Lunar Awards Season 10 Mid-Year Celebration
Honoring the past and celebrating the future of the Lunar Awards
The Lunar Awards are about elevating indie voices and giving their stories the attention they deserve. They’re about celebrating the talented, emerging writers in speculative fiction and bringing together like-minded people to build a supportive community at all levels. They’re about writing and reading the stories that inspire us to engage our imagination, knowing that there’s value in sharing what we love with others. It’s an award for indies by indies!
This event keeps the genre party going all year long. Every two months, we announce a winner and runner-up chosen by a volunteer judge. Now that half the year has elapsed, we’ve completed three rounds, one of each genre (Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi).
If you’re new to the Lunar Awards, we’re so excited to have you. Please check out these recent award-winning stories, their writers, and their judges. Subscribe to receive updates on when the next round opens. For the regulars, thank you for showing up and supporting us. It makes all the difference.
Round 1 - Fantasy
Winner: “Skellig” by Katharine Kapodistria
Runner-up: “Blood and Death” by Maximilian P Siddell
Runner-up: “The Bard of Bayonne” by Jack Massa
Judge: D.W. Davison
Round 2 - Horror
Winner: “Dark Out There” by Ashley T.K.
Runner-up: “Sticks” by Sean Thomas McDonnell
Judge: Shaina Read
Round 3 - Science Fiction
Winner: “Twin Planets” by J.M. Ransom
Runner-up: “We, Novae” by Alex Soto
Judge: Simon K Jones
Please welcome our newest LA team member
When Brian Reindel 👾⚔️ presented the opportunity to head the Lunar Awards, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. Not only because I’m pulled between personal projects and publishing duties, but also because my qualifications to judge such a wide array of short stories are limited. That’s why I tapped genre-specific judges to host each round. And I’m so glad I did.
To ensure I had the award framework set, I let some things fall to the wayside, such as The Pitch, The Prompt Quest, Essays, and Interviews. I’m trying to remedy that by bringing on new members to the LA team, writers who are passionate about the indie community and want to uplift others.
Reina Cruz , creator of Indie Fiction Digest, is one such writer. Please welcome Reina to the LA team, who will be our Community Manager. I’m excited to work with her to potentially bring back these beloved LA events, and I’m confident she’ll be a great addition to our mission of uplifting indie writers of speculative fiction.
Thanks for participating
With a whopping 114 stories submitted by 93 authors so far in 2025, your enthusiasm and creativity continue to make the Lunar Awards possible. Thank you, judges, for your willingness to read and rate all of these stories, and for going above and beyond to provide write-ups for your favorites. If you’re here to read fiction, thank you for liking, commenting, and sharing. The Lunar Awards remain free, and your engagement is the best form of support.
Thank you! ~ Winston
Judges:
D. W. Davison, Shaina Read, Simon K Jones
Authors:
A. R. Eldridge, A.P. Murphy, Alex S. Garcia, Alex Soto, Amy Letter, Andrew Paul Ward, Andy Futuro, Ashley T.K., Brannley Miller, Bridget Riley, C.P. Night, Caitriana NicNeacail, Cameron Scott, Caro Henry, Copper Frog, Corey Evans, Daniel O’Donnell, David Perlmutter, David R.R. Greenberg, Douglas McClenaghan, Drew Valdez, Dylan T. Bosworth, Dystopian Think Tank, E. H. Lau, Edward.Marlo.Ruiz, EJ Trask, Elliot Black, Emma Steel, Eric Falden, Evelyn K. Brunswick, FranB, Garen Marie, Gillian Fletcher, Gordon, H. A. Titus, Hamish Kavanagh, Hanna Delaney, Ian Dunmore, Ian Patterson, Isha Jain, J. M. Allen, J.M. Ransom, Jack Croxall, Jack Massa, James Finch, Jason Duck, Jean Marie Bauhaus, Jeet Bhattachariya, Jessica Maison, Johnathan Reid, Josh Tatter, Joshua Lavender, Kaily House, Kanwar P. S. Plaha, Karl Gallagher, Katharine Kapodistria, Kathrine Elaine, Keith Long, Kerry Sutherland, Leland Myrick, Lillian Wang Selonick, Liz Zimmers, Maegan Heil, Malcolm Embers, Maximilian P Siddell, Melinda Craig, Mercedes de Santiago, Michael S. Atkinson, Mike Kawitzky, Mina Howell, Nicholas Samuel Stember, Nick Winney, njmksr, Penrose Gulch, Rachael Varca, radicaledward, Randall Hayes, Redd Oscar, Reina Cruz, S. L. Linton, S.L. Stallings, Sam Rake, Scifiotica, Sean Thomas McDonnell, Shane Bzdok, Shawn Brooks, Shawn Emhe II, Stephen Duffy, Theo Priestley, Tony Campbell, Vu Phan, Wendy Cockcroft, WS Ribelin
Schedule for Season 10 Part 2
Round 4 - Fantasy - Hosted by The Brothers Krynn
July 15 - Open call for submissions
July 31 - Submissions closed
August 1 - Judging begins
August 20 - Judging concludes
August 26 - Winner and runner-up announced
Round 5 - Horror - Hosted by Leigh Parrish
September 15 - Open call for submissions
September 31 - Submissions closed
October 1 - Judging begins
October 20 - Judging concludes
October 26 - Winner and runner-up announced
Round 6 - Science Fiction - Hosted by John Coon
November 15 - Open call for submissions
November 31 - Submissions closed
December 1 - Judging begins
December 20 - Judging concludes
December 26 - Winner and runner-up announced
Part 2 Concludes
December 30 - Celebration of Season 10’s results, writers, and judges
What happens after Season 10 concludes
At the end of the year, I’ll compile the works by the winners and runners-up into a book. This will be published as an ebook and a physical edition, which will be prominently displayed in my upcoming bookstore, Enchanted Books. These editions will also be available to Storyletter XPress Publishing members. Your subscription to SXP helps fund the publication of the book and the indie writers featured in it, as the organization is managed on a volunteer basis.
Next year, we’ll try to implement feedback from 2025 and also launch some exciting new opportunities. Subscribe to stay tuned. Until then, cheers and happy writing!
So excited to be joining the team! Thank you for the kind introduction
This is such an immense honour. Thanks so much for welcoming me aboard and allowing me to participate in this manner Winston. You're far too kind to me, I really hope this award does help some of Substackia's magnificent writers!