Get ready, because I’m going to do something wild and out of character and recommend books. Just kidding! I always recommend books, because I love sharing book knowledge, and I do it every day, all day. I even talk about books in my dreams! If we ever meet and I don’t mention books, you can be sure that I’ve been body-snatched.
So, while the end of summer is upon us and it feels like a bit of a shock, true, there’s still a third of the year left. That means there are a lot more books coming down the science fiction and fantasy highway! Here are seven still headed our way that sound rad. Paging your TBR!
Revolution in the Heart: Stories Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin edited by Jonathan Strahan (Titan Books, September 22)
Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the most well-respected authors of the sci-fi and fantasy world, and so many of the authors included in this anthology have been inspired by her. Ann Leckie, Kelly Link, Charlie Jane Anders, Ai Jiang, Premee Mohamed, Darcie Little Badger, and other amazing SFF authors have contributed original stories to this collection to show their love.
All Access members, read on for six more new SFF books out in Fall 2026.
The Strangers by Naomi Alderman (Little, Brown and Company, September 22)
The author of powerhouse speculative books such as The Power and The Future returns with a novel of first contact. In The Strangers, a grieving novelist named Naomi Alderman discovers a never-before-seen animal on her trail camera. Scientists call it a mimmoth, and soon, they’re everywhere. Where did they come from, and why do they seem connected to Naomi?
A Wall Is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz (Tor Books, October 6)
And speaking of aliens, this is a wonderful story about a graduate student, who happens to be an amoeba named Gardenpath, and who discovers a new planet in a far corner of the galaxy. It has life, language, and cities, and when Gardenpath is able to visit, it changes everything they thought they knew about their future.
The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo (Tor Books, October 6)
This wild novel kicks off when failed thief Judith Ban is hired by an extremely wealthy family to pretend to be their missing granddaughter at the Scarlet Ball. Wearing the girl’s face stitched over her own, Judith must participate in deadly games in order to win the hand of a wealthy husband. And the winner doesn’t just get a mate, but also unimaginable power in a very small, elite club. But the losers…well, let’s just say you don’t want to lose.
The Slantwise Histories and Other Stories by Alix E. Harrow (Tordotcom, October 20)
One of my auto-buy authors! In this book, several of Alix E. Harrow’s fabulous short stories are collected in one place for the first time, plus five new tales as well. Every little thing Harrow writes is magic, and she’s fresh off her 2026 Locus Award win for Best Fantasy Novel for The Everlasting!
Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi (Tor Books, November 3)
John Scalzi brings his blend of comedy and sci-fi to a new novel about a failing town, a few good friends, a newcomer, some strange happenings, and a prize cow. Richland, Ohio, will never be the same. (And while I’ll probably never love anything as much as the image of the cat in a suit on the cover of Starter Villain, this cover is a close second.)
Line of Descent by Adam Oyebanji (DAW, November 17)
If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the novels of Adam Oyebanji, you should fix that now. He’s written a couple of great mysteries, and his sci-fi thrillers like Braking Day and Esperance are out of this world! This upcoming thriller is about a generation ship, the Archimedes, where a strange kidnapping leads to mystery and murder.
Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the Book Riot podcast All the Books! and on Instagram and Bluesky.
Join All Access to unlock our content archive
Get access to our entire content archive plus exclusive features with an All Access subscription on Book Riot. Celebrate Book Riot’s 15th anniversary with 15% off annual memberships for a limited time!
Save and share your favorite Book Riot picks with Collections
Get the scoop on upcoming books with our curated new book discovery tool, the New Release Index
Join the conversation with community features like comments and polls.
Already a member? Log in
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.