J.K. Rowling – Prometheus Blog

Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Hunger Games and other libertarian currents in science fiction and fantasy: Cato scholar Ilya Somin’s keynote speech at the 46th Prometheus Awards 

Editor’s Note: Cato Institute scholar, author and law professor Ilya Somin (also a lifelong SF/fantasy fan) gave the keynote address and presented the Prometheus Hall of Fame award at the 46th Prometheus Awards ceremony. Here is the first part of his speech on libertarian currents in SF/fantasy.

By Ilya Somin

It is an honor to be here and to have a small hand in presenting this award appropriately. I’m going to devote my keynote talk to discussing the relationship between libertarianism and science fiction, broadly defined.

I will explain why libertarianism is more represented in the science fiction genre and in the closely related fantasy genre than probably in any other literary or popular culture genre. I’ll give some examples, and I’ll briefly talk about why it matters, why we should care.

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The biggest novels in Prometheus history: An annotated list of the top dozen in page length (and why such epic works reward readers) 

By Michael Grossberg

Size matters – or at least it can make a big difference, in helping a novel to achieve greater dramatic impact in its scope, depth, narrative complexity and emotional power.

Quite a few longer novels have been recognized by the Prometheus Awards over the past 47 years, whether as nominees, finalists or winners – from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon and Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged to the recent nomination of Sarah Hoyt’s three-volume No Mans Land for the next Prometheus Award for Best Novel.

The three classic and epic works by Tolkien, Stephenson and Rand rank No. 1, 2 and 3 in page length in the history of the Prometheus Awards – as detailed in previous Prometheus Blog articles about the three bestselling winners and No Man’s Land.

So what are all the Prometheus-recognized novels and their ranks in page lengths on our top-12 list?

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LFS adds Prometheus Young Adult Fiction Honor Roll as recommended reading guide for children, teenagers

By Michael Grossberg

Young people are the readers, writers and citizens of tomorrow.

Hopefully, the next generation will also become advocates for liberty, peace and justice for all. Yet, that is not inevitable or automatic; children must be taught the heritage of humankind and must be exposed to the best of our common culture.

Encouraging the younger generations to read good books, including outstanding science fiction and fantasy and the literature of liberty, is the goal of a newly created list of past Prometheus Award-winners.

This recommended reading list, designed for children and teenagers but also as a guide for their parents and grandparents choosing gifts or making suggestions, is now posted on the LFS website as the “Prometheus Award Young Adult Honor Roll.”

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