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message 1: by Rob, Roberator (new)

Rob (robzak) | 7254 comments Mod
New thread for 2026.

Post your SFF Book news for consideration to be included in the next podcast


message 2: by Isak (new)

Isak Theodorsson | 43 comments Over at HumbleBundle you can get a 14 book bundle by Adrian Tchaikovsky (if you liked Children of time) that ends in 4 days.
It's two series: Shadows of the Apt, Echoes of the Fall and the novel Guns of the Dawn.


message 3: by Clyde (last edited Jan 12, 2026 06:18PM) (new)

Clyde (wishamc) | 613 comments There is a Johnscalzi in the asteroid belt! 💫
He is chuffed.😊
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2026/01/1...


message 4: by Mark (new)

Mark (markmtz) | 2837 comments It's that time of year... Registration for LACon V where the next WorldCon is being held, ends January 31. If you just want to nominate and vote for the Hugo Awards, WSFS Membership Only is $50, and you will receive the Voting Packet with copies of many nominated works.

Best Fancast: Awarded for any non-professional audio- or video-casting with at least four (4) episodes that had at least one (1) episode released in the previous calendar year.

https://www.lacon.org/register/


message 5: by Chris K. (new)

Chris K. | 454 comments Via Locus:

The 2026 Philip K. Dick Award nominees have been announced:

Sunward, William Alexander (Saga)

Outlaw Planet, M.R. Carey (Orbit UK; Orbit US)

Casual, Koji A. Dae (Tenebrous)

The Immeasurable Heaven, Caspar Geon (Solaris UK)

Uncertain Sons and Other Stories, Thomas Ha (Undertow)

Scales, Christopher Hinz (Angry Robot UK)

City of All Seasons, Oliver K. Langmead & Aliya Whiteley (Titan)

https://locusmag.com/2026/01/2026-phi...


message 6: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments Matt Dinniman, of Dungeon Crawler Carl fame, is the guest and subject of the latest episode of the Barnes and Nobel podcast: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/c...


message 7: by Tamahome (new)

Tamahome | 7372 comments The Immeasurable Heaven sounds like a crazy space opera.


message 8: by Paul (new)

Paul Fagan | 191 comments Since sharing a humble bundle here a few months ago, I'm now getting their ads pushed to me, which means I've got another good SFF one: Fierce Women of SFFH
64 books featuring a bunch of authors including Nalo Hopkinson, Elizabeth Bear, Jo Walton, Kate Elliot, Nancy Kress, Mira Grant and Sarah Langan including 12 award winning books (Hugo, Stoker, Nebula, etc) for $24.82 CAD. Proceeds go to Active Minds, a leading nonprofit promoting mental health for young adults ages 14-24.
I was a little late posting though, so it's only available for 4 more days.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/fi...


message 9: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments Library awards came out for all sorts of books this week. Here's their genre-fiction selections:

Fantasy

Winner
“The Knight and the Moth: The Stonewater Kingdom: Book One” by Rachel Gillig (Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group)

In a world ruled by godlike Omens, Sybil tells the fortunes of others by repeatedly drowning in divine waters. When her fellow seers start disappearing, she and a gargoyle companion join a young king’s retinue to seek the truth.

Read-alikes: “The Everlasting” by Alix E. Harrow, “Godkiller” by Hannah Kaner, “The Jasmine Throne” by Tasha Suri

Short List
“Greenteeth” by Molly O’Neill (Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group)
“The Raven Scholar: Book One of the Eternal Path Trilogy” by Antonia Hodgson (Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group)

“Red City” by Marie Lu (Tor, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates / Tor Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers)
“The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar (Tordotcom, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates / Tor Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers)

Winner
“Automatic Noodle” by Annalee Newitz (Tordotcom, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates / Tor Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers)

In post-independence California, the eccentric robot employees of an abandoned restaurant seize the opportunity to build something of their own by illegally opening a noodle shop. Enthusiastic support from the community saves the day when review bombing and anti-robot sentiment almost kill their fledgling business.

