The Best Science Fiction Short Stories – and where to find them!

Award Winning Science Fiction Short Stories: Hugo, Nebula and More

In general there are many literary awards given in the science fiction genre. However, there are only a handful of awards that focus specifically on science fiction short stories. The two best known awards are The Hugo Award for Best Short Story and The Nebula Award for Best Short Story. There are also some other very good (although lesser known) awards including The Locus Award for Best Short Story and The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.

The Hugo Award for Best Short Story

The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is given annually for best science fiction or fantasy short story (less than 7,500 words) of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, and has been given every year since 1955. Each year there are five nominees for the best short story, and one is chosen as winner. Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention. The actual Hugo award is a rocket shaped trophy.

The Nebula Award for Best Short Story

Since 1965, the Nebula Awards have been given each year for the best short story, novel, novella and novelette eligible for that year's award. The Nebula Awards are presented and voted on by active members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, an organization founded in 1965 that includes most professional writers of science fiction and fantasy in North America. The Nebula Award for Best Short Story is awarded annually to a short work of science fiction or fantasy under 7,500 words, and is announced during the Nebula Awards Weekend in the spring time of each year. The actual Nebula Award is a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula.

The Locus Award for Best Short Story

Each year Locus magazine presents an award to a work of short fiction. The Locus Awards are presented to winners of Locus Magazine's yearly readers' poll, which was established in the early 1970s to provide recommendations and suggestions to Hugo Award voters. The Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, where the winning author receives a plaque, and publishers of winning works get a certificate.

The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award

The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for The Best Short Science Fiction of The Year is the short story counterpart to the the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel of the year. It is named after Theodore Sturgeon, the famous science fiction author, and is awarded yearly by a commitee composed of science fiction authors and a trustee of the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Estate. Any english language story published during the previous year is eligible, and nominations are received from a wide variety of reviewers, readers and editors. The award is presented during the Campbell Conference Awards Banquet at the University of Kansas during a weekend of discussions about the writing, illustration, publishing, teaching, and criticism of science fiction.