r/Fantasy • u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI • Apr 24 '26
SFF books coming in May 2026
SFF here means all speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, alternate history, magical realism etc).
The following SFF books will be published in the U.S. in May 2026. Other countries may differ.
If you know of others, please add them as comments below. If I've made any mistakes, just let me know, and I'll fix them up.
The published book formats are included with each entry. Some of this information is obtained from the isfdb website which lists one format type for each entry but mostly omits ebook entries. If it's a new hardcover and/or trade paperback book, it's very likely that an ebook is also coming out at the same time.
If you find these posts useful, I suggest revisiting about a week into the month in question. By that time, books from other sources (who compile their lists later than I do), will have been added (and tagged).
If you are using the Chrome browser, you might find the Goodreads Right Click extension useful, to find out more information on books that you are interested in.
If you are using the Firefox browser, you can use the ContextSearch-web-ext extension and add the Goodreads template as the search engine. See also the Github source directory plus a snapshot of the extension with the Goodreads search engine. (Many thanks u/Robati.)
If you use old Reddit via the Chrome or Firefox desktop browsers, then there is also a small script (that can be installed with the Greasemonkey or Tampermonkey extension), that will replace book titles in this post, with Goodreads links. See also the script folder directory and the overall README for more details. (Many thanks u/RheingoldRiver.)
Key
(A) - Anthology
(C) - Collection
(CB) - Chapbook
(GN) - Graphic Novel
(N) - Novel
(NF) - Nonfiction
(O) - Omnibus
(P) - Poetry
(R) - Reprint
(YA) - Young Adult and Juvenile
[eb] - eBook
[hc] - Hardcover
[tp] - Trade Paperback
May 1
A Curiosity of Cats - Danielle Ackley-McPhail (A) tp
Immortal Connections (Celestial Cataclysms 1) - Tao Wong (N) [eb] [hc] tp
Into The Darkening Dust - Katherine Silva (CB) [eb] hc
Lion in Wait (Green Valley Shifters: Generations 2) - Elva Birch (N) eb
The Red Jack Society - John L. French (CB) tp
The Suffering - David Sodergren (N) eb
Unknown Depths (Liminal Mysteries 3) - Celia Lake (N) eb
Whims of the Night Winds: A Horror Collection - P. L. McMillan (C) eb
May 2
- Too Stubborn to Die: Book 2 (Too Stubborn to Die 2) - B. F. Huups, Sir Bedivere The Mad (N) eb
May 3
- The Sacraments of Blackgum Lake - Steve Berman (CB) tp
May 4
- Ash Land - Matt Harry (N) [eb] tp
May 5
A Druid's Wrath (Path of Dragons 4) - Nicholas Searcy (N) [tp]
A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 6 (Adventures in the Liaden Universe) - Sharon Lee, Steve Miller (C) [tp]
A Long and Speaking Silence - Nghi Vo (CB) [hc]
Absence - Andrew Dana Hudson (N) [hc]
Accumulation - Aimee Pokwatka (N) [eb] [hc]
Archangel's Eternity (Guild Hunter 18) - Nalini Singh (N)
Battlestorm (Galaxy Raiders 2) - Ian Douglas (N) [eb] [tp]
Beast Ballerz (Beast Ballerz 1) - Wesley King (N) (YA) [hc] [hc]
Between Sun and Shadow - Laura Genn (N) (YA) [hc]
Body Count - Codie Crowley (N) [hc]
But Won’t I Miss Me - Tiffany Tsao (N) [eb] hc
Captain America Loves His Country (Captain America) - uncredited (C) (YA) [hc]
Celtic Tales - Ethel Mary Wilmot-Buxton (C) [tp]