Read-alikes: “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers, “The Year Without Sunshine” by Naomi Kritzer (novelette), “You Sexy Thing” by Cat Rambo

Short List
“The Heist of Hollow London” by Eddie Robson (Tor, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates / Tor Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers)
“Hole in the Sky: A Novel” by Daniel H. Wilson (Doubleday, an imprint of Penguin Random House)

“When We Were Real: A Novel” by Daryl Gregory (Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster)
“Where the Axe is Buried: A Novel” by Ray Nayler (MCD / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers)


message 10: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments Saw this pop up on Kickstarter — a new tabletop game is being created based on Naomi Novik’s Temeraire novel series, which is her “Napoleonic Wars with dragons” world. Way back in 2013 (holy cannoli!) Sword & Laser read the first book, His Majesty's Dragon.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Magpie Games is excited to bring you Temeraire: The Roleplaying Game, the officially licensed tabletop roleplaying game set in the world of the Temeraire novel series by Naomi Novik!

Rise into aerial battle. Fly to lands across the world. Face treachery and deceit, alongside honor and nobility. Find your love and fight for it. Save nations by the sweat of your brow and the strength of your scales.

In these pages you will find setting information seeded with plot hooks for your game, numerous character types representing the variety of characters fans love from the British Aerial Corps, and even the rules for playing a dragon!



message 11: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments I feel like this was talked about already but just in case: Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere has been optioned by Apple TV.

From the man himself: https://youtu.be/VBQmStfWDVE

Apple TV makes the best Sci-Fi, hands down, everyone else is a distant second place, so there’s a good chance this will be good.


message 12: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments Project Hail Mary final trailer, theatres, March 20.

https://youtu.be/P0XN3-n-2Lo

Heeere’s Rocky!


message 13: by Tamahome (last edited Feb 09, 2026 10:34AM) (new)

Tamahome | 7372 comments


message 14: by Scott (new)

Scott | 277 comments A certain Matt Dinniman is the guest on V. E. Schwab's podcast, No Write Way, kicking off its fourth season.

S4 E1- Trapping Matt Dinniman: A Hippopotamus, Bass Strings, and Pizza-Blasted Goldfish

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...


message 15: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments https://heinleinsociety.org/andy-weir...

The Heinlein Society has awarded Andy Weir the 2026 Robert A. Heinlein Award, bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction or technical writings that inspires the human exploration of space.


message 16: by Tamahome (last edited Feb 18, 2026 11:32AM) (new)

Tamahome | 7372 comments Sharon Lee won it last year. Looking at the previous winners. She wrote a lot of space opera with Steve Miller.


message 17: by Chris K. (new)

Chris K. | 454 comments Via Reactor.com:

Finalists for the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction

As chosen by judges Maurice Broaddus, S. B. Divya, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde, the finalists are:

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (Saga Press)
The Death of Mountains by Jordan Kurella (Lethe Press)
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (William Morrow)
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji (DAW Books)
Luminous by Silvia Park (Simon & Schuster)

The winners will be announced April 17, during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

https://reactormag.com/2025-los-angel...


message 18: by Chris K. (new)

Chris K. | 454 comments Via Locus:

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced the final ballot for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards.

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, Grady Hendrix (Berkley)
King Sorrow, Joe Hill (William Morrow)
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones (Saga)
The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey)
Girl in the Creek, Wendy N. Wagner (Tor Nightfire)

This is just the novel award.

Here's the link for all the other awards: https://locusmag.com/2026/02/2025-bra...


message 19: by Phil (new)

Phil | 1501 comments Just saw that Dan Simmons (Hyperion, The Terror) passed away from a stroke last Saturday. He was 77. The Hyperion series is on my top 10 favorite book list and I recently read Olympos. I saw on Discord someone say that he's been revealed to be a white supremist which makes mourning him problematic, but I did enjoy his writing.


message 20: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments Phil wrote: "Just saw that Dan Simmons (Hyperion, The Terror) passed away from a stroke last Saturday. He was 77. The Hyperion series is on my top 10 favorite book list and I recently read Olympos. I saw on Dis..."

I thought the Guardian's obituary addressed the white supremacy thing pretty well. Hard to say what his beliefs really were, but seems like he had some criticism for all sides of the political spectrum in his writings.


message 21: by John (last edited Mar 04, 2026 01:02AM) (new)

John (agni4lisva) | 393 comments Seth wrote: "Phil wrote: "Just saw that Dan Simmons (Hyperion, The Terror) passed away from a stroke last Saturday. He was 77. The Hyperion series is on my top 10 favorite book list and I recently read Olympos...."

