New This Week in Sci-Fi & Fantasy: February 9–15, 2026

Gale: Yellow Brick Road (Only in theaters — one night only via Fathom Events)

Forget everything you thought you knew about Oz. In this dark horror reimagining, an elderly Dorothy Gale is haunted by memories of a world nobody believes existed, and her granddaughter Emily inherits a terrifying curse tied to the family name. Directed by Daniel Alexander and starring Chloë Crump as Emily, this film transforms the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the witches into nightmarish figures lurking in a decayed and twisted Oz. It’s the first installment of a planned trilogy, so catch this one-night-only theatrical event while you can.

Cold Storage (Only in theaters)

What happens when a government-sealed parasitic fungus escapes from a former military base beneath a self-storage facility? Nothing good—but plenty that’s wildly entertaining. Starring Liam Neeson as a weathered bioterror operative alongside Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell as the night-shift employees caught in the chaos, this David Koepp-penned sci-fi horror comedy has already landed a stunning 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Think brain-controlling, body-bursting mayhem with a wicked sense of humor.

Eternity (Apple TV+)

Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner star in this high-concept fantasy rom-com set in the afterlife. When Joan (Olsen) arrives in a realm where souls have just one week to decide where to spend eternity, she faces an impossible choice: the man she spent her life with, or her first love who died young and has waited decades for her. It’s achingly romantic, it’s fantastical, and it’s landing just in time for Valentine’s Day with a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (Only in theaters)

Gore Verbinski is back in peak form with this gleeful sci-fi action comedy starring Sam Rockwell as a man from the future who time-travels to a Los Angeles diner and recruits its bewildered patrons to help him fight a rogue AI. With a stacked cast including Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Haley Lu Richardson, and Juno Temple, plus a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, this is the kind of smart, high-energy genre romp that reminds you why you love going to the movies.

GOAT (Only in theaters)

Sony Pictures Animation delivers a vibrant, stylish underdog story set in an all-animal world where a small goat named Will dreams of going pro in roarball—a high-intensity, full-contact sport dominated by the fiercest creatures around. With voice performances from Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, David Harbour, and NBA star Stephen Curry as producer and voice actor, this one’s got heart, humor, and gorgeous animation from the team behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

By Design (Only in theaters)

Amanda Kramer’s surreal Sundance darling stars Juliette Lewis as a woman who magically swaps bodies with a chair—and everyone likes her better that way. If that premise doesn’t hook you, the stellar cast of Robin Tunney, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, and Udo Kier might. This is bold, experimental, interpretive-dance-filled fantasy filmmaking that’s absolutely not for everyone, but if you love art-house genre-bending, it’s unmissable.

Honey Bunch (Shudder)

Just in time for a Valentine’s Day scare, this psychological sci-fi horror follows Diana (Grace Glowicki) as she wakes from a coma with fragmented memories and travels with her husband to a remote facility for experimental treatment. As her memories creep back, so do sinister truths about her marriage. Directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, with Jason Isaacs and Kate Dickie in supporting roles, this 70s-inflected genre-bender has earned 86% on Rotten Tomatoes for its unsettling, fever-dream atmosphere.

Like Water for Chocolate Season 2 (Max)

The second and final season of HBO’s gorgeous adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s beloved magical realism novel premieres this Sunday. Tita’s forbidden love with Pedro reignites as she’s torn between passion and the promise of a gentler life with Dr. Brown, all against the backdrop of revolutionary Mexico. With its lush visuals, intoxicating magical realism, and food that literally channels emotion, this is one of the most enchanting series on television—don’t miss its final chapter.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin — Kokorowa’s Rice Farming Journal (Crunchyroll)

Fans of the beloved video game and its 2024 anime adaptation, rejoice! This two-part special (airing February 15 and 22) shifts the spotlight to Kokorowa in a charming spinoff that expands the world of harvest goddesses, demon-fighting, and—of course—meticulous rice cultivation. If you loved the original series’ blend of Japanese mythology, gorgeous animation from P.A. Works, and surprisingly deep farming mechanics, this is a treat you won’t want to miss.

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco
Little, Brown
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The Prince of Sin series reaches its third installment, and Kerri Maniscalco is pulling us straight into the pages—literally. When Prince Sloth is forced to hunt for the Book of Nightmares before it frees the Goddess of Night, and book-lover Lore Brimstone finds herself physically transported into her favorite novels alongside him, the result is a dark, delicious fantasy romance that’s pure catnip for bibliophile fans.

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
Del Rey
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From the mastermind behind Dungeon Crawler Carl comes a standalone sci-fi thriller with all the heart, chaos, and biting social commentary fans expect. When drummer Oliver Lewis discovers that Earth has classified an entire colony as non-human and scheduled their extermination as a paid combat game, he’s thrust into an Ender’s Game-esque race to save a peace-loving people from a terrifying video game company. Fast, funny, and unexpectedly moving.

Secondhand Luck by Kim Harrison
Ace
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The Shadow Age continues as Petra Grady—the first weaver to use shadow magic in a thousand years—faces a new threat at St. Unoc University. The devious shadow Thoth, responsible for betraying his own kind millennia ago, has arrived to turn both the mage courts and the university against her. Kim Harrison’s fans know she can build intricate magical systems, and this second installment promises to go even deeper.

