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The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky
Not yet published
Expected 28 Feb 26Hungry ants that want to reconstruct the world in their own image. Occult investigations into private clubs. A philosopher’s attachment to his beloved pet. A new definition of battlefield archaeology.
What the homunculi do when the wizard’s away. A trans-dimensional theatre troupe. Murder by flower-arrangement. The infectious consequences of a fairytale wedding.
A magician conjures Sherlock Holmes. What happens when the mining robots mine, but not for you. The ultimate polycule. What is the groppler and why does it gropple?
In this collection is a veritable treasure trove of short fiction from the award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky, covering all corners of the genre from science-fiction to fantasy to the plain weird. Over thirty tales from across the breadth of his career, from the depths of space through broken futures, from the haunted shadows of the modern day to fantastical magic worlds, including the author’s commentary on the selection.
What the homunculi do when the wizard’s away. A trans-dimensional theatre troupe. Murder by flower-arrangement. The infectious consequences of a fairytale wedding.
A magician conjures Sherlock Holmes. What happens when the mining robots mine, but not for you. The ultimate polycule. What is the groppler and why does it gropple?
In this collection is a veritable treasure trove of short fiction from the award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky, covering all corners of the genre from science-fiction to fantasy to the plain weird. Over thirty tales from across the breadth of his career, from the depths of space through broken futures, from the haunted shadows of the modern day to fantastical magic worlds, including the author’s commentary on the selection.
624 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 28, 2026
6 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
196 books18k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 16, 2025
Adrian Tchaikovsky has been near the top of my TBR for years. He has multiple series I’m interested in but somehow I haven’t read him at all. His short story collection was a good all around introduction to him!
My main takeaway is the author is brimming with ideas. The wide array collected here covers the span of his career and everything from speculative fiction to high fantasy to alien sci fi. Loved The Casebook of Walther Cohen, four short stories that play off the homes detective trope except that he’s a psychic & solves supernatural mysteries. The Fall of Lady Sealight was beautiful, disturbing and I’m still thinking about what it had to say thematically. It also is one of the few stories where the form really fit the story. Although so much was packed in it could have been full length too!
This collection is going to work best for people who already love the authors work. If you’re hungering to read everything he’s ever published this is for you! For those who are interested in the form of short story’s or novelettes I think there are more interesting collections out there (see Bora Chung). Tchaikovsky doesn’t play with the form or tackle anything too deep in most of the stories. None of them were bad but I wasn’t particularly hooked in by most of them…
My main takeaway is the author is brimming with ideas. The wide array collected here covers the span of his career and everything from speculative fiction to high fantasy to alien sci fi. Loved The Casebook of Walther Cohen, four short stories that play off the homes detective trope except that he’s a psychic & solves supernatural mysteries. The Fall of Lady Sealight was beautiful, disturbing and I’m still thinking about what it had to say thematically. It also is one of the few stories where the form really fit the story. Although so much was packed in it could have been full length too!
This collection is going to work best for people who already love the authors work. If you’re hungering to read everything he’s ever published this is for you! For those who are interested in the form of short story’s or novelettes I think there are more interesting collections out there (see Bora Chung). Tchaikovsky doesn’t play with the form or tackle anything too deep in most of the stories. None of them were bad but I wasn’t particularly hooked in by most of them…
January 14, 2026
In all my long years of reading, never before have I read an author's collection of short fiction that was all 4 or 5 stars. That is, great, and very great. Usually there are a few stories that are great, some that a just 'meh', a story or two that is just plain boring. But a collection in which all the stories are great? Unthinkable! Until now. The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky is the unthinkable collection of great stories. No boring ones, not even any 'meh' ones, just plain wonderful stories. And the stories are mostly short stories. Not very many longer stories like novelettes or novellas.
The collection is separated into sections by genre and sub-genre, each containing five to seven stories. At the beginning of each section the author talks about various stories in that section. First is "Broken Tomorrows" aka Post-Apocalyptic. Then Fantasy is separated into two sub-genres which Tchaikovsky labels "Down and Dirty", aka low fantasy--stories that deal with regular people--and "High Magic" aka high fantasy, dealing with Kings and Queens and Wizards. There are also two sections of "Weirdness" which according to the author is "a catch-all for urban fantasy, horror, fable, and the genuinely odd that doesn't really fit with either the SF or the fantasy sections...." One of the "Weirdness" sections has several stories about the same character and is called "The Casebook of Walther Cohen". Then Science Fiction.
