The Most Anticipated Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2026

Amal El-Mohtar’s prose is exquisite, evocative, and full of enchantments. With Max Gladstone, she co-wrote the heart-wrenching sci-fi novella, This Is How You Lose The Time War, told entirely through the letters exchanged between two spies, on opposing sides of a war that spans multiple universes. This year she published The River Has Roots, a fantasy novella about the love between two sisters that reads like a charming fairytale, and next year, she’s set to release Seasons of Glass & Iron, a collection of short stories. If you enjoy poignant fairytales with a twist and lyrical prose, you’ll definitely adore El-Mohtar’s books.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean was a refreshingly entertaining read, about a secret group of people who literally consume books to survive. It follows Devon, a “book eater” woman raised on a restrictive diet of cautionary tales, who slowly learns to question the patriarchal dictates and flees with her son. Filled with epigraphs and quotes, this layered Gothic fantasy thriller was pretty much unputdownable. 

Now, Dean veers towards historical horror fiction in her upcoming book, The Girl with a Thousand Faces, set in and around Hong Kong during World War II, revisiting the ghosts of the colonial past.

I’m low-key in love with Isabel Kim’s short fiction. Seriously, each of her stories is a banger, including “Homecoming is Just Another Word for the Sublimation of the Self” (published in Clarkesworld), which her debut novel, Sublimation, is based on. Both the novel and the short story are based on the science fictional premise that immigration duplicates the self—while one copy crosses the border, another is left behind. Kim’s work is often unsettling, moving and timely, marking her as a writer to watch out for. 

John Chu’s short fiction is pretty incredible, including “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” that won the Hugo Award. And not to judge a book by its cover, but Chu’s debut novel The Subtle Art of Folding Space has a cover and a title that had me immediately enticed. Tackling generational trauma and quantum physics with a generous helping of dim sums, this genre-bending novel promises to be one hell of a roller coaster ride. Probably best enjoyed with your favorite comfort food. 

Speaking of comfort food, T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea has been my go-to comfort read for a while, often savored with a cup of hot cocoa. A cozy found-family novel with a subtly sweet romance and queer cast that doesn’t shy away from heavy themes, the novel helped establish Klune’s signature style. His latest book, We Burned So Bright is about an older queer couple—Don and Rodney—on an end-of-the-world road trip. Thought-provoking, engaging and filled with quiet moments of meaning, We Burned So Bright isn’t likely to disappoint.  

I read Samantha Sotto Yambao’s debut novel, Water Moon, earlier this year, and found it to be a breezy, enjoyable and imaginative read, with an insta-love romance and whimsy fantasy elements. The latter earned comparisons to Studio Ghibli movies, and her next book The Elsewhere Express seems to continue that trend. 

The novel follows two lost souls who board a magical train filled with untold wonders and dangerous secrets—reminding me of scenes from Spirited Away and Night on the Galactic Railroad. Plus, the deluxe hardcover edition with sprayed edges and coloring pages seems like an item worth collecting, so pre-order your copy soon!

Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch trilogy is brilliant and bonkers, and best enjoyed without any spoilers. Sharply written, with interesting characters and playing around with our understanding of gender, Imperial Radch books will appeal to lovers of space operas. And it’s wonderful to learn that Leckie’s returning to that universe with a new standalone novel, Radiant Star, all set for a May, 2026 release. 

I have a soft spot for narratives featuring the fae and I enjoy A.C. Wise’s stellar short fiction, so naturally her upcoming (and alliteratively titled) novel, Ballad of the Bone Road, has piqued my attention. The story follows two paranormal investigators haunted by their own ghosts and demons sent to investigate a haunting—only to uncover the fae secrets at the heart of the decadent city of Port Astor. With its Gothic mystery vibes and January release date, Ballad of the Bone Road might be a broody way to begin your 2026 reading journey.

I’m particularly excited about Laura Brooke Robson’s latest novel, Love Is an Algorithm that takes a look at modern dating and the ubiquity of AI chatbots. While AI appears to have infiltrated various aspects of our daily lives (for the worse), its influence on dating isn’t a topic I usually see covered (save for the “Hang the DJ” episode of Black Mirror). Robson’s book explores a compelling love story in the digital age where algorithms and chatbots are designed to take all the major (and minor) decisions on one’s behalf.