Dream Foundry Competitions Open to Submissions

Submissions are now open for the Dream Foundry Emerging Writers Contest and Emerging Artists Contest.

The contest is run by The Dream Foundry. Finalists for the writing contest will be selected by contest coordinator Julia Rios, and winners will be selected by judges C.L. Polk and Valerie Valdes. Finalists for the art contest will be selected by coordinator Grace P. Fong, and winners will be selected by judges Jessica Cheng ...Read More

Read more

2024/2025 Imagine 2200 Contest Open

Submissions are now open for the third Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors short story contest.

The contest is run by Fix, Grist‘s “solutions lab,” and will be judged by authors Omar El Akkad and Annalee Newitz. They seek entries between 2,500 and 5,000 words that “envision the future of climate progress.” This year’s theme asks writers to “envision a future where humanity overcomes the climate crisis and builds ...Read More

Read more

AI-Generated Novel Wins Chinese Competition

The Jinan Times reports that the AI-generated novel Land of Memories by Shen Yang was a winner of the Jiangsu Youth Popular Science Science Fiction Competition, held by the Jiangsu Science Writers Association. The competition rules did not ban the use of artificial intelligence, and the novel was awarded second place.

The text of the novel was written entirely by AI, with some editing by Yang. Competition judges reported mixed ...Read More

Read more

SLF Call for Illustration of the Year

The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) has announced an open call for “original artwork combining fantasy and science fiction themes to be featured as its 2024 Illustration of the Year.”

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2023, later than previously announced. The winner, to be announced in January 2024, will receive $750, and the winning artwork will be featured on the SLF website and social media.

For more information, including ...Read More

Read more

NATO Defense College Call for Submission

The NATO Defense College (NDC) has invited authors from across Europe to “produce a short-written piece on the future of NATO” for inclusion in the forthcoming NATO 2099: A Graphic Novel.

In 2024, NATO will celebrate its 75th anniversary. It is expected that this milestone will lead to an avalanche of analysis on the last decades, and the possible futures for the Alliance. As NATO’s premier educational institution,

...Read More Read more

2023 Dream Foundry Contest Winners

Dream Foundry, a “non-profit dedicated to bolstering the careers of nascent professionals working with the speculative arts,” has announced winners for its 2023 contests.

Writing Contest

  • 1st Place: Albert Nkereuwem
  • 2nd Place: Fatima Abdullahi
  • 3rd Place: Jessica Andrewartha

Art Contest

  • 1st Place, Monu Bose Prize for Art: ReYtzin
  • 2nd Place: Ahmed Asi
  • 3rd Place: Brave Burattino

Finalists for writing were chosen by Julia Rios and finalists for art by Dante

...Read More Read more

2023 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award Finalists

Finalists for the tenth annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award have been announced:

  • “The Hitchhiker on Souls’ Road”, Ashley Agbay
  • “A Dragon’s True Purpose”, Ceci Black
  • “The Runner”, Sidney Blaylock, Jr.
  • “A Tale of Three Dragons”, Carrie Callahan
  • “Winter Offerings”, Garick Cooke
  • “Compact”, Arlen Feldman
  • “The Knight, The Witch, and The Farmboy”, C.H. Hung
  • “The Dreaded Song of Klau”, Jason Lairamore
  • “Silver Spears and Sea-Songs”, Wendy Nikel
  • “Fall From Grace”, Melissa
...Read More Read more

Imagine 2200 Contest Open

Submissions are now open for the third Imagine 2200 short story contest. The theme is “Climate fiction for future ancestors.”

The contest is run by Fix, Grist‘s “solutions lab,” and will be judged by authors Paolo Bacigalupi, Nalo Hopkinson, and Sam J. Miller. They seek entries between 3,000 and 5,000 words “that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress.”

First prize is $3,000, second prize $2,000, and third ...Read More

Read more

Bond Elected 2023 TAFF Delegate

Sandra Bond was elected the delegate for the 2023 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) “for the 2023 TAFF trip from Europe to North America, with itineraries to be announced but presumed to include Pemmi-Con, the 2023 NASFiC in Winnipeg.”

TAFF “was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular [science fiction] fans familiar to those on both sides of the ocean across the Atlantic. Since ...Read More

Read more

2023 Tolkien Society Awards

Winners of the Tolkien Society Awards 2023 were announced on April 1, 2023. The awards “recognize excellence in the fields of Tolkien scholarship and fandom, highlight­ing our long-standing charitable objective to ‘seek to educate the public in, and promote research into, the life and works of'” J.R.R. Tolkien. The society’s trustees choose the shortlist, with winners chosen by the membership.

Best Book

  • WINNER: The Fall of Númenor, Brian Sibley,
...Read More Read more

2023 Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest

The Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest is open to original science fiction and fantasy submissions by Maryland students “no younger than 14 and no older than 18 years of age.” First, second, and third prizes are $150, $100, and $50, respectively, and the deadline for submissions is March 31, 2023.

The contest is run by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) and “Judges shall be drawn from the membership

...Read More Read more

2022-2023 NESFA Contest Winners

Winners of the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) SF/F short story contest were announced at Boskone 60, held February 17-19 2023. Prizes included certificates of achievement, books from NESFA Press, and free membership to a future Boskone convention.

