Get ready, friends—it’s another uber-stacked week of fantasy and sci-fi movies, shows, and books! We’ve got a fresh Marvel series bringing Hollywood flair to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe – we didn’t make that up, it’s a thing), a claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that broke records before it even opened, Sam Raimi returning to his horror-comedy roots, and a truly spectacular lineup of book releases that spans everything from space opera murder mysteries to gothic Irish horror to dragons fighting colonialism. Let’s dive in!
Movies & Series
Monday, January 27
Wonder Man Season 1 (Disney+)
Marvel’s newest series takes us behind the velvet ropes of Hollywood with a deliciously meta twist. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams, a struggling actor who stumbles into superpowers while pursuing a role in—wait for it—a superhero movie reboot. Ben Kingsley returns as the scene-stealing Trevor Slattery, and the whole thing is giving film-within-a-film satire meets MCU spectacle. All eight episodes drop on premiere day, so clear your schedule!
Wednesday, January 28
School Spirits Season 3 (Paramount+)
The supernatural teen drama returns with its darkest chapter yet, and we are not ready. After clawing her way back to life, Maddie faces terrifying visions while Simon remains trapped in the afterlife, obsessed with the secrets buried in Split River High’s walls. This season digs into why so many people have died at this cursed school, and Jennifer Tilly joins the cast because of course she does. The first three episodes drop on premiere day, then it’s weekly from there.
Friday, January 30
Iron Lung (Only in theaters)
YouTuber Markiplier makes his feature directorial debut with this adaptation of the beloved indie horror game, and the buzz is absolutely electric. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where a convict explores a blood ocean on a desolate moon in a cramped submarine, it’s already broken records for advance ticket sales—over $5 million without a traditional distributor. The film holds the world record for most fake blood used in production (80,000 gallons!), and fans have campaigned to bring it to over 2,500 theaters worldwide. This is horror history in the making.
Send Help (Only in theaters)
Sam Raimi returns to horror-comedy after fifteen years of working on franchises, and he brought Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien along for the ride. When a woman and her nightmare boss survive a plane crash on a deserted island, their desperate fight for survival becomes a darkly hilarious battle of wills. It’s Cast Away meets corporate satire meets Raimi’s signature twisted humor—count us in.
Worldbreaker (Only in theaters)
Milla Jovovich and Luke Evans team up in this sci-fi action thriller about a world transformed by creatures from another dimension. On a remote island, a battle-scarred veteran trains his daughter to survive while her mother fights monstrous “Breakers” on the front lines. The father-daughter relationship is reportedly the heart of this genre-blending adventure.
Tafiti: Across the Desert (Only in theaters)
Looking for something the whole family can enjoy? This charming German animated film follows Tafiti, a young meerkat who teams up with Bristles the bush pig on a quest to find a magical flower to save his grandfather. It’s an adorable adventure about friendship featuring gorgeous African landscapes and anthropomorphic animals—perfect for younger fantasy fans.
Books
Tuesday, January 27
It’s a monster week for book releases, folks. Whether you’re craving space opera, gothic horror, romantasy, or dragons, Tuesday has you covered.
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds
Orbit
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The “mastersinger of space opera” delivers a noir-drenched mystery aboard a generation ship where life is modeled on 1940s crime fiction—fedoras, whiskey, and robots included. Private investigator Yuri Gagarin (yes, really) investigates suspicious deaths among the ship’s elite while uncovering a conspiracy that could change everything. Perfect for fans of Silo and Severance.
To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
Del Rey
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The Nebula and Lodestar Award-winning sequel to To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is finally here! Anequs and her dragon Kasaqua return home for summer break, only to find colonial forces have followed them. This dragon rider series confronts colonialism head-on while delivering all the magic school drama we crave.
The Regicide Report by Charles Stross
Tor Books
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The thrilling conclusion to the Hugo Award-winning Laundry Files series sends Bob Howard and Mo O’Brien on one last mission: protecting Queen Elizabeth II from an Elder God who happens to be the Prime Minister. If you’ve been following this cosmic horror meets British bureaucracy saga, this is the finale you’ve been waiting for.
The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
Erewhon
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A queer retelling of the 12th-century werewolf tale “Bisclavret” from the lais of Marie de France, featuring a cursed knight who can’t control his shapeshifting and a lonely king fascinated by his secrets. Medieval romance has never been this atmospheric.
Artifact Space by Miles Cameron
Saga Press
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This military sci-fi space opera follows orphan Marca Nbaro as she forges papers to become a midshipper on a massive Greatship trading valuable alien technology across the stars. Something is hunting these vessels, and the adventure is just beginning. Fans of The Expanse and Adrian Tchaikovsky, this one’s for you.
