Welcome, friend! It’s time to celebrate the finalists and winner for the inaugural Small Spec Book Awards in the SciFi category. As you know, I have been covering these awards throughout the year, including spotlighting the semi-finalists back in September and the Fantasy finalists and winner last week.
Each title was rated by readers on a scale of one to ten across ten questions, from whether the characters were memorable to whether the story delivered that elusive wow factor.
Let’s hear from the SciFi authors about their book and what this recognition means to them.
Featured Finalists + Winner
Sheila Jenné’s The Seat of Clouds
Finalist
Links: Add to your Goodreads shelf
What are 5 words you would use to describe your book?
- Revolution–that’s the main theme of the book
- Venus–one of the most important settings
- Steampunk–this book felt a lot more steampunk than the previous one, with trains, zeppelins, and city riots
- Epistolary–the romance in this book is conducted entirely in letters (that aren’t always delivered)
- Mystery–one of the main plots of the story is a missing-person case
How does it feel to see your book recognized this way?
It feels pretty good! I was surprised to see it come so far when it’s the second book of a series; most people would only read it if they had read the first. But a lot of people say it’s better than the first book, despite it not having had much attention when it came out, so it’s nice to see it get some recognition of its own. I think maybe revolution is a topic people are really enjoying these days….for some reason.
What excites you most about writing science fiction?
I like the way nothing is set in stone. The future could turn out any of a thousand ways; it’s in our power to build a better world than we have today–or a worse one. There’s nothing like science fiction to remind us that nothing we experience today has to be that way. History isn’t a straight line or a circle, it’s a constant journey with mountains and valleys, and no saying where we’ll end up.
Rosie Oliver’s A Truth Beyond Full (Elsewhen Press)
Finalist
Links: Purchase from Publisher’s Site, Add to your Goodreads shelf
What are 5 words you would use to describe your book?
Rockborne, Redemption, Ice-world, Truth, Unusual (Yes, I know rockborne is not a word in the English dictionaries. However, it is the talent the main character has and it drives a lot of the story.)
How does it feel to see your book recognized this way?
In one sense, unbelievable. The reason is I have struggled for various reasons with my English ever since childhood. To have A Truth Beyond Full published is a super achievement because I was getting my off-beat difficult-to-explain imagined world into print. Becoming a finalist in SSBA science fiction section means that people read, understood and acknowledged enjoying it. That means so much to me. In another sense, I’m absolutely over the moon that it was awarded being a finalist.
What excites you most about writing science fiction?
Exploring new ideas, new worlds and new types of characters that are defined by their worlds they exist in or on. I get a special buzz from giving an impossible scenarios plausibility. Yes, these give me a thought-ache and brain-sweat, but the rewards of seeing the results kind of euphoric for me.
Alex Kingsley’s Empress of Dust (Space Wizard Science Fantasy)
Winner
Links: Purchase from Publisher’s Site, Add to your Goodreads shelf
What are 5 words you would use to describe your book?
adventure, creatures, found family, transgender
How does it feel to see your book recognized this way?
It’s super exciting! Not long ago this story existed only in my brain, and to have so many people reading and talking about it because of this award is surreal. It makes me so happy to get to share it with a wider audience.
What excites you most about writing science fiction?
I love science fiction because I don’t want my writing to be bound by the constraints of our reality. I think we could all do with freeing our imaginations in order to conceptualize what is possible — not just in terms of a utopic future, but in terms of different ways to see reality. This is why I think it’s important that we keep writing about alternative societies, non-human perspectives, and worlds with infinite variety.
Other SciFi Finalists
Also recognized in the Science Fiction category:
- Her Gilded Voice by K.C. Aegis (Elsewhen Press) (Goodreads)
- The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits by Ben Berman Ghan (Wolsak and Wynn Publishers) (Goodreads)
The SciFi finalists and winner showcased here are a wonderful reminder of the range and imagination thriving in small-press and independent speculative fiction today. Thank you to the authors who took the time to participate, and to the readers who supported and engaged with the awards along the way.
It’s been a pleasure following the Small Spec Book Awards throughout the year and celebrating the stories that resonated most strongly with readers.
Stay tuned for the Horror finalist round-ups will be coming up next week.
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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