The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky

by Adrian Tchaikovsky, John Scalzi (Foreword)

Hungry 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.

Contents:
- Foreword by John Scalzi
- Author's Note: What's Not Here
Science Fiction I — Broken Tomorrows
- Children of Dagon
- Red Sky in the Morning
- 21st Century Girl
- Where the Dead People Are
- Oannes, from the Flood
- Charlie's Ant
- The Fall of Lady Sealight
- The Mouse Ran Down
Fantasy I — Down and Dirty
- The Roar of the Crowd
- The Binds that Tie
- Coat Like Bright Fire
- Dress Rehearsal
- The Face of the King
- Ancien Régime
Weirdness I — Reality Gone Wrong
- Crossed Gates
- Sandra and Me
- Family Business
- Difficult Times
- Not a Cat Person
- The Coming of the Cold
Weirdness II — The Casebook of Walther Cohen
- Where the Brass Band Plays
- Pipework
- The House on the Old Cliffs
- Lost Soldiers
- The Dissipation Club
Fantasy II — High Magic
- Fragile Creation
- The Final Conjuration
- The Language of Flowers
- This Blessed Union
- Precious Little Things
- The Groppler's Harvest
Science Fiction II — Final Frontier
- Low Energy Economy
- Speak, Friend, And Enter
- Gods of the Ice Planet
- Wars of Worldcraft
- The Collectors
- Goblin Autumn

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Collections, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Anthologies

644 pages, ebook

First published February 28, 2026

About the author

ADRIAN 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.

Reviews

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has anyone ever seen Adrian Tchaikovsky and Joe Hill in the same room? No? Just curious.

Anyway.

Tchaikovsky has been on my to-read list for quite a while, ever since my brother raved about “Children of Time” to me years ago. However, this short story collection was my first introduction to his writing–and I have to say, I’m hooked. So, so many of the stories in here are not just good, but excellent. I’m in awe of Tchaikovsky’s ability to switch seamlessly from fantasy to science fiction and back again. There are some stories that connect to one another (for example, a medieval-ish-times traveling theater group comes into play more than once) as well as standalones that leave you wanting more.

Adrian even dabbles in post-apocalyptic fiction, which is a genre I adore, and I loved the way the situations made me think. What happens to automated systems when humans have forgotten how to use them? What happens when the earth starts flooding, encroaching little by little upon the last vestiges of humanity?

What happens when you build a city on top of a ruined city on top of a ruined city? What might still be in the deep dark?

Suffice it to say that I am a Tchaikovsky fan for life. I immediately cleared some space for “Children of Time” after reading this collection. Mind you, I can’t entirely clear my list, due to NetGalley reads, but it definitely moved *way* up the list.

The one and only nitpick I have is that the e-copy I received has atrocious formatting. It’s very hard to tell when one story ends and another begins, and I could not tell you the names of any of them, because they simply weren’t there. I expect that this will have been fixed for the official release, however, and I’m certainly not going to blame Adrian for that.

5 stars, all the way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for an early copy! All opinions are my own.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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…

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[BlurbGoesHere · Rating 5 out of 5]

[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!

[Cathy]

Ongoing! I might post mini reviews as I progress through this…

Contents:
- Foreword by John Scalzi — fun, as expected!
- Author's Note: What's Not Here — useful explanation! And foreshadowing for another volume(s).

Science Fiction I — Broken Tomorrows — stories about dystopian worlds
- Children of Dagon — a flooded London with a new kind of humanity. Liked! 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️☆
- Red Sky in the Morning — a post-apocalyptic Britain, with a Welsh village trying to survive. Reminded me of the Morag stories by Fiona Moore. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
- 21st Century Girl — genetics and gene splicing. Very short. 🦣🦣🦣☆☆
- Where the Dead People Are — another warlord and settlers. A girl finding an artifact from previous times… 🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩
- Oannes, from the Flood — climate change, flood, archeology, bringing wisdom. 🐟🐟🐟½☆
- Charlie's Ant — I was trying to find parallels to Charlie‘s Aunt, but I don‘t see it. Bizarre story. Not so easy when you loose sight of your purpose. Tragic, really! 🐜🐜🐜🐜☆

next
- The Fall of Lady Sealight
- The Mouse Ran Down

Fantasy I — Down and Dirty
- The Roar of the Crowd
- The Binds that Tie
- Coat Like Bright Fire
- Dress Rehearsal
- The Face of the King
- Ancien Régime

