Dystopia. Dark academia. Lady knights. Vampires. Cyberpunk cities. Drowned coasts. Magical romance. 2025 was another major year for micro-trends within the fantasy and science-fiction genres. It’s always delightful to watch talented authors make old tropes fresh; perhaps that’s what makes ELLE’s picks from this year such standouts: Despite the well-worn territory many of them tread, these writers’ worlds feel inventive, mysterious, astute—and their stories impossible to put down. In transporting readers far from what we know, these books paradoxically invite us to reflect upon the real world we inhabit. Below, discover 29 of ELLE’s favorite speculative tales of 2025.

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

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