Welcome, friend! The semifinalist list for the inaugural Small Spec Book Awards is here! Congratulations to all the authors whose books have moved forward. I’ve loved exploring this year’s nominees across fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, and it’s so exciting to see the next stage unfold. Let’s take a look at which books made it to the next round.
Fantasy SSBA Semifinalists
- Better Living Through Alchemy by Evan J. Peterson (Broken Eye Books)
- Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (Farrago Books)
- Ghost Apparent by Jelena Dunato (Ghost Orchid Press)
- Talio’s Codex by J. Alexander Cohen (Space Wizard Science Fantasy)
- The Extravaganza Eternia by Kristin Osani (Ghost Orchid Press)
- The Harlequin: The Draper’s Reel by J.A. Mortimore And Penelope Hill (Elsewhen Press)
- The Jaguar Mask by Michael J. Deluca (Stelliform Press)
- The Mystery Of The Pale King by Sam Flynn (Timber Ghost Press)
- The Witch And The Ostrich by Jordan A. Werner (Space Wizard Science Fantasy)
- Tree Gods by R. Lee Fryar (Midnight Meadow Publishing)
Check out Fantasy Nominees of the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) for details on all nominees, including the titles above.
Horror SSBA Semifinalists
- A Spectre Is Haunting Greentree by Carson Winter (Tenebrous Press)
- Bear Season by Gemma Fairclough (Wild Hunt Books)
- Benothinged by Alvar Theo (Haunt Publishing)
- Church Of Skatan by Damian Casey (Mad Axe Media)
- From The Belly by Emmett Nahil (Tenebrous Press)
- Resisters by Chris Campeau (Anuci Press)
- Sundown In San Ojuela by M.M. Olivas (Lanternfish Press)
- Terror At Tierra De Cobre by Michael Merriam (Queen Of Swords Press)
- The Scientist, The Spaceman, And The Stars Between Them by A.L. Davidson (Timber Ghost Press)
- You Will Speak For The Dead by R.A. Busby (Stelliform Press)
Check out Horror Nominees of the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) for details on all nominees, including the titles above.
Science Fiction SSBA Semifinalists
- A Truth Beyond Full by Rosie Oliver (Elsewhen Press)
- Empress Of Dust by Alex Kingsley (Space Wizard Science Fantasy)
- Her Gilded Voice by K.C. Aegis (Elsewhen Press)
- Moon Dust In My Hairnet by Jr Creaden (Mythic Roads Press)
- More Bugs by Em Reed (Knight Errant Press)
- The Mosquito Fleet by Andrew Penn Romine (Broken Eye Books)
- The Rigel Redemption by Robin C. M. Duncan (Space Wizard Science Fantasy)
- The Sea Of Clouds by Sheila Jenné (Midnight Meadow Publishing)
- The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits by Ben Berman Ghan (Wolsak And Wynn Publishers)
- Worlds Aligned: Worlds Apart 2 by Terry Jackman (Elsewhen Press)
Check out Science Fiction Nominees of the 2025 Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) for details on all nominees, including the titles above.
What’s Next for SSBA 2025 on the blog
I love supporting indie and small press authors, and awards like the Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) are such a fantastic way to explore a variety of bold, creative, genre-expanding titles. As an influencer championing these awards, I’ll be highlighting nominees and winners throughout the year in a few different ways:
- Take a look at all nominees by genre linked above.
- I had the pleasure of chatting with SSBA founders Millie and LN in an interview you can read here.
- Don’t miss the Indie Recommendations from Millie and check out LN’s favourites here.
- Thanks for joining me for the semi-finalists roundup in this post!
- Finalists and winners will be highlighted and reviewed on the blog!
- You know I won’t miss the opportunity to chat with the winning authors. 😀
You can follow along and catch all the latest updates at the links above. Indie publishing is doing exciting things in speculative fiction, and I’m so thrilled to be part of sharing it with you! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Check out the links below for updates on the Small Spec Book Awards: Official Page, X, Instagram, BlueSky.
Fantasy 2025 SSBA
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