New SFF Genres and Authors to Try in 2026

“Fantasy of manners” is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that combines fantastical elements within a hierarchical social structure. The focus is less on the magic (although the magic is undoubtedly there) and more on how characters navigate social conventions with wit, tact and diplomacy. There’s often intrigue, romance and highly-charged banter. Think Jane Austen meets fey shenanigans. Classic examples of this genre include The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. 

“Wuxia” has its roots in Chinese fiction, often involving the martial arts of ancient China and historical events. Modern wuxia narratives can be found in Chinese operas, manhuas, movies, donghuas and even in contemporary fantasy literature, such as The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. And if you can’t get enough of supernatural martial arts, you should check out wuxia works in translation, including Jin Yong’s Legends of the Condor Heroes.  

Plenty of sci-fi subgenres have “—punk” as a suffix, but “solarpunk” is more than just a genre—it’s a political way of seeing the world and working towards building a more sustainable future. The “solar” prefix refers not just to using the sun as a renewable energy resource but also a reminder to remain optimistic in the wake of climate change, while “punk” refers to the counter-cultural, do-it-yourself approach. 

In other ways, solarpunk is a genre with a strong focus on community, concerned with finding solutions to the climate crisis and envisioning ways out of the techno-capitalist hellscape we’re currently trapped in. To learn more, you can try noted solarpunk anthologies such as Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World and Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation.

The newest arrival in the literary scene, “weird girl” is all about unreliable and unhinged narrators who are on the outside of things and are unafraid to unleash their feral urges upon the unjust world. These books often focus on female protagonists who are far from perfect, navigating complex histories of trauma and clearly don’t try to fit in with the patriarchal demands, often accompanied by elements of psychological horror. If you’re looking for something unsettling, try Bunny by Mona Awad or Mouth: Stories by Puloma Ghosh or Nightbitch by Rachel Yonder.

“Silkpunk” is a term that was originally coined by Ken Liu to describe his 2015 debut, The Grace of Kings, the first in his Dandelion Dynasty series. As per the author, “silkpunk novels are about rebellion, resistance, re-appropriation and rejuvenation of tradition.” Influenced by East Asian philosophies and aesthetics, the worldbuilding in silkpunk books may include innovative technological elements drawn from organic materials. Along with Ken Liu’s books, you can also check out The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard and The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang.  

Since the dawn of time, mushrooms have always fascinated humanity—from inducing fantastical visions to fatal poisonings. So, it’s no surprise that malevolent spores haunt so much of today’s horror landscape, with a focus on the strange and surreal. If you’re keen to explore more, check out Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation books, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Girl with All the Gifts by Mike Carey. 

One of the latest buzzwords in both literary and SFF scenes, climate fiction (or “cl-fi” for short) refers to books that engage with climate change, often set during contemporary times or near future. These books are usually heavily researched, exploring how humanity can tackle the problems posed by the ongoing climate crisis, and may particularly appeal to lovers of hard sci-fi. 

One key author to check out in this genre is Kim Stanley Robinson. Most of his books including Science in the Capital trilogy, The Ministry for the Future, 2312 and others are careful and highly-detailed speculations on how humanity may respond to climate change, urging readers to take action before it’s too late. 

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that “genre” is also a vital marketing tool, utilized by publishers to promote their books to the right audience. Literary SFF caters to readers who want something more than the usual generic plot—stylistic prose, innovations in structure and experiments in storytelling. If you’re looking for something more novel, thoughtful and self-consciously serious, try Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. 

Afrofuturism is a cultural movement that not only challenges colonial perspectives of African culture, but also envisions and reimagines black futures through the speculative vein, mostly by authors of the African diaspora. There’s a strong emphasis on techno-culture, combined with indigenous mythology and folklore, as seen in books like Binti by Nnedi Okorafor, Rosewater by Tade Thompson, Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson, and of course in the works of Octavia Butler.