Five are novels, two are novelettes, one a novella, one a story and one a song, reflecting the wide range of fiction eligible for consideration in the Prometheus Hall of Fame.
The authors of these classic works range from the late great Rudyard Kipling, C.S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke to still-living authors, such as Harry Turtledove and Charles Stross.
Ten works of speculative fiction, first published or performed more than 20 years ago, have been nominated by LFS members for the next Prometheus Hall of Fame for Best Classic Fiction.
Four of the nominated writer-creators have previously won Prometheus Awards, including Poul Anderson, Vernor Vinge, Turtledove and Stross. Yet, a majority of authors have not yet received such recognition – though one might this next year.
Of the 10 nominees, four are first-time nominees for the Hall of Fame: Arthur Clarke’s 1961 story “Death and the Senator,” Mack Reynolds 1961 story “Ultima Thule,” James H. Schmitz’s 1968 novel The Demon Breed, and Charles Stross’s 2003 novel Singularity Sky.
Three nominees were on the short list last year and became 2024 Best Classic Fiction finalists, each receiving a full-length review on the Prometheus Blog: Poul Anderson’s 1983 novel Orion Shall Rise, the 1978 Rush song “The Trees” and Harry Turtledove’s 1998 novel Between the Rivers.
Three other nominees weren’t on the short list last year but have been nominated previously for the Hall of Fame at least once and were selected finalists: Rudyard Kipling’s 1912 story “As Easy as A.B.C.” (the oldest work on this year’s list), C.S. Lewis’s 1945 novel That Hideous Strength; and Vernor Vinge’s 1968 story “Conquest by Default.”
Unlike the Prometheus category for Best Novel, which is limited to eligible works published each year, the Prometheus Hall of Fame category is open to repeated nominations of eligible and classic works, so long as they were first published, broadcast, recorded, staged or performed at least 20 years ago.
The only exception, and a restriction that applies to all Prometheus award categories including our occasional Special Awards, is that no work, once it wins in any category, may be considered again.
THE FULL LIST OF 10 NOMINEES
With all that said as a teaser, here are all 10 Hall of Fame nominees for the 2025 Prometheus Awards, listed in chronological order of publication, or recording/performance:
“As Easy as A.B.C.,” by Rudyard Kipling (1912), a novelette
That Hideous Strength, by C.S. Lewis (1945), a novel
“Death and the Senator,” by Arthur C. Clarke (1961), a short story
“Ultima Thule,” by Mack Reynolds (1961), a novella
“Conquest by Default,” by Vernor Vinge (1968), a novelette
The Demon Breed, by James H. Schmitz (1968), a novel
“The Trees,” by Rush (1978), a song
Orion Shall Rise, by Poul Anderson (1984), a novel
Between the Rivers, by Harry Turtledove (1998), a novel
Singularity Sky, by Charles Stross (2003), a novel
WHERE TO FIND THE NOMINEES
Virtually all of the above nominated classics can be found in libraries, used and new bookstores and online, including on Amazon.
The full texts can be found online via a quick title search for free access to the Kipling and Reynolds stories and to the lyrics of “The Trees.”
To buy and/or hear the Rush song, get their Hemispheres album or find videos of “The Trees” being performed by the Canadian rock group and others on Youtube.)
Coming up: The Prometheus Blog plans to publish a series of capsule reviews of each of the 10 Hall of Fame nominees, not only describing their basic subjects, settings and themes, but also making clear how they fit the distinctive dual focus of the Prometheus Awards (on both literary quality and libertarian/anti-authoritarian themes) and why they deserve our recognition.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS:
* Prometheus winners: For the full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees – including the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards – visit the enhanced Prometheus Awards page on the LFS website, which now includes convenient links to all published essay-reviews in our Appreciation series explaining why each of more than 100 past winners since 1979 fits the awards’ distinctive dual focus on both quality and liberty.
* Read “The Libertarian History of Science Fiction,” an essay in the international magazine Quillette that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf/fantasy in the evolution of the modern genre.
* Watch videos of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies (including the recent 2023 ceremony with inspiring and amusing speeches by Prometheus-winning authors Dave Freer and Sarah Hoyt), Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog’s Video page.
* Check out the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Facebook page for comments, updates and links to Prometheus Blog posts.
* Join us! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, join the Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans.
Libertarian futurists believe that culture matters! We understand that the arts and literature can be vital in envisioning a freer and better future – and in some ways can be even more powerful than politics in the long run, by imagining better visions of the future incorporating peace, prosperity, progress, tolerance, justice, positive social change, and mutual respect for each other’s rights, individuality and human dignity.
Through recognizing the literature of liberty and the many different but complementary visions of a free future via the Prometheus Awards, the LFS hopes to help spread ideas and ethical principles that help humanity overcome tyranny, end slavery, reduce the threat of war, repeal or constrain other abuses of coercive power and achieve universal liberty, respect for human rights and a better world (perhaps ultimately, worlds) for all.
