Andre Norton – Prometheus Blog

Special Award Appreciation: Dave Freer’s Prometheus-winning Storm-Dragon offers Young Adult adventure of curiosity, courage, resistance and resilience 

As part of the LFS’ ongoing Appreciation series of review-essays explaining how each Prometheus Award-winner fits the distinctive dual focus of our award on both liberty and literary quality and why it deserved to win, here is an Appreciation of 2026 Special Award winner Storm-Dragon by Dave Freer.

By Michael Grossberg

Storm-Dragon, the first work to receive a Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction, is an entertaining tale embodying golden-age themes of initiative, imagination, curiosity, courage, resilience and resistance.

Fun to read, Dave Freer’s 2025 adventure novel offers much the same appeal as classic “juveniles” by Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton.

The story revolves around a boy who adopts an unusual pet on Vann’s World, an ocean-dominated planet with a fledgling human colony facing dangers alien and human.

Continue reading Special Award Appreciation: Dave Freer’s Prometheus-winning Storm-Dragon offers Young Adult adventure of curiosity, courage, resistance and resilience 

The 46th Prometheus Awards: J. Kenton Pierce discusses good characters, conflicts and restrictions on liberty in his Best Novel acceptance speech for A Kiss for Damocles  

Editor’s note: J. Kenton Pierce, who won the 2026 Prometheus Award for Best Novel for A Kiss for Damocles, delivered his acceptance speech Aug. 16, 2026, during the 46th Prometheus Awards ceremony.

By J. Kenton Pierce

I am deeply grateful for this tremendous honor. Giving a speech wasn’t a problem I imagined having, considering that A Kiss for Damocles was up against books by people who’ve written some of my favorite stories.

I’m no deep political or philosophical thinker. I’m just a character-driven reader, so I lean in on crafting characters I’d enjoy spending time with.

Continue reading The 46th Prometheus Awards: J. Kenton Pierce discusses good characters, conflicts and restrictions on liberty in his Best Novel acceptance speech for A Kiss for Damocles  

Review: Dave Freer’s Storm-Dragon offers Heinleinesque Young Adult tale of discovery, self-reliance and courage against abuses of power 

By Michael Grossberg

Storm-Dragon, a 2026 Prometheus Best Novel finalist, offers an entertaining tale embodying golden-age SF themes of initiative, imagination, resilience and self-reliance.

Dave Freer’s Young Adult novel appeals to adults, too — especially those of us who grew up reading YA novels by Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton.

The novel revolves around a boy who adopts an intelligent-alien pet on Vann’s World, an ocean-dominated planet with a small human colony facing dangers alien and human, visible and hidden.

Continue reading Review: Dave Freer’s Storm-Dragon offers Heinleinesque Young Adult tale of discovery, self-reliance and courage against abuses of power 

Why leading economist, libertarian theorist and novelist David Friedman admires Prometheus winner C.J. Cherryh 

By Michael Grossberg

Even after all of the inspiring, thought-provoking and occasionally poignant or amusing speeches by presenters and acceptors, the 45th Prometheus Awards ceremony was worth watching through the very end of its 48 minutes.

David Friedman (Photo provided by Friedman)

During the post-ceremony Q&A discussions of the live Zoom event (recorded and later posted on YouTube), guest Hall of Fame presenter David Friedman offered interesting and revealing comments on a wide variety of science-fiction novelists – including Poul Anderson, the 2025 Hall of Fame winner for his novel Orion Shall Rise; Robert Heinlein, Jerry Pournelle and Vernor Vinge.

A leading economist and libertarian theorist and author of half a dozen non-fiction books, Friedman’s views are worth quoting – especially because he understands the challenges of writing fantastical fiction from his own experience as a Prometheus-nominated writer of three fantasy novels: Harald, Salamander and Brothers.

Here is what Friedman had to say about C.J. Cherryh, among half a dozen sf authors that he commented on in the post-ceremony question period.

Continue reading Why leading economist, libertarian theorist and novelist David Friedman admires Prometheus winner C.J. Cherryh 