BOOK & SHORES

Mad Eden

Morgan Thomas • Literary fiction • MCD × FSG hardcover • 304 pages • June 2, 2026 • 2026 National Book Award finalist, Fiction

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Mad Eden is the debut on this year’s Fiction list that has us most curious. Ro, newly diagnosed with autism, works as a patient navigator for people seeking gender-affirming care and lives with Liam in a ramshackle Florida cabin. Woven through Ro’s story are excerpts from an online fantasy serial about dragon riders, and the National Book Foundation says the novel blurs time and genre. A hard political moment next to a fantasy obsession sounds like something genuinely new. For readers who want a queer story about finding joy and care in a hostile world.

Publisher’s description at MCD Books. Finalist status from the National Book Foundation.

A debut novel and a 2026 National Book Award finalist for Fiction. Winners are announced November 18.

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