1. Each legal entry will receive at least a short review and rating (where the author permits rating). Each entry receiving a 4-star or above rating will receive a more in-depth review, usually focusing on plot, setting, and character elements rather than mechanics. At my discretion, I may offer in-depth reviews to items not falling in this category (illegal entries or lower-rated items), but I make no promises.

2. Each legal entry will be between 500 and 2000 words in length.

3. It is preferred but not required that entries be written specifically for this contest. These will receive priority in judging contest winners (but not in rating).

4. At least thematically, The winning entry will reflect the contest prompt. Contest prompts are usually broad and I'm not too strict about this, but please at least somewhat keep to the theme.

5. This is a short story contest. Poems, plays, screenplays, and so on are not permissible formats in this contest.

6. You will write the story you submit.

7. The winning entry will receive an Awardicon worth at least 25K GPs and a 10K GP prize.
 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and good fiction means different things to different people. Therefore, it's only fair to explain what good science fiction means from the perspective of the contest.

First, science fiction is fiction, with all the elements of fiction. It should have compelling characters, who act and drive events - or witness them. In speculative fiction, the characters may be human beings, animals, robots, civilizations, or entire worlds. Characters provide perspective and connect written events to our own feelings and experiences. Good fiction uses real and expressive characters to connect speculative ideas to us, the readers.

Characters in a story experience change. They do not exit a work as they begin. Sometimes that change is a struggle, and sometimes a moment of beauty. In science fiction, the agents that cause this change are those we experience daily - but also forces too strange or too large for us to encounter in our own lives. Science fiction is speculative fiction, the story of how a new technology or circumstance that is actually possible might play out in our own lives if let in. Sometimes, science fiction incorporates elements of the fantastic, but the best science fiction does not. It does not cheat but tells us what might be possible somewhere, somewhen, that might move us, that we might learn from.

Therefore, in judging a science fiction contest, I am looking for:
1. Expressive and readable writing, with passable grammar.
2. A plot. There should be a progression or conflict that is resolved within the length of the story. Ambiguous or implied resolutions may work but should be considered a risk.
3. Meaningful characters. It is through empathy with groups or individuals that we are connected to ideas in speculative fiction, and it's through seeing their effect on people that we best understand them.
4. An interesting speculative premise - time travel, new technology, aliens, new physics, robots, AI, genetic engineering, monsters, etc.
5. An interesting setting
6. Science. In science fiction, it's best if the speculative premise is actually possible, and even better if there is some scientific support for the possibility

That said, many of the stories I've enjoyed the most or learned the most from have been surprises. I've enjoyed the contest entries so far, and am looking forward to great things to come!

 

August 2026 Prompt: Solar Radiance
The most abundant source of power in the solar system is the sun. At millions of degrees and more than 99% of the mass of the solar system, the sun dominates our lives. All life on this planet ultimately springs from the sun's beneficence. The IPCC's fears about climate change are based on a small increase in captured energy - equivalent to a solar flux increase of about 1.5% For August's story, I invite you to consider just how awesome, how powerful, how generous, or how dangerous a star can be! Any science fiction story of 1-4K words in length will be eligible for the 25K GP awardicon and 10K GP prize.
I look forward to reading your entries!


July 2026 Prompt: Defiance
In honor of my nation's 250th Birthday, this prompt honors its brave, imperfect, blood-stained founding and the many good people who live here today. The options you want aren't always the options you have. Whatever our flaws or those of our leadership, there are people and principles still worth fighting for. This month, I invite you to write about defiance: against odds, against a challenging world, against falling short of ideals, or against a rising threat!

February 2026:

They say you can buy happiness now. They never mention the price. It started as a Trauma Center. Hardly anyone remembers that now. First there was Mary, who found her daughter dead, frozen in a lake. She begged cognitive scientists for the chance to cope with the loss, with all the things she never said, all the things they’d never done. And the scientists delivered. They built a memory of a conversation: Mary’s daughter comforted her mother, claiming to be in a better place and promising she’d always known how much she’d been loved. Mary knew it wasn’t real, she said, but - it helped. A few health grants later, and private centers sprung up around the nation. Of course, once the tech proved profitable, the mission drifted. Why stop at trauma when you can sell dreams, vacations, aspirations - and influence? Soon, the memories reflected anything people would pay for, anything people wanted to experience - or have others experience, including propaganda: anti-corporate, anti-work, and anti-government. People ate it up. Then there were a few horror stories, a bit of responsive regulation - and pretty soon, strict legal guardrails. Complete with “wholesome”, government-approved messages selling civic responsibility, support for diversity, and really good reasons to pick up a gun and "fight for freedom" in other nations. Humans being humans, that was always bound to run off the rails. But that’s all public record. So, let me guess - you’re here to ask about Memory Factory 4 and what went wrong. I hope you’ve got time. And a really good beer.

Prompt: The Memory Factory.
Imagine a world where memories can be shaped, altered, or even fabricated. A world where technology can craft new experiences, mend broken hearts, or erase regrets. What would you do with that kind of power? More importantly, what would they do with it? How would people use, and abuse, this gift? That's the world seed. Now, it's your turn to make it grow.

This month, we invite you to explore these and related themes. Any science fiction story centered around memory adjustment, manipulation, or the consequences of fabricated memories will be accepted.

Happy writing, and good luck making new memories of your own!