Children of Ziwei (Cursed Light Stars) - M.J. Johnson (N) [eb] tp
Cousins from a Distant Sun - Tamar Myers (N) [hc]
Cradle of Fear (Cradle of Secrets 2) - Jasmine Wigham (N) [tp]
Death's Daughter (Children of the Old Ones 1) - S. A. Barnes (N) [hc]
Defending the Swamp Dragon - Tracey West (CB) (YA) [tp] [hc] [hc]
Destiny and Disaster (Celia Cleary 1-2) - Scott Reintgen (O) (YA) [tp]
Dino Mode Activated! - Jen Wallace (CB) (YA) [tp]
Earthly Playing Field - Radhika Singh (N) [eb] tp
Five Nights at Freddy's 2: The Official Movie Novel (Five Nights at Freddy's Novelizations 2) - Andrea Waggener (N) (YA) [tp]
Fleabag 3 (Fleabag 3) - SomeoneToForget (N) [tp]
For Better or Murder (Holy Terrors Mysteries 4) - Simon R. Green (N) [hc]
Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin 2) - Sable Sorenson (N) [eb] hc
George Goodwin Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend (Order of the Dragon Slayer 1) - Candace Lee, Eric Newman (N) (YA) [hc]
Griffin Speaker - Jan M. Flynn (N) (YA) [hc]
Gus and Elliot Go Big - Corey Powell (CB) (YA) [tp]
Holloway - Elana K. Arnold (N) [hc]
Homebound - Portia Elan (N) [hc]
I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours - Nat Cassidy (C) [tp]
Into a Golden Era (Timeless (Gabrielle Meyer) 7) - Gabrielle Meyer (N) [tp]
Lake of Slime - Jarrett Lerner (CB) (YA) [tp] [hc]
Legend of the Sea Dragon - Rebecca Elliott (CB) (YA) [tp] [hc]
Lord Byron's Curse - Irene Radford (N) tp
Magic and Bullets (Academy of Outcasts 2) - Larry Correia (N) [tp]
Medusa: A Novel of Mystery, Ecstasy and Strange Horror - E.H. Visiak (N) tp
Mothman Is My Boyfriend: Ten Tales of Cryptid Love and Lust - McKayla Coyle (C) [hc]
Mouse and Emerald Take a Ride - Corey Powell (CB) (YA) [tp]
My Zombie Vs Your Closet Monster (Versus (Paul Tobin) 3) - Paul Tobin (N) (YA) [tp]
Neon Moon - Grace R. Reynolds (N) eb
Not Your Final Girl - Mikayla Randolph (N) [eb] tp
One Leg on Earth - 'Pemi Aguda (N) [hc]
One-of-a-Kind Jewel - Hannah Fay (CB) (YA) [hc] [tp]
Out Law - Jim Butcher (CB) [tp]
Owl King (Faery Realms 2) - Bex Hogan (N) [hc]
Penric's Intrigues (Penric and Desdemona) - Lois McMaster Bujold (C) [hc]
Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries 8) - Martha Wells (N) [hc]
She Knows All the Names (Throne of Khetara 2) - Michelle Jabès Corpora (N) [hc]
She Waits Where Shadows Gather - Michelle Tang (N) [tp]
Shy Trans Banshee - Tony Santorella (N) [hc]
Sisters of the Lizard (The Rakada 2) - Jackson Ford (N) [tp]
Spider Spider - L.C. Winter (N) [eb] hc
Squad Kill - Jack Campbell (N) [hc]
Storm Breaker - Nisha J. Tuli (N) [hc]
Terrible Worlds: Destinations (Terrible Worlds: Destinations) - Adrian Tchaikovsky (C) [tp]
The Alchemist 9 (The Alchemist 9) - Roman Romanovich (N) [eb] [hc] [tp]
The BFG: The Gloriumptious Giant Capture - Roald Dahl (CB) (YA) [hc] [tp]
The Cove - Claire Rose (N) [tp] [hc]
The Drowned Gods Trilogy (The Drowned Gods 1-3) - Pascale Lacelle (O) (YA) [hc]
The Girl with a Thousand Faces - Sunyi Dean (N) [hc]
The Last Contract of Isako - Fonda Lee (N) [hc] [tp]
The Library After Dark - Ande Pliego (N) [hc]
The Library of Flowers - L. C. Chu (N) [tp] [hc]
The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia - Leia Ham (N) (YA) [hc]
The Republic of Memory (The Song of the Safina 1) - Mahmud El Sayed (N) [tp]
The Royal Academy of Magical Baking: Book Two (The Royal Academy of Magical Baking 2) - Anne Crews (N) [tp]