For those interested this is the Guardian obituary

https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...


message 22: by Scott (last edited Mar 16, 2026 11:34AM) (new)

Scott | 277 comments The Nebula Award finalists have been announced.

https://nebulas.sfwa.org/9192-2/

The Nebula Award for Best Novel

When We Were Real, by Daryl Gregory (Saga)
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones (Saga; Titan UK)
Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)
Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor (Morrow; Gollancz)
The Incandescent, by Emily Tesh (Tor; Orbit UK)
Sour Cherry, by Natalia Theodoridou (Tin House; Wildfire)
Wearing the Lion, by John Wiswell (DAW; Arcadia)

The Nebula Award for Best Novella

Disgraced Return of the Kap’s Needle, by Renan Bernardo (Dark Matter INK)
The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar (Tordotcom; Arcadia)
The Death of Mountains, by Jordan Kurella (Lethe)
Automatic Noodle, by Annalee Newitz (Tordotcom)
But Not Too Bold, by Hache Pueyo (Tordotcom)
“Descent”, by Wole Talabi (Clarkesworld 5/25)

The Nebula Award for Best Novelette

“Our Echoes Drifting Through the Marsh”, by Marie Croke (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 1/9/25)
“Uncertain Sons”, by Thomas Ha (Uncertain Sons)
“We Begin Where Infinity Ends”, by Somto Ihezue (Clarkesworld 2/25)
The Name Ziya, by Wen-Yi Lee (Tor)
“Never Eaten Vegetables”, by H.H. Pak (Clarkesworld 1/25)
“The Life and Times of Alavira the Great as Written by Titos Pavlou and Reviewed by Two Lifelong Friends”, by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 3-4/25)

The Nebula Award for Best Short Story

“Through the Machine”, by P.A. Cornell (Lightspeed 5/25)
“Six People to Revise You”, by J.R. Dawson (Uncanny 1-2/25)
“In My Country”, by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld 4/25)
“The Tawlish Island Songbook of the Dead”, by E.M. Linden (PodCastle 2/18/25)
“Because I Held His Name Like a Key”, by Aimee Ogden (Strange Horizons 6/16/25)
“Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything”, by Effie Seiberg (Diabolical Plots 5/25)

The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction

The Tower, by David Anaxagoras (Recorded Books)
Gemini Rising, by Jonathan Brazee (Semper Fi Press)
Wishing Well, Wishing Well, by Jubilee Cho (Atthis Arts)
Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
Into the Wild Magic, by Michelle Knudsen (Candlewick)
Goblin Girl, by K.A. Mielke (self-published)

The Nebula Award for Best Game Writing

Spire, Surge, and Sea, by Stewart C. Baker (Choice of Games)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, by Guillaume Broche, & Jennifer Svedberg-Yen (Kepler Interactive), Developer: Sandfall Interactive, Sandfall S.A.S.
Hollow Knight: Silksong, by Ari Gibson & William Pelen (Team Cherry)*
Dispatch, by Ashley Jeffalone, Suzee Matson, Chris Rebbert, Chad Rhiness, & Pierre Shorette (AdHoc Studios)
Hades II, by Greg Kasavin
(Supergiant Games)
Blue Prince, by Tonda Ros (Raw Fury, Developer: Dogubomb)

The Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

KPop Demon Hunters, by Danya Jimenez, Maggie Kang, & Hannah McMechan (Netflix)*
Sinners, by Ryan Coogler (Warner Bros Pictures)*
Severance: “Chikhai Bardo”, by Dan Erickson & Mark Friedman (Apple TV+)*
Pluribus: Season One, by Vince Gilligan (Apple TV+)*
Superman, by James Gunn (Warner Bros Pictures)*
Murderbot: Season One, by Chris Weitz (Apple TV+)*

The Nebula Award for Best Comic

Second Shift, by Kit Anderson (Avery Hill)
Carmilla Volume 3: The Eternal, by Amy Chu (Berger)
Helen of Wyndhorn, by Tom King (Dark Horse)
Fishflies, by Jeff Lemire (Image)
Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: The Killing Stone, by Jessica Maison (Wicked Tree)
Strange Bedfellows, by Ariel Slamet Ries (HarperAlley)
The Flip Side, by Jason Walz (Rocky Pond)
The Stoneshore Register, by G. Willow Wilson (Berger)

