic fntasy novel, first the Under the Iron Sky series. In a world of deadly creatures ruled by the Dar’rak, rebel Soraya is captured by The Demon, a frustratingly handsome enemy soldier.

 

Erikson, Steven: Legacies of Betrayal (Tor 978-0765323613, $28.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, third in the Tales of Witness series, sequel to the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. A new holy war erupts in the burned-out Seven Cities, and teh Fifth and Sixth squads embark on a hopeless mission. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Bantam UK edition.

 

Froud, Brian: Brian Froud’s Green Women (Abrams 978-1419783746, $34.41, 168pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Art book/anthology. 72 Froud are paired with original stories and contributions by women authors, including Lisa Tuttle, Sarah Beth Durst, Amal El-Mohtar, Jo Walton, T. Kingfisher, and more.

 

Gray, Jordan Stephanie: Devoured (Little, Brown 978-0316584579, $19.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, the second in the Bitten series. In a deadly court of werewolves, infiltrator Vanessa must join forces with Calix, a frustratingly handsome threat.

 

Guanzon, Thea: This Shattered Tempest (Harper Voyager US 978-0063277359, $34.00, 496pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third and final in the Hurricane Wars series. In a world of Shadowforged and Lightweaver factions, Talasyn plunges towards war with Alaric, her frustratingly handsome husband.

 

Hall, Julie: The Secrets of Everlight (Ace 979-8217191390, $20.00, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. In a deadly court of fae, infiltrator Rowan must join forces with Dryden, a frustratingly handsome prince.

 

Harris, Joanne: Sleepers in the Snow (Pegasus Crime 979-8897102020, £22.00, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Ghost story/thriller. A new occupant, looking for a fresh start after a bitter divorce, moves into a cozy house on the moor, but the animals around start acting strange. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

 

Hazelwood, Ali: Bound | Unboud (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 979-8217192717, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Duology of paranormal romance novellas. In “Bound,” a con artist and professor bond over an arcane text, and in “Unbound,” ancient immortal Lilit of Nineveh starts a relationship with a mortal doctor.

 

Huddleston, Tom H.: The Cracks (Titan Books UK 978-1835413036, £9.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Widowed Sandra is invited by her wealthy friend and his wife to their dilapidated manor, Hautmond Hall, where visitors have mysterious accidents and there’s a secret room in the cellar. A first novel.

 

Jones, KC: House Haunters (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250440969, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Despearate for a hit show to save her career, exec Grace latches onto handsome “ghost hunter” Frank, but production descends into nightmarish torments.

 

Karella, Bitter: Quaint Folk (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316581943, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Picture-perfect wife Jessica moves with her husband to a “quaint” island whose residents live in isolation, but discovers something is deeply wrong with the cozy rustic community. Reprint (Run For It 2025). A first novel.

 

Khaw, Cassandra: Find Me Where It Ends (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250877895, $24.99, 144pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novella. Antigone welcomes the black dog, the form Death takes to visit her family, and it becomes her companion. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition. Simultaneous with the Titan UK edition.

 

King, John: Machine Elves Descending (PM Press 979-8887440972, $15.00, 128pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Collection of stories, essays, and articles, with an interview conducted by Allan Kausch. Themes of dystopia, England, and rock n’ roll. Part of PM Press’ Outspoken Authors series.

 

King, Stephen & Straub, Peter: Other Worlds Than These (Simon & Schuster/Scribner 978-1668233092, $35.00, 704pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third and final in the Talisman trilogy that also function as a standalone. Part of The Dark Tower universe. Jack Sawyer faces challenges in infected teenages in America and the Gullet at the edge of Mid-World. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

 

Lawrence, Mark: The Bookshop Book (Harper Voyager UK 978-0008800406, £18.99, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, set in the world of the Library trilogy. “Red” Archer wanders into a bookshop and, along with Rose Penrose, becomes a tool of The Great Smith.

 

Lockhart, E.: The Pools (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593904121, $20.99, 375pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

YA Fantasy novel. In a New England town with hot springs, a terrible event should have warned people away from the water — and new girl Lexie witnesses something strange when five people go swimming.