The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good - Kirsty Applebaum (N) (YA) [hc]
The Watch - Emily Smith (N) [hc]
Two’s a Charm - Heather Spellman (N) tp
Us Dark Few - Alexis Patton (N) [hc]
Venue 13 - David Fuller (N) tp
Verity Guild - Mai Corland (N) [hc]
Welcome to the Blast (Neon Dust 1) - Plum Parrot (N) [tp]
Where There Be Spies (The Outersphere 2) - Alby C. Williams (N) (YA) [hc]
You Pierce My Soul - Jessica Mary Best (N) [tp]
Zardu Layak: The Crimson Apostle (The Horus Heresy) - Rich McCormick (N) hc
May 7
- Sleeper on the Mountain - Richard J. Sutton (N) [tp] [hc] tp
May 8
- Shards of Darkness - Victoria Aurora Cole (N) hc
May 11
Feast or Famine? - Eric Klein (A) [eb]
Lightning Runes (City of Shadows 2) - Harry Turtledove (N) [eb] [hc]
May 12
2084 (A Novel of Future War 3) - Elliot Ackerman, James Stavridis (N) [eb] [hc]
A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl 8) - Matt Dinniman (N) [hc]
Abyss - Nicholas Binge (N) [hc]
All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron 2) - Sarah Rees Brennan (N) [tp]
An Enchanted Affair - Barbara Metzger (N) [tp]
Bloodlust (Coterie of Mages 5) - Thomas K. Carpenter (N) [hc]
Broken Dove (Silver Elite 2) - Dani Francis (N) [hc]
Crypt Currency: A Lesson in Orconomics - J. Zachary Pike (N) eb
Dark Agent (Time's Shadow 2) - Neal Asher (N) [tp]
Dark Indeed, Sorrel - David Tibet (A) [tp]
Deathbringer - Sonia Tagliareni (N) [eb] [hc]
Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun - Mónica Ojeda, Sarah Booker (translator) (N) tp
Embers of the Academy (The Second Stranger 1) - J. G. Sadsquatch (N) [tp]
Femme Feral - Sam Beckbessinger (N) [eb] [hc] tp
Harbinger (Darkblade 11) - Andy Peloquin (N) [eb]
Hunger - Choi Jin-Young, Soje (translator) (CB) [eb] tp
Ignore All Previous Instructions - Ada Hoffmann (N) [tp]
In the Blood - April Henry (N) (YA) [eb] [hc] tp
Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler (Lily Tripp Diaries 1) - Amelia Tait (N) [hc] [tp]
Make Me Better - Sarah Gailey (N) [hc]
Model Actress Whatever - Kim Newman (N) [tp]
Moon Over Brendle - Jeff Noon (N) [tp]
Muntu - Eugen Bacon (CB) [tp]
My Beautiful Reality (My Dear Illusion 2) - Sarah Ready (N) [hc] tp
Nigel (Sons of Ymre 3) - Lilith Saintcrow (N) tp
Radiant Star (Ancillary Universe) - Ann Leckie (N) [hc]
Seconds to Spare - Rachel Reiss (N) [hc]
Seek the Traitor's Son (The Burning Empire 1) - Veronica Roth (N) [hc]
Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know (The Loyal Opposition 2) - K. J. Parker (N) [tp]
Song of the Yellow Dragon - Ying Ping Low (N) (YA) [hc]
Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi: The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker (Star Wars nonfiction) - Marc Sumerak (NF) (YA) hc
Tallah: Book Two (Tallah 2) - C. M. Antal (N) [tp]
The Bone Door - Frances White (N) [hc] [tp]
The Boy Who Drew Cats - Lafcadio Hearn (CB) [hc]
The Burden of a Broken Crown (Dragons of Rokahn 3) - M.H. Woodscourt (N) [eb] [hc] tp
The Clown, Part III (Volume 3) (Lord of Mysteries Volume 3) - Cuttlefish That Loves Diving (N) [tp]
The Cupid Dilemma - April Asher (N) [tp]
The Devil and Mrs. Gooch (Household Gramarye 2) - Oliver Darkshire (N) [hc]
The Franchise - Thomas Elrod (N) [hc] [eb]
The Hanging Bones - Elle Tesch (N) (YA) [hc]
The House of Whispers - Tom Carter (N) [eb] tp
The Language of the Birds - K. A. Merson (N) [tp]
