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. Now starts the reading, deliberating and hearty discussions. So look out for the shortlist and a series of articles on our shortlisted titles and authors.
| TITLE | AUTHOR |
| A Blood As Bright As The Moon | Andrea Morstabilini |
| A Palace Near The Wind | Ai Jiang |
| A Resistance Of Witches | Morgan Ryan |
| A Song Of Legends Lost | M. H. Ayinde |
| An Unlikely Coven | A.M. Kvita |
| Artificial Wisdom | Thomas Weaver |
| Can You Solve The Murder? | Antony Johnston |
| Children Of Fallen Gods | Carissa Broadbent |
| City Of All Seasons | Oliver K. Langmead & Aliya Whiteley |
| Conform | Ariel Sullivan |
| Dark Diamond | Neal Asher |
| Daughters Of Flood And Fury | Gabriella Buba |
| Death And Other Occupational Hazards | Veronika Dapunt |
| Death On The Caldera | Emily Paxman |
| Dire Bound | Sable Sorenson |
| Fallen City | Adrienne Young |
| Fallen Gods | Rachel Van Dyken |
| Firstborn Of The Sun | Marvellous Michael Anson |
| Future’s Edge | Gareth L. Powell |
| Hemlock And Silver | T. Kingfisher |
| House Of Dragons | K. A. Linde |
| House Of Monstrous Women | Daphne Fama |
| Iron And Embers | Helen Scheuerer |
| Lucky Day | Chuck Tingle |
| Made Things | Adrian Tchaikovsky |
| Murder Most Haunted | Emma Mason |
| Outlaw Planet | M. R. Carey |
| Red Tempest Brother | H. M. Long |
| Shroud | Adrian Tchaikovsky |
| Silver And Smoke | Helen Scheuerer |
| Six Wild Crowns | Holly Race |
| Slaying The Vampire Conquerer | Carissa Broadbent |
| Slow Gods | Claire North |
| Spellbound | Georgia Leighton |
| The Bone Raiders | Jackson Ford |
| The Crimson Road | A.G. Slatter |
| The Enduring Universe | Kritika H. Rao |
| The Fallen And The Kiss Of Dusk | Carissa Broadbent |
| The Foot On The Crown | Christopher Fowler |
| The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association | Caitlin Rozakis |
| The Gryphon King | Nohra Zultama |
| The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy | Brigitte Knightley |
| The Isle In The Silver Sea | Tasha Suri |
| The Knight And The Moth | Rachel Gillig |
| The Lady, The Tiger And The Girl Who Loved Death | Helen Marshall |
| The Library At Hellebore | Cassandra Khaw |
| The Maiden And Her Monster | Maddie Martinez |
| The Outcast Mage | Annabel Campbell |
| The Ragpicker King | Cassandra Clare |
| The Second Death Of Locke | V. L. Bovalino |
| The Shattering Peace | John Scalzi |
| The Society Of Unknowable Objects | Gareth Brown |
| The Two Lies Of Faven Sythe | Megan E. O’keefe |
| The Wolf King | Lauren Palphreyman |
| The Works Of Vermin | Hiron Ennes |
| This Gilded Abyss | Rebecca Thorne |
| To Cage A Wild Bird | Brooke Fast |
| To Clutch A Razor | Veronica Roth |
| Water Moon | Samantha Sotto Yambao |
| Witchlight | Susan Dennard |
| Wooing The Witch Queen | Stephanie Burgis |