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The shortlist has been announced for the 2025 Kurd Laßwitz Preis. The prize is awarded to German-language SF works published in the previous year.

Best German SF Novel

• Der Riss, Andreas Brandhorst (Heyne)
• Wolfszone, Christian Endres (Heyne)
• Parts per Million, Theresa Hannig (Fischer Tor)
• Anahita, Sven Haupt (Eridanus)
• Lieferdienst, Tom Hillenbrand (Kiepenheuer & Witsch)
• Views, Marc-Uwe Kling (Ullstein)
• Apeirophobia, Christian J. Meier (Hirnkost)

...Read More

Baen Books has announced on social media the ten finalists for the 2025 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award:

• Gustavo Bondoni
• Jason Crawford
• Deborah Davitt
• Meghan Feldman
• Ricardo Garcia
• Trent Guillory
• Gary Herring
• Joseph McGow-Russell
• Tom (T.S.) Ryker
• Tiffany Smith

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 ...Read More

Convention organizer Guy Thomas, 67, died March 13, 2025.

Guy Wayne Thomas, born February 21, 1958, discovered science fiction fandom in college, in Carbondale IL. His first science fiction convention was the 1979 NaSFiC in Louisville KY. When he moved to the Bay Area, he built new connections with the northern California science fiction community, where he was especially known for his copious knowledge of and deep appreciation for his ...Read More

Lynne M. Thomas is stepping down as co-editor-in-chief and co-publisher of Uncanny after 11 years. Her cofounder Michael Damian Thomas will continue as sole editor-in-chief starting with issue 64 and as publisher starting with Issue 67. Lynne Thomas is “shifting her focus to her day job as she works towards her rare book librarianship goals.”

Michael Damian Thomas said,

Lynne and I dreamt up and founded Uncanny Magazine together 11 ...Read More

Welcome to the March edition of the SFWA Market Report.

Please note: Inclusion of any venue in this report does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. Those markets included on this list pay at least $0.08/word USD in at least one category of fiction. This compilation is not exhaustive of all publication opportunities that pay our recommended minimum professional rate. Additionally, SFWA adheres to our DEI Policy when making selections for this report. We strongly encourage writers to closely review all contracts and consult our resources on best contract practices.

Markets Currently Open for Submissions

Analog Science Fiction & Fact
Asimov Press
Asimov’s Science Fiction
Banshee (Magazine) (Recently Opened)
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Cast of Wonders (Recently Opened)
Clarkesworld Magazine
Crepuscular Magazine
Escape Pod
Factor Four Magazine
Flame Tree Fiction Newsletter
Haven Spec Magazine (Recently Opened)
Infinite Worlds
Issues in Earth Science
It Was Paradise
khoréo magazine (khoreo) (Recently Opened)
Metastellar (Originals) (Recently Opened)
Nature: Futures
Orion’s Belt (Recently Opened)
Planet Scumm
Plott Hound Magazine (Recently Opened)
PodCastle
Reckoning
Samovar
Small Wonders
Torch Literary Arts
Uncharted Magazine
Utopia Science Fiction
Wrath Month

Markets Recently Closed for Submissions

Abyss & Apex
Book XI
Flash Fiction Online (FFO) (Originals)
Frivolous Comma
Impressions Anthology Series (Permanent)
The Cosmic Background
The Tributary
Worlds of Possibility (Permanent)

Other Opportunities

Al Blanchard Award
Apex Monthly Flash Fiction Contest
The Tomorrow Prize

Upcoming Market Changes

Apex Monthly Flash Fiction Contest‘s Submission Window ends soon.
Apex Monthly Flash Fiction Contest‘s Submission Window begins soon.
Banshee (Magazine)‘s “Speculative Fiction, or It doesn’t have to be this way” theme ends soon.
Cast of Wonders‘s “Seasonal Stories” theme ends soon.
Cast of Wonders‘s “Banned Books Week” theme begins soon.
Flash Fiction Online (FFO) (Originals)‘s Submission window begins soon.
Haven Spec Magazine‘s Limited demographic submission window: authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups ends soon.
Haven Spec Magazine‘s Submission window begins soon.
khoréo magazine (khoreo)‘s Submission Window ends soon.
Metastellar (Originals)‘s Submission window ends soon.
Mmeory‘s Submission window begins soon.
Plott Hound Magazine‘s Submission window ends soon.
PodCastle‘s “Disability Pride and Magic” Theme ends soon.
PodCastle‘s General Submission Window ends soon.
Solarpunk Magazine‘s Submission window begins soon.
The Deadlands‘s Submission Window begins soon.
The Orange & Bee‘s Submission Window begins soon.
Uncanny‘s Flash fiction submission window begins and ends soon.
Utopia Science Fiction‘s “Disability Pride” Theme ends soon.
Women of the Weird West‘s Submission window begins soon.

