The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2026

By John Joseph Adams, Olivie Blake

On Sale: 10/20/2026
A collection of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy short fiction selected by Olivie Blake, author of the bestselling Atlas Series, and series editor John Joseph Adams.

The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind.

Olivie Blake selects twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explores the ever-expanding and changing world of science fiction and fantasy today.

ISBN: 9780063441521
Imprint: Mariner Books
On Sale: Oct 20, 2026
List price: $24.99
No of pages: 432
Trim Size: 4.710 in (w) x 7.170 in (h) x 1.040 in (d)
BISAC 1: FICTION / Science Fiction / Collections & Anthologies
BISAC 2: FICTION / Fantasy / Collections & Anthologies
BISAC 3: LITERARY COLLECTIONS / American / General

John Joseph Adams

Biography

John Joseph Adams is the series editor of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and the editor of the Hugo Award–winning Lightspeed, and of more than forty anthologies, including Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms, The Far Reaches, and Out There Screaming (coedited with Jordan Peele).

Olivie Blake

Biography

Olivie Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries, and her most recent novel, Dreamland. With Little Chmura, she is the co-creator of the graphic series Clara and the Devil. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult novels My Mechanical Romance and Twelfth Knight. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

A collection of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy short fiction selected by Olivie Blake, author of the bestselling Atlas Series, and series editor John Joseph Adams.

The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind.

Olivie Blake selects twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explores the ever-expanding and changing world of science fiction and fantasy today.

ISBN: 9780063441521
Imprint: Mariner Books
On Sale: Oct 20, 2026
List price: $24.99
No of pages: 432
Trim Size: 4.710 in (w) x 7.170 in (h) x 1.040 in (d)
BISAC 1: FICTION / Science Fiction / Collections & Anthologies
BISAC 2: FICTION / Fantasy / Collections & Anthologies
BISAC 3: LITERARY COLLECTIONS / American / General

John Joseph Adams

Biography

John Joseph Adams is the series editor of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and the editor of the Hugo Award–winning Lightspeed, and of more than forty anthologies, including Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms, The Far Reaches, and Out There Screaming (coedited with Jordan Peele).

Olivie Blake

Biography

Olivie Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries, and her most recent novel, Dreamland. With Little Chmura, she is the co-creator of the graphic series Clara and the Devil. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult novels My Mechanical Romance and Twelfth Knight. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.