  • WINNER: “Excuse Me, This is My Apocalypse”, Amy Johnson
  • Runner-up: “The Gambler”, Dianne Lee
  • Finalist: “Mara’s Moon”, Chloe Oriotis
  • Finalist: “To Look Upon the Face of God”, Gideon P. Smith
  • Finalist:
...Read More Read more

2023 Jim Baen Memorial Award Finalists

Baen Books has announced the ten finalists for the 2023 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award:

  • Zack Be
  • J.M. Eno
  • Meghan Feldman
  • William Paul Jones
  • K.D. Julicher
  • Marshall J. Moore
  • Avery Parks
  • Hûw Steer
  • Rudy Vener
  • Brad Zeiger

The Grand Prize winner will be featured on the Baen website. The author will be given a trophy and paid professional rates.

Grand Prize, second, and third place winners each receive free ...Read More

Read more

Inaugural Imagined Futures Winners

UK publisher Faber announced the winners of the inaugural Imagined Futures Prize for young adult science fiction. Kenechi Udogu won first place with Augmented, Kathryn Clark took second for Things I Learned While I Was Dead, and Sally Gales won third for iNSiDE.

The contest was open to a “young adult (for 12–18 year olds) novel or collection of short stories that can be (loosely) defined as science ...Read More

Read more

2023 The Story Prize Finalists

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) and Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty (Tin House) are among the three finalists for The Story Prize, “honoring the author of an outstanding collection of short fiction.” Director Larry Dark and founder Julie Lindsey select finalists, and “three independent judges” select the winner. Both runners-up receive $5,000 and the winner receives $20,000 and an engraved silver bowl. The winner ...Read More

Read more

Illustration of the Year Award

There are a few days left to enter artwork into Speculative Literature Foundation’s (SLF) Illustration of the Year Award event. “This is the SLF’s first open call for Illustration of the Year, and the sixth consecutive year that it has featured an illustration.” Michelle Feng was the 2022 winner. The artist with the winning piece will receive $750 and the work “will also be used as a visual element of ...Read More

Read more

2022 Dream Foundry Contest Winners

Dream Foundry, a “non-profit dedicated to bolstering the careers of nascent professionals working with the speculative arts,” has announced winners for its 2022 contests.

Writing Contest

  • 1st Place: Audrey Obuobisa-Darko
  • 2nd Place: Takim Williams
  • 3rd Place: Davida Kilgore

Finalists

  • Angela Acosta
  • Sarah Ang
  • Laura Chilibeck
  • Nico Montoya
  • Georgie Morvis
  • Ry Rosenhirsch
  • Katlina Sommerberg

Art Contest

  • 1st Place: Eryk Souza
  • 2nd Place: Daniela Ivanova
  • 3rd Place: Elemei

Finalists

  • Albokhari Mohamed Tahir
...Read More Read more

2023 TAFF Candidates

Sandra Bond and Mikolaj Kowalewski are the two candidates for the 2023 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) “for the 2023 TAFF trip from Europe to North America, with itineraries to be announced but presumed to include Pemmi-Con, the 2023 NASFIC in Winnipeg.”

TAFF “was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular [science fiction] fans familiar to those on both sides of the ocean across ...Read More

Read more

NESFA Short Story Contest Results

Results of the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story Contest were announced at Boskone 59, held online February 18-20, 2022.

The organizers say, “Note that based on the number and quality of contest entries, some years have no winners or no honorable mentions.” This year’s honorees were all honorable mentions:

  • “First Blood”, Alex Evans
  • “What Feels Good”, Shira Hereld
  • “Floaters”, Olga Werby
  • “The Last
...Read More Read more

Imagine 2200 Submissions Open

Submissions are now open for the Imagine 2200 short story contest. The theme is “Climate fiction for future ancestors.”

The contest is run by Fix, Grist‘s “solutions lab,” and will be judged by authors Grace L. Dillon, Arkady Martine, and Sheree Renée Thomas. They are seeking entries between 3,000 and 5,000 words “that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress.”

First prize is $3,000, second prize $2,000, and ...Read More

Read more

2021 Dream Foundry Contest Winners

Dream Foundry, a “non-profit dedicated to bolstering the careers of nascent professionals working with the speculative arts,” has announced the winners of its 2021 writing contest.

Writing Contest

  • FIRST PLACE: “Cooking: A Science”, Shinjini Dey
  • SECOND PLACE: “Amadi on the Concrete”, Jarred Thompson
  • THIRD PLACE: “Clear As Water, Red As Ruin”, Sigrid Marianne Gayangos

Other finalists were

  • Brienne D. Hayes
  • Amy Johnson
  • Kellye McBride
  • Kay Orchison
  • Robin Sebolino
  • Cat T.
...Read More Read more

2021 Robert N Stephenson AHWA Short Story & Flash Fiction Winners

Australasian Horror Writers Association has announced the winners of the Robert N Stephenson AHWA Short Story & Flash Fiction Competition. The competition is “Australia’s leading unpublished horror fiction competition and our winning entries are always imaginative, engaging, well-written, and bloody scary.”

