By Michael Grossberg
How often are sequels nominated for Best Novel? And of those, how many go on to become Best Novel finalists? Or winners?
A lot, actually – and more than I initially recalled.
In this ongoing Prometheus Blog analysis of the number of sequels that have won over 46 years in the Best Novel category, I discovered several surprising patterns.
The subject of sequels is timely, with four sequels of the 11 2024 novels nominated this year for Best Novel and two sequel novels going on to become Best Novel finalists.
That sounds like a lot, but it’s not anywhere close to a Prometheus Awards record.
THE PROMETHEUS POPULARITY OF SEQUELS
Just looking over the past five years proves how popular sequels are with LFS members and Prometheus judges – probably reflecting broader trends in our popular entertainment and culture also visible in film, television and other genres of literary fiction.
In 2024, eight of the 17 nominees were sequels. That includes three that went on to be recognized as Best Novel finalists: Karl K. Gallagher’s Swim Among the People, Gordon Hanka’s God’s Girlfriend and Daniel Suarez’s Critical Mass.
Suarez’s novel, discussed below, went on to win the Prometheus award.
In 2023, four of the 15 nominees were sequels, two of which went on to become Best Novel finalists.
In 2022, seven of the 16 nominees were sequels, two of which went on to become Best Novel finalists.
In 2021, seven of the 11 nominees were sequels, in percentage terms what may be the highest annual percentage within Prometheus Awards history.
Even beyond that, what’s truly impressive is how many of that year’s five Best Novel finalists were sequels. All but one of them!
Plus, a sequel novel won that year: Barry Longyear’s The Hook.
With an eye toward what made these particular sequel novels deserving of top Prometheus Awards recognition, here are descriptions of the respective subjects and themes of Critical Mass and The Hook.
DANIEL SUAREZ’S CRITICAL MASS: A DELTA-V SEQUEL
Daniel Suarez’s Critical Mass, the 2024 Prometheus Best Novel winner, is informed and enlivened by its deep understanding and passion for commercial space development.
A courageous band of astronaut-entrepreneurs strive to alleviate Earth-based problems through commercial space projects in the grippingly realistic SF thriller.
Set mostly off the Earth and around the solar system, the suspenseful, fast-paced drama follows the resourceful heroes as they strive to achieve their ambitious, unprecedented goals amid Cold War tensions, shifting global political alliances and shortsighted opposition from Earth governments.
Suarez goes beyond most space-industrialization novels in its realism and attention to science and engineering, while fully underscoring the supremely high risks of working and living outside Earth.
While Critical Mass is very much a self-contained novel, which can be fully appreciated on its own, it’s also a sequel to Delta-V, the first novel in Suarez’s projected Delta-v trilogy.
Because Critical Mass works so well on its own, it’s easy to forget Delta-V, even though that solid SF novel, about the challenges of the same astronaut team’s difficult first asteroid-mining mission, was nominated in 2020 for the Prometheus Award.
For more about Critical Mass, read the Prometheus Blog appreciation.
BARRY LONGYEAR’S THE HOOK: A WAR WHISPERER SEQUEL
Barry Longyear won his Prometheus Award for Best Novel in 2021 for The Hook, which explores what happens to a thriving near-future North American society after its government is abolished, but neighboring governments continue to threaten its freedom and independence.
That key libertarian question – how can we fight tyranny without losing our liberty? – poses a classic Gordian Knot problem that’s well worth exploring, and The Hook does that with great drama and insight into the ethics and complexities of libertarian theory.
While The Hook can be fully grasped and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, it’s also a sequel – as reflected in its full title: The War Whisperer, Book 5: The Hook.
The novel is actually a pivotal chapter in Longyear’s ambitious seven-volume series, billed as the autobiography, coming of age and intellectual evolution of Jerome Track, its libertarian hero.
For more about The Hook, read the Prometheus Blog appreciation.
MORE SEQUEL WINNERS
What other sequel novels have won a Prometheus Award?
So far in our sequel series, we’ve covered winners by Travis Corcoran (see previous blog post), Daniel Suarez and Barry Longyear.
By my count, that leaves more than half a dozen other sequel novels to discuss that have won a Prometheus Award for Best Novel over the past 46 years.
Can you identify the others?
Do you have a favorite among the sequels discussed so far, or other sequels as yet unidentified? Your comments are welcome.
ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS AND THE LFS:
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I suspect what you’re seeing is sequels becoming a larger share of the books published. Readers have shown a preference for long series over stand-alone novels, at least in online sales. Writers are responding by shifting more of their efforts to series.
“Do you have a favorite among the sequels discussed so far?” Yes! Travis Corcoran’s Causes of Separation. I read it very soon after the first book and enjoyed it as much. Fast paced and always engaging. I had never read Corcoran before but he has a new fan.
I’m working through many of the Prometheus winners and nominees so I’m sure there will be other excellent sequels to get to.
Thanks for another informative post.