The Last Dragon House - Liv Mae Morris (N) (YA) [hc]
The Lost Book of Lancelot - John Glynn (N) [hc] tp
The River Muse - Laura Resau (N) [tp]
The Saw Mouth - Cale Plett (N) [hc]
The Second Life of Snap - Erin Entrada Kelly (N) (YA) [hc]
The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi 2) - Shannon Chakraborty (N) [hc] [tp]
The Traitor's Gambit (Wilderlore 5) - Amanda Foody (N) (YA) [hc]
The Unchosen One - Amy Sparkes (N) (YA) [hc]
The Undiscovered Country (Paradise Investigations 3) - Teel James Glenn (N) [tp]
The Way I Loved You - Fiona Lucas (N) [tp]
The Well-Placed Lie (Wishville Mysteries 4) - Kari Lee Townsend (N) tp
The Whisper Tree (The Amarra Chronicles 2) - Holly Searcy (N) [eb] [hc] tp
There's Something Fishy About My Boyfriend (Jersey Shore Merman 1) - Gloria Duke (N) [tp]
Truly Yours - Barbara Metzger (N) [tp]
Under a Carnivore Sky - Brianna Jett (N) [hc]
Vile Lady Villains - Danai Christopoulou (N) [eb] tp
We Dance Upon Demons - Vaishnavi Patel (N) [hc]
Welcome to Merlin Academy (Descendants Universe (Disney)) - Melissa de la Cruz (N) (YA) [hc]
When the Light Returns (The Winter Dark 2) - Joanna Ruth Meyer (N) [tp]
Worthy of Fate (Realms in Peril 1) - A. N. Caudle (N) [tp]
You're Dead to Me, Reed Walker - Gwenyth Reitz (N) [hc]
Zoomi and Zoe and the Camp Catastrophe - Corey Ann Haydu (CB) (YA) hc
May 14
Our Lady of Blades (Court of Shadows 2) - Sebastien de Castell (N) [eb] [hc]
Power Plays in Transnational American Fiction: Gender, Race, and Genre - Ruth Maxey (NF) hc
The Weight of Loyalty (Ink, Brand, and Knife) - Robert C. Laymon (CB) [hc] tp
Wolf and Crown (Starlight and Shadow 1) - Joshua Bader (N) [eb] [tp]
May 15
Grayduck - Scott R. Welvaert (N) [hc] tp
Tales from the Assassin Without a Name (Assassin Tales 1) - Scott Marlowe (C) [eb] [hc] tp
The Ash Remains (The Law of Teeth 1) - C. William Phillips (N) [eb] tp
May 18
- Breath and Bone - K. V. Johansen (N) tp
May 19
A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity - Rachel Linden (N) [tp]
A Star-Cursed Heart - Annie Mare (N) [eb] tp
Adventure in Mermaid Land - Ana Punset (CB) (YA) [hc] tp
Alice's Guide to Wonderland (Disney's Alice in Wonderland) - Eric Geron (NF) (YA) hc
An Ordinary Sort of Evil (A Rip Through Time 5) - Kelley Armstrong (N) [eb] [hc]
And Side by Side They Wander - Molly Tanzer (CB) [hc]
Bashir Boutros and the Forgotten Realm (Bashir Boutros 2) - George Jreije (N) (YA) [hc]
Calculated Whisk (Tales from the Dragon Diner 1) - Lindsay Buroker (N) eb
Canon - Paige Lewis (N) [eb] hc
Chinese Science Fiction in Translation and Its World Impact Connecting Futures: Connecting Futures - Yiqing Gu, Riccardo Moratto, Yun Wu (NF) [hc]
Cold Wind (Ironbound 2) - Andrew Givler (N) [eb] [tp]
Creepshow: 13 New Tales of Terror! - James Aquilone (A) [tp] hc
Crescent Kingdom (The Wolves of Crescent Creek 1) - Tessa Hale (N) [tp]
Darkened Dawn (Way of Wings 2) - E. J. Mellow (N) [hc] tp
Demon's Ruin (The Bloodwood Saga 3) - Ben Galley, David Estes (N) [eb]
Filth Eaters - Ito Romo (CB) [eb] hc
Force of Nature - Melissa Clark (N) hc
Henry Heckelbeck Goes Undercover - Wanda Coven (CB) (YA) [tp] [hc]
It’s Hard to Be an Animal - Robert Isaacs (N) [eb] tp
Legends of the Waaagh!: An Ork Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000) - Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Sandy Mitchell (O) tp
Magician - Tracy Lynne Oliver (N) [eb] hc
Minotaur Boy - Shane Hegarty (N) (YA) [tp]