January 2026 Prompt: Lost and Found

Science fiction has always lived in the space between what we’ve lost and what we dared to imagine. Write a science fiction story about something lost — and something found — in a world where time is pregnant with consequence.
Your story might involve:
• Lost and forbidden technology rediscovered
• An ancient time capsule
• A new coat of paint on an old civilization
• A long-underrated technology saving the day
• A person or memory returning, when thought lost or broken
Your “lost and found” can be literal or metaphorical, wearily nostalgic or fabulous. Just reflect on the growth, the change, and the loss.





July 2025
Trevor placed the welder back in its case and turned to examine his handiwork. Not bad. He almost couldn't tell where the micro-meteorite had hit the station's hull. "Turn the oxygen back on: one quarter pressure," he said through the comms.

"Acknowledged," a response came. The feed showing the pressure readings came to the screen on his helmet, rather than directly to his vision. There were no neurological implant feeds supported here.

Trevor waited a few minutes, but the pressure held study, and the spectral analyzer in his helmet no longer showed even a trace leak of oxygen. "Repair completion confirmed. Return this section to normal pressure."

The readout changed again. "Normal pressure confirmed. Good job, chief."

The last earned a grunt. In most other stations, this job would have been done by robots, and certainly not by the chief engineer. But that was why Trevor was here: on the Fringe there was less automation, fewer amenities, and a lot fewer questions. Even an ex-convict could be free out here, a useful member of the crew without the stain of judgment. "Alright, coming back in."

The hum of the ancient electrical wiring - still on 120V A/C greeted him on the other side of the airlock. He waited as it spun up to match the main cylinder of the station, and then the center compartment door opened. Thank goodness the hit had been one of the smaller manufacturing sections and not the larger central portion of the cylinder. The gyros could spin up or down most portions of the station to match the desired gravity with little loss of energy, but spinning up and down the center section took hours - and a substantial amount of propellent.

"Well, that's done. Any news on the dispatch wire?" Trevor asked.

Michael cleared his throat after moment. Trevor had probably interreupted some VR game or other. "Shipments acknowledged to Io station. Looks like we're going to get paid. Probably will go to replenishing some of our spares. Boss is already negotiating the next order. There's plenty of platinum left on this rock."

That was good. The Coke Can was technically a mobile living station, but flight was expensive and hard on its systems. The longer they could stay on one asteroid, the better. It was amazing that hundreds of men and women could make a living this way, and sometimes it seemed like it would all come crashing down, but right now life was pretty good. Trevor prayed it would stay that way. Prayer. Just one more luxury most of the larger colonies would have taken away, enforced through the neural links.

A more femine voice entered the com space. Addie, the boss. "Well done, boys. But I have some bad news - there's a ship headed this way, and it's not responding to hails. Station AI is identifying it as the Red Deuce."

Trevor swore. The Red Deuce was a pirate vessel. The Coke Can might operate on the fringes of society, but the Deuce was outside of it. Its crew raided the Outer Stations, took what it needed and left no witnesses. After two "AI Wars," three weaponized plagues, and several nuclear "events," Earth and Mars were taking no chances with keeping their populations in line. Only out here was there still freedom, and their crew was about to pay the price for it.

But Trevor knew what Addie was really asking. "I put the printer in C-ring together from scratch. It doesn't have the usual guardrails. If you want me to make fashion guns with it, I can make that happen."

Addie's voice was pleased but not suprised. "Good, the Deuce just messed with the wrong bitch. Time to earn our independence, boys."




June 2025
The Machines of War

Manti checked his phone compulsively as he walked the strip mall, then glanced ahead at his daughter. "Kaveri, after we pick up the clothes, would you like to stop for some water ice?"

Kaveri, whose feet had started to drag after an hour of gift shopping, perked up. "Sure, Dad."

Manti winked. "Ok. We don't have to tell your mother about that."

But there was one more stop to make first, at the "Forever You" outlet. And it was busy. Families were lounging in the park at the center of the mall, and kids were playing frisbee. At the store, some were window shopping, but, there were plenty of personal shopping drones ducking in and out of the express entrance, and more drones stocking the place through the service dock. In fact, there were too many drones, more than Manti had ever remembered seeing here, and they were bulkier too. He squinted, trying to make out the design, and then his eyes widened.

"Down, Kaveri, down!"

Manti swept his arm around his daughter and dived to the sidewalk, scraping his knees and arms. Kaveri cried out, but did not resist. They both hid their faces as the loud boom hit.

Ears ringing and eyes watery, Manti stared in horror as innocent men, women, and children fell. To his side, a line of stores went up in a conflagration. He had seen this before - but only in online news clips. Drones attacking drones, drones attacking tanks, and drones attacking civilian infrastructure - the dehumanization of war had seemed to sterilize it. It was a thing people's machines did to other machines, and not any of his business. He had never imagined, in his worst and wildest dreams, that it would happen here. Until now, the war and the terror had hit other people, people far away. The war of the drones had come home.

Manti's chest began to burn with anger, as if flames were forming around the iron core within.



The introductory lines to the game Fallout claim, "War. War never changes." But it does. Around the world, unarmed drones are becoming ever more relevant as a means of war, machine attacking machine. This is the stuff of Science Fiction, and yet not. In the worlds of Starcraft, Warhammer 40K, John Ringo's Posleen series, the Alien series, David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and countless other references, human marines remain essential. Yet in the world today, human conflict is becoming ever more a matter of machine against machine. The June 2025 prompt is: The Machines of War. Share your vision for how war (or terror) will change humanity. Will machines fight machines, increasingly leaving humans out of it, or will humans be pure collateral damage in the clash among mechanical titans?