The SFWA Market Report is compiled by David Steffen, editor of Diabolical Plots and The Long List Anthology series, and administrator and co-founder of the Submission Grinder.  You can support Diabolical Plots and the Submission Grinder on PayPal or Patreon or by buying books or merch.

The post SFWA Market Report For March appeared first on SFWA.

Finalists for the 2025 Imadjinn Awards have been announced. Categories of genre interest follow.

Best Science Fiction Novel

• Path to Freedom, James Copley (Cannon)
• Salvage Purgatory, Jason Cordova, Kevin Steverson & Nick Steverson (Theogony)
• Prince Conqueror, Fred Hughes (Chris Kennedy)
• 2028: Tomorrow Is the Day, L.R. O’Brien (Austin Macauley)

Best Fantasy Novel

• Cursed by a Siren’s Kiss, LS Embers & Riley Hunt (self-published)
• Chosen By

...Read More

The shortlists for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing and Carnegie Medal for Illustration, honoring UK books for children and young adults, have been announced. Titles and authors of genre interest follow.

Carnegie Medal for Writing

• Treacle Town, Brian Conaghan (Andersen)
• The Things We Leave Behind, Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster UK)
• All That It Ever Meant, Blessing Musariri (Zephyr Head of Zeus)

Carnegie Medal for Illustration

...Read More

MILESTONES

MEGAN CHEE is now repre­sented by Stevie Finegan of Zeno Agency Ltd.

AWARDS

EVE HILL-AGNUS won the 2024 Albertine Translation Prize for her translation of Ultramarine by MARIETTE NAVARRO (Deep Vellum), presented by the French Embassy in the US and selected by a jury.

 

BOOKS SOLD

 

STEPHEN KING will write Han­sel and Gretel, a “reimagining” of the fairy tale, with illustrations by the late MAURICE SENDAK ...Read More

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has released the finalists for the 2024 Nebula Awards via YouTube video.

Novel

• Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory, Yaroslav Barsukov (Caezik SF & Fantasy) amazon / bookshop
• Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom) amazon / bookshop
• Asunder, Kerstin Hall (Tordotcom) amazon / bookshop
• A Sorceress Comes to Call, T. Kingfisher (Tor; Titan UK) amazon / bookshop
• The Book of Love

...Read More

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction have been acquired by Must Read Magazines, a division of a new publishing company, Must Read Books Publishing. All editorial staff from the magazines have been retained in the acquisitions. Jackie Sherbow has been promoted to editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. P.L. Stevens joins the ...Read More

Bloomsbury has announced a new SF/F imprint, Bloomsbury Archer, and plans for it to publish “across the constellation of speculative fiction – from fantasy and science fiction to crossover, speculative romance, and from horror to myth retellings.” The imprint’s name comes from the current Bloomsbury emblem of the Roman hunter goddess Diana, “referencing the imprint’s pursuit of the very best storytelling and new stars.”

Vicky Leech Mateos and Noa Wheeler ...Read More

International Thriller Writers has announced the finalists for the 2025 Thriller Awards. Titles and authors of genre interest include:

Best Standalone Thriller Novel

• The Last One at the Wedding, Jason Rekulak (Flatiron)

Best Standalone Mystery Novel

• Negative Girl, Libby Cudmore (Datura)
• What Happened to Nina?, Dervla McTiernan (William Morrow)

Best Series Novel

• To Die For, David Baldacci (Grand Central)
• Shadowheart, Meg Gardiner (Blackstone)
• Flashback,

...Read More

by the SFWA Publications Crew and Emily Bell

Editor’s note: This article is part of the SFWA Presents: Get to Know… series, which includes informational pieces about SFWA programs, committees, and initiatives, and also interviews with the SFWA volunteers who work to support their fellow writers in the industry.