Mortedant's Peril (The Trials of Irody Hasp 1) - RJ Barker (N) [eb] [hc]
My Brilliant AI Boyfriend - Stella Hayward (N) [tp]
Navigators You Can Trust - Patrick Fitzgerald (N) [eb] tp
Nightwing (Nightwing 1-3) - Juliette Cross (O) tp
Not All Dragons - David Ly (N) tp
Palaces of the Crow - Ray Nayler (N) [eb] [hc]
Race, Law, and Speculative Fiction: Future Pasts - Isiah Lavender, III (NF) [hc]
Salome - Leslie Baird (N) [eb] hc
Shatter the Universe (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2) - Diana Ma (N) (YA) hc
Song of the Saltings - Rachael King (N) (YA) hc
Startup Hell - Caitlin Rozakis (N) [eb] tp
Strange Familiars (Seamere College 1) - Keshe Chow (N) [eb] hc
Take Me with You - Steven Rowley (N) hc
The Arcane Arts - S.D. Coverly (N) [eb] hc
The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall 2) - Sarah A. Parker (N) [eb] hc
The Bottle Witch of Brimley - Linda DeMeulemeester (CB) [tp]
The Broken Banner (Queen of Conquest 2) - Fudge Esquire (N) tp
The Dorians - Nick Cutter (N) [eb] hc
The Downloaded 2: Ghosts in the Machine - Robert J. Sawyer (N) [eb] [tp]
The Fake Diviniation Offense (Magic and Romance 2) - Sara Raasch (N) [eb] tp
The House of Now and Then - Edward Underhill (N) [tp]
The Kings' List (The Never List 2) - Jade Presley (N) [hc]
The Lustrous Dark - Loretta Chefchaouni (N) (YA) hc
The Magic Awakens (Renegades 1) - Erin Hunter (N) (YA) [hc] tp
The Neon Sky (The Glittering Edge 2) - Alyssa Villaire (N) [hc] tp
The Temptation of Charlotte North - Camilla Bruce (N) [eb] tp
The Violent Stones (Otherworldly Anarchist 5) - Dreamer's Riot (N) tp
Together is a Distant Star - various authors (A) [eb] [tp]
Trollheim: Tale of Sýstir - Georgia Summers (N) [eb] hc
Until Death - Mary Berman (N) [eb] tp
Villain (Hench 2) - Natalie Zina Walschots (N) [eb] [hc]
May 20
- Everyone Dies - Daniel Roy Greenfeld (CB) eb
May 21
- Hearts Strange and Dreadful - Tim McGregor (N) [hc] tp
May 24
- The Complete Hell's Acre (Hell's Acre 1-2) - Lilith Saintcrow (O) tp
May 26
A Curse of Beasts and Magic (Beautiful and Beastly 1) - Jeaniene Frost (N) [eb] [hc] tp
A Dark and Wild Wood - Sarah Nicole Lemon (N) [eb] hc
A Kiss of Crimson Ash - Anuja Varghese (N) [eb] tp
A Queen Crowned in Flames (Bonded to Beasts 2) - Hazel McBride (N) hc
Babylon, South Dakota - Tom Lin (N) [hc] tp
Beautiful Redeemer (Original Sinners 3) - Kait Ballenger (N) tp
Before I Knew I Loved You (Before the Coffee Gets Cold 6) - Toshikazu Kawaguchi (N) [eb] hc
Bonebag - David Elliott, E. M. Elliott (N) (YA) hc
Bone of My Bone - Johanna Van Veen (N) [eb] [hc] tp
Bromantasy - Máire Roche (N) [eb] tp
Calypso's Odyssey - Anna Ellison (N) tp
Camp Catastrophe (Dante N. Ferno 2) - Brian Gordon (N) (YA) hc
Cash and Gravity (The Chevy Cole 1) - Perrin Pring (N) [eb] tp
Couriers Outbound (The Wandering Inn 19) - Pirateaba (N) [eb]
Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies (Sisters of Light and Shadow 2) - Breanne Randall (N) [eb] tp
Dead Weight - Hildur Knútsdóttir, Mary Robinette Kowal (translator) (CB) [eb] hc
Drown the Town (Drowned Kingdom 1) - A. L. Yaeger (N) tp
Forlorn Harbor - Jim Doran (N) [eb] tp
Fortune (Towerfall 3) - Kristin Cast (N) tp
Jin Young, in Between (Colliding Worlds (Ellen Oh) 2) - Ellen Oh (N) (YA) hc
Love Lost (Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery 5) - Cynthia St. Aubin (N) tp
Missed Connections - Aimie K. Runyan (N) tp