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson
Del Rey
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The creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast makes his fiction debut with an enchanting contemporary fantasy set in Appalachia. After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself studying under a centuries-old hermit named Valentina, coming face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. It’s cozy, it’s weird, and it’s wonderful.

She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
HarperCollins
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This stunning debut draws on Slavic folklore to tell the story of Yana, a self-proclaimed vampire slayer who is actually a traveling con artist in nineteenth-century Bulgaria. When she meets Anka, a desperate girl longing to escape her circumstances, the two forge a bond and create something monstrous and magnificent together. Gothic, feminist, and steeped in folk horror—this one will linger with you.

Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen
Random House Books for Young Readers
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Eragon meets African mythology in a sweeping YA fantasy where dragon gods rule the Kingdom of Kwa. When the king betrays the great dragons and unleashes the world’s darkest shadows, a girl named Moremi embarks on a quest to save everything from war and ruin. Natasha Bowen brings rich mythological world-building and a thrilling adventure that’s begging to be devoured.

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman
Knopf Books for Young Readers
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The bestselling co-author of the Illuminae Files launches a new YA sci-fi adventure set on Mars in 2067. When scrappy stowaway Cleo and wealthy heir Hunter Graves are stranded together after an emergency evacuation, they must outwit a gang of mercenaries in a high-stakes, high-chemistry romp across the red planet. If you loved the Illuminae Files, you already know Kaufman can deliver white-knuckle sci-fi with heart.

To the Death by Andrea Tang
G.P. Putnam and Sons
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Two teens are pitted against each other in a world of illegal magical duels in this fast-paced YA fantasy thriller. Samantha Chan wants revenge for her brother’s death, and Tamsin Blackwood wants freedom from her father’s violent legacy—but as their paths collide, the lines between enemy and ally blur. Sharp, propulsive, and full of complicated female characters.

Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor
Slowburn
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A fae assassin with the power of illusion. An enigmatic grim reaper searching for freedom. An enemies-to-lovers slow burn that could rewrite fate itself. Madeline Taylor’s debut launches The Verran Isles series with all the tension, angst, and third-act surprises that romantasy fans crave. If you like your fantasy romance with real stakes and plenty of fae intrigue, this one’s for you.

A Day of Breath by Darby Cox
Angry Robot
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Debut author Darby Cox delivers a dark fantasy that unfolds over a single, breathless day. Oly is a magical warrior who has stood alone at the Edge for ten years, protecting her kingdom from demonic hordes—but her powers are fading. Her only chance to restore them comes during the Day of Breath, the one day a year when demons cannot breach the rift. What follows is intense, urgent, and impossible to put down.

The Cursed Queen’s Daughter by Elly Blake
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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The Thirstwood series continues with a darkly romantic companion novel in which warrior princess Thea is lured into a shadow realm by mysterious magical gowns. The prince of that realm is dangerously charming and holds secrets about Thea’s long-lost mother—but information comes at a price. Each dance draws them closer, and the stakes grow higher with every visit.

A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter
Titan Books
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A standalone entry in A.G. Slatter’s Sourdough universe follows Mehrab, a menopausal witch living in forest isolation, whose solitude is shattered when a young woman fleeing godhounds arrives at her door. Together they navigate blood magic, changelings, and the heartbreaking cost of connection. Slatter’s exploration of older women with “dragon-fire” power is a welcome and powerful addition to dark fantasy.

The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi
Avon
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The Baby Dragon series reaches its cozy third installment, and this time our heroine Emmy is opening a dragon-fueled bookshop. Of course, her handsome rival Luke has the same idea about securing a local investor—forcing these competitors to consider joining forces. If you love your fantasy romance served with baby dragons and bookish charm, grab a warm blanket and settle in.

You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees
Del Rey
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Married couple Adam and Jules discover a time machine in their shed (as you do) and use it to revisit the pivotal moments that shaped their love story. But as they hop through the multiverse chasing their perfect romance, they learn that the temptation to change the past is as dangerous as it is addictive. A sci-fi rom-com with real heart from the real-life couple behind the international bestseller Come Together.

Reborn as the Fated Villain by XKarnation
Aethon Books
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From the bestselling author of Reborn as a Demonic Tree comes a new Isekai LitRPG where the protagonist wakes up in the body of Damien Nightshade—a discarded royal and mid-level boss fated to die in every playthrough. Instead of accepting that fate, he sets out to become the unbeatable final boss. If you love progression fantasy with a villainous twist, this one is calling your name.

Hard Reset by Jonathan Yanez
Blackstone Publishing
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Welcome to a world where life begins in a coffin, cars float, and ray guns are your best friend. Tom must take on a corrupt, authoritarian government with the help of a smart-mouthed AI, a quick-shooting bounty hunter, and a very angry stranger. Jonathan Yanez delivers a fast-paced LitRPG adventure that blends cyberpunk energy with classic rebellion spirit.

For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce
Run For It
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In a near-future where human connection has become impossible online, a new dating app called Liv does the unthinkable: it matches people with dead bodies. Millions are convinced that life with a corpse is better than conventional relationships. This darkly satirical sci-fi debut skewers venture capital culture, tech worship, and the death of genuine connection with razor-sharp wit.