Announcing Winners for LA S11 | Round 3 | Science Fiction
Scoot has chosen!
Announcing the Winner and Runners-Up for Round 3 of the Lunar Awards: Science Fiction
I’m your Lunar Awards science fiction ambassador, Brian Reindel, and I have the pleasure of announcing our winning science fiction writers for Season 11, Round 3! Our judge was Scoot of Gibberish. We’re thankful that he took the time to read all of your stories, giving careful consideration to each one. And now, a word from Scoot:
🥇 WINNER: SOLITARY BY IRIS SHAW
When I was reading these stories, I was hoping to find the hidden gems of Substack fiction–stories with depth, stories that felt lived in, stories that surprised me. The science fiction genre is both wide and deep, and I know there is no better place to look for these things than Substack.
“Solitary” by Iris Shaw delivered for me. It was an unconventional story from the start, and yet grounded and real feeling. We are put into the shoes of the protagonist and in almost 2,000 words made to experience the yawning gap of 20 years’ isolation, and then some. The story builds slowly, a puzzle expertly delivered piece by piece, answering some questions and refusing to answer yet others. I found myself seeing, feeling, hearing, and tasting this story, this setting. It was crisp, it was structured, and best of all: the ending caught me by surprise. This was a standout performance by Iris and a real pleasure to read.
🥈 RUNNER UP: JUST NOT MY TASTE BY OWEN BADENOCH
This story by Owen Badenoch was one of the first I read for this competition, and he set the bar extremely high, proving that Substack is host to an incredible caliber of writer. “Just Not My Taste” took me back to my youth reading Ray Bradbury stories or watching the Twilight Zone. The premise is simple, and introduced with such nonchalance that I found myself doing a literary double take. We follow our protagonist as he slowly comes to doubt his manufactured and up-cycled world. The horrifying reality is so subtle I almost didn’t realize it when it happened. This competition was incredibly close, and Owen is clearly a science fiction writer to watch.
🥉 HONORABLE MENTIONS: SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT BY JB EZAR, THE NOSE BY JOE OFFUT
These honorable mentions fought the good fight and narrowly missed top placement themselves. Each of them is an example of taking the science fiction genre in new and creative directions. They had ideas that surprised me, stories that made me think. And there are few things I enjoy than being given a new twist on something I thought I already knew and understood. These stories are worth your time to read, and these authors are worth keeping your eye on.
Closing Remarks
Judging this season of the Lunar Awards has been a real honor. Science fiction on Substack is as wide and deep as the genre itself. Anyone can find their next favorite author with a little digging. What you all shared with the Lunar Awards this round, and what I had the privilege to read, was incredible and could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats.
You did not make it easy on me, and regrettably choices had to be made. But it is clear to me that science fiction on Substack is not just alive but thriving, and capable of incredible things. Keep writing, keep imagining, and let’s see what you can do next time the Lunar Awards sci-fi season comes around.
Thank you to all the writers who submitted!
Below are all the science writers who submitted to this season and round of the Lunar Awards. Let’s show all these authors some love!
https://inkingoutloud.substack.com/p/the-positronic-soul