Standout stories are:
21st Century Girl - a post-apocalyptic story where a girl in a society that has forgotten technology acquires a talking helmet from the past that ends up changing her life
Charlie's Ants - any description would spoil it, just read it
There are three stories in the Fantasy: Down and Dirty section that feature a traveling theatre troupe and all are very good.
Family Business - great story
Wars of Worldcraft - not what it appears to be at first
There's lot of great stories that I didn't mention. I recommend this for any fan of Tchaikovsky (unless you're only a fan of his SF books because there's more fantasy than SF in this collection) and readers of genre short fiction who prefer the short form. You will not be disappointed.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and this did not have any impact on my rating. However I am a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky so I may be a bit biased.
The collection is separated into sections by genre and sub-genre, each containing five to seven stories. At the beginning of each section the author talks about various stories in that section. First is "Broken Tomorrows" aka Post-Apocalyptic. Then Fantasy is separated into two sub-genres which Tchaikovsky labels "Down and Dirty", aka low fantasy--stories that deal with regular people--and "High Magic" aka high fantasy, dealing with Kings and Queens and Wizards. There are also two sections of "Weirdness" which according to the author is "a catch-all for urban fantasy, horror, fable, and the genuinely odd that doesn't really fit with either the SF or the fantasy sections...." One of the "Weirdness" sections has several stories about the same character and is called "The Casebook of Walther Cohen". Then Science Fiction.
Standout stories are:
21st Century Girl - a post-apocalyptic story where a girl in a society that has forgotten technology acquires a talking helmet from the past that ends up changing her life
Charlie's Ants - any description would spoil it, just read it
There are three stories in the Fantasy: Down and Dirty section that feature a traveling theatre troupe and all are very good.
Family Business - great story
Wars of Worldcraft - not what it appears to be at first
There's lot of great stories that I didn't mention. I recommend this for any fan of Tchaikovsky (unless you're only a fan of his SF books because there's more fantasy than SF in this collection) and readers of genre short fiction who prefer the short form. You will not be disappointed.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and this did not have any impact on my rating. However I am a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky so I may be a bit biased.
October 13, 2025
[Blurb goes here]
I've stated before that Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite authors. In this collection of short stories the world-building, plot, and characters are expertly interlaced to offer the reader amazing adventures written with his unique storytelling skill.
Each tale showcases his relentless search for cosmic truth and his insight into today's problems, all while being set hundreds of years away on different planets that share the familiar human hubris. Don't get me wrong, he's not preachy; he states facts and outlines paths to reachable solutions with an optimistic voice.
If you're a fan of crazy, insightful sci-fi and fantasy tales, don't let this collection get away.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
I've stated before that Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite authors. In this collection of short stories the world-building, plot, and characters are expertly interlaced to offer the reader amazing adventures written with his unique storytelling skill.
Each tale showcases his relentless search for cosmic truth and his insight into today's problems, all while being set hundreds of years away on different planets that share the familiar human hubris. Don't get me wrong, he's not preachy; he states facts and outlines paths to reachable solutions with an optimistic voice.
If you're a fan of crazy, insightful sci-fi and fantasy tales, don't let this collection get away.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
quit-dnf
January 18, 2026Four stories and only 6% into this 600+ page beast, and I'm already struggling with wanting to pick this up again. Since Mount TBR ain't gonna read itself, and given that I'm already bored with this one, I think it's time for me to move on to hopefully greener pastures. Many thanks to Subterranean Press for the NetGalley ARC, but unfortunately this one just isn't for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I've been meaning to read Adrian Tchaikovsky's works for awhile now and have yet to actually do so, but after reading this short story collection, I think I will have to remedy that, soon.
it feels rare that a short story collection be consistently strong from start to finish. to me, it's more common that most stories in a collection are just 'okay' with 1 or 2 standouts and possibly a small handful that are more forgettable. this collection is not that, and truly feels like a showcase of the best that the author has to offer. I kept finding myself surprised at how often a relatively slow start to a story would eventually have me hooked until the end, and I would eagerly turn to the next story just to see what else new the author had come up with this time. while there were a handful of stories that fall to the bottom of the barrel for me, many of those still had some unique twist to it that kept it fun and fresh. and I think that's the main thing that I loved the most about reading the author's works is that he manages to strike this balance of being thoughtful thematically, inventive with its worldbuilding, and an absolutely fun experience to just have the pleasure to read.
Adrian Tchaikovsky has a knack for writing worlds that are strange - ones with strange magic, strange technology, or just strange in the more indescribable ways. but they are always fun to read and discover, and sometimes leave me almost angry that the world is just contained to a short story and isn't a full 500-page book all to itself!! oh well, I guess I can just re-read the collection again as a way to cope...
standouts, no particular order:
- all of the casebook of walther cohen stories (I may never tire of stories about paranormal detectives. and so I need more!!)
