Issue:
In this issue:
The July 2025 issue of Locus has interviews with Fran Wilde and H.E. Edgmon. News includes the 2025 Locus Awards winners and Locus Poll writeup, as well as the Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards winners, Ignyte and Sturgeon Award finalists, Clarion West's announcement that it will host in-person summer camps for teens, and much more. The SFWA Nebula Conference and WisCon 47 are covered with reports and photos. Obituaries remember Barry B. Longyear, Al Sarrantonio, Peter David, and Kathleen Bartholomew. Cory Doctorow's column is entitled "Rubber-Hose Cryptanalysis". Reviews cover new works by R.F. Kuang, Charlie Jane Anders, Annalee Newitz, Caitlin Starling, Megan E. O’Keefe, Helen Marshall, Irenosen Okojie, Ben Peek, A.R. Capetta, F.T. Lukens, Joan Slonczewski, Elaine Castillo, Geoff Ryman, Alex Gonzalez, Freya Marske, Cherie Priest, Sarah Suk, Collin Armstrong, Beth Revis, C.L. Clark, Carla E. Dash, Neal Asher, and others.
Table of Contents:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
July 2025 • Issue 774 • Vol. 95 • No. 1
58th Year of Publication • 30-Time Hugo Winner
Cover and interview art and design by Francesca Myman.
INTERVIEWS
Fran Wilde: Future Heist / 10
H.E. Edgmon: The Idea of Home / 26
MAIN STORIES / 5 & 6
2025 Locus Awards Winners • Locus Poll 2025 • 2024 Nebula Awards Winners • Bram Stoker Awards • Ignyte Awards Finalists • Sturgeon Award Finalists • Shirley Jackson Awards Nominees
THE DATA FILE / 7
Mythopoeic Awards Finalists • Robert E. Howard Awards Winners • HWA News • Clarion West Teen Camps • Prix Imaginales Winners • Kurd Laßwitz Preis Winners • Legal News • Publishing News • Awards News • Financial News • International Rights • Audio Right
PEOPLE & PUBLISHING / 8
Notes on milestones, awards, books sold, etc., with news this issue about Haruki Murakami, Bernardine Evaristo, T. Kingfisher, Nick Harkaway, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Joe Abercrombie, and many others.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Bay Area Book Festival, 7 • Commentary: Cory Doctorow: Rubber-Hose Cryptanalysis, 25 • Photo Story: Brooklyn Books and Booze, 61
CONVENTIONS
SFWA Nebula Conference, 28 • WisCon 47, 31
LISTINGS
Magazines Received: May, 40 • New & Notable Books: May, 41 • Books Received: May, 42 • Bestsellers, 54 • Audiofile Monthly Recommendations, 55
OBITUARIES / 64
Barry B. Longyear • Appreciation by Richard Curtis • Al Sarrantonio • Peter David • DEATH REPORTED: Kathleen Bartholomew
EDITORIAL MATTERS / 66
Locus Awards and More • The Fundraiser • Staff Additions • This Issue/Next Issue
Short Fiction Reviews by CHARLES PAYSEUR / 12
Cast of Wonders 2/16/25, 3/18/25; Escape Pod 3/20/25; Strange Horizons 4/14/25, 4/21/25; Samovar 4/28/25; Lightspeed 4/25; Flash Fiction Online 4/25; Diabolical Plots 4/25; Zooscape 4/25; Worlds of Possibility, Version One 4/25; GigaNotoSaurus 5/25; Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/1/25; Small Wonders 5/25.
Short Fiction Reviews by PAULA GURAN / 14
Remains Spring ’25; The Dark 4/25, 5/25; The Deadlands Spring ’25; Reactor 3/19/25, 5/7/25; The Sunday Morning Transport 4/20/25, 4/27/25, 5/4/24, 5/18/25.
Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. WISE / 15
Asimov’s 5-6/25; Clarkesworld 5/25.
Reviews by GARY K. WOLFE / 16
Katabasis, R.F. Kuang; Lessons in Magic and Disaster, Charlie Jane Anders; Automatic Noodle, Annalee Newitz.
Reviews by LIZ BOURKE / 17
The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling; The Two Lies of Faven Sythe, Megan E. O’Keefe.
Reviews by IAN MOND / 18
The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death, Helen Marshall; Curandera, Irenosen Okojie; The Red Labyrinth, Ben Peek.
Reviews by ALEX BROWN / 19
Costumes for Time Travelers, A.R. Capetta; Love at Second Sight, F.T. Lukens.
Reviews by NIALL HARRISON / 20
Minds in Transit, Joan Slonczewski; Moderation, Elaine Castillo; Animals, Geoff Ryman.
Reviews by ARCHITA MITTRA / 22
rekt, Alex Gonzalez; Cinder House, Freya Marske.
Reviews by COLLEEN MONDOR / 23
It Was Her House First, Cherie Priest; Meet Me at Blue Hour, Sarah Suk; Polybius, Collin Armstrong; Last Chance to Save the World, Beth Revis.
Reviews by DIVERS HANDS: JOANNE ANDERTON, EUGEN BACON, RUSSELL LETSON / 24
Fate’s Bane, C.L. Clark; Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity, Carla E. Dash; Dark Diamond, Neal Asher.
Books reviews in this issue (indicating reviewer) —
Anders, Charlie Jane • Lessons in Magic and Disaster (Gary K. Wolfe)
Armstrong, Collin • Polybius (Colleen Mondor)
Asher, Neal • Dark Diamond (Russell Letson)
Capetta, A. R. • Costumes for Time Travelers (Alex Brown)
Castillo, Elaine • Moderation (Niall Harrison)
Clarke, C. L. • Fate’s Bane (Joanne Anderton)
Dash, Carla E. • Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity (Eugen Bacon)
Gonzalez, Alex • rekt (Archita Mittra)
Kuang, R. F. • Katabasis (Gary K. Wolfe)
Lukens, F. T. • Love at Second Sight (Alex Brown)
Marshall, Helen • The Lady, the Tiger, and the Girl Who Loved Death (Ian Mond)
Marske, Freya • Cinder House (Archita Mittra)
Newitz, Annalee • Automatic Noodle (Gary K. Wolfe)
O’Keefe, Megan E. • The Two Lies of Faven Sythe (Liz Bourke)
Okojie, Irenosen • Curandera (Ian Mond)
Peek, Ben • The Red Labyrinth (Ian Mond)
Priest, Cherie • It Was Her House First (Colleen Mondor)
Revis, Beth • Last Chance to Save the World (Colleen Mondor)
Ryman, Geoff • Animals (Niall Harrison)
Slonczewski, Joan • Minds in Transit (Niall Harrison)
Starling, Caitlin • The Starving Saints (Liz Bourke)
Suk, Sarah • Meet Me at Blue Hour (Colleen Mondor)
