NEW YORK_ An up-to-date warning about the looming artificial intelligence takeover and the societal changes it will cause is the top book of the 2026 New York Book Festival, which honors books worthy of further attention from the world publishing capital.
Author Nicolas Chaillan’s Replacement: The AI Revolution Isn’t Coming for Your Job. It Already Took It. (Houndstooth Press) is a message from a man who has already successfully adapted AI in his business and sees the threat it poses.
What happens when artifcial intelligence doesn’t just change work, but eliminates it? Not someday. Chaillan provides a firsthand account from someone who built the systems, saw the disruption coming, and is now sounding the alarm. This is not a warning about the future. It’s a dispatch from the present and a survival plan for your family.
Chaillan’s book asks the questions that need to be answered but are now being avoided, and is well worthy of top honors.
Other winners in the competition:
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WINNER: Richard Manuel: His Life and Music – Stephen T. Lewis
RUNNER-UP: Killing brumbies – Sue Andrews
BUSINESS
WINNER: Replacement: The AI Revolution Isn’t Coming for Your Job. It Already Took It. – Nicolas Chaillan
RUNNER-UP: The Emergent Leader – Don Gregori
HONORABLE MENTION:
CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
WINNERS:
- Maybelline Has A Very.Bad.Day – Dawn Dolan
- Leo & Lou: When We Grow Up – S T Kimbrough, Jr. and Mark S. Kimbrough
RUNNERS-UP:
- Claire Clementine Finds Her Voice – Crystal Lewis
- Bailey’s Awesome Day! – Mary Calvert
- Le Noeud d’Amour – Vassi Rombis
- A Flower for You – Tasha Nicole Terani
- Izzy – An Octopus Tale – Charles E. Rawlings
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz – Steven Josep
- Suenos en la Funda – Mary Nielsen
- Who Knew? – Mary Marcoux
- The Ridiculous Party – Julie Rogers Pomilia
- Gracie’s Guide: Helping Hungry Friends – Angie Wilson
- The Heart of a Leader – Dr Josh McConkey
- Somebody Lost a Penguin – Daniel Slowik
- Marie Curie’s Radiant Quest – Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis
- Grandpa’s Place – Lee Akeson Sample
- Where Beau the Beach Bunny Burrows – Lolisa Marie Monroe
- It’s Okay To Have Feelings – Patricia L. Miller
- Why? – Elena Kayne
- Angels Everywhere, a Christmas Story – Cynthia Leavitt
- The Big Fight: Best Furry Friends – Chase Taylor
- Penny the Pittie Pup A Tail of Courage -Lisa A. Marsico
- Pillowcase Dreams – Mary Nielsen
- Dragon Island: Football Season – Lisa Jacovsky
- Secrets in the House – Amie Massey Aya-ay
- The Night Artists – Joan Waites
- Let it Roll – Ori Goltz
COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIESRUNNERS-UP:
WINNER: Prine on Prine – Holly Gleason
RUNNERS-UP:
- Fantastic!: A Celebration of Fans Discovering Doctor Who – Nicholas Seidler, Editor
- Encrypted Patriot: The Ghosts That Protect America – Dennis Currie
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Bad Americans: Part I – Tejas Desai
- Bad Americans: Part II – Tejas Desai
GENERAL FICTION
WINNER: Roscoe – Andrew James Gregor
RUNNERS-UP:
- Lesser Gods: Reckoning – Alex Frey
