All posts tagged: Tchaikovsky

The best new science-fiction books of June 2026 include novels from Adrian Tchaikovsky and M. John Harrison

The best new science-fiction books of June 2026 include novels from Adrian Tchaikovsky and M. John Harrison

Published by skeptic

A father mysteriously slips through time in Joseph Eckert’s The Traveler Mikhail Rudenko / Alamy Writing this as the UK swelters under an unprecedented May heatwave, perhaps it’s small wonder that so many science-fiction authors are currently imagining miserable versions of an overheated future in which their characters are struggling to survive. I’m intrigued by the sound of sci-fi legend M. John Harrison’s upcoming take on a dystopian future, but if post-apocalyptic hellscapes aren’t your thing, I’m also happy to report that there are other options for sci-fi fans this month. I’m already enjoying time-travel adventure The Traveler by Joseph Eckert. Next, I’m going to explore Isabel J. Kim’s sci-fi spin on immigration, Sublimation, as soon as I can get my hands on it. And then for a little light relief, I’m planning on lining up Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Green City Wars. I am excited about this book: M. John Harrison is a really classy writer, winner of all sorts of awards, and his latest novel sounds right up my street. It’s set in a future …

Adrian Tchaikovsky on Children of Strife: ‘I try and do interesting aliens’

Adrian Tchaikovsky on Children of Strife: ‘I try and do interesting aliens’

Published by skeptic

Speculative evolution is an “amazing treasure chest of possibilities” – Adrian Tchaikovsky Tom Pepperdine Adrian Tchaikovsky published his first book, the fantasy novel Empire in Black and Gold, in 2008. He turned to science fiction in 2015 with Children of Time, a far-future story of the accelerated evolution of Portia labiate spiders on a terraformed planet far from Earth. It was the first in a series which would go on to win Tchaikovsky prizes including the Arthur C Clarke Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award. Now he divides his writing time between science fiction and fantasy, with the fourth book in the Children of Time series, Children of Strife, out on 26 March. He joined head of books Alison Flood to talk about its protagonist – a human-sized mantis shrimp – and what could have inspired its terrifyingly awful villain. Alison Flood: You studied zoology at university, right? The Children of Time series and its evolved animals feels like the perfect area for you to be writing in… Adrian Tchaikovsky: In all honesty, …

The best new science fiction books of 2026 include new novels from Ann Leckie and Adrian Tchaikovsky

The best new science fiction books of 2026 include new novels from Ann Leckie and Adrian Tchaikovsky

Published by skeptic

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Strife will be a highlight of March Joby Sessions/SFX Magazine/Future via Getty Images I may have to eat my hat later, but I reckon 2026 is shaping up to be an excellent year for science fiction. With eight months of books announced, the table is already loaded with delightful offerings. In January, we welcome new books from two big hitters. There is Peter F. Hamilton’s A Hole in the Sky, the first in an ark ship trilogy, and a change of pace for the author, who made his name with sprawling, science-heavy, brain-warping books. This one is short and straightforward, written from the point of view of a teenage girl. Hamilton hopes his current fans will enjoy the book, which is aimed at a younger audience. The novel is also a change in terms of its publishing schedule, since all three books will be published this year – the second in June, the third in December. It will be interesting to see how that works for readers. Our second big arrival …