Weirdness I — Reality Gone Wrong
- Crossed Gates
- Sandra and Me
- Family Business
- Difficult Times
- Not a Cat Person
- The Coming of the Cold

Weirdness II — The Casebook of Walther Cohen
- Where the Brass Band Plays
- Pipework
- The House on the Old Cliffs
- Lost Soldiers
- The Dissipation Club

Fantasy II — High Magic
- Fragile Creation
- The Final Conjuration
- The Language of Flowers
- This Blessed Union
- Precious Little Things
- The Groppler's Harvest

Science Fiction II — Final Frontier
- Low Energy Economy
- Speak, Friend, And Enter
- Gods of the Ice Planet
- Wars of Worldcraft
- The Collectors
- Goblin Autumn

[Michael Hicks]

Four 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.

[Austin Beeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATED 81% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 3.7 OF 5
37 STORIES: 3 GREAT / 25 GOOD / 6 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 2 DNF

I was really disappointed in this collection. I started my read with the ideal that “Adrian Tchaikovsky could be our generation’s Isaac Asimov.” It was a commentary on the quality of his novels, series of novels, and novellas, which have been spectacular, combined with an insane proliferation of stories and books.

Sadly, I must say that Tchaikovsky is great at long lengths, but much weaker in his short fiction. My rating comes in right at the low end of B (or good) and I may have been overly generous with my scoring. Working through 37 of these stories was a big of a slog.

For the most part his science fiction is solid without being memorable and the fantasy was unable to transcend my overall distaste for the tropes for the genre. His weird fiction was cool at times. The usual caveat applies: If you love fantasy you will be more likely to enjoy these stories.

By far my favorite part of the book was the handful of stores about paranormal investigator Walter Cohen and Michael (his bodyguard/assistant) solving weird mysteries in the UK. It’s obviously the Sherlock Holmes and Watson trope, but I really like this spin on it. I was sad to read in the section introduction that all of these stories are collected in this volume.

Let’s not dwell on the disappointment. Three Stories Join the Great List.
https://www.shortsf.com/beststories

Children of Dagon • (2015) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A super mix of horror, war fiction, and climate sci-fi. Genetically modified human/seal hybrids are conquering a flooded London.

The House on the Old Cliffs • (2014) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Paranormal Investigator Walter and his assistant/bodyguard Michael partner with scary criminals to investigate the disappearance of a man. The search leads them the titular house on the old cliffs and a secret passageway to a completely different beach and the wonders there.

The Dissipation Club • (2011) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A secret society also destroyed Paranormal Investigator Walter Cohen’s life and career. A new mission persons case gives me another opportunity to go after them.

***
https://www.shortsf.com
94 Anthologies + 31 Author Collections + 19 Slates of Award Finalists + 3 Magazine Issues + 3 Novel(la)s.
***

THE BEST OF ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY: Complete Story Review
37 STORIES: 3 GREAT / 25 GOOD / 6 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 2 DNF

Children of Dagon • (2015) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Great. A super mix of horror, war fiction, and climate sci-fi. Genetically modified human/seal hybrids are conquering a flooded London.

Red Sky in the Morning • (2021) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. In a future where collapse came slowly, London is reasserting itself as an oppressive power. The invading army tries to co-op the one ‘wizard’

21st Century Girl • (2012) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A girl neanderthal, cloned in the modern day, has to deal with the biases that accompany her genetic history.

Where the Dead People Are • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. In a post apocalyptic world of endless war, a young woman finds a device that connects her to a survey satellite’s ai and she uses it to make her warlord more powerful and improve her station in life.

Oannes, from the Flood • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Time traveling tomb raiders have a crisis of conscience on a mission to rescue ancient tablets from a flooded storage facility.

Charlie’s Ant • (2013) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Intelligent ants and gardening robot to passive agressive battle over a lawn.

