Best Books of the Year
Menu

World Fantasy Convention · award year

World Fantasy Award 2021

The 2021 World Fantasy Award went to The Big Book of Modern Fantasy by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer (Anthology), Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda (Collection) and Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Novel). 15 books were nominated across 3 categories.

Winners

Anthology

  1. The Big Book of Modern Fantasy by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeersource (opens in a new tab)

Collection

  1. Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsudasource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Anthology

  1. Edited By by Ellen Datlowsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Shadows & Tall Trees 8 by Michael Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Book of Dragons by Jonathan Strahansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Vol. 1 by James D. Jenkins and Ryan Caglesource (opens in a new tab)

Collection

  1. Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Renée Thomassource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Best of Jeffrey Ford by Jeffrey Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Velocities: Stories by Kathe Kojasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. We All Hear Stories in the Dark by Robert Shearmansource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garciasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Piranesi by Susanna Clarkesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jonessource (opens in a new tab)

About the World Fantasy Award

Best Novel, Best Collection and Best Anthology nominees and winners. 2006-2023 rows cite sfadb.com because the official nominees table at worldfantasy.org/awards/nominees/ files the 2013 ballot under 2012 and drops some winner flags; every Novel title was checked against that table, and Collection and Anthology rows were parsed from the sfadb.com year pages. 2024 and 2025 cite the official results pages. Anthologies are credited to their editors. Translators are recorded only where the cited page names them. Tied winners: Novel 2009 and 2018, Collection 2010 and 2015. sfadb typos fixed: The Essential Peter S. Beagle (2024), The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories (2021).

Organization: World Fantasy Convention. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2021

Shares the most books with