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Issue 788 Table of Contents, September 2026
The September 2026 Locus magazine, issue #788, has interviews with Garth Nix and James Islington, a spotlight on Dmitri Lincoln Mehlhorn & Archipelago of Light, and a spotlight on artist Tithi Luadthong AKA Grandfailure. The Fall Titles section includes reviewers’ seasonal picks, US and UK forthcoming books, a spotlight on Chinelo Onwualu, and commentary from Claire North, Tricia Narwani, and Yoon Ha Lee. John Crowley and Dave Nee are remembered with obituaries and appreciations. News includes the 2026 World Fantasy Awards ballot, the Dragon Awards ballot, E.J. Swift’s 40th Anniversary Clarke Award win, Anthropic settlement updates, a report on GenCon, and much more. This month’s commentary by Cory Doctorow is entitled “Technopolitics”. Reviews include new titles by Alix E. Harrow, Jonathan Strahan (ed.), Ahmad Nabil, Jacqueline West, Zoulfa Katouh, Sarah Beth Durst, Melissa Albert, China Miéville, Jaclyn Moriarty, Emma Glass, Huang Chong-Kai (translated by Jeremy Tiang), Hernan Diaz, Emily St. John Mandel, Kurt Andersen, Anne Charnock, Max Dosser, Alma Katsu, Jessica Alexander, Liam Higginson, Alex Grecian, Mason Coile, David Demchuk, Josh Malerman, Amal Singh, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Becky Chambers, and others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
September 2026 • Issue 788 • Vol. 97 • No. 3
59th Year of Publication • 30-Time Hugo Winner
Cover and interview design by Francesca Myman. Cover art by Tithi Luadthong AKA Grandfailure.
INTERVIEWS
Garth Nix: A Wild Idea / 10
James Islington: All the Way to the End / 28
MAIN STORIES / 5
John Crowley (1942-2026) • Appreciations by Paul Park, Elizabeth Hand, Kelly Link, and John Clute • 2026 World Fantasy Awards Ballot • Dragon Awards Ballot
THE DATA FILE / 7
Swift Wins 40th Anniversary Clarke Award • Anthropic Settlement Receives Final Approval • Aurora Awards Winners • Apex Removes Story for Suspected AI Usage • Ursula K. Le Guin’s Home Recognized as National Historic Landmark • Matt Haig to Open Bookshop • Mythopoeic Awards • Imadjinn Awards • Aurealis Awards Changes • Awards News • Financial News • International Rights
PEOPLE & PUBLISHING / 8
Notes on milestones, awards, books sold,etc., with news this issue about Wendy N. Wagner, M. John Harrison, Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan, Rebecca Yarros and many others
SPECIAL FEATURES
Commentary: Cory Doctorow: Technopolitics, 27 • Spotlight on Tithi Luadthong AKA Grandfailure, 30 • Spotlight on Dmitri Lincoln Mehlhorn & Archipelago of Light, 50 • Dark Carnival’s 50th Anniversary, 53 • Summer Workshops, 76 • Locus Letter, 81 • Photo Story: Asimov‘s Editor Sheila Williams Still in Care, 82
CONVENTIONS
GenCon, 53
LISTINGS
Magazines Received: July, 54 • Bestsellers, 55 • New & Notable Books: July, 56 • Books Received: July, 57
OBITUARIES / 81
Dave Nee • Appreciation by Tom Whitmore
EDITORIAL MATTERS / 82
Short Fiction Reviews by MARIA HASKINS / 12
Tasavvur Spring ’26; Lightspeed 7/26; Beneath Ceaseless Skies 6/25/26; Escape Pod 6/25/26, 6/18/26; PodCastle 6/30/26, 6/23/26, 6/16/2026, 6/9/26; Cast of Wonders 5/23/26, 5/17/26; Diabolical Plots 6/1/26, 6/25/26.