The Nebula Award for Best Poem

“Though You Always Are”, by Linda D. Addison & Jamal Hodge (Everything Endless)
“They Said Robots Are”, by Casey Aimer (Penumbric 6/25)
“The World To Come”, by Jennifer Hudak (Strange Horizons 12/22/25)
“The Mourning Robot”, by Angela Liu (Uncanny 9-10/25)
“Care for Lightning”, by Mari Ness (Uncanny 1-2/25)
“To Be the Change”, by Nico Martinez Nocito (Strange Horizons 3/10/25)


message 23: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments Dungeon Crawler Carl is officially in development for Peacock by Seth MacFarlane’s company with Christopher Yost writing.

Dungeon Crawler Carl’ TV Series From Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door, Chris Yost Lands at Peacock (EXCLUSIVE)
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/dung...

Yost co-created the character X-23 and has written films like *Thor: Ragnarok*.


message 24: by Silvana (last edited Apr 03, 2026 08:46PM) (new)

Silvana (silv4ubrey) | 1847 comments Animorphs TV series is in development with Ryan Cogler as executive producer.

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/anim...


message 25: by Silvana (new)

Silvana (silv4ubrey) | 1847 comments Amazon is ending their service for Kindle device older than 2013 (seriously this is so infuriating)

https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ere...


message 26: by Clyde (new)

Clyde (wishamc) | 613 comments Silvana wrote: "Amazon is ending their service for Kindle device older than 2013 (seriously this is so infuriating)

https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ere......"


Just damn. More enshittification from Amazon. Just one more reason to move my book purchases elsewhere.


message 27: by Mark (new)

Mark (markmtz) | 2837 comments The 2026 Locus Awards finalists have been posted. 10 titles each in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, First Novel, Translated Novel, and more! Sword and Laser picks making the cut are The Devils by Joe Abercrombie and The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson in Fantasy, plus Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz in Novellas.
https://locusmag.com/2026/04/2026-top...


message 28: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments Spotify launches direct-links to Bookshop to allow users to buy books.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/15/spo...

This come shortly after they launch the page-match feature that lets you scan the physical page you're on and stream your audio straight from that point.

I guess I'm not terribly excited that another tech giant has decided to compete with bookstores, but on the other hand, they're going through Bookshop, which is kinda nice?


message 29: by Tamahome (new)

Tamahome | 7372 comments Can I have the audiobook tell me what page it's on, lol? I guess with the ebook I could search for the words.


message 30: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments Good Omens s3, Amazon Prime, May 13

https://youtu.be/kpKkh64jgPI

New character introduction, name of… ::checks notes:: …Jesus.


message 31: by Trike (new)

Trike | 11547 comments The Dog Stars, theatres, August 28

https://youtu.be/cmzVY1goqwQ

Based on the book: The Dog Stars


message 32: by Tamahome (new)

Tamahome | 7372 comments Isn't that Keannu's rock band? I think they have a new album.


message 33: by Mark (last edited Apr 21, 2026 10:55AM) (new)

Mark (markmtz) | 2837 comments 2026 Hugo finalists have been announced!
https://www.lacon.org/hugofinalists/

The Raven Scholar, this month's pick, was nominated for Best Novel and author Antonia Hodgson was also nominated for the Astounding Award. The previous month's pick, Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz was nominated for Best Novella.
Previous S&L authors Scalzi, Heather Fawcett, and Max Gladstone were nominated for Best Series: Old Man's War, Emily Wilde, and The Craft Wars, respectively. Alas, Sword and Laser didn't make the cut for Best Fancast, so we'll try again next year.


message 34: by Spriggana (new)

Spriggana | 182 comments I’m so happy for „The Everlasting”! If we would not have read Alix Harrow before I would start a serious campaign for TE in the March Madness. :-)


message 35: by Seth (new)

Seth | 828 comments 40 years after Octavia Butler asked that her own novel not be reprinted - it's getting reprinted:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment...

I sometimes think about how much control an author's wishes should have after their death. It's neat that her fans get to read a "lost" book, even one that the author disliked. On the other hand, I also admire how Terry Pratchett's estate carried through with his wishes not to have his unfinished works published (as I recall they drove over his hard-drive with a steam engine?).


message 36: by Peter (new)

Peter (peter_tcga) | 5 comments Seth wrote: "40 years after Octavia Butler asked that her own novel not be reprinted - it's getting reprinted:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment......"


