2026 Hugo Awards: The Best Novel Nominees, Ranked | Fantasy & Sci-Fi

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Six books, one vote, and a whole community weighing in — Deedi's back to break down this year's Hugo Awards Best Novel nominees.

Our resident awards correspondent Deedi (@DeediReads) returns to walk us through the 2026 Hugo Awards — sci-fi and fantasy's biggest fan-voted prize. We cover how Hugo voting actually works, break down all six Best Novel nominees, and Deedi tells us which one she's rooting for (and which one she thinks will actually win). Perfect for anyone who loves a good genre awards deep-dive or is just looking for their next fantasy or sci-fi read.

📚 Books Mentioned

• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy/Mystery
• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery | 2025 Hugo winner, prequel
• The Incandescent by Emily Tesh — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Cinderhouse by Freya Marske — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella
• The River Has Roots by Amar El-Mohtar— Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella

⏱️ Timestamps

• [00:00] Welcome back, Deedi — our official awards correspondent
• [00:01] Why the Hugos are different from literary prizes
• [00:02] How Hugo voting actually works (Worldcon membership, nominating)
• [00:03] All the Hugo categories beyond Best Novel
• [00:05] Popular vote pros and cons — vs. the Goodreads Choice Awards
• [00:07] This year's six Best Novel nominees, announced
• [00:08] Novella category as an easier entry point (Cinderhouse, The River Has Roots)
• [00:09] How