 

Lord, Karen: Angel at the Gates (Akashic 978-1636143156, $22.95, 180pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. A man tries to return a family heirloom to its land of origin, and ends up at a priory whose residents, and resident Angel, want to keep him there as war builds outside.

 

Malone, Ailbhe: Banshee (Pegasus Books 979-8897102105, $28.95, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Anthology of Irish myths retold to center the female characers. Authors include Wendy Erskine, Nikita Gill, Jess Kidd, and Megan Nolan. First US edition (John Murray UK 2/26/2026).

 

Manickavel, Kuzhali: A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School (Angry Robot 978-1915998866, $19.99, 172pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. A mysterious notebook is found by frustrated secondary-school student Thamarai, which describes paranormal phenomena and might even be a means of escape.

 

Moeller, Tara: Teeth (DreamPunk Press 978-1963928372, $19.66, 286pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror anthology, with “jaw-clenching” stories centered on the theme of teeth — losing them, finding them, and their titular fairy.

 

Nelson, Madison Tyler: Portrait of a Haunting (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189342, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Tatum must rely on her hated, inherited ability to see spirits when her best friend is murdered in an eerily similar way to a murder committed by Tatum’s own mother. A first novel.

 

Newitz, Annalee: A Wall Is Also a Road (Tor 978-1250228031, $28.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel. Gardenpath, a slime-mold-like organism who lives between stars, visits a habitable world and forms a bond with Murtis, a bipedal courtesan who works in a seaside city called “Pompeii.”

 

Roth, Veronica: The Sixth Faction (HarperCollins 978-0063462595, $21.99, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult SF novel, in an alternate timeline of the Divergent universe. Beatrice Prior’s choosing ceremony is disrupted by a tragedy, setting her on a different path.

 

Schwab, Victoria: Victorious (Tor 978-1250192233, $31.99, 592pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third in the Villains series. Eli and Victor, best friends and mortal enemies, face off in a final showdown. Simultaneous with the Titan UK edition.

 

Slatter, A.G.: Fitcher’s Bird (Titan Books UK 978-1835412589, £13.99, 160pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. As children Dido and her sisters survived a fatal house fire — now, with her sisters missing, adult Dido must find out where they are and also what happened that fateful night.

 

Smoke, Lucy: Hallowed Bones (St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250413741, $20.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, first in the Sons of Salem trilogy. Haven has been warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem, five men whose families are mired in rumors of witchcraft or worse.

 

Stirling, S.M. & Olthoff, Melissa: Rome to the Stars (Baen 978-1668073506, $28.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel, first in the Pax Astra series. Commander Aquila Amphion, in a spacefaring Roman empire bolstered by technology from time-travelers, must confront Gra’ak, an alliance of space barbarians.

 

Torres, Nicolina: Night of the Mallrats (Harper Perennial 978-0063472976, $19.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Five friends, visiting a condemned mall where they hung out as teens, unexpectedly travel back in time to 1994, the day a schoolmate disappeared.

 

Van Draanen, Wendelin: Ghosted (Holiday House 978-0823460397, $19.99, 256pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult paranormal romance novel. Gemma and Jimmy are high school sweethearts, but Jimmy is a ghost, and Gemma will soon age past him.

 

Vo, Nghi: The Scarlet Ball (Tor 978-1250904966, $28.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. Courtesan Judith Ban poses as the missing daughter of a white elite New York family, in a world of demonic marriages. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK edition.

 

Wallace, Auralee: The Haunted Librarian (Ace 978-1420542912, $36.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Cozy fantasy novel. On a rainy autumn day, Ameila discovers three quirky spirits causing paranormal havoc at her local library.

 

Williams, Tad: The Splintered Sun (Astra House/DAW 978-0756419059, $30.00, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. Set in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn universe. A fearless bandit and his band of misfit rebels navigate a kingdom menaced by dark sorcery and war, 300 years before The Dragonbone Chair.

