Locus Online

khōréō 4.3

“The Last Flesh Figure Skaters” by Claire Jia-Wen opens khōréō 4.3 on a strong note, following the rivalry between two competi­tive skaters, each using different kinds of body modifications. The rivalry between them leads to fascination, which develops into a romantic relationship. The story is beautifully written, ex­ploring parents living vicariously through their children and the pressure often put on young athletes to succeed. The story ...Read More

The Fake Muse, Max Besora (Open Letter 978-1-96038-533-8, $16.95, 176pp, tp) February 2025.

It will be a bizarre (but wonderful) year if I en­counter another novel as chaotic, obscene, and metatextual as Max Besora’s The Fake Muse (translated by Mara Faye Lethem). It’s a work that doesn’t so much defy description as feel pity (and a modicum of sympathy) toward the sort of people (like me) who are obligated ...Read More

Murder by Memory, Olivia Waite (Tordotcom 978-1250342249, hardcover, 112pp, $21.99) March 2025

Should a mystery be deemed “cozy,” almost by definition, if it contains a yarn shop and some interesting talk about knitting that actually proves to be a central clue? What if that yarn shop is located on a gigantic interstellar generation ship named Fairweather—helmed naturally by an AI dubbed “Ferry?” And what if one of the interlocutors ...Read More

Shroud, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor UK 978-1-0350-1379-1, £22.00, 448pp, hc) February 2025. (Orbit US 978-0316579025, $19.99, 416pp, tp) June 2025.

I find it impossible not to think of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shroud as a companion piece to its 2024 predecessor, Alien Clay. The novels are unconnected and freestanding, but in both, humans encounter alien life so different in its basic makeup that it is nearly unrecognizable as highly organized and ...Read More

The Dark 1/25 Apex #148 Nightmare 1/25

The first of two originals in The Dark #116 might fit well in The Deadlands. “Four Ques­tions with Something Like God” by Carlie St. George is a listicle story dealing with a dead person who wishes to persist. At first, it seems the issue’s second tale, “Lost You Again” by Ian Rogers, could fit as well. But this ...Read More

Welcome back for another exciting week of new book releases! We’re going over our picks for the top new releases in the SF, Fantasy, Horror, and YA genres! We have a new video every week, so come by and subscribe to not only support what we do, but also keep up-to-date on new releases!

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, Clay McLeod Chapman (Quirk 978-1-68369-395-6, $24.99, 384pp, hc) January 2025. Cover by Andie Reid.

Being a fan of an author and reading every­thing they publish is a lot of fun, and it’s even more fun when the author in question constantly changes what they do. Clay McLeod Chapman is a horror fiction chameleon, and his novels show that. Wake Up and Open Your ...Read More

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced David Cronenberg, Dame Susan Elizabeth Hill, and Del and Sue Howison as recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented periodically by the Board of Trustees to “an individual whose work has substantially influenced the horror genre.”

The award is voted on by a Lifetime Achievement Awards Committee appointed annually by the president of HWA. Recipients will be honored along with the winners of ...Read More

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has announced its 2025 Book Award Winners, including Haruki Murakami as Cultural Personality of the Year for the 19th Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA). The award recognizes “a prominent Arab or international figure (or organization) who has contributed to the advancement of the Arabic culture, embodies through his/her work tolerance and promotes peaceful coexistence.”

In particular, the announcement credits Murakami’s “creative career and ...Read More

The National Space Society (NSS) has announced Joe Haldeman as recipient of the inaugural Arthur C. Clarke Memorial Award “for inspiring and educating the public about humanity’s journey to space.”

Haldeman will also be a featured guest at the 43rd International Space Development Conference (ISDC) to be held June 19-22, 2025 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando FL. For more information, see the official announcement.

While you are here, ...Read More

Asimov’s 1-2/25

The January/February issue of Asimov’s opens with “In the Splinterlands the Crows Fly Blind” by Siobhan Carroll, a novelette full of gorgeous imagery and excellent worldbuilding. When Charlie’s younger brother Gabe goes missing, he initially tries to wash his hands of the situation. He’s spent a lifetime caring for Gabe, finding them a new home on Earth 3, and he’s done cleaning up after his ...Read More