Issue:
In this issue:
The December 2025 #779 issue of Locus magazine has interviews with Dave Hutchinson and Bethany Jacobs, and a spotlight on The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio. The issue lists US and UK forthcoming books titles through September 2026. News includes the World Fantasy Awards and British Fantasy Awards winners, N.K. Jemisin's induction as a SFWA Grand Master, Vajra Chandrasekera's Le Guin Prize win, and more. Reports cover the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton UK, Can*Con, ICon, Future Creation Workshop, and The Muse Writers Conference. Obituaries remember David Lunde and Celeste Rita Baker. Reviews cover new works by Michael Swanwick, T. Kingfisher, Nnedi Okorafor, C.D. Rose, Bogi Takács, Zuzana Říhová, Anbara Salam, Lisa Lueddecke, Alexandra Bell, Hafsah Faizal, Jacek Dukaj, Simón López Trujillo, Brandon Sanderson, Ellen Datlow (ed.), Adrian Tchaikovsky, Richard K. Morgan, and others.
Table of Contents:
December 2025 • Issue 779 • Vol. 95 • No. 6
58th Year of Publication • 30-Time Hugo Winner
Cover and interview design by Francesca Myman. Cover art by Marin Iurii/warmtail.
INTERVIEWS
Dave Hutchinson: The Nature of the Beast / 10
Bethany Jacobs: Your Vision of Revolution / 24
MAIN STORIES / 6 & 7
2025 World Fantasy Awards • 2025 British Fantasy Awards • Jemisin Named Grand Master During Quasar Conference
THE DATA FILE / 7
Chandrasekera Wins Le Guin Prize • Chengdu Worldcon Revokes Administrator Authority • Consolidated OpenAI Lawsuit Goes to Trial • Robinson Archive Goes to The Huntington • New Adult Book Prize • Endeavour Award • Rose Wins Goldsmiths Prize • SF Encyclopedia Launches Substack • StokerCon 2026 Guests of Honor • Clarion West 2026 Workshop • Shadowpaw to Continue On Spec • World Conventions News • Books Are My Bag Readers Awards • Awards News • Financial News • International Rights
PEOPLE & PUBLISHING / 8
Notes on milestones, awards, books sold, etc., with news this issue about Steven Barnes & Larry Niven, Wole Talabi, Caitlin Starling, T. Kingfisher, Marie Vibbert, and many others.
CONVENTIONS
World Fantasy Convention, 26 • Can*Con, 30 • The Muse Writers Conference, 30 • ICon, 32 • Future Creation Workshop, 33
SPECIAL FEATURES
Spotlight on The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio, 50 • Brooklyn Books & Booze, 69
FORTHCOMING BOOKS / 34
LISTINGS
Magazines Received: October, 52 • New & Notable Books: October, 53 • Books Received: October, 54 • Bestsellers, 64 • Audiofile Monthly Recommendations: Best New Fantasy, 65
OBITUARIES / 73
David Lunde • Celeste Rita Baker
LOCUS LETTERS / 73
EDITORIAL MATTERS / 74
Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. WISE / 13
Clarkesworld 10/25; Analog 9-10/25.
Short Fiction Reviews by MARIA HASKINS / 14
Escape Pod 9/25/25, 9/11/25; Cast of Wonders 9/16/25; Podcastle 9/16/25; Fantasy Autumn ’25; Bourbon Penn 11/25; Tasavvur Fall ’25; Beneath Ceaseless Skies 10/16/25; Lightspeed 10/25; Diabolical Plots 9/25; Strange Horizons 9/1/25.
Reviews by GARY K. WOLFE / 16
The Universe Box, Michael Swanwick; Nine Goblins, T. Kingfisher; The Daughter Who Remains, Nnedi Okorafor.
Reviews by IAN MOND / 17
We Live Here Now, C.D. Rose; Song of Spores, Bogi Takács; Playing Wolf, Zuzana Říhová.
Reviews by COLLEEN MONDOR / 19
The Salvage, Anbara Salam; The Moss, Lisa Lueddecke; The White Octopus Hotel, Alexandra Bell; A Steeping of Blood, Hafsah Faizal.
Reviews by NIALL HARRISON / 20
Ice, Jacek Dukaj; Pedro the Vast, Simón López Trujillo.
Reviews by DIVERS HANDS: JOANNE ANDERTON, PAULA GURAN,RUSSELL LETSON, ALEXANDRA PIERCE / 23
Tailored Realities, Brandon Sanderson; The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seventeen, Ellen Datlow, ed.; Lives of Bitter Rain, Adrian Tchaikovsky; No Man’s Land, Richard K. Morgan.
Books reviews in this issue (indicating reviewer) —
Bell, Alexandra • The White Octopus Hotel (Colleen Mondor)
Datlow, Ellen, ed. • The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seventeen (Paula Guran)
Dukaj, Jacek • Ice (Niall Harrison)
Faizal, Hafsah • A Steeping of Blood (Colleen Mondor)
Kingfisher, T. • Nine Goblins (Gary K. Wolfe)
Lueddecke, Lisa • The Moss (Colleen Mondor)
Morgan, Richard K. • No Man's Land (Alexandra Pierce)
Okorafor, Nnedi • The Daughter Who Remains (Gary K. Wolfe)
Říhová, Zuzana • Playing Wolf (Ian Mond)
Rose, C.D. • We Live Here Now (Ian Mond)
Salam, Anbara • The Salvage (Colleen Mondor)
Sanderson, Brandon • Tailored Realities (Joanne Anderton)
Swanwick, Michael • The Universe Box (Gary K. Wolfe)
Takács, Bogi • Song of Spores (Ian Mond)
Tchaikovsky, Adrian • Lives of Bitter Rain (Russell Letson)
Trujillo, Simón López • Pedro the Vast (Niall Harrison)