 

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New Book Releases: Oct 6, 2026

https://bookshop.org/lists/new-releases-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-books-week-of-10-6-26

 

Dragon Con was held at multiple hotels and AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta GA from September 3-7, 2026. The Dragon Awards ceremony was held Sunday at 4:00 p.m. (See page 6 for the winners.) A fan-focused event with great attendance, Dragon Con also offered more than 30 event tracks, several of interest to SFF industry professionals. Panels included “Afrofuturism: Building the Future Now” with Afua Richardson, Dedren Snead (m), and Marcus Williams; “Not Quite the End of the World: Cozy Urban Fantasy” with Jarod K. Anderson, Delilah S. Dawson, C.B. Lee, F.T. Lukens, Carol Malcolm (m), and Tao Wong; and much more. Lauded SFF artists such as Tony DiTerlizzi and William Stout were also present, and guests included well-known SFF authors such as Kevin J. Anderson, Matt Din­niman, Sherrilyn Kenyon, K.A. Linde, Timothy Zahn, and more.

A few professional editors and publishers were also in attendance, such as John G. Hartness, Anne Sowards, and Toni Weisskopf. The greatest challenge for industry professionals was finding each other amidst the crowds, but with an Art Show, Masquerade, and a dearth of vendors, exhibits, and workshops, the convention was full of enthusiasm and a sense of community.

–Alice Strangman

Photographers: Paul Peterson and Bill Watters

Looking for your next great read? Our October 6, 2026 new releases video takes a look at the newest Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult books arriving this week.

From bold science fiction concepts and expansive fantasy worlds to eerie horror, supernatural intrigue, and memorable YA stories, this week’s releases bring plenty of fresh choices for readers. Whether you’re ready to discover a new favorite or simply want to see which titles are worth adding to your TBR, there’s something here to explore.

Be sure to subscribe for weekly updates on the latest speculative fiction releases, new books, and genre highlights. Thanks for watching, and join us next week for another look at what’s new in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Young Adult fiction!

The winners of the 2026 Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand (SFFANZ).

The winners of the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards have been announced. The award is given by the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) for “the finest in horror and dark fiction published by an Australasian within the calendar year.”

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association has announced the winners of its annual prize for poetry. Poems were judged in three categories, listed below.

Dwarf Form (10 or fewer lines):

• WINNER: “Unauthorized Territory”, Michael Bailey

• Second Place: “Communication Is Important”, F. J. Bergmann
• Third Place: “Untitled”, Anna Cates
• Honorable Mention: “Disillusioned Tribute”, Joy Donnell

Short Form (10 to 50 lines):

• WINNER: “The Wind Always Returns”, Hinse Mutter

• Second Place: “The Museum of Anomalous Objects”, F. J. Bergmann
• Third Place: “Last Lowcountry Haunt”, Joy Donnell
• Honorable Mention: “Cataloguing Lost Souls”, Colleen Anderson

Long Form (50 or more lines):

• WINNER: “The Abyss Between One and Two”, Izzy Toy Retke

• Second Place: “At the Cosmic Gallery Above Proxima Centauri b: After Dreamworld”, M. Frost
• Third Place: “A Backdrop of Black Velvet and Rhinestones”, F. J. Bergmann
• Honorable Mentions: “Ten Ways to End the World”, Kathleen Bryson         

The winning poems were announced on the SFPA website, along with commentary from contest judge Naomi Simone Borwein. The contest chair was Michael Hessel-Mial. 

The SFPA Contest awards unpublished poems from both SFPA members and non-members. Submissions are $3 a poem. Cash prizes are awarded: $150 for first place, $75 for second place and $25 for third place. See the SFPA Contests page for more details and updates. 

via file 770

The winner, finalists, and honorable mentions for the 2026 Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction have been announced.

The winner is “All the Tears from the River Below” by Rida Altaf. Finalists are “Qitmir” by Eman Farhan and “Dreams of Dying and Waking Men” by Shahmeer Mahesar. The honorable mention is “Diesel Raven” by Abdul Kabir Qureshi.

The Salam Award, “a short story award to promote science fiction and related genres of writing in Pakistan,” is an annual prize open to original fiction of 10,000 words or fewer written in English by authors who must be “currently residing in Pakistan, or be of Pakistani birth/descent.” The award is named for Pakistani physicist Abdus Salam.

Judges for this year’s award were Christopher Golden, Robert V.S. Redick, and Karen Joy Fowler. The winner receives Rs 50,000, publication on the Salam Award site, editorial review, and potential publication in a magazine.

For more, see the Salam Award website.

