Our Early Readers program seeks more LFS members as volunteers to help enhance our annual Prometheus Awards and the nominating and judging process for the Best Novel category.
As described in the previous Prometheus Blog post, we’re looking for freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans who enjoy reading speculative fiction (broadly defined to include sci-fi, fantasy, alternate-history, dystopian literature, mythic fables, “social” sf, near-future politicial thrillers, etc.).
Our ideal Early Reader participants also should be knowledgeable about libertarian and free-market sociopolitical and economic analysis to discern whether such genre novels are good fits for the Prometheus Awards – or not.
Consistent with our nonprofit, all-volunteer libertarian organization of freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans, we’ve structured our Early Readers program to maximize individual choice in several ways.
IT’S YOUR CHOICE!
The goal is to permit busy LFS members to decide if and when they have time to read something for us – and if so, which particular book(s), if any on our updated lists of candidates, seem appealing enough to spark your interest.
For example, when you look over the updated list of novels we compile and send out to Early Readers as potential candidates for nomination, you might pick one or more to read if it catches your interest – or none at all.
You can pledge to read one novel at a time, or more than one.
You can take a reading break, for a month or more, during the year that you volunteer to serve as an Early Reader.
Basically, it’s up to you how much time you invest in reading and reporting on sf/fantasy candidates for our award – and when, all the better to fit your particular life/work/family schedule.
Anything you can do to help as an Early Reader will be much appreciated.
TWO AREAS OF INQUIRY
Basically, Early Readers strive to “fill in the blanks” in two major areas of inquiry to help us determine whether particular candidates fit the Prometheus Award’s unique dual focus, at once literary and thematic.
We tend to see it as a two-part “if/then” process of discovery and analysis… and all we ask Early Readers is to do their best to give us their honest opinions:
• First, does the novel fit the distinctive focus of the Prometheus Awards on libertarian and anti-authoritarian sf/fantasy? (And if such themes are evident, is it just at or over the threshold of eligibility? Or is it, notably above that minimum and perhaps even central to the story?)
• Second, if the novel qualifies in theory for potential nomination, does it deserve a formal nomination on its merits? (In short, how strong is it literarily – in terms of writing finesse, readability, clarity, plotting, pacing, plausible world-building, believable characters, and other qualities that might be relevant, such as imagination, ingenuity, suspense, mystery, humor, etc.)
PERIODIC LIST UPDATES
Once you’ve volunteered as an Early Reader, you’ll be on our emailing list to receive periodic updates (roughly every two or three months) listing all the 2024 novels that have come to our attention as potential nominees.
We strive to describe each novel on the list in enough detail to help you determine whether that’s a book that you would like to read.
For instance, for each listed novel, we confirm its title, author, publisher and page length. We also strive to document whether its sci-fi or fantasy, or a related genre (such as dystopian or alternate-history), and offer a brief description of the plot, setting and characters, based on excerpts from publishers’ blurbs, reviews, endorsement quotes, etc.
The overall goal here is to provide enough information about each book so that each Early Reader can make an informed decision about whether its worth their valuable time and might satisfy their interest and tastes in choosing to read and report on it for the Prometheus Awards.
NO URGENT DEADLINES
Early Readers generally have no deadline on reading candidates, and often can take up to a month or two before submitting their reports throughout the calendar year – at least up until January 2025, when time grows short for final reports, which must be submitted before the annual Feb. 15 Best Novel nominating deadline.
REPORTS REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL
All Early Reader reports on candidates remain confidential, and are shared only with other LFS judges (including the Best Novel finalist judging committee), for further consideration and judges’ discussions.
SOME BOOKS MAY BE AVAILABLE
Based on the cooperation of publishers and authors, we inform Early Readers in advance which candidates on the list may have ebooks available to send them, once they volunteer to read and report that particular book.
Consistent with our libertarian philosophy of respecting other people’s individual rights, and under our routine agreements with publishers and authors, all LFS members serving as Prometheus judges and readers respect their rights and avoid sharing such ebooks with anyone else outside their home.
When books aren’t unavailable, we encourage LFS members to find copies at their local libraries or bookstores or buy them online.
A HELPFUL CHECKLIST OF QUESTIONS
To make reports as easy as possible for Early Readers, we provide a checklist of basic questions to answer about each novel you read.
Representative examples of many of the questions on that list will be posted in the next Prometheus Blog post – something that also might assist other LFS members when suggesting or nominating or works for any category of the Prometheus awards.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you wish to volunteer, have questions or suggestions or want to find out more information aboutthe Early Readers program, contact Michael Grossberg at bestnovelchair@lfs.org
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.
