On Wednesday night, the Whiting Foundation announced the recipients of the 2026 Whiting Awards—$50,000 grants given to emerging writers in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. The ceremony brimmed with discussions about time and timeliness, about how good writers are able to render the present and forge paths toward the future. Excellent food for thought, it turns out, when reading through this week's newsletter!
In it, Nebula Award winner Samantha Mills highlights the speculative fiction that informed her excellent debut collection Rabbit Test and Other Stories—a book that, among other things, tackles the exquisite strangeness of contemporary life. Elsewhere, Mike Chen discusses his new sci-fi novel about a cosmic civil war 300 years down the line, and our editors recommend books that meditate on birth, death, and the wobblier aspects of identity. As always, happy reading!
—Conner Reed
Starred Reviews Releasing Next WeekCheck out all the books to receive starred PW reviews that are hitting shelves next week.
8 Story Collections That Inspired Samantha Mills’s Stunning Speculative FictionThe Nebula Award-winning novelist shares the short fiction that informed her new collection, Rabbit Test and Other Stories. more
PW Talks with Xochitl GonzalezWith Last Night in Brooklyn, the author puts a 21st-century spin on The Great Gatsby. more
Out of This World: PW Talks with Mike ChenThe bestselling author sets The Photonic Effect in the 24th century in the midst of a galactic civil war. more
Burn It Down: PW Talks with Angela PelsterIn The Evolution of Fire, the essayist explores how crises—from a house fire to the collapse of her marriage—can be agents of change. more
How Afternoon Hours of a Hermit by Patrick Cottrell Got MadeAn inside look at the publication process for the author’s latest novel. more
Aside from My Heart, All Is WellBy Héctor Abad, trans. by Anne McLean (Archipelago)
Our reviewer of this novel inspired by a Colombian priest and film critic told me they now have to read everything by the author. I’ve recently cracked it—Archipelago’s books are always such beautiful and inviting objects—and can already tell there’s no turning back. —David Varno, literary fiction reviews editor
By Elisabeth Belliveau (Conundrum)
The absolute chaos of birth is captured in this gorgeous and raw account of a traumatic delivery and subsequent post-partum depression, drawn in fractured images with hand-lettered diary entries by fine artist Belliveau. Her ink-bleeding visions of hallucinating with babe in arms are haunting. Threaded throughout the narrative are references to poetry and art by other mothers, from which she found the solace and sense of community that pulled her through. —Meg Lemke, comics and graphic novels reviews editor
By Wolf Haas, trans. by Jamie Bulloch (HarperVia)
Who doesn't love it when a mystery gets a little weird? This tricky puzzle box from Austrian crime novelist Haas focuses on two men—an urban loner and a nervous inmate—who appear to be characters in books that one another are reading. The hook is strong, and Haas delivers on its promise, unspooling a giddy postmodern crime thriller that's cut with surprising sweetness. —Conner Reed, mystery and memoir reviews editor
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Rites of the Starling: a Slow-Burn Epic Romantasy
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Theo of Golden
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Game on
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18 Days in Heaven: I Left My Body. I Met Jesus. What He Told Me Will Alter Your Eternity.
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The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again
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The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-To-Face with Jesus
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Twisted Pawn (Standard Edition)
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Release Me (Deluxe Limited Edition)
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Revenge Prey
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For more PW bestsellers lists, click here.
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