Goodreads’ selection of the biggest fall debut novels includes a mix of familiar names and newcomers, and a variety of genres and categories, making for an exciting season of discovery. These books hitting U.S. shelves August through early December include three big names—one from an unexpected space:

• The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw is the highly anticipated follow-up to her celebrated short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
• The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires brings us another anticipated novel, this time by the writer of the National Book Award longlisted collection, Heads of the Colored People.
• Soulhider by Dan Aykroyd–yes, you read that right, beloved Canadian comedian of Ghostbusters fame–is the celebrity’s first foray into fiction, specifically speculative adventure.

Trying to fit more global settings into your reading repertoire? Try these debuts from across the pond:

• Hello Baby by Kim Eui-kyung, translated by Sora Kim-Russell introduces U.S. audiences to an established Korean novelist with this story following a group of women going through IVF.
• Victor LaValle (The Changeling) called Freyja by Margrét Ann Thors “an elegant and confident debut.” Buckle up for a suspenseful tale about an unsolved case set in Iceland.
• The Empire Burns at Dawn by Iraqi American writer Fatima Al-Shemary is the first book in a planned romantasy trilogy inspired by the stories she grew up with.

Fall debuts longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize include:

• Fallow by Sarah Anderson
• Carrying by Samantha Josephs
• Blow Yourself Up by Ankur Thakkar
• Kitten by Stacey Yu