Welcome to the Geek Vibes Nation book round-up for Summer 2026, where we take a look at the latest and greatest book and audiobook releases. This round-up sees a new genre-defying tale from Emily Jane, a techno-thriller from Paul Tremblay, and a delightfully unhinged joyride from Chuck Tingle. So, without further ado, let’s jump into some books!
Mr. Yay by Emily Jane
Take a wild, multiversal journey into the absurd in Emily Jane’s latest genre-bender, Mr. Yay. Budding musician Bratty’s life takes a turn for the decidedly strange when a mysterious dog suddenly appears in his apartment, leading to a total upheaval of his life as he traverses across the country on a music-making adventure with his best friend as the rap superstar, Mr. Yay. Meanwhile, Bratty’s therapist, Miriam, finds herself similarly thrust headfirst into the strange and unusual. For starters, there’s the matter of her husband’s suspicious behavior and their dog’s sudden distrust of him. And then, there’s her client, Bratty’s, newfound fame as Mr. Yay—a name that dredges up long-lost memories of a children’s television show featuring a pirate and his dog. Except nobody besides Miriam has any memory of Mr. Yay, the TV character. What ensues is a mind-bending, multiversal exploration of forgotten memories, distrust, and staying true to oneself no matter the cost. If you’ve ever read one of Emily Jane’s books, then you know exactly what to expect here—chaos, absurdity, and a healthy dose of warm, fuzzy feelings.
Mr. Yay is the latest entry in Jane’s loosely connected “Branches” series, and like those previous installments, it revels in all manner of over-the-top ideas and genre-blending delights. But while some of her previous books dived headfirst into their otherworldly, supernatural, and utterly strange ideas, Mr. Yay keeps its multiversal ambitions mostly in the background, choosing instead to focus on messier, human emotions. At the heart of Mr. Yay‘s chaos rests a story about a group of characters desperately trying to find their place in the world. You’ve got Bratty’s longing to make a name for himself outside of his father’s weighty expectations of him, and you’ve got Miriam’s devotion to holding onto her failing marriage despite seemingly hopeless odds. At the intersection of those stories lies a weird, hopeful tale about perseverance and staying true to oneself no matter the odds, wrapped around an immensely silly and delightfully weird multiversal extravaganza. Put simply, there’s nothing else like Mr. Yay, and it’s all the better for it.
With Jane’s gift for creating deeply unique and quirky characters who always manage to feel immensely real and relatable grounding things, Mr. Yay revels in its weirdness as much as it delights in showcasing all the messy, silly, utterly joyful ways we can deal with all the strangeness the world throws at us. It’s a quick, breezy read that’s perfect for anyone looking for something a bit more out of the box to read. (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Available June 2 from Hyperion Avenue in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Note: A review copy of Mr. Yay was provided by the publisher.
Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay
Paul Tremblay takes readers on a nightmarish cross-country adventure in the horrific techno-thriller, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. When former semi-professional gamer Julia Flang receives an invitation to interview at her estranged mother’s tech company, she assumes she’s in for a day of corporate nonsense and tomfoolery. When she arrives, however, she learns that her mother’s company has been trialing a new artificial intelligence capable of reanimating the seemingly brain-dead, and her task is to pilot the company’s first test subject across the country to return him to his mother. To Julia, it’s a quest out of some futuristic cybernetic nightmare. But money is money, and she acquiesces.
Meanwhile, the man, nicknamed Bernie, awakens in a nightmarish realm filled with unimaginable terrors. Everywhere he turns, horrors await. And a pack of voices surrounds him, whispering secrets and commands in his ear, sending him on a quest to find someone who once meant the world to him. Julia and Bernie’s quests take them across the country and into the depths of technological terror as Julia grapples with the ethical realities of the company’s test and Bernie grapples with the horrifying reality of his new existence.
Paul Tremblay really swings for the fences with Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. It’s all at once a deeply effective satire of our current technological nightmare—with Large Learning Models and other forms of AI threatening to overtake jobs and reshape the very fabric of society as we know it. But it’s also an immensely horrific read, every bit as unsettling as the rest of Tremblay’s more traditional horror fare but with a decidedly Philip K. Dick twist.
Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep is an immensely dense read, with chapters bouncing back and forth between Julia’s more straightforward point of view and Bernie’s more esoteric one. For much of the book, the two perspectives feel quite distanced from one another—intentionally so. And while they do eventually coalesce into a deeply satisfying whole, it takes quite a while, resulting in an uneven, often confusing read. The last couple of chapters, though, really bring everything into focus, even if the book doesn’t give you the kind of ending you might be hoping for. Still, if you’re willing to be patient and ride out the journey, you’ll be deeply rewarded.
Ultimately, Tremblay’s work here is audacious and bold, even if it doesn’t always land. Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep spins so many different plates at any given time that it’s a miracle the whole thing doesn’t come crashing down. Though it may be a bit of a confusing, mind-bending read, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep is a novel that revels in its weirdness. It’s a horrific, heartbreaking look at the future we may be facing wrapped up in a hopeful message—no matter how bleak the future looks, there’s always hope. (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Available June 30 from William Morrow in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Note: A review copy of Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep was provided by the publisher.
Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
Chuck Tingle offers up a delightfully unhinged and absurd thrill ride in the rip-roaringly fun Fabulous Bodies. Meet Poppy Stringer, an aspiring social media influencer who spends her days courting followers in an attempt to be the Next Big Thing while spending her nights escorting dead bodies to the highest bidder. All her life, she’s longed for something more—a life like her rock-and-roll idol, Eddie Michaels. But when Eddie unexpectedly dies in a tragic accident, Poppy’s life turns upside down as a mysterious caller offers her $5 million if she can retrieve his body from the morgue and deliver it unharmed by night’s end. Seems simple enough, right? Except things go horribly awry when Eddie’s seemingly dead body comes back to life, demanding she escort him on a series of mysterious and bloody errands. What results is an absurdly horrifying road trip straight out of Hell in the best way imaginable.
However weird you’re expecting Fabulous Bodies to be, think again. Tingle delivers a gory, brutal, often hilarious, and wholly unexpected thrill ride in the very best of ways. It’s all at once an over-the-top supernatural caper and a deeply biting satire of humanity’s ongoing desire to be famous no matter the cost. It’s a combination of unlikely tones, to be sure. But in execution, they work exceedingly well. If you’re familiar with some of Tingle’s previous work, like last year’s Lucky Day, you might be expecting a more even-keeled combination of over-the-top horror and more grounded themes, but Fabulous Bodies goes down an almost-exclusively unhinged path—much to its benefit. It’s a wild idea that deserves to be taken to all of its wildest possibilities, and Tingle delights in following those paths to their most absurd destinations.
Put simply, Fabulous Bodies is a rip-roaringly fun read; light, breezy, and wholly unexpected in the very best of ways. The less you know going in, the better, as every time you think you’ve got a grip on what’s going on, the story shoots off in an entirely different direction. Half the fun here is the ride, and Fabulous Bodies takes you on the wildest of thrill rides. If you’re looking for a quick bite of satirical, over-the-top horror, then look no further. (9 out of 10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Available July 7 from Tor Nightfire in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Note: A review copy of Fabulous Bodies was provided by the publisher.
Part-time writer, part-time theatre nerd, full-time dork.