- Escala’s Wish – David James
- Street Brotherhood-Rise of the Underground – A. D. Metcalfe
- Silent Collapse – Jessie Clark
- Bad Girls Go Everywhere – Ellen Sherman
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Vatican Daughter – Joni Marie Iraci
- Palimony – Steve Grossman
- The Red in the Wrong Profession – Carolyn Summer Quinn
- One Ordinary Man – Steve Vesce
- The Firehand File – Bob Van Laerhoven
- The Afghan Diaries – Tamaz Demetrashvili, Levan Jangirashvili
- Cheerful Nihilist – Diego Silberstein
- Viking Vendetta – Don Helin
- Breathe Easy – Tammy Donahue
- The TellTale Lie – Richard Kiehr
- The Invisible Hand – Douglas Cole
- Railroad Man: Legacies Son – Dan E. Hendrickson
- On Second Thought Maybe I’ll Live – Dallas Lacey

- World of Worlds – Stories from Four Continents – Richard Scott Sacks
- Olivia – Michael E. Bowers
- Beneath the Rings – Joe Battaglia
- Black Sheep – Shirley Berard
- Your Tomorrow Was Today – Oyindamola Dosunmu
- When Silence Shatters – Mahitab Mahmoud
- Therein Lies the Pearl – Catherine Hughes
- The Seven – Igor Stefanovic
- Architect: The Goodpasture Chronicles (Book 3) – R.J. Halbert
- The Escape – Eve M. Riley
- The Rising of the Moon Clann – Cal Macseoin
- The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club – Bill Cusano
- From Ash to Ashes – Krishma Arora
- The Jewel of the North – D.W. Ellis
- Of the Holy Trinity – Dani Len
- Because of His Heart – Stephen A Marvin
- Borrowed Tales – Michael E. Bowers
GENERAL NONFICTION
WINNER: Code War: How Nations Hack, Spy and Shape the Digital Battlefield – Allie Mellen
RUNNERS-UP:
- Masters of the Ocean Sea: – Andrei Romanov
- Birds Gone Wild (And Other Stories of Arizona… Janelle Molony
- Jazz, TX: A Love Letter to Live Music, Community, and… Doc Watkins
- Useless Etymology: – Jess Zafariss
- The Everyday Pain Guide: Fix the Fire Damage – Ya-Ling J. Liou
- Before Their Crimes: What We’re… – Dr. Wendy Smith
- True Crime and Consequences – David Lyons
- Useless Etymology: – Jess Zafariss>FBI Snitches, Blackmail, and Obscene Ethics at the… Alex Harns
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years – Mark S. Robinson
- The Psychology of ‘Fight’, ‘Flight’, and ‘Freeze’ – R.K. Compton
- Unconditional, Stories of Women and the Animals They Love – Cat Willett
- The Best Attorney Never Wins: – Angelo Perrone
- 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute…. – Stefanie Halpern, Editor
- Early Years Neurodiversity Toolkit – Ange Anderson
- The Legacy of the Twins Platoon – Christy Sauro Jr.
- Captured by COVID; Deceit, Conspiracy & Death – Michael E. Bowers
- Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be – Stephen Rue
- Responding to Cognitive Dissonance – R.K. Compton
- Connections, Academics and Purpose: – Dr. Cinde Lock and Anneke Lee
- Custom Maid Palestine for New World Disorder – Peter G. de Krassel
COOKBOOKS:
WINNER: The Flavors Factor – Bill Rennie
RUNNER-UP: Y’all Eat Yet? – Miranda Lambert with Holly Gleason
HOW-TO
WINNER: Decoding Genius – Dan Shapiro
RUNNERS-UP:
- Estate: Golden Rules – J. Andrew Shelley
- The Essence of Winners – A Roadmap to Arriving! – Herman Cajigas Jr.
