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Science fiction book awards
Recognition for science fiction where the idea is rigorous and the people still matter. Every book is read in full and measured against our published Standard of Excellence.
What this category recognizes
Science fiction is judged on whether the premise holds up and whether anyone in the book is affected by it. A concept that survives scrutiny but happens to characters nobody cares about is half a novel.
The category covers hard and soft science fiction, space opera, near-future and climate fiction, first contact, artificial intelligence, alternate history with a technological premise, and literary work using speculative apparatus. Books where the impossible is not explained in scientific terms belong in Fantasy.
What the standard looks like here
The ten pillars apply to every category. This is how each one is read when the book is science fiction.
The Writing
Voice, Tone and Style
Whether the prose carries invented material without straining, and whether the voice is distinct from genre convention.
Craft and Technical Execution
How exposition is handled. Information delivered through dialogue that exists only to deliver it is the most common weakness.
Structure and Organization
Whether the reader learns the world at the rate the story needs, rather than in a block at the front.
The Substance
Originality and Concept Strength
Whether the central idea is genuinely the author’s, and whether it is followed through rather than introduced and abandoned.
Depth of Content and Insight
Whether the book examines the consequences of its premise, including the ones that are inconvenient for the plot.
The Reader
Audience Impact and Purpose Fulfillment
Whether it delivers what its subgenre promises without being bound by it.
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Whether the stakes are felt at the scale of a person, not just a civilisation.
Overall Impact and Distinction
What the reader is left thinking about once the idea has landed.
The Finished Book
Production Quality and Presentation
Trade-standard editing and cover design. Glossaries and appendices assessed on whether they help rather than compensate.
Category Relevance
Whether the speculative element is structural. If the story survives its removal, another category fits better.
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, or Supernatural?
Science Fiction
The extraordinary extrapolated from what could be.
Tell: the book asks you to accept it as technically plausible.
Fantasy
The impossible is possible, explained by the world’s own rules.
Tell: the rules are internal, not scientific.
Dystopian Fiction
A society gone wrong, and the people living inside it.
Tell: the system is the antagonist.
Supernatural Fiction
Ghosts, hauntings, and what should not be there.
Tell: the intrusion is unexplained and unwelcome.
Questions about entering a science fiction book
My book is fourth in a series. Can I enter it?
Yes. Each book is assessed on its own, including on whether a new reader could start there.
Is climate fiction eligible here?
Yes. Near-future and climate fiction are assessed within this category.
Does word count matter?
No. Length is assessed only as it relates to pacing and whether the book earns its size.
Related categories
Submit your science fiction book
Entry is $79 for your first category. Your complete manuscript is read in full and measured against the ten pillars.