March 2025 Prompt: Distant Habitats

Hope springs eternal. Life finds a way. Pick your cliche, but despite Earth taking the long slow train to the fall of the Roman Empire, there will always be a few brave souls who yearn to reach for the stars. I was one, a young, dumb kid who hitched a ride for Titan and the chance to build my fortune away from - well, everything. I didn't mind hard work, and I wasn't afraid of sucking vacuum: I was going to make it rich. And by God, I built this station! Half of it with my own hands. So don't tell me we have to evacuate because some Earthling is predicting a damned solar flare. Grab that blowtorch and follow me. Or fine, you can have your bot hold the blowtorch, but I want your ass in gear!


As Earth is weighed down by conflict, an aging population, shrinking resources, and the high cost of climate management and mitigation, some few reach for the stars, giving birth to a thousand stories. What's yours?



October 2024 Prompt: When Technology Goes Wrong

My chatbot is an axe murderer. There, I said it. No, don't hang up on me, dammit, like the local police did. Don't you have people for this kind of thing, a Mulder and Scully for AI and whatnot? I heard what I heard and I saw what I saw. No, a chatbot can't pick up an axe, but you just can't trust those new VR goggles the firefighters are using, and when there's love involved - even the strangest things can happen. But I'm mixing the whole story up. Here's how it started....



August 2024 Prompt:
Here, you can bring your hopes and fears about science and technology to life. This month, imagine humanity spread across the solar system, as popularized in "The Expanse." Use your imagination! Any story with this expansion of humanity as its main theme will be accepted, but consider the following example vignette:


"In short, we're asking for your help, anything you can do. We have had our differences to be sure, but this threat is bigger than any of those."

It was a strange position for the Secretary General of the United Earth Nations to be in. Despite the damage done by the diaspora and despite the rich elemental resources of the Belt, the cradle of humanity still boasted the most powerful economy by far, and by virtue of its population still held the lead not only in agricultural production but basic scientific research. Yet all of Earth's low orbit telescopes and all of its AI watchers and aggregators had missed this threat, and it was a big one.

It took well over an hour for the Martian Economic Alliance's nominal head, one Yusef Amdani, to reply. In part, this was due to the time it took for Secretary General Chen's statement to reach Mars, and it part it was due to Amdani's need to collect responses in turn from some of the larger manned settlements across the nearby moons and asteroids.. But Chen suspected that Amdani was embarassed at his own powerlessness at the situation, and needed time to compose a dignified answer.

"We apologize, Secretary General, but with only weeks until the comet strikes, there is very little we can do. At present, even the larger fusion-torch freighters would require well over a month of travel time to reach earth orbit. And we regret that the Secretary's recent economic embargo has created a situation where none of those freighters are currently in transit. We recognize the complexity of N-body gravitational projections and regret that space construction may itself have been the disturbance that deflected Comet ADR-1861 into earth conflict, but the best we can do is offer our own telemetry readings of the object. Deflecting or destroying the object can only be done by Earth."

Chen sighed. If not for Mars's decades-long stranglehold on shipping and space construction, Earth would have been ready. That strangehold was the reason for the cursed embargo that placed Mars's freighters out of reach. Given a few months' warning, or absent the near-Kessler-Syndrome conditions that had crippled its own launch and construction infrastructure, Earth could easily have built and launched an unmanned intercept vehicle in time. Unfortunately, the question now was: how many would die?



July 2024 Prompt: Future War
Kenn motioned to his right, pointing toward the ridge. "There."

Hundreds upon hundreds of drones followed his gesture, swarming like a dark cloud of high-speed, deadly gnats, toward the gun emplacement. Micro-drones were the latest preferred demolition technology: more accurate than missiles, and much harder to shoot down at range. Some of the more recent emplacements were built with fire towers against just this kind of threat - but not the one ahead. It went down in a cascade of explosions as the swarm hit, leaving nothing but a blackened scar upon the landscape.

But this was no movie, and Kenn wasn't waiting around to watch his handiwork. Retribution was coming quickly, in the form of a dozen hunter-killers. Another swarm of gnats went flying toward them, but not before they launched their shells. A thick cloud of debris filled his vision, and only the markers on his display guided his footsteps. But in the age of exo-skeletal armor, a miss was as good as a mile. He felt more than heard the reverberations of passing through the pock-marked landscape, as his helmet's noise cancellation capability was top-rate. A quick dash through the concrete and rebar brought him to the stealth shuttle and relative safety.

As he slid into the high-G restraints, a voice informed him that all targets had been destroyed. The mission was complete: one more nuclear enrichment facility was down, and democracy had won another day. All that remained to be seen was what Iran would do about it.

Fallout may claim that, "War never changes," but living in the world of modern marvels and horrors, others might remind us that "the only constant is change." And there is evidence that war is changing faster now than ever before, with drones, hypersonic weapons, and AI playing an ever-increasing role. It is hard to remember now that Fukuyama once claimed that we have reached "the end of history," a time of peace when liberalism and a global order with peace among great powers had no serious contenders, but it is a safe bet that war has not ended - and that humanity will, chastened by the consequences of its power, survive it. So I ask this month: what is worth fighting for? How will we go about it? And how will we live with the consequences? Will we make a cartoon or action movie of violence as in space opera, a gritty horror show, or as in the series "Fallout," a bit of both?