SFWA’s In Memoriam marks the loss of writers and other science fiction and fantasy creators by celebrating their literary legacies and their contributions to the publishing community. To learn more about this important service, we talked to Emily Bell, who has been writing the SFWA tributes for three years.

SFWA started publishing In Memoriams on its website in 2010. What drew you to the work? Why do you like this role?

I truly love people and am drawn to the mysteries and kinship of a soul who chooses to be a writer. I like this role for many reasons. It feels right to honor the lives of writers from the specific lens of the writing community. I hope it provides some comfort to those who loved them and/or their writing. Also, having found the writing world later in life, and not through traditional channels, I learn more about the remembered writers and enjoy sharing those bonds with others. We are our stories, and I think we best thrive, especially in difficult moments and times, when we remember all the layers of that.

This program now honors not just the achievements of SFWA members, but all who have contributed to the world of science fiction and fantasy. Why does this change matter?

Whatever it is we are writing, we are always writing to create change, so it’s fitting that SFWA itself has changed and will continue to over the years. SFWA has expanded opportunities for membership, has increasingly offered fee waivers to writers in need, even changed its own name and scope, and so it feels natural that we are honoring genre and especially community in a broader sense. It also emphasizes the truth that we, as writers, help and support each other across boundaries of access. I think it is worth noting that the first two of these tributes written for non-members were for people in their twenties: Jubilee Cho and Caitlin Thomas, and I think it adds to the ever-present memory of each, this small but also meaningful opening of perspective.

Every human being leaves a different imprint in their wake: some simple, some complicated. What are the guiding principles for writing tributes respectfully?

The guiding principles are truth and grace. I did not expect this question, but I actually really like it. There are some people who SFWA may choose not to honor, and I believe that’s a good thing. But no person is perfect, and I have learned that when a person acted in ways that many of us view as dated or even harmful, it’s best to just say what it was that they did, factually but without euphemism. The people who may support it or at least acknowledge it say, “Yes, that’s true.” And the people who don’t respect it don’t feel like truths have been dodged. But the point is, this person made a difference. This person was loved. And this person is being honored and remembered for who they really were. All of it.

SFWA’s tributes are different from others in the industry. What are you choosing to highlight while not duplicating those other efforts?

I do feel that the SFWA In Memoriam fills its own space in tributes to those we have gained and then lost. Other memorial pieces are more focused on a bibliography, a historical record, a gathering of community, or on the entirety of a life. The SFWA In Memoriam exists to honor a person as a writer specifically from the viewpoint of the writing community. It is meant to be brief, yet comprehensive. To say both to those who are mourning, as well as to those who are learning: This person lived. And this—this—is what they did, what they wrote, how they connected. I feel each piece in this way, and I hope that conveys.

Tell us about the ending for your tributes. Why do you always write “X lived [number of] years”?

The element I most wanted to bring to these tributes was an emphasis on the writer’s life. While a traditional obituary may start out with a cause of death, this is not an obituary, and also we are creative writers, even in our treatment of non-fiction, and we know the impact of form. I personally think it is important to have a piece that starts with who this person was. What they did. What they loved. Who they touched. What they were known for. And it ends in a recognition—and community cry, even—of the years that were lived. Whether for a shorter or longer time, this person wrote, they connected. They lived.

Once someone has submitted a request for an In Memoriam, what should they expect from this process, and how can they contribute if they cared for the deceased?

I am a volunteer and do not make decisions on which pieces are published or on their final form. All requests are reviewed and approved by SFWA Operations. What I do is read, learn, listen. Talk to people. Try to construct a beautiful remembrance of a life. If people wish to contribute, they can offer a quote. Let me know something they’d wish to see highlighted. I can’t bring in all elements, but I do my best.

The tributes you write, by their very nature, highlight an irreplaceable loss. How does writing these tributes affect you personally?