The winner of the Short Story contest is “Test of Death” by Michael Botur, with Jeff Clulow’s “The Crossing” as Honorable Mention. The winner of the Flash Fiction contest ...Read More

Read more

2021 Otherwise Fellowship Applications Open

The Otherwise Award (formerly the Tiptree Award) is currently accepting applications for the Otherwise Fellowships, providing $500 grants for “writers, artists, scholars, media makers, remix artists, performers, musicians, or something else entirely. If you are doing work that is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative – maybe in a form we would recognize as the science fiction or fantasy genre, maybe in some other way – ...Read More

Read more

2021 Mike Resnick Memorial Award Winner

The winner of the inaugural Mike Resnick Memorial Award for Short Fiction has been announced:

  • WINNER: “The Measure of a Mother’s Love”, Z.T. Bright
  • 2nd Place: “Hive at the Dead Star”, Lucas Carroll-Garrett
  • 3rd Place: “Echoes of Gelise”, Christopher Henckel

Other finalists were:

  • “Feel”, Torion Oey
  • “Times, Needles, and Gravity”, Shirley Song

The annual award — sponsored by Galaxy’s Edge, Arc Manor, and Dragon Con — is given to the ...Read More

Read more

2021 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award Winner

The winner for the eighth annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award has been announced:

  • WINNER: “Echoes of Meridian”, M. Elizabeth Ticknor
  • 2nd place: “Absinthe & the Alchemist”, Stephanie Kraner
  • 3rd place: “The Codes of Binding”, C. Jonah Abbott
  • “Shadows of the Children”, Jacob Barlow
  • “The First”, Dale Cozort
  • “Soulshifters”, Charles Dib
  • “The Teardrop Harvest”, J.D. Lars
  • “Reverse the Clock”, Ari Officer
  • “Blood and Ashes”, Grant Riddell
  • “War Painting”, Elise Stephens

The ...Read More

Read more

2021 NESFA Short Story Contest

The New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) SF/F short story contest is now open to entries from amateur and semi-professional writers. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and announced at Boskone 59, to be held at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in Boston MA, February 18-20, 2022. Prizes include certificates of achievement, books from NESFA Press, and free membership to a future Boskone convention.

Deadline for submissions is ...Read More

Read more

NPR’s 50 Favorite SF/F Books of the Decade

NPR announced “Your 50 Favorite Sci-Fi And Fantasy Books of the Past Decade”, a list that began with their 2021 summer reader poll, with a top 50 selected by Amal El-Mohtar, Ann Leckie, Fonda Lee, and Tochi Onyebuchi. Titles are separated into categories, such as “Worlds To Get Lost In” and “Will Mess With Your Head”, and include a range of subgenres and interests, such as Joe Abercrombie’s Age of ...Read More

Read more

LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest

LeVar Burton Reads podcast, in partnership with Fiyah magazine, has announced a new short story writing contest with the theme “Origins & Encounters”. Submissions will be open August 1-31 with the winner announced on October 15, 2021. Submissions “must include speculative or fantastical elements.” Judges include LeVar Burton, L.D. Lewis, and Diana M. Pho.

First prize is $500, second prize $250, and third prize $100, with the winning story to ...Read More

Read more

Dream Foundry Contests

Dream Foundry has announced the return of their “contests for beginning professionals.”

The writing contest, for “writers who are relatively new to paid or incoming-earning publication of speculative short fiction in English,” is coordinated by Vajra Chandrasekera and J.D. Harlock, with Chandrasekera and Premee Mohamed as judges.

The art contest, for “artists who are relatively new to paid illustration work for speculative publications in English,” is coordinated by Dante Luiz, ...Read More

Read more

2021 BSFS Poetry Contest Winners

Winners of the 2021 Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) Poetry Contest have been announced.

  • 1st Place: “It is a Father’s Tale”, Eric Nicholson
  • 2nd Place: “Memories of a Mermaid”, Natascha Graham
  • 3rd Place: “Cygnus”, Ryan E. Holman
  • Honorable Mention: “Milicent Patrick Speaks of Monsters”, Laura Shovan
  • Honorable Mention: “The Catty Hours”, Adele Gardner

The first place winner receives $100, second place receives $75, and third place receives $50, with all

...Read More Read more

Books Like Us First Novel Contest

Simon & Schuster has launched the Books Like Us First Novel Contest, “to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States.” Entries will be accepted June 1-14, 2021. Semi-finalists will be notified September 7, finalists on November 2, and the grand prize winner on December 14, 2021. The winner will be offered a $50,000 book deal with Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books. ...Read More

Read more

Sapiens Plurum 2021 Short Fiction Contest

The Sapiens Plurum 2021 Short Fiction Contest is open to submissions on the theme of “Healthy Together: Innovations for One Health” through May 31, 2021. Authors must be 18 or older, and entries must be 1,500-3,000 words. First prize is $1,000, second prize $500, and third prize $300.

For more information, including complete rules and how to enter, see the Sapiens Plurum website.

While you are here, please take a ...Read More

Read more