- the language of flowers (the world for this one was so interesting. assassins leaving calling cards based on flowers, sign me up)
- gods of the ice planet (I'm just a sucker for stories about meeting your maker, and how it never quite goes the way that you expect it to)
- not a cat person (chilling. eerie. chef's kiss)
- the face of the king (the first few pages of this had me absolutely hooked. ancient cities, revenge, salvation from a dying god)
- the binds that tie
- dress rehearsal (both of these fulfill my niche love of traveling performances)
- where the dead people are (archeology, but when not used to dig up fossils)
thank you to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
it feels rare that a short story collection be consistently strong from start to finish. to me, it's more common that most stories in a collection are just 'okay' with 1 or 2 standouts and possibly a small handful that are more forgettable. this collection is not that, and truly feels like a showcase of the best that the author has to offer. I kept finding myself surprised at how often a relatively slow start to a story would eventually have me hooked until the end, and I would eagerly turn to the next story just to see what else new the author had come up with this time. while there were a handful of stories that fall to the bottom of the barrel for me, many of those still had some unique twist to it that kept it fun and fresh. and I think that's the main thing that I loved the most about reading the author's works is that he manages to strike this balance of being thoughtful thematically, inventive with its worldbuilding, and an absolutely fun experience to just have the pleasure to read.
Adrian Tchaikovsky has a knack for writing worlds that are strange - ones with strange magic, strange technology, or just strange in the more indescribable ways. but they are always fun to read and discover, and sometimes leave me almost angry that the world is just contained to a short story and isn't a full 500-page book all to itself!! oh well, I guess I can just re-read the collection again as a way to cope...
standouts, no particular order:
- all of the casebook of walther cohen stories (I may never tire of stories about paranormal detectives. and so I need more!!)
- the language of flowers (the world for this one was so interesting. assassins leaving calling cards based on flowers, sign me up)
- gods of the ice planet (I'm just a sucker for stories about meeting your maker, and how it never quite goes the way that you expect it to)
- not a cat person (chilling. eerie. chef's kiss)
- the face of the king (the first few pages of this had me absolutely hooked. ancient cities, revenge, salvation from a dying god)
- the binds that tie
- dress rehearsal (both of these fulfill my niche love of traveling performances)
- where the dead people are (archeology, but when not used to dig up fossils)
thank you to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a wonderfully vast collection of short stories by Adrian Tchaikovsky. There are all kinds of genres in here - fantasy, sci-fi, weird, mystery, and others - that are of varying length. Some may have appeared elsewhere (like Precious Little Things) but it’s my belief many have not been easily accessible or had not yet been published.
I’d also like to mention: there is a lot here. The value for this collection is crazy good.
Here are my personal ratings, along with a short little reason why five star reads were categorized as such.
Before that, want to thank Subterranean Press for the eARC. It has not influenced my rating.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where the Dead People Are - good narrator voice, liked the “ghost” AI component and archeology
The Fall of Lady Sealight - really interesting world, nice action, I’d read a full length book
Coat Like Bright Fire - pretty short but wildly intriguing to me. Almost written in a poetic way.
The Face of the King - interesting and a bit mind-bendy. I liked it a lot.
Crossed Gates - I am aligned with how a train ride can sometimes bring about madness.
Where the Brass Band Plays - Nice little mystery with a memorable character (Walther)
This Blessed Union - little horror’ish story that was interesting
The Groppler’s Harvest - my favorite. Great world and characters. Would love a full-length novel of this!
Gods of the Ice Planet - Enjoyed the structure of this one the most. Compelling!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Children of Dagon
Charlie’s Ant - clever
The Binds That Tie
Ancien Regime
The Coming of the Cold - very lyrical and whimsy
Pipework - Walther Cohen mystery I particularly liked
The Final Conjuration
Precious Little Things
Low Energy Economy
Wars of Worldcraft
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Red Sky in the Morning
21st Century Girl
Oannes, From The Flood
The Roar of the Crowd
Dress Rehearsal
Difficult Times
The House on the Old Cliffs
Fragile Creation
The Language of Flowers
Speak, Friend, And Enter
The Collectors
Goblin Autumn
⭐️⭐️
The Mouse Ran Down
Family Business
Not a Cat Person
Lost Soldiers
⭐️
Sandra and Me
The Dissipation Club
I’d also like to mention: there is a lot here. The value for this collection is crazy good.
Here are my personal ratings, along with a short little reason why five star reads were categorized as such.
