Waterstones has introduced a new Book of the Month strand for science fiction and fantasy titles, launching in January 2024 with Hannah Kaner’s Godkiller (HarperVoyager).

According to the retailer, sci-fi and fantasy writing has "shown significant growth in the market", reaching a more mainstream audience in the past year. Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books, said: “Our booksellers and customers have been asking for a Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Month for some time, and we are delighted to be launching in January with Hannah Kaner’s brilliant fantasy Godkiller, which has been championed so beautifully by bookshops.

On her book’s nomination as SFF Book of the Month, Kaner said: “It means the world to me that Waterstones has selected Godkiller for its inaugural SFF Book of the Month! Waterstones have been doing fantastic work in the speculative genres, and I owe so much to the staff and the teams at Waterstones for their love and support of Godkiller over the past year."

Rachel Winterbottom, editorial director at Voyager and Magpie, added: “We were blown away by the way booksellers championed and supported Godkiller and we are thrilled to see Hannah Kaner’s trailblazing talent recognised by Waterstones’ inaugural SFF Book of the Month.”

The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book of the Month will join the Fiction, Non-Fiction, Thriller and Children’s Books of the Month, promoted by Waterstones bookshops across the UK and Ireland.