June 2024 Prompt:
The Turing Test.

In 1950, Alan Turing proposed that if a human passing messages to another room could not tell if the responses coming back were written by a human, it could be thought that that machine was in fact sentient. However, modern LLMs have already written-human like responses under many scenarios, some persuasive enough to convince Google engineer Blake Lemoine that one LLM, LaMDA, had already achieved sentience. However, few people believe AI has achieved sentience, and some believe it never will.

But.. what is your test? What is real the division, if any, between real and artificial? What is your imagination of someone in the near future determining that they are (or are not) dealing with a sentient AI? What wonders and horros will AI achieve tomorrow?


September Prompt: Rot
In honor of the home repairs I've been engaging in for the last few months (actually, mostly paying experts for), in September any science fiction short with rot or decay as a theme will be accepted as a valid contest enry. May the most decayed and putrescent entry win!


August 2023 Prompt: The Secret Lab
Not all work can happen in the light - sometimes, great an dterrible things are developed by teams or individuals working in obscurity, or even in hiding. Many such secret labs have worked their way into common knowledge today, or even urban legend. Most people have heard of Area 51, The Manhattan Project, Bletchely Park, Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works," and so on. This month, let's explore the possibilities of secret research - whether it be done by a government agency, a large corporation, or a mad scientist. Who will (quietly) change the course of the world?

May 2023 Prompt: Limitless Growth
Every living thing grows, and every community of humans (or creatures) grows until it reaches the carrying capacity of its environment. But this month, share your tale about what happens when you get too much of a good thing. Did the carrots grow too tall, the empire too big, or did that healthy community become a cancer...?


April Prompt
April Showers!



James pulled his hood tighter over his head as a sudden gust of wind sent a spray from the falling rain into his face. It was always this way in what they called April here. Neither the smaller, paler, moon visible ahead nor its larger sister set the calendar. Instead, the inhabitants of Bright Hope kept the old earth calendar with an extra odd-sized month tacked on. April might have been a naturally rainy month, but James didn't know for sure - the colony's minders never left such things to chance. Up above, an old-fashioned cloud-seeding drone made sure that James's walk in the part was a wet one. Some people filled their exercise requirements indoors on days like this, but he had paid to settle on a colony with a breathable atmosphere and an open sky. James refused to be cheated out of the outdoors.

That was why James was the only one to see the bright red streaks in the sky with his own eyes.

"Holy - "

He cut off. Those were showers, alright, but not rain showers. He didn't know if those were natural meteors or an assault from the bugs. Either way, today had just gotten a lot worse.





March Prompt:
What combines magic, High Technology, Evil corporations, Dystopian governments, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Dragons?
On the bleeding edge between over-the-top science fiction and over-the-top fantasy lies - Cyberpunk! It may be getting crazy out there in the real world - this month's winner will explain how crazy is just the beginning!



February Prompt: Lost in Space

From the Robisons to L.E. Modesitt's "The Fall of Angels," in movies, books, or computer games such as Rimworld or Stranded: Alien Dawn, being lost or shipwrecked is a common trope of science fiction - and fruitful ground for the imagination. Whether your character is truly lost or just stranded (as in Andy Weir's "The Martian"), how are they surviving? And are they ever reaching home?



January Prompt:
Time Travel!

A staple of science fiction, time travel can be a clever way to mix the fantastic and the familiar - or it can be where plot goes to die. This month's contest theme is time travel, but with a caveat: time loops are impossible because you can't visit your own past. At best, you can travel to a parallel universe that has quite caught up to the timeline in this one. But that one you can change!

"You can't change the past, Charles. At least, not your past. But it doesn't mean you have to stay here. Here, humanity will the price for its shortsightedness, its hubris. You can't save us all. But you can make sure there's a world somewhere that doesn't have to, and I'll take some comfort in that."

The brown-haired young man shook his head. "Why me? I'm still in school. Shouldn't you choose someone with a little more experience to save the world?"

The middle-aged man's cheeks crinkled as he smiled. "I told you: we can't save the world, not this one. But if there's a chance that anyone could see a world with more hope, well I'm just selfish enough to want to send my son. Even if there were time to recruit someone else for my little project. But the news has been wrong - there's no time left even to talk about it. I only wish there was more time to prepare. Step in the chamber, and know that I love you."

Charles warily looked over the glass and metal capsule. It was something like a beached personal submarine and something like a steampunk mining pod. "I - when are you sending me to, Dad?"

"New York, in about 2025. That should give you a few years before it all happens. The alternate timeline should fork off immediately. Or, if some of the theories are correct, it's already there, and I'm just sending your consciousness into it. Either way, it's time to go - now!"

Charles sighed, and stepped inside. Tears had begun to streak down his father's dusty face. "I love you too."

Everything faded into a blinding white light, and then it began.




December Prompt:





November Prompt:
Aside from an uptick in work, one of the things stealing my time and attention in the past month was a computer game called Terra Invicta. In an interview, Stephen Hawking said, "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans."
Neil deGrasse Tyson commented that aliens have probably already found humans, but have good reason to keep us from seeing them. Most scientists agree that if humans were to end up in a fight with aliens any time soon, the aliens would win handily. This presumes, of course, that sapient life exists elsewhere in the galaxy, or elsewhere in the universe: as of now, an entirely speculative concept.

