SFF Short Stories to Look for in 2026

Bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse has had a few amazing novels that we rave about on Book Riot all the time, like Black Sun and Tread of Angels. And this, her first collection, gathers up some of her award-winning stories, such as “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™” and “A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy,” and also includes a new novella set in the world of her debut novel, Trail of Lightning.

Speaking of favorites: Amal El-Mohtar’s solo debut novel, The River Has Roots, was picked as one of Book Riot’s best books of 2025. And now we are already being spoiled with a new book, a collection of her multi-award-nominated and winning short works of fantasy fiction. These stories are told in various formats, such as letters, diary entries, and reference materials.

And last but not least, a debut collection of exciting, subversive stories, including the title story, about abortion rights, which won the Nebula, Locus, and Sturgeon awards. Other stories in this book feature a floating library, a time-traveling fisherwoman who can’t seem to get the landing time right, and two witches who fight over the gate between the living and the dead.