The Fall of Lady Sealight • (2012) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A legendary psychic warrior, exiled from the dimension where her mind once flew free, drifts through collapsing worlds while haunted by memories of a war fought in non-space.

The Mouse Ran Down • (2012) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A group of people are chased through time, hiding wherever they won’t be noticed. They are followed by a relentless enemy who is destroying the very fabric of time.

The Roar of the Crowd • (2013) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. A young woman leaves the factory and gets involved with a traveling theater group.

The Binds that Tie • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. More traveling plays but at least this story had a young blind girl who fights with a sword.

Coat Like Bright Fire • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. A vignette about a woman who will ride a unicorn into war.

Dress Rehearsal • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. An opportunity for a private theater performance for invalid children turns diabolical.

The Face of the King • (2022) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A very strong royal vengeance story. A king betrayed seeks out evil supernatural help to enact violence on the usurper who holds the throne. Wicked little story with a great twist ending.

Ancien Régime • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. The royals live one last day in melancholy luxury as the liberty-seeking masses gather outside the gates.

Crossed Gates • (2015) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

DNF. A meandering story about an English train station that I couldn’t bear to continue. Frightfully dull.

Sandra and Me • (2022) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. An interesting magical analogy for polyamorous relationships. In this world, when couple bring new people into the relationship, parts of themselves actually get subsumed into the new person.

Family Business • (2013) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Feels like the free sample of a fun urban fantasy novel. Powerful beings fled to our world (London) to escape The Other. Their powers are slowly failing but they still lord them over humanity. The story brings these characters together around the murder of one of their own. Fun characters with interesting powers and family dynamics.

Difficult Times • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Cosmic horror. An unsuccessful band is brought to a mansion to play their weird conceptual album for an audience that is ‘a little too into it.’

Not a Cat Person • (2012) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Creepy tale of a man who comes to an old house to finish a scientists work. At night, he hears some that might - or might not - by a cat.

The Coming of the Cold • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Poor. A meaningless short short that comments on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Where the Brass Band Plays • (2014) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Paranormal Investigator Walter and his assistant/bodyguard Michael investigate a series of disappearances an British seaside spa town.

Pipework • (2011) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Walter and Michael investigate a disgustingly possessed plumbing in a old woman’s house.

The House on the Old Cliffs • (2014) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Great. Paranormal Investigator Walter and his assistant/bodyguard Michael partner with scary criminals to investigate the disappearance of a man. The search leads them the titular house on the old cliffs and a secret passageway to a completely different beach and the wonders there.

Lost Soldiers • (2012) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Is the ghost of Saint Nicholas trying to return home …. or something more sinister.

The Dissipation Club • (2011) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Great. A secret society also destroyed Paranormal Investigator Walter Cohen’s life and career. A new mission persons case gives me another opportunity to go after them.

Fragile Creation • (2013) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

DNF. Everything I hate about fantasy is here. The tone of the writing. The stereotypical fantasy names. The barons and courtly intrigue. No thank you.

The Final Conjuration • (2014) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. In a Chinese-inspired fantasy world, a powerful wizard is killed and the ‘demon’ of Sherlock Holmes is summoned to investigate the murder. Pretty fun story.

The Language of Flowers • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. In a complex fantasy world where flowers are both weapon and augury message, a wealthy man hires the protagonist to decipher how he is going to be killed.

This Blessed Union • (2014) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. A gay man is about to marry a woman who was dropped into the woods to die and ended up being raised by the forrest. At the last minute, one of his brother usurps the role.

Precious Little Things • (2017) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A female wooden homunculus defies all odds to be ‘a special girl’ and is uniquely places to change the path of this small world when trouble comes. A very cool fantasy world of small manufactured beings and a bookshelf like world.

The Groppler’s Harvest • (2013) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. A crusader is pulled out of time and forced to serve the evil conjurer of the red mask. He and three others are forced to do the evil masters being. The crusader mostly despises and weird being called the Groppler that swallows people whole.

Low Energy Economy • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. An indentured servant in a very tiny ship works on mineral extraction of an asteroid. He slowly watches his life and energy slip away.

