Lunar Awards S10 | Round 6 is Open | Science Fiction
We are now accepting submissions for Round 6 | Hosted by John Coon
Welcome to the Lunar Awards!
The Lunar Awards is a yearlong event split into six genre-specific rounds (two rounds of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction). At the end of the year, we’ll publish the winning stories in a physical book. We’ve reached Round 6, the final round. Thanks for making Rounds 1–5 a success!
Our judge for Round 6 is
, the owner of Samak Press, writer of Strange New Worlds, and author of the bestselling Alien People Chronicles trilogy. John is a co-owner/manager of a horror community called Macabre Monday, and is known for supporting indie writers by providing resources and knowledge through his newsletter, The Indie Life. Samak Press published two anthologies in 2025, Ripples in Space and Feral Lands.Please read this post in its entirety before submitting a story. Any entries that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted. Your participation and stories make this event possible. Thanks for stopping by to give the Lunar Awards a chance. I wish you the best of luck for Round 6! ~ WM
Introduction by John Coon
Growing up outside of a small farm town, I spent many quiet nights gazing at stars. From my front porch, I could see numerous constellations and the arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. These nights seeped into my subconscious and seeded stories of aliens and distant worlds beyond Earth I eventually created.
I’ve always been drawn to read and write science fiction. I love the speculative nature of the genre. Science fiction offers possibilities as limitless as the stars peppering the night sky. No genre is better for exploring unanswered questions and finding deeper meaning within a random, chaotic world. Stories about aliens, space travel, time travel, and other speculative subjects feel real because they often become a reflection of humanity itself – exposing both our strengths and our weaknesses as a species.
I relish searching out original, suspenseful, and thought-provoking science fiction stories. I’m drawn to stories where the characters stick with me beyond the final page. I want the story to dwell in my mind and make me think over what I’ve read long after I’ve closed the book.
I’m excited to judge this round of the Lunar Awards and see the stories you all create. Tell me a story that dares to travel beyond the ordinary. Let’s discover strange new worlds together.
Season 10 | Round 6 Details
Please read the FAQ, which contains complete rules and word limits. If you have questions, ask in the comments.
Science Fiction includes any of its subgenres: Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera, Cyberpunk, Utopian, Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, Alien Invasion, Solarpunk, Steampunk, Biopunk, Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi), Science Fantasy, Military Sci-Fi, Alternate History, Kaiju (e.g., Godzilla/Pacific Rim), Parallel Universe/Multiverse, Slipstream, New Weird, and Time Travel. Your story will be considered as long as it heavily features Sci-Fi elements.
Round 6 Schedule
November 15 - Open call for submissions
November 30 - Submissions closed
December 1 - Judging begins
December 20 - Judging concludes
December 26 - Winner and runner-up announced
For the complete schedule of Season 10, check out the post below:
Prizes
The winner will receive a permanent link on the Past Winners page and a high-resolution badge to display on their Substack.
The winner and runner-up will be offered a publication contract for the Lunar Awards official 2025 anthology.
The winner and runner-up will receive a 3-month trial to Storyletter XPress Publishing.
Featured authors in the anthology will receive a copy of the book after publication.
Entry
Post a link to your short story in the comments of this post. The entry will be verified with a “confirmed” comment. It will be temporarily declined if it violates a rule until a correction is made.
Hi! Posting my disgruntled space station sanitation worker solar flare story for consideration:
https://open.substack.com/pub/synthesizedsunsets/p/the-waters-of-lethe?r=rvz6b&utm_medium=ios
My Best Friend Andy - A kid in the near future has to write an essay about his rich friend Andy. He’s a totally not a NPC
https://open.substack.com/pub/nickafternormal/p/my-rich-friend-andy?r=mruzz&utm_medium=ios