Short Fiction Reviews by PAULA GURAN / 14
Remains #5; Uncanny 7-8/26; Nightmare 7/26; Reactor 6/3/26, 6/24/26, 7/8/26; The Dark 6/26, 7/26; Mysterion 7-8/26; The Sunday Morning Transport 6/14/26, 6/21/26, 6/28/26, 7/5/26.
Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. WISE / 15
Asimov’s 7-8/26; khōréō 6.1; Clarkesworld 7/26.
Reviews by GARY K. WOLFE / 16
The Slantwise Histories, Alix E. Harrow; The Book of the Dead, Jonathan Strahan ed.; Revolution in the Heart, Jonathan Strahan ed.
Reviews by COLLEEN MONDOR / 18
Hidden Companions, Ahmad Nabil; Black Point, Jacqueline West; The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue, Zoulfa Katouh; Sea of Charms, Sarah Beth Durst; The Children, Melissa Albert.
Reviews by IAN MOND / 20
The Rouse, China Miéville; Time Travel for Beginners, Jaclyn Moriarty; Mrs. Jekyll, Emma Glass.
Reviews by NIALL HARRISON / 22
The Formosa Exchange, Huang Chong-Kai, tr. Jeremy Tiang; Ply, Hernan Diaz; Exit Party, Emily St. John Mandel; The Breakup, Kurt Andersen; Alston Moor, Anne Charnock.
Reviews by JOANNE ANDERTON / 24
Nostalgic Futures, Max Dosser; Incarnate, Alma Katsu; Agnes, We’re Not Murderers!, Jessica Alexander.
Reviews by GABINO IGLESIAS / 25
The Hill in the Dark Grove, Liam Higginson; The Boatman, Alex Grecian; Driven, Mason Coile; Red X, David Demchuk; Pictures of You, Josh Malerman.
Reviews by DIVERS HANDS: MARIA HASKINS, MAYA C. JAMES, RUSSELL LETSON, ADRIENNE MARTINI / 27
Slow Burn, Amal Singh; Vaster Than Empires, Jonathan Strahan ed.; Engines of Reason, Adrian Tchaikovsky; As You Wake, Break the Shell, Becky Chambers.
Books reviews in this issue (indicating reviewer) —
Albert, Melissa • The Children (Colleen Mondor)
Alexander, Jessica • Agnes, We’re Not Murderers! (Joanne Anderton)
Andersen, Kurt • The Breakup (Niall Harrison)
Chambers, Becky • As You Wake, Break the Shell (Adrienne Martini)
Charnock, Anne • Alston Moor (Niall Harrison)
Chong-Kai, Huang • The Formosa Exchange (Niall Harrison)
Coile, Mason • Driven (Gabino Iglesias)
Demchuk, David • Red X (Gabino Iglesias)
Diaz, Hernan • Ply (Niall Harrison)
Dosser, Max • Nostalgic Futures (Joanne Anderton)
Durst, Sarah Beth • Sea of Charms (Colleen Mondor)
Glass, Emma • Mrs. Jekyll (Ian Mond)
Grecian, Alex • The Boatman (Gabino Iglesias)
Harrow, Alix E. • The Slantwise Histories (Gary K. Wolfe)
Higginson, Liam • The Hill in the Dark Grove (Gabino Iglesias)
Katouh, Zoulfa • The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue (Colleen Mondor)
Katsu, Alma • Incarnate (Joanne Anderton)
Malerman, Josh • Pictures of You (Gabino Iglesias)
Mandel, Emily St. John • Exit Party (Niall Harrison)
Mi ville, China • The Rouse (Ian Mond)
Moriarty, Jaclyn • Time Travel for Beginners (Ian Mond)
Nabil, Ahmad • Hidden Companions (Colleen Mondor)
Singh, Amal • Slow Burn (Maria Haskins)
Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Revolution in the Heart (Gary K. Wolfe)
Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • The Book of the Dead (Gary K. Wolfe)
Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Vaster Than Empires (Maya C. James)
Tchaikovsky, Adrian • Engines of Reason (Russell Letson)
West, Jacqueline • Black Point (Colleen Mondor)
#SFF #sciencefiction #fantasy #books #booksky #bookreviews
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