Editor’s note: Raconteur Press published two of this year’s three Prometheus winners: J. Kenton Pierce’s A Kiss for Damocles, the 2026 Best Novel winner; and Dave Freer’s Storm-Dragon, which received the first Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction.
Co-publisher Ian McMurtrie made these remarks Aug. 16, 2026, at the 46th Prometheus Awards ceremony.
By Ian McMurtrie
Good afternoon, members of the Society, fans, ladies and gentlemen.
On behalf of Dave Freer and Kenton Pierce; on behalf of the fans, and of the staff at Raconteur Press, allow us to express our delight at our authors winning not one, but two Prometheus Awards in our inaugural year of publishing novels and Boy’s Adventure books.
We consider this honor from the members of the Libertarian Futurist Society to be solid proof that there is still a place in this jaded world for stories of courage, self-reliance, honor, resilience, and yes – valor.
In this new Golden Age of Publishing, these awards are proof that the field remains wide open to anyone with a vision, drive, and grit.
Rita and I would like to thank the members of the Libertarian Futurist Society for their willingness to consider literature put forth by new authors and new publishers.
We recognize that these awards come with an implicit plea to continue publishing works that entertain, that challenge, that uplift, and that satisfy the age-old desire for stories that speak to the better angels of our nature.
All of us here at Raconteur Press wholeheartedly agree that these books by Freer and Pierce are the embodiment of these very principles, and we thank you for recognizing their exceptional literary achievements.
Please remain assured that Raconteur Press will continue in the vein that we have established with the winning of both awards.
Again: Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
ABOUT IAN MCMURTRIE
Ian McMurtrie – also known by the pen name LawDog – is the founder, CEO and co-publisher of Raconteur Press, an independent publishing company based near Iowa Park, Texas.
ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS
* Join us! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards, honor outstanding freedom-loving fantastical fiction and find fellowship with other fans, join the Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer international association of freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans.
Libertarian futurists understand that culture matters. We believe that literature and the arts can be vital in envisioning a freer and better future. In some ways, culture can be even more influential and 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, dignity, individuality and peaceful choices.
* Prometheus winners: For a full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees – including in 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. This page includes links to all published essay-reviews in our Appreciation series explaining why each work that has won a Prometheus since 1979 fits the awards’ distinctive dual focus on both liberty and literary quality.
* Watch videos of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies, Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog’s Video page.
* Read “The Libertarian History of Science Fiction,” an essay in the international magazine Quillette that highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf/fantasy in the evolution of the modern genre.
* Check out the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Facebook page for comments, updates and links to Prometheus Blog posts.