Thanks for the share, Seth. Interesting read.


message 37: by Phil (new)

Phil | 1501 comments Just saw that Master Alvin, the seventh and last book of the Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card, has come out. It's been 22 years since the previous book, The Crystal City, was released. I really enjoyed the first few books in this series but the last couple didn't grab me as much. Hopefully it's a good wrap up.


message 38: by Jan (new)

Jan | 821 comments Screenrant released an article crowning "Circe" by Madeline Miller as the best / most popular Fantasy Novel of the past Decade based on Goodreads data. The definition for “most popular” in this context is "books with the highest total shelving and an average rating above 3.5 stars, published from 2017 to the present."

And based on the same metrics "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros is the most popular Romantasy novel.

https://screenrant.com/goodreads-offi...


message 39: by Jan (new)

Jan | 821 comments From Locus Mag:

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus has won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in the Fiction category. Quoting the Pulitzer jury the book is a “breathless novel of World War I, a stylistic tour-de-force that blends such genres as allegory, magical realism and science fiction into a cohesive whole, told in a single sentence.”

https://locusmag.com/2026/05/2026-pul...


message 40: by John (new)

John (agni4lisva) | 393 comments To coincide with the release of the latest Dungeon Crawler Carl book Goodreads have an interview with the author Matt Dinniman

https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/...

There are some interesting insights into the story development which just go to show that no plan survives contact with the real world! No spoilers here - go read the article!


message 41: by Jan (new)

Jan | 821 comments So you want to know about a great non-english science fiction novel that will NEVER be translated into English? Well, i have found the right news for you!

Lyneham by Nils Westerboer has won the German Kurd Laßwitz Prize 2026 for Best Science Fiction Novel.

So's that. But hey, I can at least translate the beginning of the goodreads description for you:

Henry Meadows is turning twelve when Earth dies. With his father and siblings he travels to "Perm" a primordial Moon in a far-away solar system. Henry’s mother traveled on a different spaceship. The family awaits her arrival but suddenly signs appear that she has already been there --- long ago. And she has left behind a warning...

You can read more about the other winners over on Locusmag (hint: Best translated work is To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers)

https://locusmag.com/2026/05/2026-kur...


message 42: by Jan (new)

Jan | 821 comments Alchemised by SenLinYu has actually won something!

Not the "Best Harry Potter Fan Fiction turned Novel that has absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter anymore *wink* *wink* but we'll market the heck out of that fact anyway" Award, but the 2026 British Book Award in the Category Science Fiction & Fantasy.

At least that's what LocusMag is telling me, so it mus be true!

https://locusmag.com/2026/05/2026-bri...

(I am very sorry about these Quickburns, I am currently listening to "Parade of Horribles" and apparently this is influencing my writing style!)


message 43: by Phil (new)

Phil | 1501 comments There's a Humble Bundle of 31 books by Robert Silverberg available for the next 15 days. I've read a fair number of them and can recommend his writing. It does include the Majipoor books.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/be...


message 44: by Clyde (last edited May 19, 2026 08:31PM) (new)

Clyde (wishamc) | 613 comments Phil wrote: "There's a Humble Bundle of 31 books by Robert Silverberg available for the next 15 days. I've read a fair number of them and can recommend his writing. It does include the Majipoor books.

https:/..."


Nice. 👍
I read most of his books back when, as a bard once said, "I wore a younger man's clothes." (Humm … I think it is about time to reread Lord Valentine's Castle.)
For those interested in Silverberg the man, I recommend Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg. It gives a glimpse into his life both in and out of the SF&F world. And, it provides a vision of Silverberg's wide ranging interests and is well seasoned with his dry wit.


message 45: by Jan (last edited May 20, 2026 01:59AM) (new)

Jan | 821 comments Hello Cra... Shields!

Goodreads has released its list of the most anticipated books this summer and of course there are genre lists included.

