Welcome to Future Fiction, my reimagining of the Waiting on Wednesday meme! There are so many amazing new books coming out, that I can no longer pick just one. My goal with Future Fiction is to share at least three new books each week, a combination of recent cover reveals and books that I’ve recently added to my TBR pile. I’m still going to be linking up with Wishful Endings/Can’t Wait Wednesday, and I also want to give a shout out to Jill at Breaking the Spine for starting the original Waiting on Wednesday meme. I hope you’ll find some new books to add to your TBR piles, and as always, I look forward to hearing what YOU’RE looking forward to:-D
Horror, mystery and science fiction – I have something for almost everyone today!
It Looks Like You in the Dark is a propulsive Indigenous horror debut, expertly blending Native Alaskan folklore and supernatural thrills, from Mathida Zeller, author of the acclaimed short story “Kustuka” featured in the bestselling horror anthology, Never Whistle at Night.
The only people who know are the people who have gone. Those people no longer have throats to tell us.
Tapeesa is newly out of high school and working in a fish processing plant in the Inupiat village, Chukchi, where she’s lived her whole life. Maybe that’s why people tend to assume she isn’t that bright―or maybe her mama is right and she does have bad blood. Either way, she knows the legend, and she knows the history. Her Ahna told her that the hungry creature―the kushtuka―appears to us in the form of someone we love. It will try to get us to follow it. Follow it where? Those who have gone no longer have throats to tell us.
The Kobuk River Valley of remote Alaska draws greedy white men time and time again. But whenever they come, death comes too. This time the white men are here for the long term, to create an open pit, a lead mine just north of the village. When her sister Esther goes missing, Tapeesa will do anything to get her back. Seeking justice, Tapeesa must track down the kidnapper in the darkening Arctic. What awaits beyond the warmth of her village is more horrible than she could imagine and closer to her than she knows.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU IN THE DARK is a fast-paced, grab-you-by-the-throat story about love, loyalty, and all the fearsome monsters that emerge when we turn our backs on the land and each other.
It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller. Releases in October 2026 from Tor Nightfire. I’m intrigued by this one. I think the blurb is a little awkwardly written, for some reason, but I love the setting and the combination of Indigenous folklore and horror. I’ll definitely be checking it out!
A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.
He’s trying to dig up the skeletons in her closet. She’ll do anything to keep them buried.
Aria Stokes is finally feeling settled—she lives in a tiny New York apartment, works as a bookseller at a local shop, and has even taken a leap of faith in love by indulging her attraction to bookstore regular Jasper. And he seems to already know her so well.
As a Valentine’s Day surprise, Jasper gets the two of them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the Daedalus Library—the grandiose establishment famed for its immersive genre-based reading rooms and, more notoriously, its rumored hauntings. While Aria normally loves all things ghastly, this place holds more dark secrets than she’d prefer Jasper to know. Like that the last time she was here, she left a body behind.
But when the automatic-door entry malfunctions and Aria, Jasper, and the five other people in their tour group become trapped in the library, they are forced to venture through the storied rooms and hidden passageways of the Daedalus in search of escape . . . and Aria quite literally has nowhere to hide from the shadows of her past. Then the group learns there’s a murderer in their midst.
Now, as she tries to break out of the library’s intricate reading rooms, Aria has to decide who she can trust—and what secrets are best kept buried—if she wants to make it out alive.
The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego. Releases in May 2026 from Bantam. I love a good locked room mystery, and combine that with libraries and secrets, well you’ve got me!
Visit a world where sorcery intertwines with science by multiple Hugo nominee Adrian Tchaikovsky in this highly-anticipated sequel to his hugely popular Elder Race.
On a planet where stories govern identity, where science and magic are a merely point of view, a fallen princess, a reluctant wizard, and a precocious child must unravel the past to shape the future.
Betrayal, ancient myths, and the clash of worlds converge in this spellbinding tale of courage, friendship, and self-discovery.
A profound exploration of identity, memory, and discovery from one of science fiction’s most compelling voices.
Engines of Reason (Elder Race #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Releases in September 2026 from Tordotcom. I adored Elder Race, and I had no idea there was a sequel in the works! This will be a must read for sure.
Okay, I am definitely interested in The Library After Dark now! That sounds like such a good setting.
I think anything set in a library has great potential:-)
The Library After Dark sounds awesome! Thanks for introducing me!
It does, I’m excited to check it out!
Ah ah, will 2026 finally be the yar when I discover Tchaikovsky? and get a new obsession??
I think you would enjoy his books!
Well even if it’s horror and not my jam I think the cover of It Looks Like You in the Dark is incredible!
I love the cover too, it’s a little unsettling!
I loved Elder Race! I will definitely want to check out the sequel!
Me too, I was so surprised when the sequel was announced!
Adrian Tchaikovsky is an author I want to try. I’ll have to decide where to start.
He’s written so many books, I’ve barely scratched the surface!
The Library After Dark sounds so fun! You always find the best books.
I’m on Instagram a lot, lol;-)
It Looks Like You in the Dark sounds amazing and I must read it. The Library After Dark also sounds awesome, I need to add that to my TBR, also!
Ditto for both of those, I can’t wait:-)
The Library After Dark is calling to me. Sounds great.
Lynn 😀
Me too, I can’t wait:-)
Hope you enjoy them.
Thanks Stormi!
The title of It Looks Like You in the Dark on its own is already so creepy but I am very intrigued by it also.
I think it’s going to be really good!
I didn’t know there’d be another Elder Race book!! 😀 😀
I just found out too!
I can’t believe I still haven’t read Elder Race and now there’s a book 2 coming out!! Also, added The Library After Dark to my tbr!
Elder Race is definitely worth checking out:-)
Ooh I’m very intrigued by the first one. A horror tale focused on Native Alaskan folklore sounds very interesting. The setting of the second one has me intrigued too. A haunted library with themed reading reads sounds like a great setting to explore. I hope you enjoy all of these.
I’m especially excited to read about a haunted library:-)
Just made 2 additions to be TBR with It Looks Like You in the Dark and Engines of Reason. Thanks much! 🙂
Any time, Todd!
I’m green with envy regarding Engines of Reason – it isn’t on the UK Netgalley dashboard and I’m aware Tordotcom often don’t bother with NG. So I’ll keep an eye out because it sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing, Tammy:).
It does sound amazing, and I’m so happy there’s going to be another book in this world:-)
I thought that Elder Race was a standalone but it seems like I was wrong. But I have yet to read that one, sigh! Maybe I will try it out before this new one comes out!
Didn’t realize Elder Race was getting a sequel either! Hard novella but it stuck in my head after!
I need to finally read Elder Race!