2023 Utopia Awards

Utopian Novel

• WINNER: The World We Make, N. K. Jemisin (Orbit)

• When Women Were Dragons, Kelly Barnhill (Doubleday)
• A Half-Built Garden, Ruthanna Emrys (Tordotcom)
• Babel, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager)
• Beating the Apocalypse, Joyce Reynolds-Ward (self-published)

Utopian Novella

• WINNER: Under Pressure, Fabio Fernandes (NewCon)

• Uncommon Charm, Emily Bergslien & Kat Weaver (Neon Hemlock)
• Arboreality, Rebecca Campbell (Stelliform)
• A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Becky Chambers (Tor)
• Weird Fishes, Rae Mariz (Stelliform)
• The House of Drought, Dennis Mombauer (Stelliform)

Utopian Novelette

• WINNER: “A Question of Choice”, Rimi B. Chatterjee (Reckoning 12/22)

• “The Hatching”, Zoha Kazemi (Baladi)
• “Rainbow Boy”, Amanda Ilozumba Otitochukwu (Reckoning 6)
• “The Language of Insects”, H. Pueyo (Future SF 12/22)
• “We Built This City”, Marie Vibbert (Clarkesworld 6/22)

Utopian Anthology/Collection

• WINNER: Omenana 22: Positive Visions of Democracy, Iquo DianaAbasi & Mazi Nwonwu, eds.

• Little Blue Marble 2022: Warmer Worlds, Katrina Archer, ed. (Little Blue Marble)
• Democracy, Jana Bianchi & Diogo Ramos, eds. (Mafaverna)
• Africa Risen, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Zelda Knight & Sheree Renée Thomas, eds. (Tordotcom)
• Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, Chelsea Vowel (Arsenal Pulp)
• Almanac for the Anthropocene: A Compendium of Solarpunk Futures, Phoebe Wagner & Brontë Christopher Wieland, eds. (West Virginia University Press)

Utopian Short Story

• WINNER: “Neyllo”, Naomi Eselojor (Omenana 7/22)

• “Look to the Sky, My Love”, Renan Bernardo (Solarpunk 1)
• “Like Stars Daring to Shine”, Somto Ihezue (Fireside 7/22)
• “The Sea Goddess’ Bloom”, Uchechukwu Nwaka (Escape Pod 866)
• “She Dreams of Moons and Moons”, Marisca Pichette (Strange Horizons 11/21/22)
• “Worker’s Song”, H. Pueyo (Mafaverna)

Utopian Poem

• WINNER: “I do not wish to carry so much burden”, Chukwuma-Eke Pacella (Strange Horizons 9/26/22)

• “Tamales on Mars​”, Angela Acosta (The Sprawl 1.1)
• “Resilience”, Francesca Gabrielle Hurtado (Reckoning 6)
• “Manifesto of Pulled Bells”, Vanessa Jae (Solarpunk 2)
• “El Maga”, Angel Leal (Anathema 12/22)
• “Nature’s Chosen Pronouns”, Miriam Navarro Prieto (Reckoning 6)

Utopian Art

• WINNER: Jema Byamugisha, Art for “Neyllo” (Omenana 7/22)

• Mona Caron, “Dreaming of Another San Francisco” (Fabulist 4/9/22)
• Maria Carvalho, illustration for “I do not wish to carry so much burden” by Chukwuma-Eke Pacella (Strange Horizons 9/26/22)
• Brianna Castagnozzi, cover for Solarpunk 1
• Zuzanna Kwiecien, “A Dream I Have” (Reckoning 6)
• Will Tempest, cover for Hexagon, Summer ’22

Utopian Nonfiction

• WINNER: “Horror and Hope in Climate Fiction”, Sarena Ulibarri (Strange Horizons 1/24/22)

• “Solarpunk is a Hothouse Tomato”, Michael J. Deluca (Solarpunk #3)
• “Wildfire, Hellfire: the Case for Siberian Globeflowers”, Sofia Ezdina (Reckoning 6)
• “Ghost of a Chance: A Trans Girl Tries to Live”, Amber Fox (Reckoning 1/1/23)
• “The Ethics of Extractivism in Science Fiction”, Emma Johanna Puranen (Strange Horizons 9/26/22)
• “Homegoings and Repasts”, DW McKinney (The Deadlands 12/22)

Winners were announced at the virtual Utopia Awards ceremony during CliFiCon23. For more information, see the announcement on the ClifiCon website.

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