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# Here are the finalists for the 2026 Dragon Awards
- URL: https://www.andrewliptak.com/dragon-award-2026-finalists-sci-fi-fantasy-books-dragoncon/
- Published: 2026-08-04T17:27:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-04T17:27:05.000Z
- Description: Some of the best from 2025/2026
- Author: Andrew Liptak
- Tags: Awards, News, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Books, Book List

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Dragon Awards, which [kicked off in 2016](https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/13/12461038/dragon-awards-shortlist-dragoncon-science-fiction-fantasy?ref=andrewliptak.com) in the aftermath of a bitter fight between various factions of fandom over the nature of fandom, what works deserve to be honored as the "best" of the year, and how much of what's big and popular is driven by certain personalities/publishers verses what "real" fans want. 

Handed out every year at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia, the awards are designed to be driven by fans, and unlike the Hugo Awards, they are open to everyone, regardless of your membership status at the con. The results aren't the right-wing alternative that I think some within fandom had hoped: they've really been a wide-ranging and excellent roundup of notable works published in the last year (roughly Labor Day to Labor Day). 

Voting is now open – you can register to do so [here](https://applyto.dragoncon.org/fan%5Fawards/dc%5Ffan%5Fawards%5Fsignup.php?ref=andrewliptak.com) – until Friday, September 4th. Interestingly, it looks like they now have an option to be automatically renewed for upcoming years when you do so. Once registered, a prospective voter will get a confirmation link, with ballots being issued on "Thursdays and Mondays during the month of August." 

Here are this year's nominees: 

### Best Science Fiction Novel

- *The Faith of Beasts* by James S.A. Corey
- *Radiant Star* by Ann Leckie
- *Operation Bounce House* by Matt Dinniman
- *Slow Gods* by Claire North
- *The Shattering Peace* by John Scalzi
- *God’s Junk Drawer* by Peter Clines

### Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

- *Red City* by Marie Lu
- *Queen Demon* by Martha Wells
- *Academy of Outcasts* by Larry Correia
- *Hell to Pay* by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- *The Lost Reliquary* by Lyndsay Ely
- *Twelve Months* by Jim Butcher

### Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

- *Make Me a Monster* by Kalynn Bayron
- *The Executioners Three* by Susan Dennard
- *Hazelthorn* by CG Drews
- *Ride or Die* by Delilah S. Dawson
- *Sky on Fire* by E.K. Johnston
- *Queen of Faces* by Petra Lord

### Best Alternate History Novel

- *Powerless* by Harry Turtledove
- *World War 3.2* by John Birmingham
- *The Winds of Fate* by S.M. Stirling
- *The Unnecessary War* by Brian C. Thompso
- *A Resistance of Witches* by Morgan Ryan
- *No Man’s Land* by Richard K. Morgan

### Best Horror Novel

- *It Was Her House First* by Cherie Priest
- *Play Nice* by Rachel Harrison
- *Girl in the Creek* by Wendy N. Wagner
- *The Bewitching* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- *King Sorrow* by Joe Hill
- *The Possession of Alba Díaz* by Isabel Cañas

### Best Illustrative Book Cover

- *Brigands & Breadknives*, by Carson Lowmiller
- *The Ishtar Deception*, by Dominic Harman
- *The Sapphire Heart*, by Jeff Brown
- *Hemlock & Silver*, by T. Kingfisher
- *Pretenders to the Throne of God*, by Joe Wilson
- *The Second Death of Locke*, by Anna Moshak

### Best Comic Book / Graphic Novel

- *Absolute Batman* by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta
- *Absolute Wonder Woman*, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman
- *Something is Killing the Children*, by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera
- *Daredevil,* by Stephanie Phillips, Lee Garbett
- *X-Men: Elsewhen*, by John Byrne
- *Absolute Superman,* by Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval

### Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet

- *Strange New Worlds Season 3*, Paramount+
- *Foundation Season 3*, Apple TV
- *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, HBO
- *Alien: Earth*, FX
- *Fallout Season 2*, Amazon
- *Plur1bus*, Apple TV
- *The Boys Season 5*, Amazon
- *Widow’s Bay*, Apple TV

### Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

- *Superman*, by James Gunn
- *Project Hail Mary*, by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
- *Disclosure Day*, by Steven Spielberg
- *Predator: Badlands*, by Dan Trachtenberg
- *Frankenstein*, by Guillermo del Toro
- *Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu*, by Jon Favreau
- *Toy Story 5*, by Andrew Stanton
- *The Sheep Detectives*, by Kyle Balda

### Best Digital Game

- *Hades II*, Supergiant Games
- *Hollow Knight: Silksong*, Team Cherry
- *Silent Hill f*, NeoBards Entertainment
- *Ghost of Yōtei*, Sucker Punch Productions
- *Forza Horizon 6*, Playground Games
- *Battlefield 6*, Battlefield Studios

### Best Tabletop Game

- *Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn*, Wizards of the Coast
- *ACKS II Revised Rulebook*, Autarch
- *Magic: the Gathering – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, Wizards of the Coast
- *7 Wonders Dice*, Repos Production
- *Warhammer 40,000 The Maelstrom*, Games Workshop
- *Wingspan Americas Expansion*, Stonemaier Games