M. John Harrison takes 2026 Booker Prize for sci-fi novel

British writer M. John Harrison has claimed the 2026 Booker Prize for his latest work, The End of Everything, according to Khaleej Times and The Hindu. The 81-year-old author has now become the oldest individual to receive this major fiction honor, a milestone highlighted by Frontline. Khaleej Times notes that the prize includes a cash award of £50,000, which is roughly $67,000.

The announcement took place on Monday at London’s Old Billingsgate, a site that previously operated as a fish market, as reported by Khaleej Times. The jury for this cycle was headed by historian Mary Beard, with members including poet Raymond Antrobus, writer Patricia Lockwood, critic Rebecca Liu, and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, according to Khaleej Times citing CNN. The panel described the book as a versatile piece of fiction that functions as a thriller, mystery, or satire, stating it is delivered "at a slant and with a twist."

Asharq Al-Awsat describes the story as a dystopian satire examining the boundaries of human comprehension. The plot centers on Phillip Tennent and his aged relative Marnie, who navigate the south coast of England after societal structures have collapsed and strange beings called the iGhetti appeared. Frontline observes that Harrison employs a poetic, indirect style to depict social breakdown and AI-driven uncertainty. Khaleej Times argues this marks the first time a science fiction work has taken the top prize, though the 2024 winner Orbital also featured space station settings.

Harrison has worked within the science fiction genre for over fifty years. He started his Virconium series in 1971, which depicted a future Earth, and continued exploring that fictional urban setting until 1984, according to Khaleej Times. He also finished the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy during the 2000s and 2010s. This was Harrison’s first nomination for the Booker, and The End of Everything is his thirteenth novel, as noted by Asharq Al-Awsat. The Hindu’s review suggests the book uses present-day chaos to encourage introspection rather than seeking final truths.