For The First Time In History, A Science Fiction Novel Has Won The Booker Prize

The novel *The End of the World* brought the 81-year-old author a historic victory.

For the first time in history, a science fiction novel has won the Booker Prize—one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards. The 2026 winner was 81-year-old British author M. John Harrison for his post-apocalyptic novel *The End of Everything*. He received 50,000 pounds sterling, and his victory marked a significant recognition of science fiction within high literature, writes New Scientist.

The novel centers on Philip Tennant, who collects objects washed ashore by the sea along the coast of Kent. The story takes place in the near future, following an unknown catastrophe that has destroyed the familiar social order. Together with his elderly aunt Marnie, the protagonist tries to survive among mysterious shape-shifting creatures. Their origins and intentions remain unknown.

The jury unanimously selected the novel from among six finalists. The jury chair, historian Mary Beard, called it “today’s politics viewed through the lens of the future.”

Harrison himself explained that he used a science-fiction plot to address contemporary issues: “What happens when all our expectations and explanations of the world turn into a never-ending catastrophe, and we still have to go on living?”

Harrison became the oldest winner of the Booker Prize in its history. He has six decades of literary career and 13 novels to his credit. Until now, the writer was known primarily to fans of science fiction and fantasy.

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