Painting by Emily Zelasko

Yes, I think about this the entire time. Every single person I write about was real, was held as a baby, was loved. Was felt. Was lost. I have dealt with loss from a young age. My first best friend was being treated for cancer, and I moved, being told she would likely not survive. Then, in the same year when I was a child, I nearly lost my mother and did lose a close friend in a profoundly traumatic manner. And throughout life, I have found bonds, found what I believed to be safety, only to have them ripped away. What I have taken from these experiences is the absolute preciousness of life. I’ve tried to live by and with that ever since, finding my comfort in a larger picture. And so, I know life is fleeting. I honor and I love every day. I even write here with a tiny original painting of the Grim Reaper above my seat. To remember that preciousness. As a fully mentally disabled person and PTSD survivor, I try to view every tribute in that light. That we were here. We lived. And that mattered.

Editor’s note: If people wish to contact SFWA to inquire on the status of or contribute to an In Memoriam for a recent passing, they can reach out directly to the In Memoriam coordinator at edebell@sfwa.org or edebell on the SFWA Discord. Please keep in mind that quotes from the community are meant to be representative, so while only a few are featured, further recollections and discussion are welcome on the SFWA forums.

E.D.E. Bell (she/her or e/em) is a fantasy writer and small press editor. A passionate vegan and earnest progressive, she feels strongly about issues related to equality and compassion. Her works are quiet and queer and often explore conceptions of identity and community, including themes of friendship, family, and connection. She lives in Ferndale, Michigan, where she writes stories, revels in garlic, and manages the creative side of her indie press, Atthis Arts. You can follow eir adventures at edebell.com.

The post SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our In Memoriam Feature appeared first on SFWA.

The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) has announced that artist Flore Picard is the winner of their 2025 Illustration of the Year. “Look for Picard’s artwork on our site, as well as future SLF newsletters, promo, and other content!”

Picard said, “In a futuristic world of glass and metal, she made herself wings out of her prison, a harness out of her shackles, and flew up to seek out the stars. ...Read More

The Bookseller has announced the shortlists for the 2025 British Book Awards. Titles and authors of genre interest include:

Fiction

• James, Percival Everett (Mantle)
• Long Island, Colm Tóibín (Picador)
• Think Again, Jacqueline Wilson (Bantam)

Pageturner

• Faebound, Saara El-Arifi (Harper Voyager)
• Daydream, Hannah Grace (Simon & Schuster)
• House of Flame and Shadow, Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury)

Début Fiction

• The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley

...Read More

The Frank R. Paul Awards, honoring “outstanding work in book and magazine cover art,” are open to submissions until April 15, 2025.

Awards administrator Frank Wu writes,

There are two categories: Best Magazine Cover Art, and Best Book Cover Art. Prizes include a trophy (with a 3D-printed recreation of FRP’s tiger-robot-monster from the Sept. 1935 Wonder Stories) plus $500 in each category. Artists are encouraged to submit (to me, Frank ...Read More

The five-title 2025 PEN/Faulkner shortlist for fiction has been announced, with titles and authors of genre interest, including Ghostroots by ’Pemi Aguda (Norton) and James by Percival Everett (Doubleday).

The prize “honors the best published works of fiction by American citizens in a calendar year.” This year’s judges are Bruce Holsinger, Deesha Philyaw, and Luis Alberto Urrea.

The “first among equals” winner will be announced in April. The finalists and

...Read More

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, an independent science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror bookstore in San Diego CA, is recovering from damage caused by flooding in late February.

In a social media post on March 3, the bookstore announced that no inventory was damaged in the flood; however, the post stated that some of the store’s carpeting, drywall, and fixtures will need to be replaced. The store is currently closed to browsing ...Read More

The 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction is open to nominations. The nomination process for the prize is open to all and closes March 31, 2025. To be eligible, a title must be a “book-length work of imaginative fiction written by a single author,” published between April 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. The winner receives $25,000.

2025 judges include Matt Bell, Indrapramit Das, Kelly Link, Sequoia Nagamatsu, ...Read More

Winners of the 2025 Libby Book Awards, “as chosen by… over 1,100 librarians and library staff from across North America,” have been announced, including winners of genre interest.

Book of the Year – Adult Fiction

• Runner Up: James, Percival Everett (Doubleday)

Best Science Fiction

• Winner: The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader)
• Runner Up: The Stardust Grail, Yume Kitasei (Flatiron)

Best Horror

• Winner: Bury Your Gays

...Read More