Publisher Highlight: Tachyon Publications

Celebrating their 3oth anniversary!

Long, long ago (in 1995) and across the Bay in San Francisco, Jacob Weisman founded Tachyon Publications (https://tachyonpublications.com/). Since then, the House has provided us (those who read speculative fiction) with phenomenal works of fiction, “champion[ing] … creative storytelling through intelligent prose and imaginative worlds.”[1, 2]

Over those thirty years, Tachyon has become a staple in the world of speculative fiction. Their authors have brought in awards, including Nebulas, Mythopoeic, and Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, among others. More importantly, the House has provided space for new authors to publish their internal universes.

The resulting publications include a range of subgenres including romance, comedy, hard science fiction, and more. Their formats range from tight, short stories to soaring space operas.

Recent Titles at UC Berkeley

For more at UC Berkeley

Spread between Morrison Library and the Main Stacks, you can find dozens of Tachyon’s books in Doe Library.

To find those titles, try a publisher focus in the UC Berkeley catalog in our UC Library search.


Notes

[1] “About Tachyon,” Tachyon Publications, accessed November 24, 2025, https://tachyonpublications.com/about/.

[2] “Display: 30 Years of Tachyon Publications,” San Francisco Public Library, accessed August 24, 2025, https://sfpl.org/exhibits/2025/09/19/display-30-years-tachyon-publications.


Hugo Award Nominees for 2025!

Hugo Award banner from with UGO

To my usual delight with speculative fiction, the Hugo awards have been announced! These controversial awards raise lots of questions about voice, audience, and the politics of publication. Nonetheless, they are usually worth a gander as awesome literature. I, for one, adore a couple of these authors.

Best Novel

Best Novella

Best Novelette

The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld, May 2024)
By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)
The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s, September/October 2024)
“Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie in Lake of Souls (Orbit)
Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 59)

Best Short Story

Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed Magazine, Jan 2024 (Issue 164))
Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)
Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 57)
Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed Magazine, May 2024 (Issue 168))
Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld, February 2024)

For More

For the rest of categories, take a look at the official page.


2024 Speculative Fiction Read and Enjoyed

Some of you know that I (Bee, the Lit Librarian) read heavily in speculative fiction. For our mutual enjoyed, I’ve compiled a list of some of my colleagues and my favorite 2024 reads in the genre. Please note that most of these books are from 2024, but a few were published earlier. Please note that this list is far from comprehensive.

Here they are!

 


Speculative Fiction: Hugo Award Winners in 2024!

To my delight, the Hugo winners have been announced. Check out the full list of categories, short lists, and winners on the Hugo Awards website. On my side, I’ve read the short stories (i.e., less than 7,500 words) and now am making my way through the novelettes (i.e., 7,500 to 17,500 words). I am enjoying myself immensely.

This year’s novel (i.e., 40,000 words or more) winner is Emily Tesh’s 2023 Some Desperate Glory (Tor Books pub., UC Library Book Search).

T. Kingfisher’s 2023 A Fairy Tale Transformed: Thornhedge (Tor, Titan UK pub., UC Library Search) won the prize for novella (i.e., 17,500-40,000 words).

In novelettes, we’ve got Naomi Kritzer’s “The Year Without Sunshine” (Uncanny Magazine, November-December 2023, fulltext).

In short stories, there is Naomi Kritzer’s “Better Living Through Algorithms” (Clarkesworld, May 2023, fulltext).

In graphic novels, we’ve got the 11th volume of SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples (Image, pub., UC Library Search).

Then, in games or interactive works, Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios, prod., website).

There is more, but this post is long enough. I encourage you to check out the full list linked at the top. And, If you have time, I hope you enjoy.

Signing off,
Bee (Lit/DH Librarian)