Speak, Friend, And Enter • (2023) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. Those who worked in the mines rebuke their former masters from the surface. The surface people have used up all their supplies and now demand those below ground provide it for them. You’ll never guess the twist … unless you’ve read any science fiction.

Gods of the Ice Planet • (2016) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Two stories play out in vignettes over hundreds of year. One is human colonization of a planet, resource extraction, descent in to authoritarianism, and collapse. The other is an alien who hope to meet ‘the gods’ who came to their planet and did so much damage.

Wars of Worldcraft • (2020) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Average. Characters in World of Warcraft (or something like it) come together after many years for a final mission and notice glitching in the program.

The Collectors • (2018) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. Human spacecraft find a complex alien array that is capturing our broadcasted messages.

Goblin Autumn • (2019) • by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Good. In a world plagued by monstrous goblins and failing crops, a war leader seeks a scientific solution to what everyone believes is an ancient curse. What he uncovers instead is a truth about history, climate, and survival that may be far more devastating than any enemy.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Regan Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a prolific cross-genre writer, and this (his first short story collection) collects work from the entirety of his long career. The book is sorted into six sections: sci-fi (post-apocalyptic and dystopian flavor), fantasy (low fantasy variety), weird, weird but it's a series of related paranormal stories, fantasy (high fantasy variety), and sci-fi (space flavor). This structure does a good job highlighting Tchaikovsky's range, although it's not ideal for reading straight through, which is in fact what I did. That being said, I am genuinely impressed at how variable Tchaikovsky's writing voice is. When reading more than 600 pages of short stories by the same author, it is easy for things to begin to feel repetitive (especially, for example, eight consecutive stories about post-apocalyptic settings), but Tchaikovsky does a great job inhabiting the narrators, and making them feel different.
I think the greatest strength of this collection is stories that have the kernel of an idea that is interesting to think on later. Especially in the case of many of the shorter stories, the plot is interesting enough, but what hooked me was thinking about the concept and expanding on it in my own mind. That being said, there were a couple of stories that were real standouts in their entirety. Precious Little Things, which is about a society of tiny homunculi that arose in a wizard's tower as the wizard stood frozen in time but leaking power, apparently serves as a prologue for the novella Made Things, which I will definitely check out. The Final Conjuration is one of the most unique takes I've seen on a Sherlock Holmes story, which is a pretty competitive field, and is also very good in it's own right. Goblin Autumn is the last story in the collection, and I think I will be thinking about it for a long time. I will say, after reading enough stories, the structure that Tchaikovsky tends to gravitate towards becomes a little more obvious, and it becomes easier to anticipate the plot twists when you come to recognize the types he likes to use. Overall I think this is a very strong collection, but it may be best enjoyed a little at a time.

[Book Club of One · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those in the know about the works of Adrian Tchaikovsky would not be surprised by a 600+ page 'best of collection.' Frequently described as prolific, his work has focused on fantasy and science fiction and this book shows off the range of possibilities within and beyond those genre labels.

After a brief introduction from John Scalzi, mostly about how Tchaikovsky looks like a sci fi writer, Tchaikovsky explains what is here and what is not. He also describes the organization of the stories, all 37 of them. The sections are rough groupings following similar themes, beginning with a genre tag and then the shared theme (for example section 1 is Science Fiction I - Broken Tomorrows"). There are a total of 5. Each section begins with Tchaikovsky offering commentary on the stories, what they were written for, where they were published, his own feelings for them.

But to be honest, its all exploring both the breadth of Tchaikovsky's interests and writings. We get dystopian future Earths (Children of Dagon, Charlie's Ant, Oannes, From the Flood). There are fantastical stories (Coat Like Bright Fire or Dress Rehearsal). Section 3, Weirdness II- The Casebook of Walther Cohen feature a series of short stories of supernatural mysteries resolved by Walther Cohen and his Holmes. Many stories with twist endings. Some stories playing with the small scale of a single event/ performance mission with others pulling from the long scale of time.

There will be something here that should appeal to fans of fantasy, science fiction and horror.

