Best Books 2025 Guardian Fantasy. We’ve gathered here a roundup of the most anticipated 2025 books in the major speculative fiction categories of adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I’m not sure if 2025 had a novel, like 2022’s “babel” or 2023’s “fourth wing,” that took the world by storm and reshaped the map of speculative fiction.

Look back on the year’s adventures — and gear up for what next year brings — with our best fantasy books of 2025. Parade’s book expert michael giltz shares his picks for the best science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2025 from stephen king to c.j.