The 2021 Kitschies Award shortlists have been revealed. The prize, sponsored by Blackwell’s, is given to “the year’s most progressive, intelligent and entertaining fiction that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic.”

This year’s shortlisted books were narrowed down from 198 submissions, coming from 57 publishers.

The Red Tentacle (Novel)

Judged by Nathalie Radmall-Quirke, Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Sara Taylor and Oliver Johnson

• Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Head Of Zeus)
• The Galaxy And The Ground Within by Becky Chambers (Hodder Fiction)
• The Cabinet by Un-Su Kim (Angry Robot)
• The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward (Serpent’s Tail)
• Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (Macmillan)

The Golden Tentacle (Debut)

Judged by Nathalie Radmall-Quirke, Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Sara Taylor and Oliver Johnson

• Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke (Hodder Studio)
• Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (Orbit)
• Temporary by Hilary Leichter (Faber)
• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Rock The Boat)
• Composite Creatures by Caroline Hardaker (Angry Robot)

The Inky Tentacle (Cover Art)

Judged by Fleur Clarke, Anne Perry, Jared Shurin and Leila Abu el Hawa

• The Seep by Chana Porter, Cover Art/Design by Julia Lloyd (Titan)
• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Cover Art/Design by Ashley Mackenzie (Rock The Boat)
• Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, Cover Art/Design by Suzanne Dean, (Harvill Secker)
• Velvet Was The Night by Silvia Morena-Garcia, Cover Art/Design by Faceout Studio: Tim Green, (Jo Fletcher Books)
• A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine, Cover Art/Design Jaime Jones (Tor)

The winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on October 12, and receive a total of £2,000 in prize money, as well as one of the prize’s iconic Tentacle trophies. The Kitschies, sponsored by Blackwell’s, is now in its twelfth year.