- The Billionaire of Living – Mike Woodmansee
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- One Teacher at a Time – Ken Rand
- Starting and Ending Therapy Bundle – R.K. Compton
- Write, Shine & Soar – Sauywanna Davis
MEMOIR:
WINNER: One Under – Pete Thron
RUNNERS-UP:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Around the World With a Spare Pair of Jeans – Jean Ramer
- Agents of the Current Thinking – Christy Leppanen
- Spirit Guides and Angels: Death and Taxes – Wayne Cesaro
- FROM THE CYCLOPS CAVE: A BRAIDED MEMOIR – Don Schofield
- Empowered by the Dream – Gladys A. Barrio
- Rabbi, Your Cleavage is Showing – Michal S Mendelsohn
- A Dream Life – Wendy Smith
- Sleepless Nights – James W. Rose
- Chasing Legends: Motorcycle Stories from the Podcast Trail – Aaron Pufal\
- A Time Like No Other -Ken Rand
- Gunfighters Rule! – Colonel William “Burner” Dunn
- Life and How to Live it: Begin the Begin – Chaz Holesworth
- Stories of My Dad as He Lay Dying – Angela Arias
- If You’d Only Listen – Rosie Sorenson, MA, MFT
- Go in Peace – Theodore McDowell
- Stained Glass Tainted by Dementia – Theodore McDowell
- American Airman – Jonathon Benjamin
- My Warp Threads – Maureen O’Hera
PHOTOGRAPHY/ART
WINNER: 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute…. – Stefanie Halpern, Editor
RUNNER-UP: In the Valley of the Shadow – Steven Manchester & Brian Fox
HONORABLE MENTION:
- (Anemia poems) – Ted Hahn
POETRY
WINNER: Words Left Unspoken – J.A. McGovern
RUNNERS-UP:
- A Flower for You – Tasha Nicole Terani
- Blaze Without Burning – William May
- Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth – Eileen P. Kennedy
- Chillona Chingona: poetry by a badass crybaby – Ely Lupe
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Go in Peace – Theodore McDowell
- Stained Glass Tainted By Dementia – Theodore McDowell
- A Poetic Wandering – Kevin R. Peterson
ROMANCE:
WINNER: Passion’s Duty – Lizzie Jenks
RUNNER-UP: Please Wait to Cross – Elissa Bass
SCIENCE FICTION
WINNER: Tribe – Gary Shapero
RUNNERS-UP:
- Maddening Mauraders – S.G. Blaise
- Creatures of the Night – Max Davine
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Traveler – Roger Floyd
- The Kikiloa Chronicles – Eric D. Larson
SELF-HELP
WINNER: The Essence of Winners – Herman Cajigas Jr.
RUNNER-UP: From Coercion to Courage – Dr. Stevie Carnegie
HONORABLE MENTION:
- WAIT, Where AM I in This? – Dr. Lee Long, EdD, LPC-S
- Responding to Cognitive Dissonance – R.K. Compton
SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS:
WINNER: Which God is God? – Adrian J. Adams, Esq.
RUNNERS-UP:
- What Does Jesus See in You – Coleen Aquino, Conrad Aquino
- God’s Words – Ricardo V. Sibilla
- I’m On Assignment! – Diane Marie Taylor
- Before I Was Jesus – Dr. Gerald D. Robinson
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Battle Rages On… – Dr. Gerald Robison
- Sacred Crossroads – Mitch Russo
- Spirit Guides and Angels: Death and Taxes – Wayne Cesaro
- I am the Reluctant Messiah and So Are YOU – Rev. Robyn Accetturo, L.C.S.W.
- Master Speak Thy Servant Hears- Al Adeluwoye
UNPUBLISHED STORIES
WINNER: Escape From Perihelion – Diego Tovar
WILD CARD
WINNER: Questions for Werewolves – Forrest Wolfe
RUNNERS-UP:
- The Brass Kettle – Greg Lucci and Kristina Shevlin
- Perestroika: – João Cerqueira
- Before Their Crimes – Dr. Wendy Smith
- Imperfect Neighbors: Stories of the Northern Prairie – Bernard Hubhoff
- 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute…. – Stefanie Halpern, Editor
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Book of North American Idioms – Joanna L. Arroyo
- After Words – Ken Rand
- Now Is Not a Good Time for a Breakdown – Mel West
- Junky Font – Riassat Karim
- Agents of the Current Thinking – Christy Leppanen
YOUNG ADULT:
WINNER: The Spirits of ’76 – T.W. Fitzhugh
RUNNERS-UP:
- Seaside Magic and The Lost Amulet – Vianlix Christine Schneider
- George Petit and the Whispers of Time – Luca Tom Bilotta
- Before You Can Fly – Jase Peeples
- The Far End – Johnny Gnall
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Cecily’s Choice – J. Clifford Barnes
- Can Skinwalkers Swim? – Michael Wescott Loder
- The Greenbrier River Adventures: JoJo the Dragon – Rusty McQuade
- Girls…Clutch Your Pearls! – Cheryl Spikes