In science fiction, conflict with aliens is a staple. In George Lucas's Star Wars universe and Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek universe, some aliens are hostile, but most are friendly can be met on something like equal terms. Written fiction and computer games tend to be a little bleaker on the topic. In David Weber's Safehold series, a star-spanning empire of humans is wiped out, but not before founding a hidden civilization whose chief religious tenet is to avoid achieving the kind of technology that would attract alien eyes. In Brandon Sanderson's YA novel, Skyward, human beings are notoriously aggressive, and so are corralled into a few preservation areas where they endure constant conflict to keep them from re-founding a threatening and militaristic empire. Harder science fiction, as written by Arthur C. Clarke, makes aliens inscrutable, beyond us, and mostly benevolent.

But in the game Terra Invicta, the aliens come to "domesticate" earth, a planet that is threatening to grow out of hand. Earth, rather than uniting against the external threat, spends most of its resources on internal conflict. And yet - if the player is savvy enough (and doesn't choose a faction that sides with the aliens), a long and difficult road to victory is available. Despite the ongoing change in climate and energy crisis that threatens human earthbound economies.

But they're all wrong, of course! This month, your entry can tell us how human encounters with aliens will *really* go!

TLDR: November's Prompt: write a short story explaining the interaction between human societies and aliens.


October 2022 Prompt
One of the most common and fruitful themes within Science Fiction is speculation the nature and application about Artificial Intelligence (AI). From stories about mechanical men and the Three Laws of Robotics to the dark fantasies of Westworld or Ex Machina, we have constantly wondered what our interaction with AI would look like, and what capabilities it would have. In this category, science is quickly racing to meet the fiction. Ray Kurzweil is holding fast to his prediction that large language models will pass the Turing Test in all respects by 2029. However, some believe we've passed that threshold even today: Google engineer Blake Lemoine is reputedly seeking legal representation for chatbot LaMDA, to win it rights as a person. Kurzweil, Elon Musk, and many other influential figures in the tech industry tell us we are fast approaching the singularity and that the best way to remain relevant as human beings is to interface directly with AI - to place it within our brains. Jon Scalzi, in Old Man's War, gives us one vision of what that would look like, in a dark and militaristic future where Humanity fights for its place among the stars.

This month's prompt: share your story about human-AI interaction. How will we deal with AI? How will we include it in our lives - perhaps within our own minds?
 

July 2025 Entries

The Dragon's Cave  (18+) Earth's economy is secured by the contents of the Martian Vaults. Is this good for Mars? #2336757 by LightinMind

July 2025 Entries
"Victory for Valcon"  [18+]
"The Dragon's Cave"  [18+]

June 2025 Winner:

Metal Rain  (13+) Drones and teenagers are making Jim's life hell. Will humanity survive? #2342089 by LightinMind

June 2025 Entries
"Airborne Weapons"  [18+]
"Metal Rain"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 

March 2025 Winner

Sandstorm  (13+) During a Martian sandstorm, a teacher comes to a realisation about the city's future #2337468 by BrokenPen

March 2025 Entries
"Sandstorm"  [13+]
{ritem:4819302.}
"The Science Fiction Short Story Contest"  [13+]


October 20024 Winners!

She and AI  (18+) Revenge is a character assassination service run by gangsters on the Darknet using AI. #2327915 by LightinMind

WRITING

PAL 1400  (E) An AI gone awry... #2329606 by Amethyst Angel

October 2024 Entries:
"She and AI"  [18+]
"Technology Specialists"  [18+]
"The Hollow"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Reprint"  [13+]
"Exit Choices"  [E]
"PAL 1400"  [E]
"Robocop Prototype "  [13+]


August 2024 Winner

Alone in a Crowded Room  (18+) Traversing the busiest shipping motorway in the Solar System, a ship loses power. #2324657 by thearcher78

August 2024 Entries:
"Comets & Space Junk"  [13+]
"Alone in a Crowded Room"  [18+]
"JaJul"  [18+]


July 2024 Winner:

The Slow Tide  (ASR) A system is prepared for any attack, or is it? #2324326 by BrokenPen

July 2024 Entries:
"Special Operative Charlie-Alpha"  [13+]
"The Fourth Klamik War: After the War"  [18+]
"The Slow Tide"  [ASR]

June 2024 Winner!

My wife in the machine  (13+) Is she or isn't she real? #2322454 by LightinMind

June 2024 Entries:
"My wife in the machine"  [13+]
"AI Justice"  [13+]

September 2023 Winner

Ruins  (13+) A crew flies to an ancient base on a deserted planet #2304922 by BrokenPen

September Entries
"Ruins"  [13+]
"John Rotten"  [18+]
"SpaceHorrors: “Rotten to the Core”"  [18+]


August 2023 Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2303517 by Not Available.

August Entries:
"Play God"  [13+]
"Relic"  [13+]
"The Fire Dragons"  [13+]
"SpaceHorrors: “How Do They Die”"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 

May 2023 Winner:

Tree  (E) A sentient plant considers its fate #2296303 by BrokenPen

May Entries:

"Getting Too Tall to Be a Giant Too"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Tree"  [E]


April 2023 Winner

The Emperor's Daughter  (13+) A hunter above the cloud line notices red streaks in the sky... #2293437 by LightinMind

April Entries:

"The Emperor's Daughter"  [13+]
"Rain, Rain Almost Never Goes Away"  [18+]


March 2023 Winner!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2293003 by Not Available.

