The Prometheus Award is an award for

libertarian science fiction Libertarian science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on the politics and social order implied by right-libertarian philosophies with an emphasis on individualism and private ownership of the means of production—and in so ...

novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist Society revived it in 1982. The Society created a Hall of Fame Award (for classic works of libertarian science fiction, not necessarily novels) in 1983, and also presents occasional one-off Special Awards.

Multiple recipients

Some authors have won the award for best novel more than once:

Thrice

Cory Doctorow Cory Efram Doctorow (; born July 17, 1971) is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who served as co-editor of the blog '' Boing Boing''. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of ...

Victor Koman Victor Koman (born August 9, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and agorist. A three-time winner of the Prometheus Award, Koman is mainly popular in the libertarian community. He is the owner of the publishing house KoPubCo. H ...

* Ken MacLeod * L. Neil Smith

Twice

* Travis J I Corcoran * James P. Hogan *

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work e ...

* Vernor Vinge *

F. Paul Wilson Francis Paul Wilson (born May 17, 1946, in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American medical doctor and author of horror, adventure, medical thrillers, science fiction, and other genres of literary fiction. His books include the Repairman Jack n ...

A few authors have won the Prometheus Hall of Fame award more than once: *

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

* Robert Heinlein *

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...

Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...

Process

Books published in a given year are eligible (although books from the last few months of the previous year are also eligible if it is felt that they have been overlooked). # All members may nominate novels for the award. # Members of the Best Novel Committee read at least 10-12 of the nominated novels and vote for a slate of 5 finalists. # Full members (a higher price tier of membership) then vote on the finalists. Step 2 happens in the first few months of the following year. Step 3 happens in early summer of the following year. The awards are given at the Annual

Worldcon Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, durin ...

Prometheus Award winners and finalists

* Winners + No winner selected

Hall of Fame Award inductees

* 1983 Robert A. Heinlein, '' The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' ,

, ''

Atlas Shrugged ''Atlas Shrugged'' is a 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. It was her longest novel, the fourth and final one published during her lifetime, and the one she considered her ''magnum opus'' in the realm of fiction writing. ''Atlas Shrugged'' includes elemen ...

'' * 1984

, ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and fina ...

'' ,

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

, ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...

'' * 1985

, ''Trader to the Stars'' , Eric Frank Russell, '' The Great Explosion'' * 1986 Cyril Kornbluth, ''

The Syndic ''The Syndic'' is a 1953 science fiction novel by Cyril M. Kornbluth. Plot summary The prologue introduces the setting, a future North America divided between rival criminal gangs, the Syndic on the East Coast and the Mob in Chicago, who have ...

'' ,

Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson (born Robert Edward Wilson; January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was an American author, futurist, psychologist, and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized within Discordianism as an Episkopos, pope and saint, Wilso ...

Robert Shea Robert Joseph Shea (February 14, 1933 – March 10, 1994) was an American novelist and former journalist best known as co-author with Robert Anton Wilson of the science fantasy trilogy '' Illuminatus!'' It became a cult success and was later turne ...

, ''Illuminatus!'' trilogy * 1987 Robert A. Heinlein, '' Stranger in a Strange Land'' , Ayn Rand, "

Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...

" * 1988 Alfred Bester, '' The Stars My Destination'' * 1989

J. Neil Schulman Joseph Neil Schulman (; April 16, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American novelist who wrote ''Alongside Night'' (published 1979) and ''The Rainbow Cadenza'' (published 1983) which both received the Prometheus Award, a libertarian science ficti ...

, ''

Alongside Night ''Alongside Night'' is a dystopian novel by science fiction writer J. Neil Schulman intended to articulate the principles of Agorism, a political philosophy created by Samuel Edward Konkin III, to whom Schulman dedicated the work. It was first p ...

'' * 1990

, ''The Healer'' * 1991

, ''An Enemy of the State'' * 1992

Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), ''The Stepford Wives'' (1972), '' This Perfe ...

, ''

This Perfect Day ''This Perfect Day'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Ira Levin, about a technocratic dystopia.David Pringle,''The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction''. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, 1990. (p.318). Levin won a Promet ...

'' * 1993

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

, '' The Dispossessed'' * 1994 Yevgeny Zamyatin, '' We'' * 1995

, ''

The Star Fox ''The Star Fox'' is a science fiction novel by Poul Anderson, first published in 1965. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965. Fixup status The novel is a fixup of the stories "Marque and Reprisal", "Arsenal Port" and ...