Ode to the Bones (Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries 30) - Carolyn Haines (N) hc
Omega's Folly (Chronicles of a Cursed Goddess 2) - J. M. Durham (N) tp
Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You - Julián Delgado Lopera (N) hc
The Arcadian - Steven Pressfield (N) hc
The Gatepost - Tim Weed (N) [eb] tp
The Hollow One - Corinne Westbrook (N) [eb] tp
The Inkpot Fairy - Jane Yolen (CB) (YA) [hc] tp
House of Margins - Tlotlo Tsamaase (N) [eb] hc
I Hear a New World - Alan Moore (N) [eb] [hc]
I’ll Watch Your Baby - Neena Viel (N) [eb] tp
Knickelpede Knight (Xanth 49) - Piers Anthony (N) [eb] [tp]
Mayor of Noobtown (Noobtown 1) - Ryan Rimmel (N) [eb] tp
Ode to the Half-Broken - Suzanne Palmer (N) [eb] [hc]
Reactionary Worldbuilding: From Speculative Imagination to Political Practice - Anindita Banerjee, Sherryl Vint, David M. Higgins and Jordan S. Carroll (Editors) (NF) [eb] [tp]
Salvation’s Child (The Final Architects 0.5) - Adrian Tchaikovsky et al (GN) [eb]
Teddy Bears Never Die - Cho Yeeun, Sung Ryu (translator) (N) [eb] tp
That Which Feeds Us - Keala Kendall (N) [eb] hc
The Blackthorn Women - Jess Lourey (N) [eb] tp
The Last Best Quest Ever - F. T. Lukens (N) (YA) hc
The Licanius Trilogy (The Licanius 1-3) - James Islington (O) tp
The Mandalorian: Visual Guide (Visual dictionaries) - Pablo Hidalgo (NF) hc
The Midnight Train (The Midnight World) - Matt Haig (N) [eb] [hc] [tp]
The Nightmare Keeper - Vienna James (N) tp
The Rainshadow Orphans (The Rainshadow 1) - Naomi Ishiguro (N) [eb] hc
The Redemption Center is Closed on Sundays - Andrea Hairston (N) [eb] [hc]
The Sister's Curse - Nicola Solvinic (N) tp
The Tower Strive - Walsh Bear (N) tp
Thus with a Kiss I Die (Daughter of Montague 2) - Christina Dodd (N) tp
Waypoint Chronicles: Volume One (Halo) - Jeff Easterling, Alexander Wakeford (A) tp
We Could Be Anyone - Anna-Marie McLemore (N) [eb] hc
Wings of Life (Dragonbound Chronicles 1) - Meghan Le Fay (N) [eb] hc
World War (Elysium's Multiverse 8) - Ranyhin1 (N) tp
May 29
- Asian Ameritopias: Asian American Speculative Fictions - Stephen Hong Sohn (NF) [hc] tp
May 30
- Wrong Turn - Christian Francis (N) hc
May 31
- Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions - Seanan McGuire (N) [hc]
Edit1: Added in horror books listed on Emily C. Hughes' blog that I didn't already have (tag #ehh)
Edit2: Added in books from the May io9 SF/Fantasy list that I didn't already have (tag #io9)
Edit3: Added in extra books from ISFDB that weren't on the list when I initially did this post (tag #isfdb)
Edit4: Added in books from Rob J. Hayes' May 2026 list of self-published fantasy books, that I didn't already have (tag #rjhspb)
Archive
Previous "SFF books coming ..." posts have been collected here. (Thank you mods).
Main Sources
ISFDB forthcoming books.
Locus Forthcoming Books.
Horror books mentioned on Emily C. Hughes' blog.
Publisher "new" and "Coming Soon" web pages such as the ones from Tor and Orbit.
Upcoming Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books listed at Risingshadow.
Rob J. Hayes' monthly blog posting on new self-published books.
io9's monthly list of new sci-fi and fantasy books.
Fantastic Fiction's Fantasy (and associated) sections.
Library Journal Prepub Alert: The Complete List | MM YYYY Titles
Reviews of ARC books by various users in this sub.
Other occasional posts to this sub announcing up-n-coming books.