The Empire State Center for the Book has announced Lawrence Block and N.K. Jemisin as two of the three writers in 2026 to be inducted into the New York State (NYS) Writers Hall of Fame, along with Kay Thompson (posthumously). The Hall of Fame is presented alongside the NYS Writers Institute, a literary organization that “enhances and celebrates literature, writing, and performance.”

The 2026 Hall of Fame selection committee included Matthew Baker, John Batteiger, Mildred Bernstein, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Paul Grondahl, Ira B. Matetsky Esq., Susan Polos, and Empire State Center for the Book director Rocco Staino.

Block, Jemisin, and Thompson will be celebrated at an induction ceremony on November 17, 2026 in New York NY.

Finalists for the National Book Awards (NBA) have been announced. Categories, authors, and books of genre interest include:

Fiction

Young People’s Literature

Translated Literature

The judges for the Fiction award are Matt Bell, Caro De Robertis (chair), Danielle King, Akhil Sharma, and Diane Wilson. Judges for the Young People’s Literature award are Edith Campbell, Brandy Colbert (chair), Tricia Ebarvia, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and Anne Ursu. Judges for the Translated Fiction award are Shelley Fairweather-Vega, Javier García del Moral, John Keene, Christopher Merrill (chair), and Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi.

The Poetry and Nonfiction finalists were also announced, and Lifetime Achievement recipients Salman Rushdie and Perri Klass were previously announced. Finalists receive a prize of $1,000, a medal, and a judges’ citation. Winners, who receive $10,000 and a bronze sculpture, will be honored at the 77th National Book Awards Ceremony on November 18, 2026.

For more information, including the complete lists of finalists, see the National Book Foundation website.

COVER REVEAL!

 Check out this delicious cover for The Cookout, edited by Erin Brown, Emmalia Harrington, Tonya R. Moore, and P.C. Verrone, coming out from Android Press!

Cover art illustrated by Ziziian, Cover design by Erin Brown

From the publisher:

“The Cookout” calls to something in our blood that unites us in love and community. Across the African Diaspora, with the fluctuations of ancestral knowledge and cultural roots, in wealth and happiness, in sickness and danger, in celebration and defiance, in every nook and cranny of the world, you’ll find The Cookout. But can it reach the depths of a Level 100 dungeon? Can we put picnic tables in the stars? Gather round the grill in another dimension? Source our seasonings in the furthest realms of our imaginations?

The Cookout: Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora was edited by Erin Brown, Emmalia Harrington, Tonya R. Moore, and P.C. Verrone, with stories by Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Brent Lambert, Eden Royce, DaVaun Sanders, and many more!

[sponsored content]

Sabaa Tahir’s Empire (Putnam’s), second in a duology following 2024’s Heir, debuts on three lists, ranking #1 on the NY Times’ Young Adult Hardcover list. Stephen King and Peter Straub’s Other Worlds Than These, to be published tomorrow, is selling on the Amazon sites today.

Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.11	LAT 10.04	USAT 09.27	PW 10.05	Amz (10.05)	UK: Amz UK (10.05)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.05)
Items on list -x- number of lists surveyed		10×3	10×2	150	15×3	100	100	100
Hardcovers
Bardugo, Dead Beat	09.28.26 / 2	x	6 +3	49 -43	22 -20
Bright, Wings of Reverie	08.17.26 / 8	4 +2		xxx..	xx
Brown, Red Rising (Deluxe Slipcase Edition)	10.27.25 / 49	xxx..		68 +7	xxx..
Burke, Yesteryear	04.20.26 / 25	8 +3	x	43 -14	10 -1	26 -10	32 -3	13 -2
Dinniman, A Parade of Horribles	04.27.26 / 24	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	x	xxx		26 -11
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario	01.12.26 / 39	xxx..	xxx..	62 -15		xxx		24 -8
Dinniman, The Butcher’s Masquerade	04.21.25 / 35	xxx..		73 +6	xxx..	xx		87 -54
Dinniman, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook	02.02.26 / 35	14 =		54 -2		85 -49		25 +2
Dinniman, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	05.26.25 / 33	xxx..		124 -23	xxx..	xxx		x
Dinniman, The Gate of the Feral Gods	03.24.25 / 37	xx	xxx..	65 -7	xxx..	xx		10 -1
Due, Mazywood	10.05.26 / 1			48 ++
Gillig, The Knave and the Moon	09.14.26 / 4	x	xxx	71 -16	16 -3
Grace, The Wretched Divine	10.05.26 / 1	12 ++		75 ++	14 ++
Helm, Our Cut of Salt	10.05.26 / 1			141 ++
Hoffman, The Witches of Cambridge	09.21.26 / 3	xx		56 -17	x
King/Straub, Other Worlds Than These	10.05.26 / 1					25 ++	71 ++	34 ++
Kuang, Taipei Story	09.21.26 / 3	xx	9 -5	93 -40	24 -10
Maas, A Court of Forgotten Melody	03.09.26 / 16			xxx..		23 +2	10 -2	35 -9
Maas, A Court of Splintered Harmony	03.09.26 / 21			xxx..		2 +3	3 +1	2 +8
Mandel, Exit Party	09.28.26 / 2	x	2 -1	8 -6	21 -15
Marie, Ruinous Ends	07.27.26 / 11	8 +2		xxx..	xxx..
Mas, The Emperor’s Enemy	09.28.26 / 2	x		66 -47	x
Roberts, Powerless	11.20.23 / 111	xxx..		xxx..	23 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Rundell, The Neverfear	09.14.26 / 4			xxx	16 -2
Sanderson/Patterson, Blightfall	09.14.26 / 4	10 -1			xxx
Tahir, Empire	10.05.26 / 1	1 ++		87 ++	8 ++
Yarros, Onyx Storm	04.01.24 / 128	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	54 +14	xxx..
Yarros, Threshing Day	04.20.26 / 23			15 ++		9 -8	2 =	1 =
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.11	LAT 10.04	USAT 09.27	PW 10.05	Amz (10.05)	UK: Amz UK (10.05)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.05)
Paperbacks [tpb=trade]
Borison, Grim Tidings [tpb]	09.28.26 / 2	11 -9		45 -40	12 -10
Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451	07.20.03 / 508		xxx..	114 -36	xxx..	x	xxx..	xxx..
Brown, Red Rising [tpb]	05.02.16 / 49	13 -1	xxx..	xxx..		93 +7		xxx
Buehlman, Between Two Fires [tpb]	09.09.24 / 32			67 -7
Clarke, Piranesi [tpb]	09.13.21 / 16		8 +	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..
Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping [tpb]	08.17.26 / 8				3 -1	x	47 +4	x
Dinniman, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario [tpb]	08.17.26 / 8	10 -1	xxx		11 =	74 -16		xx
Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl [tpb]	01.12.26 / 39	4 -1	2 +1	11 +7	4 -1	27 -3		32 -3
Haig, The Midnight Library [tpb]	05.22.23 / 91	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	60 +
Jones, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter [tpb]	07.27.26 / 9		10 +	xxx	xxx..
Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses [tpb]	05.16.16 / 286	15 -1	xxx..	100 -6	xxx..	xxx..	57 -7	95 -11
Miller, Circe [tpb]	09.06.21 / 108	xxx..	5 -1	xx		xx		xx
Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four	07.20.03 / 595		xxx..	xxx..		xxx..	xxx..	89 +
Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set [tpb]	10.20.02 / 58			xxx..		xxx..	xxx..	31 +
Weir, Project Hail Mary [tpb]	10.03.22 / 98	8 -1	6 +	55 -6	xxx..	89 -32	xxx..	72 +16
Yarros, Fourth Wing [tpb]	09.16.24 / 106	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	xxx..	31 +44	xxx..
Yarros, Iron Flame [tpb]	06.02.25 / 67	xxx..		xxx..	xxx..		60 +12	xxx..
Title	Debut / #wks on any list	NYT 10.11	LAT 10.04	USAT 09.27	PW 10.05	Amz (10.05)	UK: Amz UK (10.05)	Canada: Amz.ca (10.05)

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

= same as last week

+/- change since last week

+ back on list

++ new on list

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

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

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

“Guardians of the Well” by Rose Strickman (In Another Time 6/25) has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) Small Press Award for Short Fiction. Other finalists include: