News – Prometheus Blog

David Friedman: Why isn’t one of the leading libertarian theorists better known as a fantasy novelist? 

Most economists, legal experts, academics and libertarian theorists focus on the real world, not fantasy or science fiction.

Yet, David Friedman, the free-market economist, retired professor, physicist and legal scholar who’s written a variety of wide-ranging nonfiction books and textbooks, is also a lifelong science fiction fan and acclaimed fantasy author.

Friedman, who recently agreed to speak as a presenter in August at the 45th annual Prometheus Awards ceremony, probably should be better known – and more widely read – as a fantasy novelist within the broad and overlapping circles of SF/fantasy fans and Libertarian Futurist Society members.

Continue reading David Friedman: Why isn’t one of the leading libertarian theorists better known as a fantasy novelist? 

Leading libertarian thinker and fantasy author David Friedman to speak at the 45th annual Prometheus Awards ceremony 

By Michael Grossberg

David Friedman (Creative Commons license)

David Friedman, the influential economist, legal scholar, libertarian theorist and novelist, has graciously agreed to speak and present a category at this year’s 45th Prometheus Awards ceremony.

Friedman is best known for his academic scholarship and for The Machinery of Freedom, his pioneering libertarian classic. With an empirical focus on the practical solutions to many social problems that private markets can address optimally, and far better than governments, Friedman’s nonfiction book had a major impact on the early libertarian movement in the 1970s and 1980s.

Yet, Friedman is also a science fiction fan and a novelist who has written three fantasy novels, apt and additional reasons the Libertarian Futurist Society board of directors invited him to speak and present the Prometheus Hall of Fame category for Best Classic Fiction at our 2025 Prometheus Awards ceremony.

Continue reading Leading libertarian thinker and fantasy author David Friedman to speak at the 45th annual Prometheus Awards ceremony 

A guide before voting: Our reviews of this year’s four Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists

By Michael Grossberg

For the convenience of LFS members and a guide to this year’s Prometheus Awards, the Prometheus Blog has now posted reviews of all four of the year’s Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists for Best Classic Fiction.

Libertarian Futurist Society members, who have the right to vote to select the annual Best Classic Fiction winner, are invited to read (or reread) our reviews of the 2025 finalists: Poul Anderson’s novel Orion Shall Rise, Rudyard Kipling’s story “As Easy as A.B.C.,” the Rush song “The Trees” and Charles Stross’ novel Singularity Sky.

Other science fiction and fantasy fans, outside the LFS, also may wish to check out the reviews to appreciate these works and to better understand how they fit the distinctive dual focus of the Prometheus Awards on both quality and liberty.

Continue reading A guide before voting: Our reviews of this year’s four Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists

Another milestone of progress to celebrate: Prometheus-winning visions of free enterprise in space are now becoming more of a reality with private spacecraft landing on the moon 

Imagine of Blue Ghost lunar craft in front of the Earth (Creative Commons license)

By Michael Grossberg

If all goes as planned, a privately built spacecraft will land on the moon early Sunday March 2.

It’s the first in a series of exciting robotic missions to the moon in 2025, setting the stage for people to return to the moon for the first time since the first expeditions landed more than half a century ago.

The robotic lander, dubbed Blue Ghost, was created by Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based company, and has been in orbit around the moon for about two weeks, preparing for its daring descent.

If only Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Ray Bradbury, L. Neil Smith, James Hogan, Michael Flynn, Vernor Vinge and other visionary Prometheus-winning authors could have lived to celebrate it!

Continue reading Another milestone of progress to celebrate: Prometheus-winning visions of free enterprise in space are now becoming more of a reality with private spacecraft landing on the moon 

Author’s update: Two-time Prometheus winner Daniel Suarez launches publications of short stories and announces a 2025 novel and film adaptation plans

Daniel Suarez, last year’s Prometheus Best Novel winner for Critical Mass, has shared with his fans some exciting developments.

Among the big news: the launch of a series of separately published short stories; some progress with film and TV adaptations of his works; and an update on his next novel, due out in 2025 by Dutton.

However, it won’t be the novel many expect.

Meanwhile, Heir Apparent, the first story in the new series, has just been published.

Continue reading Author’s update: Two-time Prometheus winner Daniel Suarez launches publications of short stories and announces a 2025 novel and film adaptation plans

A diverse slate of firsts and lasts: 11 Prometheus Best Novel nominees offer SF and fantasy, drama, mystery and satirical cautionary tales

By Michael Grossberg

Eleven 2024 novels have been nominated for the next Prometheus Award for Best Novel.

Writer Howard Andrew Jones (Photo courtesy of Baen Books)

Broadly embracing many forms of speculative fiction including science fiction, fantasy, dystopian cautionary tales and near-future political-tech thrillers, the diverse slate offers a wide variety and blends of genres, styles and themes – from the serious to the darkly satirical.

Two-time Prometheus winner Michael Flynn (Creative Commons license)

Most poignantly, this will be the last time that two authors are nominated for Best Novel because they’ve sadly passed away: Michael Flynn and Howard Andrew Jones.

Flynn, a two-time Prometheus winner for Best Novel, died in 2023 at 75.

Jones, a Best Novel finalist last year, died in January 2025 at 56.

Continue reading A diverse slate of firsts and lasts: 11 Prometheus Best Novel nominees offer SF and fantasy, drama, mystery and satirical cautionary tales

File 770’s year-end best-novels recommended reading list includes four Prometheus Best Novel nominees 

By Michael Grossberg

File 770, a leading SF/fantasy publication that frequently posts reviews, has offered its annual list of outstanding novels.

Of the 35 novels on File 770’s “2024 Recommended SF/F List,” four have been nominated by LFS members for the next Prometheus Award for Best Novel.

Meanwhile, four other novels on that list also have been under review on our unofficial “short list” of 2024 candidates to consider for nomination.

Continue reading File 770’s year-end best-novels recommended reading list includes four Prometheus Best Novel nominees 

SF2 Concatenation: Year-end SF/fantasy “bests” list overlaps with Prometheus Awards candidates, nominees

By Michael Grossberg

Each year, SF/fantasy publications, critics and readers compile annual lists of the past year’s best fiction.

Such lists can be helpful to examine for general readers and Prometheus Awards judges, because they bring to our attention or remind us of significant works worth checking out and that might otherwise be overlooked.

Consider, for example, the “Best SF books of 2024” list by SF2 Concatenation (Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation), a digital zine website and online archive focused on reviewing SF books, news and related media.

Of the eight 2024 novels recognized on the Concatenation “bests” list, half have figured in some way in the current cycle of Prometheus Awards judging for Best Novel – a relatively high degree of overlap.

Continue reading SF2 Concatenation: Year-end SF/fantasy “bests” list overlaps with Prometheus Awards candidates, nominees

Introducing the Prometheus Awards Collection for Libraries

By Michael Grossberg

One of the most exciting and promising Libertarian Futurist Society outreach projects in years is our new Prometheus Awards Collection for Libraries.

The ambitious project offers a carefully curated selection of Prometheus-winning novels to be donated and mailed to interested libraries across the country upon their request.

The set of brand-new books was chosen to expand the range and variety of notable and acclaimed science fiction on library shelves across the country – especially to aid smaller libraries, which may have more limited resources.

Continue reading Introducing the Prometheus Awards Collection for Libraries

Why accurate language, objectivity (and Orwell) matter: Libertarian economist David Henderson aptly references 1984 in explaining common misperceptions about “privilege” 

By Michael Grossberg

George Orwell’s emphasis on clarity of language and objective definitions, exemplified in his seminal essay on “Politics and the English Language,” remains worth emulating in 2025 and beyond.

When so many so-called public intellectuals, columnists, opinion leaders and even professional economists embrace popular fallacies and use misleading language, it’s harmful both to literacy and liberty.

How pleasing it is, then, when a nationally known economist not only uses words accurately, in opposition to common misconceptions, misinformation and ideological bias, but also demonstrates how well he understands and appreciates Orwell’s classic fiction.

Continue reading Why accurate language, objectivity (and Orwell) matter: Libertarian economist David Henderson aptly references 1984 in explaining common misperceptions about “privilege” 