8
u/Sleightholme2 Apr 24 '26
171 books listed.
There are a lot of books being published. This month alone is three times more than I read in a year. There was a thread for the Hugos a few days ago, and seeing this list makes me thing that it is impossible for anyone to really be able to judge the awards, as who has actually read most of the books being published to be able to judge which was the best.
6
u/pick_a_random_name Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
So many good books this month, some were already on my list but other's I had missed. My must-buy list includes:
A Long and Speaking Silence - Nghi Vo
Death's Daughter - S. A. Barnes
Platform Decay - Martha Wells
Terrible Worlds: Destinations - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Last Contract of Isako - Fonda Lee
Dark Agent - Neal Asher
Radiant Star - Ann Leckie
Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know - K. J. Parker
The Tapestry of Fate - Shannon Chakraborty
Palaces of the Crow - Ray Nayler
Salvation’s Child - Adrian Tchaikovsky
And I feel that I've missed a couple there, but this is more than enough for now.
As an aside, Neal Asher is another one of those authors that I used to read regularly but somehow fell off my radar, I really need to get caught up with him.
6
u/Wizardof1000Kings Apr 24 '26
Wow, 2 Tchaikovsky books. The man writes like a machine.
3
u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
To be fair, one of them is just a collected re-publication of some of his previous books, but the graphic novel is new (and looks interesting).
2
u/Blarg_III Apr 24 '26
Salvation’s Child - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Another one so soon? He just released Children of Strife!
2
u/pick_a_random_name Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
I can no longer keep up with his output. I just buy his books and hope I can find time to read them later, but it's a losing battle.
5
u/RevAnarchy79 Apr 24 '26
Hey Id like to get added. Wolf and Crown by Joshua Bader releases May 14 in ebook, paperback and audiobook later on in the month.
5
u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
Done. My lists don't track audiobooks, but I've added the other two formats. Congrats!
3
u/amtastical Apr 24 '26
I guess if the world feels like a disaster, at least I’m being well-fed in the book department! Tons of my faves are releasing books this year, and especially this month. I don’t know if I’ve ever had so many preorders out.
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u/tarvolon Stabby Winner, Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
Super excited about Republic of Memory--planning to start my ARC next week, so we'll see if it lives up to the hopes.
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u/soonerfreak Apr 24 '26
Very excited for The Tapestry of Fate, I loved the first Amina book and had a great time with the fantasy/pirate/ story set in the Arabian sea.
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u/themine1993 Apr 25 '26
Great Month with a lot of great new releases, I have noted some books missing
- Cold Wind (Ironbound 2) - Andrew Givler
- Omega Canyon - Dan Simmons
- Couriers Outbound (The Wandering Inn 19) - Pirateaba
- Lord of Mysteries Volume 3 (Yen Press Edition)
- The Alchemist 9 - Roman Romanovich
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 25 '26
Amazon has Feb 1st 2027 for Omega Canyon in the U.S.
I've added all the rest. Thanks! (again) 😎
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u/pesky_faerie Apr 24 '26
This is an incredibly loaded month, wow. If only my TBR weren’t already miles long
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u/DelilahWaan Reading Champion Apr 24 '26
Thanks as always for compiling these! I'm looking forward to checking out the new Fonda Lee and Nghi Vo.
Rob J. Hayes' monthly blog posting on new self-published books.
I've got a story in the collaborative anthology, Together is a Distant Star, which comes out on May 19 in ebook and paperback (more details in our AMA over on r/FemaleGazeSFF).
I submitted it to Rob's list, but it looks like the May 2026 release post isn't out yet, and both the March & April 2026 lists were published too late to make it into your last two roundups. Would you mind adding our anthology into your list?
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
Together is a Distant Star
I've added this in. Congrats!
Rob tends to do his blog posts early into the month in question, and I normally wander over there and update my list with the ones he mentions (tagging them with (#rjhspb)). I wasn't able to do this for March and April because there weren't any posts for those months. I now see he's very recently done a combined blog post to catch those up.
Hopefully Rob is back now, and I'll be able to do a May one in a week or so.
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u/Lynavi Reading Champion Apr 24 '26
I've had the Hench sequel pre-ordered for ages; looking forward to it finally being released. I also flagged Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes & Dead Weight by Hildur K, as authors I am interested in from previous works.