Recommended to fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky, short stories, science fiction both dystopian and hopeful or fantasy both Tolkien and Lewis or more gritty modern versions.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read or listened to nearly 20 titles by this prolific author, and can say with certainty that this collection is not THE BEST of Adrian Tchaikovsky. Don't get me wrong - there are some great stories in here. The problem is that I prefer his science fiction to his fantasy. While this volume includes both, it skews heavily to fantasy. Or at least that was my impression, as those were the stories that occasionally dragged for me. The other issue is that the advance reader copy (ARC) I received for review lacked story headings and a table of contents, so I cannot be more specific about which tales I loved and which were fine, good, or great. That's not a complaint - I was thrilled to receive the ARC - and it certainly won't be your experience when you purchase or borrow the officially published version. If you are a fan of immersive fantasy or world-building scifi, there is something here for you. And if you are not sure which you prefer, this is a great place to start.
My thanks to the author, @AdrianTchaikovsky, publisher, @SubterraneanPress, and #NetGalley for early access to #TheBestofAdrianTchaikovsky for review purposes. Publication date: 28 Feburary 2026.

[WorldconReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky” is a perfectly named and comprehensive compilation of 37 thrilling, exciting, entertaining, and thoughtful short stories ranging from science fiction to supernatural to fantasy, along with a very readable introduction by another of my favorite authors, John Scalzi. Although I have read a number of novels by Tchaikovsky, I was impressed with the variety of themes and genres in this work. As a diehard science fiction fan, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the fantasy stories as well in this collection. However, even more than the wonderful science fiction stories, I was totally pulled in to the 5 stories from “The Casebook of Walther Cohen”. I really really want to read more of these. It was a perfect blend of humor, detective work, and supernatural.

This work is a must-read, perhaps even a must-own for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky. I also recommend it for those who appreciate speculative fiction. These stories come with make-you-think-twice messages.

I thank the author and publisher for kindly providing an electronic review copy of this excellent work.

[Dave Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky, scheduled for release on February 28, 2026, Subterranean. It’s noted as available in hardcover and e-book. It’s hefty, 37 stories and over 600 pages of SF, fantasy, and “weird fiction”. Picking favorites is hard, but I especially loved the great short stories “Crossed Gates“, from Breakout, Nick Gevers editor, 2015 PS Publishing (it features trains), and “Difficult Times“, a short story, NewScientist December 2020 (music and a surprise to me). It has strong essay content, featuring both section/story essays by Tchaikovsky and a good introduction by John Scalzi. I like the “Author’s Note: What’s Not Here” by Tchaikovsky, which is great for a “Best of” collection. My overall, average rating for the stories was 3.75/5, or “Very good”. I enjoyed this a lot. Recommended.

[Grigory Lukin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Agatha · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Dan Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

He is just a machine. I didn't even have these stories on my radar. My goal to catch up to the works of Adrian Tchaikovsky is a constantly losing one, but this was made easier with "The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky" collection of short fiction. Thanks Subterranean Press for the arc.

There is just so much that spans the gambit of topics he has touched on. Plenty of bugs, robots, philosophy, magic, novel murder devices, consequences of legends. Dancing from sci fi, fantasy, to the weird stuff this collection is up your alley if you have a fondness for his work.

Cons:
-Can the proceeds go to putting him on a non-writing vacation for a year or two? He writes another 2 books when I read one!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's particularly on-brand for a six hundred-odd page collection of Adrian Tchaikovsky's short stories to be *The Best* instead of *The Complete.*

The book is divided into six sections—two each of science fiction, fantasy, and weird stories—with a brief introduction from the author for each section. As I've come to expect from Tchaikovsky, the stories are brimming with ideas and imagination. Personal taste means my favorites were the fantasy stories, but there is not a single story I didn't enjoy reading.

Recommended both for Tchaikovsky fans and for those who are new to his work.

Received via NetGalley.

[Laura Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely massive story collection, full of great tales by a great writer. I would say this isn’t something you read all at once as I did, it’s a lot to take in that way. Reading some I between other reads would be the best way to go about it. If you like this author’s longer works, I would say to give these stories a try. They’re done well and quite varied.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[LongSunMalrubius · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of stories, some I liked and some not so much.

But it's a good collection for fans, and even for those new to this author, an intro to his very varied work.

[Venneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.