26 to Read in 2026: 26 of my anticipated SFF titles for 2026

If there ever was a burden of unfair expectations, 2026 has to bear that cross. 2025 was truly one of the spectacular reading years in recent memory, and that casts a long shadow over 2026. However, as this list started to come together, 2026 is shaping up to be another fantastic year with some really strong releases. I hope to catch most of these books below, while the best intention is to read them all. I have linked the Goodreads page for those who have them. Happy Reading in 2026

Author-based additions

Sister Svangerd and The Not Quite Dead by KJ Parker – Jan 27

KJ Parker’s style of writing and brand of wit (dark, dry, and sardonic) finds its avenue in the world of religion and secret agents of the church. I am expecting a ton of intrigue, a dash of existential crisis, and a staccato of clever sounding dialog to make this book a reading pleasure

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman – Feb 10

Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl is the book that you never knew you needed in your life. (Trust me, pick it up). DCC is a huge indie success story, and Operation Bounce House has Matt moving into the traditional publishing space, almost spinning a contra-narrative from DCC. I wait with bated breath for the key catchphrase in this book

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence – Mar 24

Complex, flawed characters in gritty, grim, and dark setting coupled with the sharpest writing in the business and the blackest humor in absurd situations makes every Mark Lawrence book an event. Daughter of Crows is a new series evoking comparison to Lawrence’s Red Sister series, and that indeed brings about high expectations

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – Apr 14

Cameron Johnston specializes in providing interesting twists on established tropes & crafting marvelous stories. His previous book, The Last Shield, was a gender-swapped Die Hard set in a castle. First Mage on the Moon could pretty much be an interesting spin on the Moon Landing, featuring a combination of Science Fiction & Fantasy

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee – May 5

I had this on my list last year as well, but the release is finally happening this year. Fonda Lee pretty much wrote a modern classic fantasy in the Green Bone Saga and has all of my trust. This one is a standalone featuring a corporate samurai in space – a bit of John Wick meets the Blade Runner

Hot sequels

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #18) – Jan 20 – MOST AWAITED

Chicago’s resident wizard is back in action after a 5-year delay, raising tremendous anticipation. Twelve Months promises to change the pace of the series a bit, focusing on the impact that the massive confrontation of its predecessor has on Dresden and the world around him.

Steel Gods by Richard Swan (The Great Silence #2) – Mar 31

Richard Swan combines some of the best fantasy work with some truly chilling horror landscapes of men and monsters, and The Great Silence series is off to quite the grisly start with its triptych of storylines. Steel Gods promises to deliver more of the same in an industrial revolution setup, showcasing how the world has changed while remaining the same

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford (The Rakada #2) – May 5

Bone Raiders was a fantastic series opener in the vein of How to Train Your Dragon. The ending of the previous book however, sets up an intriguing direction to the series, and it will be interesting to see where Sisters of the Lizard will go. No matter where it goes, I expect an action-packed, entertaining, fast-paced thriller with fantastic quiet character moments

Moonfall by Ed Crocker (The Everlands #2) – June 2

The world of vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers got a taste of revolution in the first book, but revolutions are messy, and age-old conspiracies and powers don’t fade away easily. Ed Crocker’s writing crafts wondrous magic in that you want to race through the book while luxuriating in the gorgeous world that he crafts & makes Moonfall a book to be not missed

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (Shadow of the Leviathan #3) – Aug 11

The adventures of Ana and Din continue in this third installment of Robert Jackson Bennet’s Shadow of the Leviathan series. Each of the prior 2 installments has ranked among the best books of the year, and this series is as entertaining as it is inventive and suspenseful. It already ranks among the top series of the decade, and I am really excited to see where it goes following the revelations of book 2

Jittery-Feels 

Sentient by Michael Nayak – 24 Feb

An evolving smart biological threat in the Antarctic with the potential to spread globally, even as the scientists who survived the previous book try to fight it. The setting of this book of a world in a stagnant war between 2 super powers, was a secret weapon of the last book, while having an Indian name as a lead was a fun addition

Jitterbug by Gareth L Powell – Mar 3

This is a bit of a cheat, but with a name like Jitterbug, it’s too ripe not to add to the jitters section. A crew of bounty hunters comes across a lone survivor carrying secrets in a cosmos that has Jupiter and Saturn being obliterated by a mysterious force. A force that is making its way across the galaxy, creating complications for the bounty hunters. Sounds pretty intriguing and interesting overall

Crawlspace by Adam Christopher – Mar 17

Event Horizon remains the go-to crutch for a lot of space-based horror references, and I am intrigued by Crawlspace as it evokes that compariso,n but set during a time where space travel is just experimenting with FTL travel. Combine it with Adam Christopher’s imagination, this is going to be creepily unputdownable