Before that, want to thank Subterranean Press for the eARC. It has not influenced my rating.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where the Dead People Are - good narrator voice, liked the “ghost” AI component and archeology
The Fall of Lady Sealight - really interesting world, nice action, I’d read a full length book
Coat Like Bright Fire - pretty short but wildly intriguing to me. Almost written in a poetic way.
The Face of the King - interesting and a bit mind-bendy. I liked it a lot.
Crossed Gates - I am aligned with how a train ride can sometimes bring about madness.
Where the Brass Band Plays - Nice little mystery with a memorable character (Walther)
This Blessed Union - little horror’ish story that was interesting
The Groppler’s Harvest - my favorite. Great world and characters. Would love a full-length novel of this!
Gods of the Ice Planet - Enjoyed the structure of this one the most. Compelling!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Children of Dagon
Charlie’s Ant - clever
The Binds That Tie
Ancien Regime
The Coming of the Cold - very lyrical and whimsy
Pipework - Walther Cohen mystery I particularly liked
The Final Conjuration
Precious Little Things
Low Energy Economy
Wars of Worldcraft
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Red Sky in the Morning
21st Century Girl
Oannes, From The Flood
The Roar of the Crowd
Dress Rehearsal
Difficult Times
The House on the Old Cliffs
Fragile Creation
The Language of Flowers
Speak, Friend, And Enter
The Collectors
Goblin Autumn
⭐️⭐️
The Mouse Ran Down
Family Business
Not a Cat Person
Lost Soldiers
⭐️
Sandra and Me
The Dissipation Club
October 14, 2025
This story collection is a great showcase of Tchaikovsky's range and talent. :) I've only ever known him from his sci-fi books, so it was fun to read his fantasy and slipstream, as well. As a writer myself, I particularly enjoyed the way he finished most of his stories.
My favourites in this collection are "Where the Dead People Are" and "Family Business." Both of them have enough potential and worldbuilding to be expanded into a full-length novel, if not more. Many of these stories don't appear anywhere online, so if you liked any of Tchaikovsky's many, *many* novels, treat yourself to this collection - and enjoy the ride!
Kudos to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My favourites in this collection are "Where the Dead People Are" and "Family Business." Both of them have enough potential and worldbuilding to be expanded into a full-length novel, if not more. Many of these stories don't appear anywhere online, so if you liked any of Tchaikovsky's many, *many* novels, treat yourself to this collection - and enjoy the ride!
Kudos to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2025
3.5 for sure. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is a really good introduction to Adrian Tchaikovsky for people who dont know where to start (like me) or are unsure if his stuff is going to be too dense for them. These stories are sometimes only a couple pages long but incredibly dense and thought through. He has some really interesting ideas about sci-fi that he blends with his thoughts on socioeconomic realities which makes me want to see what his more fleshed out books explore.
I will say that this book was veerrrry long, especially with how short some of the stories were there are so many packed in here, so it's definitely better for a on and off read when you want a couple short stories rather than all in one go.
This is a really good introduction to Adrian Tchaikovsky for people who dont know where to start (like me) or are unsure if his stuff is going to be too dense for them. These stories are sometimes only a couple pages long but incredibly dense and thought through. He has some really interesting ideas about sci-fi that he blends with his thoughts on socioeconomic realities which makes me want to see what his more fleshed out books explore.
I will say that this book was veerrrry long, especially with how short some of the stories were there are so many packed in here, so it's definitely better for a on and off read when you want a couple short stories rather than all in one go.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a e-ARC of this book.
This has to be my favorite short story collection ever. Many of the stories were SFF blended with other genres and covered so many topics. I have to say I am dying to see a full length novel including his paranormal investigator duo we see in several of the short stories here. Another favorite included Sherlock for a SFF mystery. I can't wait to recommend this to absolutely everyone.
This has to be my favorite short story collection ever. Many of the stories were SFF blended with other genres and covered so many topics. I have to say I am dying to see a full length novel including his paranormal investigator duo we see in several of the short stories here. Another favorite included Sherlock for a SFF mystery. I can't wait to recommend this to absolutely everyone.
November 23, 2025
I don’t have a long review or anything for this one, it’s a great short story collection showing the breadth of capability Tchaikovsky has. Pretty much every single story is worth reading. It reminds me of the old Gene Wolfe short story collections in the best way.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
October 28, 2025
I love that we get essentially a restrospective on Tchaikovsky's short story writing career, and I love even more that Subterranean goes out of their way to collect short stories that you might not have necessarily read from an author prior to this and gets them all in one place. Well done.
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