Issue:
In this issue:
The January 2026, #780, issue of Locus magazine has interviews with Tom Holt (AKA K.J. Parker) and Kamilah Cole, and a spotlight on Michael Kelly & Best Weird Fiction. Main Stories include an obituary and appreciations for John Varley (1947-2025), Time magazine's must-read books of 2025, and Lit Hub's 100 notable small press books. People and Publishing covers news about Cassandra Clare, Max Brooks, Lilly Lu, Kage Baker, James Islington, and many others. This month’s commentary by Cory Doctorow is entitled "The Post-American Internet". Obituaries remember Tom Stoppard, Jean-Louis Trudel, Sophie Kinsella, and Arthur Hlavaty. Reviews cover new works by Francis Spufford, Simon Stålenhag, T. Kingfisher, Ruth Francis Long, Alexis Hall, Mark Z. Danielewski, Thomas Pynchon, T.L. Huchu, Carrie Vaughn, Roshani Chokshi, Rym Kechacha, Darya Bobyleva, Kim Choyeop, Rafael Torrubia, Dave Hutchinson, Allan Kaster (ed.), Darkly Lem, Susana M. Morris, Philip Pullman, and others.
Table of Contents:
January 2026 • Issue 780 • Vol. 96 • No. 1
58th Year of Publication • 30-Time Hugo Winner
Cover and interview art and design by Francesca Myman.
INTERVIEWS
Tom Holt AKA K.J. Parker: Viking Killer Zombies / 10
Kamilah Cole: Arcane Inheritance / 24
MAIN STORIES / 6
John Varley (1947-2025) • Appreciations by David Brin and Christine Cohen • Time Magazine's Must-Read Books of 2025 • Lit Hub's 100 Notable Small Press Books
THE DATA FILE / 7
LAcon V News • World Fantasy Awards Judges • Supreme Court Upholds Texas Book Ban • National Book Awards Winners • Workshop News • Nommo Awards • Psychopomp and Fantasy Magazine News • Goodreads Choice Awards • Frank R. Paul Awards • Simon & Schuster Launches Scarlett Press • Barrera and MacSweeney Win Cercador Prize • TAFF Nominations Open • Awards News • Financial News • International Rights
PEOPLE & PUBLISHING / 8
Notes on milestones, awards, books sold, etc., with news this issue about Cassandra Clare, Max Brooks, Lilly Lu, Kage Baker, James Islington, and many others.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Commentary: Cory Doctorow: The Post-American Internet, 25 • Spotlight on Michael Kelly& Best Weird Fiction, 27
LISTINGS
Magazines Received: November, 30 • New & Notable Books: November, 31 • Books Received: November, 32 • Bestsellers, 44 • Audiofile Monthly Recommendations: 2025 Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Audiobooks, 45
OBITUARIES / 53
Tom Stoppard • Jean-Louis Trudel • Sophie Kinsella • Arthur Hlavaty
EDITORIAL MATTERS / 54
Short Fiction Reviews by MARIA HASKINS / 12
Fiyah Fall ’25; Flash Fiction Online 11/25; GigaNotoSaurus 10/1/25; Lightspeed 11/25; Escape Pod 10/30/25; PodCastle 10/21/25, 11/4/25; Cast of Wonders 10/31/25; Beneath Ceaseless Skies 10/30/25; Kaleidotrope 10/6/25.
Short Fiction Reviews by PAULA GURAN / 14
The Dark 11/25; Uncanny 11-12/25; The Deadlands Fall ’25; Apex 10/25; Reactor 10/1/25, 10/8/25, 11/5/25,11/12/25; New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine #5 & #6; The Sunday Morning Transport 9/14/25, 9/21/25, 10/12/25.
Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. WISE / 15
Asimov’s 11-12/25; khōrėō 5.3; Clarkesworld 11/25.
Reviews by GARY K. WOLFE / 16
Nonesuch, Francis Spufford; Sunset at Zero Point, Simon Stålenhag; Wolf Worm, T. Kingfisher.
Reviews by LIZ BOURKE / 17
The Lore of Silver, Ruth Francis Long; Hell’s Heart, Alexis Hall.
Reviews by IAN MOND / 18
Tom’s Crossing, Mark Z. Danielewski; Shadow Ticket, Thomas Pynchon.
Reviews by COLLEEN MONDOR / 19
Secrets of the First School, T.L. Huchu; The Glass Slide World, Carrie Vaughn; The Swan’s Daughter, Roshani Chokshi.
Reviews by NIALL HARRISON / 20
The Apple and the Pearl, Rym Kechacha; The Village at the Edge of Noon, Darya Bobyleva; If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, Kim Choyeop; SHORT TAKE: The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver, Rafael Torrubia.
Reviews by ALEXANDRA PIERCE / 22
The Essence, Dave Hutchinson; The Year’s Top Robot and AI Stories: Sixth Annual Collection, Allan Kaster, ed.; Transmentation | Transgression, Darkly Lem.
Reviews by DIVERS HANDS: ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO, GRAHAM SLEIGHT / 24
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler, Susana M. Morris; The Rose Field, Philip Pullman.
Books reviews in this issue (indicating reviewer) —
Bobyleva, Darya • The Village at the Edge of Noon (Niall Harrison)
Chokshi, Roshani • The Swan's Daughter (Colleen Mondor)
Choyeop, Kim • If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light (Niall Harrison)
Danielewski, Mark Z. • Tom's Crossing (Ian Mond)
Hall, Alexis • Hell's Heart (Liz Bourke)
Huchu, T. L. • Secrets of the First School (Colleen Mondor)
Hutchinson, Dave • The Essence (Alexandra Pierce)
Kaster, Allan, ed. • The Year's Top Robot and AI Stories: Sixth Annual Collection (Alexandra Pierce)
Kechacha, Rym • The Apple and the Pearl (Niall Harrison)
Kingfisher, T. • Wolf Worm (Gary K. Wolfe)
Lem, Darkly • Transmentation | Transgression (Alexandra Pierce)
Long, Ruth Frances • The Lore of Silver (Liz Bourke)
Morris, Susana • Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Alvaro Zinos-Amaro)
Pullman, Philip • The Book of Dust, Volume Three: The Rose Field (Graham Sleight)
Pynchon, Thomas • Shadow Ticket (Ian Mond)
Spufford, Francis • Nonesuch (Gary K. Wolfe)
Stålenhag, Simon • Sunset at Zero Point (Gary K. Wolfe)
Torrubia, Rafael • The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver (Niall Harrison)
Vaughn, Carrie • The Glass Slide World (Colleen Mondor)