Abyss by Nicholas Binge – May 12

Any book by Nicholas Binge is an automatic add and he is fast becoming the master of adding some truly creepy stuff in his SFF works. Abyss seems to be yet another interesting addition, this time focused on the corporates and capitalism and with his unique trademark unsettling horrors of the mind

The Faith of Beasts by James SA Corey – Apr 14

This space opera from James SA Corey deals with Hives and Swarms, and with the ability to read minds and thoughts, the race of subdued beings (humans to an extent) try to stage a rebellion against their subjugators, who seem far more powerful and destructive. Book 1 was a bit of slow-burn setting up the conflict and placing key leads in interesting situations while introducing a nice twist at the back end, while amping up the psychological horror element for everyone else

Indies/ Self-published

Hammerfall by Rob J Hayes – 3 Feb

Rob J Hayes is one of the biggest names out there in this space, and his writing style is brimming with grimdark stories and dark humor. His take on the warrior who retires only to be pulled back into a life of violence promises to be bloody, twisty & painful

Voice of the Kami by Baptiste Pinson Wu – Feb 16

Baptiste Pinson Wu’s take on fantasy infused with Japanese lore has become my go-to books when I need something different and the first book of this series, Blood of the Kami was fantastic with an absolutely legendary cover to boot. Ren’s continuing adventure and his quest amidst a Japan in change with monsters to boot promises to one of the best written and imagined books of 2026

He Who Ate the Wild by GJ Terral – Jun 1

GJ Terral’s book has an extremely intriguing premise, and some of the early reviews on socials for this book have been wild (all pun intended). His Binding Tenets trilogy was so well written with tortured characters, and this promises to be more of the same in first person

Mortality Gauntlet by JCM Berne – TBD (Most Awaited Indie)

This is possibly my most-awaited indie release. Joe Berne has created a terrific space saga that reaches its climax in this book, featuring Rohan, our Indo-Canadian superhero in space. Every plate that Rohan has been spinning in the air, every deal that he has made, and every power/ technique that he has mastered leads upto this, and I cannot wait to grin wildly at Rohan’s wisecracks and bad (dad) jokes in light of the multiple threads that Joe will spin in this book

Death Show Colossus by Bill Adams – May 26

Hunger Games meets the Condemned in a mish-mash of genres that has magic, mechanized monstrosities, and dead gods featuring a televised tournament with fatalities almost guaranteed. This sounds like a proper winner through and through

Don’t Die Dave by AR Witham – Apr

AR Witham has won me over with his absolute dedication to creating unputdownable juggernauts, and his take on the LitRPG genre with Don’t Die Dave promises to amp up the pace even further.

Cool sounding titles/ Premise

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson, Peter Orullian – Jun 16

I am super excited for this collaboration of Sanderson with Peter Orullian on a contemporary fantasy set in London that brings together magic and music, and dare I say, a modicum of horror in the form of music-based magic wielders. Sanderson has crafted meticulous magic systems in all of his previous works and I am excited to see how music plays a role in this book. With a title that screams music and horror, this one is going to suck me in properly

The Book of Fallen Leaves by AS Tamaki – Mar 17

I always love titles that combine mundane nouns together with an Of in between (The House of Flying Daggers, for instance – I remember seeing the movie for the title alone), and I think that is a fantasy staple as well. This one has that in its title, but with potential comparisons to Shogun & pretty solid reviews already, my expectations are sky high

The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed – May 14

A story of a generation ship dealing with Arabfuturism, preserving the remnants of humanity. I like these culture-based counterpoints on established tropes, and this one dealing with a crew that begins to question their purpose and objectives regarding their passengers who are in cryostasis sounds fascinating given the context. Needless to say, the title is intriguing and catchy

Heartbreakers

Mortedant’s Peril by RJ Barker – 19 May

RJ Barker writes some of the best books, especially in creating tortured, flawed leads who find their own way onto redemption, but through increasing degrees of pain, all extremely beautifully and evocatively written. This new book promises to be a bit of a change of pace, featuring a cleric of death caught in a murder mystery in a world that has ancient automata, strange spirit,s and sleeping gods

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastian De Castell – 14 May

The other author who specializes in crafting exquisite pain and harrowing choices for his leads, amongst some fantastic prose and dialogue, Sebastian De Castell is back with a release in 2026 that promises to bring to account the corrupt world of licensed death in the form of a mysterious duellist on a vengeance course. This promises to be not at all straightforward, & I expect tons of heartbreak and quotable quips all the way through

For more interesting books on my radar, check below

1) The Night Ship by Alex Woodroe

2) Maria the Wanted by V Castro

3) The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

4) Ghosts of Kurosawa by Ashgar Ali

5) Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo

6) The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Philip Suggars

7) The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen

8) The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty

9) Operation Trojan War by Justin Paquette

10) The Tinder Box by MR Carey