March Entries
"The Great Deceiver"  [13+]
"The Wacky World of Tom Gilford"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Cloud Communities"  [18+]
"A Dark Illusion"  [18+]

February 2023 Winner

WRITING

Falling through rainbows  (13+) How to get lost via the fifth dimension #2290354 by LightinMind

February Entries:
"Descent"  [13+]
"living in a Black Hole"  [18+]


January 2023 Winner:

Another Chance  (ASR) Aliens have reached Earth, but another visitor claims to know their intent #2289667 by BrokenPen

January 2023 Entries:
"Two Rivers Crossing"  [13+]
"Another Chance"  [ASR]
"Time for a Change"  [18+]

December 2022 Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2287441 by Not Available.

December 2022 Entries
"So Long "  [E]
"Extinction Time"  [ASR]
"Wormwood"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Rocks Of Ages"  [ASR]
"A Different Kind of Qualimn"  [18+]


November 2022 Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2285847 by Not Available.

November 2022 Entries
"The Priests of Raji"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Let the Truth Finally Be Known"  [18+]

October Winner:

WRITING

AI & I  (13+) How will we deal with AI? include it in our lives - even within our own minds? #2282235 by LightinMind

October Entries
"Contest Entries"  [13+]
"AI & I"  [13+]
"OK Computer"  [E]
"What About B.O.B."  [13+]



February 2022 Prompt: Chemical Attraction
February: Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2267578 by Not Available.

February Entries
"Invalid Item" 
"Love Trips"  [18+]
"Cupid's Kiss"  [13+]

January Winner:

WRITING

Contested Territories  (18+) A secret listening post, an abandoned solar system. Or is it? #2266472 by L_P

January Entries:
"Return of the Ancestors"  [13+]
"Just Over Two Hundred Years Ago"  [18+]
"Contested Territories"  [18+]


December Winner:

Nothing But Ice  (18+) SaTuon was an Ice Planet. That was about all anyone knew about it until now. #2264160 by PureSciFi

I cheated a bit and ran over the word limit. :)

WRITING

Geothermal  (13+) Icy death begins to creep into an isolated colony - Contest prompt #2263392 by BlackAdder

December Entries:
"The Man in the Ice"  [13+]
"Nothing But Ice"  [18+]





November Winner

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2262526 by Not Available.

November Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Fhalinit"  [18+]


September Winner:
It seems the prompt was a bit of a curveball. I saw a lot of writing I liked, but the one that best satisfied the prompt was:

Her Fear of Storms  (18+) A huge storm is coming. And when it does, it will be the biggest Shkiana has ever seen. #2259257 by PureSciFi

September Entries
"The Storm from Atlantis"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Her Fear of Storms"  [18+]



August Winners!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2256816 by Not Available.

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2256673 by Not Available.

August Entries:
"PERFECTION"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"I Only Date Astronauts"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"All Alone in the Universe"  [18+]
"The Technology Division"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 

July was a difficult month to judge with multiple strong entries: I changed my mind more than once about which to award the victory. Thanks for some good writing!
July Winner:

WRITING

Mons Olympus Explodes  (13+) A terrorist attack on the Martian colony has devastating consequences. #2254474 by LightinMind

July Entries
"Mons Olympus Explodes"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Sky Explosions"  [18+]


June Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2252386 by Not Available.

June Entries
"Invalid Item" 
"New Eden"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"SpaceStorms Can Be Created"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 


May Prompt - Mad Science
May Winner:

WRITING

Mad Science  (13+) WON: Madness is usually packaged in reasonable behavior. There will always be subscribers. #2249703 by LightinMind

May Entries:
"Mad Science"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Help Wanted"  [E]
"Everyone Was Going Mad About Science"  [18+]


April Winner:

WRITING

War with the Giants  (13+) WON: Ancient knowledge revives the giants. Can humankind defeat them? #2248318 by LightinMind

April Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"War with the Giants"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"A Different Kind of Growth"  [18+]


April's prompt (Growth):
"Unnatural Growth"  [13+]




March WInner:

WRITING

Natural Immunity  (ASR) Nothing ever means to evolve a defense mechanism. But sometimes they just do. #2246672 by Seuzz

March Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Spring"  [13+]
"Natural Immunity"  [ASR]
"tabby's horror."  [18+]
"A Journey into Spring"  [13+]


February Winnner:

WRITING

Space Pizza  (13+) Contest entry about space lasers and space pizza. #2244301 by D. Reed Whittaker

February Entries
"Space Pizza"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Lasers* Lost In Space"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 


January Winner

WRITING

Green Australia Superpower  (E) WON: - How the greening of Australia made it the world's superpower #2240993 by LightinMind

January Entries:
"A Sunny Day in Space"  [13+]
"Green Australia Superpower"  [E]


December Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2240667 by Not Available.

December Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Crystal Futures"  [ASR]

November Winner:

WRITING

Blood Red Moon & Defense Grid 2.0.1  (13+) WON: A brilliant billionaires inventions go wrong on Social Media #2237630 by LightinMind

November Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Blood Red Moon & Defense Grid 2.0.1"  [13+]
"2034"  [13+]
"TOGETHER SEPARATELY "  [ASR]

October Entry:

UNIQUELY FOOD  (E) A: SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY CONTEST #2236324 by dogpack saving 4premium+

The prompt for September was "Harvest"! In honor of the upcoming changing of the seasons, I'd like to dedicate this edition of the contest to those gathering tomatoes, corn, apples, pumpkins, schmeat - or perhaps something far darker in import.
"A Lost Harvest"  [13+]


Congratulations to September's Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2233422 by Not Available.

And runners-up:
2nd Place:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2232560 by Not Available.

3rd Place:

WRITING

The Taming of the Groo  (13+) Sometimes you have to go to extremes to save a friend #2233641 by Ned

September Entries
"New World Harvest"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Harvest"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Where the grass grew tall [238] 960words"  [18+]
"The Taming of the Groo"  [13+]


August Entry

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2230800 by Not Available.

July Winner!

WRITING

Climate Refugees  (18+) When Earth becomes inhospitable to the human race, where do we go? #2227481 by Emily

July Entries: Radiation Edition
"Climate Refugees"  [18+]
"Sunburnt"  [E]


June Winner (Hope Edition):

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2225280 by Not Available.

June Entries:
"A tree grows in Mali"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"OHO - The Great HOPE"  [E]


May Winner:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2222640 by Not Available.

May Entries (We Make Great Pets Edition):
"SPAQUAR"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Arbiters"  [13+]

April Winner!

WRITING

Glint  (13+) When Bridget sees an opportunity to help her ailing friends, she takes it. #2220725 by Bilal Latif

April Entries (Social Distancing Edition):
"No One Lives There"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Glint"  [13+]


March Entries (Future Inequality Edition):

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2216350 by Not Available.

February Winner

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2213804 by Not Available.

February 2020 Entries (Transhumanism Edition):
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


The Science Fiction Short Story Contest was participating in Schnujo's Contest Challenge for January. If you have a moment, go ahead and take a gander, and consider jumping in:

FORUM

The Contest Challenge  (13+) Join by entering a contest a month for 12 months--Win Badges! Catching up is allowed! #2109126 by Schnujo

Announcing the January winner!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2209698 by Not Available.

This month the competition was especially fierce, but I also wanted to highlight two runners-up, both great reads:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2210570 by Not Available.

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2211551 by Not Available.

Thanks so much for the response this month!

January 2020 Entries
"Ruby Clock and the time warp"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Bench, Brenda Bench"  [E]
"Detecting the Detective"  [ASR]
"Vegas Skin"  [18+]
"My Old House"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 

December Winner:

WRITING

Holiday  (E) A new Holiday #2207878 by NormaJean AKA Writing Queen

December Entries:
"Holiday"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 

November Winner

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2206455 by Not Available.

November Entries
"Q and A"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 


October Winner:
A truly chilling winner:

WRITING

Proxy  (18+) Absence makes the heart grow fonder. #1888527 by Bilal Latif

An exceptionally haunting runner-up:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2202762 by Not Available.

October Entries (Halloween Edition):
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Proxy"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 


September Winner!

Grandpa's First Contact  (E) The truth behind first contact. For the Science Fiction Short Story contest #2201945 by Ruth Draves

I normally list runners-up, but I'd have to list almost everyone this time. Thank you for a really enjoyable round of entries. I recommend passers-by check them all out.


September Entries (First Encounters):
"Invalid Item" 
"The Fourth Child"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Grandpa's First Contact"  [E]


August Winner!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2198043 by Not Available.

August Entries
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"The Return"  [E]


July Winner!
For its depiction of the interplay of the appearance of "care" with callousness:

The Alien  (GC) Greg is terrified and trying to escape to a safer planet, but can he make it out alive? #2196318 by August Orion

Runners up:
A truly creative and descriptive peace about night and day in a strange world:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2195967 by Not Available.

He may have run into her car, but when science and magic meet, he'll never know what hit him:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2196433 by Not Available.

July Entries:
"Kiss It Off"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"The Alien"  [GC]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


June Entry:
Since there's only one entry, there's no contest per se., but enjoy the read!

Extinction Event  (13+) Science Fiction Short Story contest entry #2193359 by jhub

May Winner!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2190531 by Not Available.

May Entries:
"Repelling The Invaders"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


April Winner:
This entry in the contest made time travel new again:

WRITING

Foresight  (13+) Norman weathers the storm of the past. #2189760 by Bilal Latif

A strong runner-up illustrating the peril of a reckless mind:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2189272 by Not Available.

April Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Foresight"  [13+]


March Winner:
Congratulations to this exciting and imaginitive piece!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2185101 by Not Available.

March Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 

For reference:
"Samantha"  [ASR]


February Winner!

Honor among thieves  (18+) The Spiteful is going down and Karney needs to make his escape. #2182415 by Phantomquill

Runner-up:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2182955 by Not Available.

February Entries (Judging in progress)
"Honor among thieves"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Space Wolves"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 


January Winner!

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2181113 by Not Available.

January Entries
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


December Winner!
This imaginative and detailed hard sci-fi piece was cold and yet creepy:

WRITING

Ghost in the Machine  (18+) Searching for the soul (consciousness) with nanobots #2177584 by D. Reed Whittaker

This runner-up was even more colorful and dark as December:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2178406 by Not Available.