'' * 1996 Robert A. Heinlein, '' Red Planet'' * 1997 Robert A. Heinlein, ''

Methuselah's Children ''Methuselah's Children'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Originally serialized in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' in the July, August, and September 1941 issues, it was expanded into a full-length novel in 1958. ...

'' * 1998 Robert A. Heinlein, '' Time Enough for Love'' * 1999 H. Beam Piper / John J. McGuire, ''A Planet for Texans'' (also known as ''Lone Star Planet'') * 2000

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consist ...

, "

The Emperor's New Clothes "The Emperor's New Clothes" ( da, Kejserens nye klæder ) is a literary Folklore, folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain emperor who gets exposed before his subjects. The tale has been translated into over 100 l ...

" * 2001 Jerry Pournelle / John F. Carr (editors), ''The Survival of Freedom'' * 2002

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. Born in the United States to Irish emigrant parents, he was raised in Ireland and Engl ...

, ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' (TV series) * 2003 Robert A. Heinlein, "

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

" * 2004 Vernor Vinge, " The Ungoverned" * 2005 A. E. van Vogt, '' The Weapon Shops of Isher'' * 2006

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

(author) / David Lloyd (illustrator), ''

V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British anthol ...

'' (graphic novel) * * 2008

Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his dystopian satire ''A Clockwork ...

, ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' * 2009 J. R. R. Tolkien, ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...

'' * 2010

, "

No Truce with Kings "No Truce With Kings" is a science fiction novella by American writer Poul Anderson. It won the Hugo Award for Best Short Fiction in 1964, and the Prometheus Award for Classic Fiction (the Hall of Fame award) in 2010. The title is taken from R ...

" * 2011

, '' Animal Farm'' * 2012 E. M. Forster, "

The Machine Stops "The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in ''The Oxford and Cambridge Review'' (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster's ''The Eternal Moment and Other Storie ...

" * 2013

, '' Cryptonomicon'' * 2014 Lois McMaster Bujold, '' Falling Free'' * 2015

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

, " "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman" * 2016 Donald Kingsbury, '' Courtship Rite'' * 2017 Robert A. Heinlein, "

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

" * 2018

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the term ''genet ...

, " With Folded Hands" * 2019

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

, " Harrison Bergeron" * 2020

, " Sam Hall" * 2021

, " Lipidleggin'" * 2022 Robert A. Heinlein, '' Citizen of the Galaxy''

Special Award recipients

* 1998 –

Brad Linaweaver Bradford Swain Linaweaver (September 1, 1952 – August 29, 2019) was an American science fiction writer, film producer, actor, and magazine publisher. Over a 40-year career, he completed a body of work including novels, short stories, and scree ...

and Edward E. Kramer: editors, ''Free Space'' (anthology) * 2001 –

, Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2005 – Mark Tier and Martin H. Greenberg: editors, ''Give Me Liberty'' and ''Visions of Liberty'' (anthologies for Baen Books) * 2005 – L. Neil Smith (writer) and Scott Bieser (illustrator), '' The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel'' * 2006 –

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television serie ...

(writer-director), '' Serenity'' * 2007 –

James McTeigue James McTeigue (born December 29, 1967) is an Australian film and television director. He has been an assistant director on many films, including '' Dark City'' (1998), the ''Matrix'' trilogy (1999–2003) and '' Star Wars: Episode II – Att ...

(director) and

the Wachowskis Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans ...

(screenplay), ''

'' (Motion Picture) * 2014 – Vernor Vinge, Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2014 – Leslie Fish, "Tower of Horses" (novella) and "The Horsetamer's Daughter" (song). * 2015 –

, Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2016 – L. Neil Smith, Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2016 – Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, ''

Alex + Ada ''Alex + Ada'' is an American comic book series created by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn. The duo began work on the series in January 2013, before publishing 15 issues through Image Comics between November 2013 and June 2015. The series has sinc ...

'' * 2017 – Mark Stanley, ''Freefall'' (

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be c ...

)

References

External links

Prometheus award page
{{Science fiction Science fiction awards Awards established in 1979 Libertarian science fiction Anarchist fiction Halls of fame in California

Multiple recipients

Thrice

Twice

Process

Prometheus Award winners and finalists

Hall of Fame Award inductees

Special Award recipients

See also

References

External links