Ballad of the Bone Road by A.C. Wise
Orbit
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Paranormal investigators Brix and Belle solve supernatural problems in Port Astor, a city haunted by the fae courts that vanished forty years ago. When a haunted hotel case collides with a dangerous cult, the truth proves far stranger than expected. Already being called one of the best horror books of 2026.
Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K.J. Parker
Orbit
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World Fantasy Award winner K.J. Parker kicks off a new trilogy with a darkly comedic tale of Church assassins, theological debates with deadly consequences, and people who might not be as dead as previously assumed. Sharp, sardonic, and utterly delightful.
This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud
Kensington
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Set during Ireland’s Great Famine, this gothic historical horror follows a young woman who agrees to impersonate a dead heiress at a haunted estate on the Burren. The supernatural elements almost become a relief from the devastating historical reality Tureaud portrays. Starred review from Publishers Weekly.
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May
Kensington
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A sacrificial princess who dies and resurrects to appease the gods meets an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf—and forbidden desire ignites between them. Inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche, this dark romantasy promises “not a hero in sight.”
Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik
Harper Voyager
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A mage ventures into forbidden woods to hunt a deadly beast, only to be saved by a scarred stranger with moonlit magic. Their fates intertwine in this romantasy debut of a duology—and book two is already scheduled for late 2026!
Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury YA
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The sweeping conclusion to the Forging Silver into Stars trilogy brings together all our favorite characters for one last stand against magical threats from every direction. Kirkus and Booklist both gave it starred reviews, calling it “a gratifyingly thorough conclusion.”
Way of the Walker by Salinee Goldenberg
Angry Robot
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Return to the Thai-inspired world of The Last Phi Hunter in this sequel exploring mythology, colonialism, and feminine rage. Heroine Ree embarks on a quest to rid her land of European colonizers—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Sword of Kaigen.
We Who Have No Gods by Liza Anderson
Del Rey
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Dark academia meets occult fantasy when a human woman discovers her brother has been recruited into a secret society of witches. Accompanying him to the eerie Avalon Castle, she uncovers dangerous conspiracies. For fans of Ninth House, Babel, and A Deadly Education.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield
Gallery Books
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A Southern Gothic debut dripping with atmosphere, following a woman who escapes abuse to become a wisewoman in Georgia’s haunted woods—until a mysterious stranger stirs up dark urges and buried memories. Victor LaValle calls it “the debut of a ferociously talented writer.”
A Spell for Drowning by Rebecca Ferrier
Crooked Lane Books
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In 1840s Cornwall, a young woman becomes the village wise woman and must bargain with a terrifying sea god to save her mentor. A gorgeous historical fantasy steeped in salt and superstition, perfect for Circe fans.
Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
Tor/Bramble
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A seductive fae queen kidnaps the empire’s most virtuous general, and their forced proximity during a deadly fae tournament reveals how perfectly suited they might be for each other. Sparkling, romantic, and utterly fun.
Passage to Tokyo by Poppy Kuroki
Harper Perennial
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The second Ancestor Memories novel sends a young woman from 1995 back to 1923 Tokyo—just weeks before the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake. A sapphic time-travel romance with historical depth.
She Is Here by Nicola Griffith
PM Press
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SFWA Grand Master Nicola Griffith delivers essays, poems, and fiction—including a never-before-published novella—in this Outspoken Authors collection. A celebration of one of speculative fiction’s most acclaimed voices.
Funeral Song by Carly Racklin
Dead Sky Publishing
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A supernatural horror novella about death, devotion, and a devout small town’s reckoning with what comes after. Debut author Racklin delivers “visceral” prose that fans of Mike Flanagan will devour.
Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan
Berkley
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Cryptozoologist Morgan Carter investigates whether Wisconsin’s legendary Beast of Bray Road is responsible for a brutal killing in this cozy mystery that blends werewolf legends with small-town intrigue.
The Star of Moon Village by Jennifer Ann Richter
Holiday House
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A middle-grade sci-fi adventure about a space-obsessed girl whose research trip to the Moon becomes entangled with celebrity culture and corporate interests. Science fights back!
What a week! Whether you’re settling in for a Marvel marathon, braving the blood ocean of Iron Lung, or getting lost in one of these incredible new books, there’s no shortage of adventures waiting for you.
What are you most excited about? Anything we missed? Follow us on TikTok and drop your picks in the comments—we love hearing what’s going to the top of your TBR pile or streaming queue!