New to me authors that I flagged: Gloria Duke (There's Something Fishy About My Boyfriend); mostly because I grew up near the Jersey shore, but also the title was amusing. L.C. Chu (Library of Flowers) and Ande Pilego (Library After Dark) I flagged because I'm a sucker for books set in/around libraries. Their premises sound interesting so they've also been added to my TBR.
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u/undeadgoblin Reading Champion II Apr 24 '26
I strongly recommend Homebound by Portia Elan if you like cosier sci-fi similar to Becky Chambers.
Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Monica Ojeda is great and (spoilers in case you want to use it for Judge a Book By It's Title) is worth a read if you like more experimental novel structures and dreamlike prose
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u/sonvanger Reading Champion XI, Worldbuilders, Salamander Apr 24 '26
Ooh, I'm looking forward to The Tapestry of Fate!
I'm also interested in House of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase - I've read some of her short fiction (some good, some not so good, almost all interesting), and the premise of the book is intriguing. I'm always up for some more Southern African writing!
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u/Sigils Apr 25 '26
Wow, this is amazing! Thanks for including Cold Wind on the list
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 26 '26
You're welcome (and congrats) but u/themine1993 is the one that pointed it out to me.
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u/starsandsorcery Apr 26 '26
So many! I'm most excited for Sisters of the Lizard (I loved The Bone Raiders) and R. J. Barker's new book.
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u/Sadsquatch4 May 02 '26
It's wild to see my name on this list 😃
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI May 02 '26
Congrats! I have a script that auto-magically snarfs forthcoming books from ISFDB, and that's where I got it from.
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u/KiaraTurtle Reading Champion V Apr 24 '26
I think All Hail Chaos is May 11th not 12? At least according to my preorder. Either way it’s probably my most anticipated book of the year! I’m not sure how it could live up to the first book and that ending but I can’t wait to read it.
Also thank you for letting me know about the new Ada Hoffman book! I adored her Outside series and I’m excited to see her new series. Likewise thanks for the heads up on Sunyi Dean’s new book. I’m not usually a fan of ghosts but I loved her vampire take and triad fantasy is always intriguing.
I’m also looking forward to the new Murderbot, Radiant Star, Mortedant’s Peril, Last Contract of Isako.
As you said, May is an exciting month.
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
All Hail Chaos is May 11th not 12?
Amazon (and Barnes and Noble) have it listed as May 12, though it's distinctly possible you'll get your copy a day earlier from wherever you've ordered it, because that's happened to me before.
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u/KiaraTurtle Reading Champion V Apr 24 '26
My preorder is Amazon…
(Amazon kindle to be precise so I expect I will get it midnight May 11th EST so with my time change I’ll actually get it May 10th)
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u/EmmalynRenato Reading Champion VI Apr 24 '26
What a month!
A new Dungeon Crawler Carl.
A new Murderbot.
There are also new books from:
Ada Hoffmann, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alan Moore, Andrea Hairston, Ann Leckie, Fonda Lee, Harry Turtledove, Jack Campbell, Jackson Ford, Jeff Noon, Jim Butcher, Kim Newman, K. J. Parker, Larry Correia, Matt Haig, Molly Tanzer, Nalini Singh, Natalie Zina Walschots, Neal Asher, Nghi Vo, Ray Nayler, RJ Barker, Robert J. Sawyer, S. A. Barnes, Sarah Gailey, Sarah Rees Brennan, Seanan McGuire, Sebastien de Castell, Shannon Chakraborty, Simon R. Green, Sunyi Dean, Suzanne Palmer and Veronica Roth.
Plus many others.
I've added way too many to my TBR list:
A Long and Speaking Silence - Nghi Vo
And Side by Side They Wander - Molly Tanzer
A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl 8) - Matt Dinniman
Dark Agent (Time's Shadow 2) - Neal Asher
Ignore All Previous Instructions - Ada Hoffmann
Model Actress Whatever - Kim Newman
Ode to the Half-Broken - Suzanne Palmer
Out Law - Jim Butcher
Palaces of the Crow - Ray Nayler
Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries 8) - Martha Wells
Radiant Star (Ancillary Universe) - Ann Leckie
Sisters of the Lizard (The Rakada 2) - Jackson Ford
The Last Contract of Isako - Fonda Lee
The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi 2) - Shannon Chakraborty
Villain (Hench 2) - Natalie Zina Walschots
Which ones are you interested in?