For our year-end discussion of 2025 books, we’re joined by Locus reviewers Ian Mond and Alex Pierce, and distinguished critic and novelist James Bradley. As usual, we mention a lot of authors and titles, and probably forget to mention many deserving others. But you’ll no doubt find some suggestions you hadn’t thought of, and some of our usual digressions about familiar questions of genre, literary ambition, and books that at least some of us think have been overlooked.

Alex's list

Adrian Tchaikovsky, Shroud
Claire North, Slow Gods
Darkly Lem, Transmentation | Transgression
EJ Swift, When There Are Wolves Again
Alastair Reynolds, Halcyon Years
Emily Tesh, The Incandescent
The Isle in the Silver Sea, Tasha Surii

Ian's list

Mark Danielewski, Tom’s Crossing
Alex Pheby, Waterblack
Isaac Fellman, Notes from a Regicide
Nnedi Okorafor, Death of the Author
Nick Mamatas, Kalivas!

James's list

Claire North, Slow Gods
EJ Swift, When There Are Wolves Again
Laila Lalami, The Dream Hotel
Nina Allan, A Granite Silence
Sarah Hall, Helm
Catherine Chidgey, The Book of Guilt.

Gary's list

Alix Harrow, The Everlasting
Laila Lalami, The Dream Hotel
Natalia Theodoridou, Sour Cherry
R.F. Kuang, Katabasis
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Bewitching

Jonathan's list

Alix E. Harrow, The Everlasting
EJ Swift, When There Are Wolves Again
Emily Tesh, The Incandescent
Nina Allan, A Granite Silence
Silvia Park, Luminous

After a very busy end of the year, that's the final episode for 2025. See you all in early 2026 with something new! And thank you to Alex, Ian, and James for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the episode.

E62: A Change Will Do You Good

Rock n' Roll English

Embracing Change and Funny Clothing Stories

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