The most anticipated Fantasy books include:
The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
Winner of this summer’s unofficial Best Book Title award, Fishbone Cinderella by by Elizabeth Lim, and
Victorious by V.E. Schwab

Science Fiction includes:
Moss’d in Space by Rebecca Thorne (which apparently is about a spaceship covered in sentinent moss), and
As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers

Romantasy I am skipping as for some reason none of the titles follows the "an X of Y and Z" romantasy novel title generator format, which I find hugely disappointing (but which may be fixed when the 6th and so far untitled book of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" gets revealed, even though Goodreads cheated by including that book because October 27 is definitely not part of summer anymore)

But if you want to read up on the Romantasy list and all the other books you can find it over on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/3088

Now get out there and read, read, read!


message 46: by Spriggana (new)

Spriggana | 182 comments Apparently their summer definition is up to November.

For some reason Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel hides in Contemporary & Historical Fiction, which is funny, as the blurb starts with
2031. America is at war with itself, but for the first time in weeks there is some good news: the Republic of California has been declared, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted, and everyone in the city is going to a party.

I would argue that five years in the future is stil a future. :-D

From my list:

Fantasy:
T. Kingfisher "Daggerbound"
Scott Hawkins "Blacktail" (author of "The Library at Mount Char")
Susanna Clarke "The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City"
Mercedes Lackey "Elvenbred" (I want to read it, but at the same time I’m a bit afraid if the quality is up with the previous volumes)

Science Fiction:
Suzanne Palmer "Ode to the Half-Broken"
Garth Nix "Massif"

Speculative Fiction: (not sure F or SF)
China Miéville "The Rouse" (only 1264 pages…)
Claire North "As We Fall Through Time"


message 47: by Scott (new)

Scott | 277 comments Book Riot is getting the jump on other lists by publishing "The Best new Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2026."

https://bookriot.com/best-new-queer-s...

I just finished Ada Hoffmann's "Ignore All Previous Instructions" and definitely agree with its inclusion on any "best" list. And like many I'm also eagerly awaiting the new Becky Chambers novel in October. There are plenty of authors new to me on the list whose book descriptions pique my interest.


message 48: by Katie (new)

Katie Boyd (katidid) | 15 comments Jan wrote: "So you want to know about a great non-english science fiction novel that will NEVER be translated into English? Well, i have found the right news for you!

Lyneham by Nils Westerboer has won the Ge..."


Is there a shortage of translators from German to English?

I ask because I have a sort of dream to someday become a translator of SFF from German to English. The way some people dream that they might someday write a book. I dream that maybe someday I'll translate a book.

I don't know if this will ever happen.
I have full time work and not a ton of free time.
I'm not even yet fluent in German. I just keep coming back to it, trying to learn, and especially to read in German.
I don't even know if I'll actually be good at it yet.

But the main reason I'm bothering to post is because I also always wondered if it's even a needed thing. Would there even be many opportunities for this specific language for translation?

Even if I never accomplish this dream, I am still actively trying to get to where I can fluently read, and taking advantage of being able to read stuff that might never get translated into English will make me feel very cool to have those books be open to me as a reward for my effort! So YES! I am a person who wants to know about great German SFF that may never be translated into English!! (other non-English language not so much, but this one works!) I added that title to my "to-read-in-german" list! (while I still work on stuff that's maybe of a 2nd grade level. this is gonna take some time)


message 49: by Jan (last edited May 22, 2026 01:00PM) (new)

Jan | 821 comments Maybe this is a Quick Burns - although it's not recent news and only partially related to Science Fiction and Fantasy:

But this 2014 Article explores why literature from other languages makes up just two or three per cent of English publishers’ output.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/2...

For Translations of German language (literary fiction) books there is for example the site "New Books in German" that according to their "about us" page "promotes German-language literature for translation into English in the UK, USA, and beyond. We feature recommendations of the best new fiction and non-fiction titles from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. We publish articles and information on books, authors, and those who translate or work with them."

https://www.new-books-in-german.com/a...

But whether this is any successful - I don't know...


message 50: by Jan (new)

Jan | 821 comments New month, new 100 greatest novels of all time list. This time it's the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-...

If we are leaving out magical realism (literary fiction sure loves their ambiguous ghost stories and allegorical supernatural elements), the Fantasy and Science Fiction novels included are:
98. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
89. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
76. Dracula
71. Kindred by Octavia E Butler
36. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
30. Frankenstein
16. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

So no Lord of the Rings or Brave New World or Dungeon Crawler Carl...


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