Our news
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Why World‑Building & why Brian Aldiss?
Some worlds behave like weather. You don’t simply read them, or play them, and move on. They settle in you—quietly at first—then you notice they’ve changed your internal climate. You look at real streets and real skies and feel, briefly, that you’ve returned from somewhere else with mud on your boots.
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The 2026 Aldiss Award Long List
We’re absolutely thrilled to have such an excellent list of publications for consideration for The Aldiss Award for world-building in speculative fiction this year. Amongst the list, there are plenty of well-known names, previous award winners, and lots of well-regarded 2025 publications.
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The Aldiss Award 2026 Launch
The Aldiss Award, dedicated to celebrating exceptional world-building in science fiction and fantasy across literature and gaming, is excited to announce its 2026 submissions window opening.
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And the winner is… Rogba Payne for The Dance of Shadows
At the start of the Saturday evening’s award ceremony at this year’s World Fantasy Convention I (Tim, Brian’s son) was proud to be able to stand up and introduce not only the concept of an award for world-building in speculative fiction, but to also announce the winner of this, the inaugural year.
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Shortlist close-up: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly mission: find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill.
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Shortlist close-up: The Dance of Shadows by Rogba Payne
ROGBA PAYNE was born in London and raised across both London and Lagos, Nigeria. He is a descendant of John Augustus Otunba-Payne; the noted lawyer, writer and murdered prince of the Ijebu-Ode royal family.
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Shortlist close-up: Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Wole Talabi
Shigidi is the god of nightmares.Once a feared and powerful member of the Yoruba spirit world, these days he haunts people for scraps of power, which he must give up to the executives of the Orisha Spirit Company.Nneoma is a deadly succubus.Fierce, independent and unpredictable, she’s not afraid to take dangerous risks to free herself
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2025 Award Ceremony @ World Fantasy Con
We’ll be announcing the inaugural winner of The Aldiss Award for world-building in speculative fiction on Saturday 1st November, and we look forward to seeing you all for the announcement! BOOK YOUR TICKET FOR FANTASYCON 2025 We have the prime billing of 7.30pm on the Saturday night! Read the 2025 Shortlist With two weeks to
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Shortlist close-up: Saints Of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba
María Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister María, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila’s Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and
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Shortlist close-up: Kavithri, Aman J. Bedi
Meet Kavithri. Outcast. Underdog. Survivor. Kavi is a Taemu. Her people, once feared berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, are the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits crushed. Their swords broken. Their history erased. But Kavi has a dream and a plan. She will do whatever it takes to earn a place at