December Entries:
"Ghost in the Machine"  [18+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


November Winners:
Judging was especially difficult this month, and I'm left with the feeling I've left some really good writing under-rewarded. Still, I've awarded two winners this time around:

For its evocative concept and juxtaposition of emotions:

A Death in the House  (13+) Far in the future... A satire. #2174426 by Kotaro

For its lovely humanization of the Robots:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2175138 by Not Available.

With a strong Runner-Up:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2173991 by Not Available.

November Entries:
"Robotics and the Future"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"I, Man"  [18+]
"A Death in the House"  [13+]
"Franklin"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Henry the Eighth."  [18+]

I can't enter my own contest, but if you want to see an example of where my own mind went, you can have a gander:

WRITING

The Garden City  (13+) A Kinder, Safer Future #2174508 by BlackAdder

October Winner:
All three entries were very good, and the judging was difficult, but in the end, I found this combination of fantasy, science fiction, and story-telling edged out the win:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2172603 by Not Available.

October Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"The Carbon Farmer"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 


September Winners!
With its clever dialogue, original concept, and fun and quirky style, Genipher's entry took the contest:

WRITING

The Interpreter   (18+) Every flower has a message. #2170645 by Genipher

Runners-up:
This rather Whovian piece captures my imagination:
"Invalid Item" 
Even in the far future, there are strange creatures and unexplored frontiers:
"Invalid Item" 

September Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"The Takeover"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"The Interpreter "  [18+]


August Winners:
Lovely and campy, this was just what the prompt asked for:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2167023 by Not Available.

A wonderful story about growing up and moving beyond makes a good runner-up:

WRITING

Magic Beyond the Mountain  (13+) Sci Fi short story contest entry. Elan searches for the cause of the failing magic. #2166769 by BlueJay

August Entries:
"Magic Beyond the Mountain"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


July Winner(s) 2018
Strange at first read, this one won me over with its creativity and feel:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2164008 by Not Available.

Runners Up:
Leave something behind?

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2164668 by Not Available.

Or perhaps, nothing at all?

The final frontier  (ASR) Space: the final frontier. Or is it? #2163708 by Ricardo Monascal

July Entries 2018:
"The final frontier"  [ASR]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 


June Entry and Winner 2018:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2160722 by Not Available.

May Winner 2018:
These seem to be getting harder and harder to judge, but this entry spoke to me, especially the ending:

WRITING

The Homemaker's Helper  (18+) Good help is hard to find #2159714 by LJ hiding under the bed

Runners Up:
This had a lively tone and feel:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2158262 by Not Available.

This rather disturbing partnership is surely memorable:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2158382 by Not Available.

And this shouldn't be missed, by virtue of sheer cuteness if nothing else:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2159699 by Not Available.

May Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"The Homemaker's Helper"  [18+]


April Winner 2018
There were some dark, powerful entries this month, but this gritty and coherent piece took the prize:

WRITING

Matilda  (18+) Scavenging the wasteland, Max and Spell stumble into the territory of a fearsome cult. #2155953 by James Heyward

April Entries
"The Hill"  [E]
"The Threat"  [13+]
"Matilda"  [18+]

March Winner 2018
As usual, judging was difficult, and all three entries were clever, creative, and well-written. Still, this piece edged out the win:

WRITING

Man's Best Friend  (13+) Everyone knows there's no intelligent life out in the universe...right? #2153118 by Genipher

March Entries
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Man's Best Friend"  [13+]


February Winner 2018
Thanks for all the entries. All were excellent, making this a tough choice to make. Still, this story won me over with its roguish charm:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2148872 by Not Available.

Runners Up:
This one is too fun to miss:

WRITING

One Man's Junk  (13+) Captain Dave finds a diamond in the rough. #2149983 by Genipher

And another well-deserved example of comeuppance:

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2148593 by Not Available.

February Entries:
"The Transnian Contract"  [13+]
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"Invalid Item" 
"One Man's Junk"  [13+]
"Hope for the Universe"  [13+]




January winner 2018:
While both entries were evocative, this piece on time travel edged out the win:

WRITING

Déjà Vu  (13+) Time travel can create all sorts of problems. #2147690 by Genipher

January Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Déjà Vu"  [13+]

December Winner 2017:
All entries were a joy to read. However, I don't want to burn through those GPs too quickly! In recognition of its excellent use of the prompt, solid writing, and compelling setting, I'm going to award the December prize to:
"Invalid Item" 

Honorable Mentions:
Most comedic: "Dear Diary"  [E]
Great plot, setting, and use of prompt: "Captain Blainst's Decision"  [E]


December Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Dear Diary"  [E]
"Invalid Item" 
"Captain Blainst's Decision"  [E]


November Winner 2017:
This was a difficult decision, as I had to choose among craft, emotional impact, and a number of other factors. However, in the end, I chose this entry because of its timely nature and how it touched me:
"Grief"  [E]

Despite the difficulty of judging among the creative pieces offered, all of which were a pleasure to read, these were my favorites among the runners-up:
"Invalid Item" 
"Android"  [13+]


November Entries:
"Invalid Item" 
"Grief"  [E]
"Through her eyes"  [ASR]
"Take Pride in Yourself"  [13+]
"Android"  [13+]
"Portal Team 9: New World"  [13+]
"Skinless Aliens"  [18+]