{"id":9875,"date":"2025-09-22T00:04:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T05:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/?p=9875"},"modified":"2025-09-04T22:28:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T03:28:11","slug":"video-watch-the-45th-prometheus-awards-ceremony-with-speeches-by-leading-libertarian-thinker-david-friedman-and-tributes-to-the-late-poul-anderson-and-michael-flynn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/video-watch-the-45th-prometheus-awards-ceremony-with-speeches-by-leading-libertarian-thinker-david-friedman-and-tributes-to-the-late-poul-anderson-and-michael-flynn\/","title":{"rendered":"Video: Watch the 45th Prometheus Awards ceremony, with speeches by leading libertarian thinker David Friedman and tributes to the late Poul Anderson and Michael Flynn\u2028"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>How did Robert Heinlein\u2019s <em>The Moon is a Harsh Mistress<\/em> give leading libertarian thinker David Friedman the radical idea that society can develop just laws and functional legal systems without government?<\/p>\n<p>What life events, travels, famous scientists and space projects helped shape the late Poul Anderson\u2019s 1983 novel <em>Orion Shall Rise,<\/em> the 2025 Prometheus Hall of Fame winner?<\/p>\n<p>How did the late Michael Flynn\u2019s childhood lead him to become an award-winning science fiction writer?<\/p>\n<p>Why does Flynn\u2019s CAEZIK SF &amp; Fantasy publisher view him as one of the most underestimated sf writers of his generation?<\/p>\n<p>What Prometheus-winning sf\/fantasy authors rank high among Friedman\u2019s favorites &#8211; and why?<\/p>\n<p>To find out, watch the recorded YouTube video of the 45th Prometheus Awards ceremony:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025 Prometheus Awards\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KJNvOkzHAvM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Sadly, this was the first Prometheus ceremony in which both winning novelists were recognized posthumously.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, that also made possible some of the most eloquent, personal, revealing, poignant (and occasionally amusing) tributes by the family members who loved them.<\/p>\n<p>To whet your appetite to watch the entire 45-minute video, which includes a fascinating Q&amp;A afterwards with Friedman, here are a few representative excerpts from the recorded Aug. 30, 2025 ceremony:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9819\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9819\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9819\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/celebrating-the-45th-prometheus-awards-michael-flynns-publisher-shahid-mahmuds-acceptance-speech-about-one-of-our-most-underrated-sf-authors\/publisher-shahid-mahmud\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?fit=1512%2C2016&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1512,2016\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Publisher Shahid Mahmud\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Michael Flynn&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Publisher Shahid Mahmud, of CAEZIK SF &#038; Fantasy (File photo)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?fit=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?fit=660%2C880&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9819\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?w=1512&amp;ssl=1 1512w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Publisher-Shahid-Mahmud-rotated.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9819\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Publisher Shahid Mahmud, of CAEZIK SF &amp; Fantasy (File photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>CAEZIK SF &amp; Fantasy publisher Shahid Mahmud on Michael Flynn:<br \/>\n<\/b><br \/>\n\u201cI am not saying this because I published him: Michael was one of my favorite authors. I think he was one of the most underrated authors in the genre, in terms of how well he was known among the readers. I think his work holds up to some of the best science fiction I\u2019ve ever read.<\/p>\n<p>But let me warn you about something. He loved killing characters.<\/p>\n<p>If you remember his novel <i>The Wreck of the River of Stars<\/i>, nearly everybody dies. You get invested in his characters, because he wrote good characters, and then he kills them almost all off.<\/p>\n<p>And this is an absolutely true story: I once asked him to write a number of novellas for me for a collection. And I told him, \u2018please, please, Michael, just don\u2019t kill off your characters.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Soon enough, I got a message from him: \u2018Shahid, I have to kill off the baby.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>I said: \u2018No, no, Michael, you can\u2019t kill the baby! You can\u2019t kill off babies in stories. People don\u2019t like it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>But he insists.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And then he sends me the story\u2026. and he had to kill off the baby.<\/p>\n<p>So rest in peace, Michael, and thank you for all the joy &#8211; and the sadness, with his onus for killing off those characters.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8657\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8657\" style=\"width: 239px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8657\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/david-friedman-why-isnt-one-of-the-leading-libertarian-theorists-better-known-as-a-fantasy-novelist\/david-friedman-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?fit=251%2C315&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"251,315\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"David Friedman\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;David Friedman (Photo provided by Friedman)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?fit=239%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?fit=251%2C315&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8657\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?resize=239%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?resize=239%2C300&amp;ssl=1 239w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/David-Friedman.jpg?w=251&amp;ssl=1 251w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8657\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Friedman (Photo provided by Friedman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>David D. Friedman\u2019s speech on libertarian science fiction:<\/b><b><i><br \/>\n<\/i><\/b><b><i><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Heinlein\u2019s book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/lunar-revolution-rational-anarchism-anarcho-capitalism-a-self-aware-computer-ecological-crisis-and-tanstaafl-an-appreciation-of-robert-heinleins-the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress-a-1983-prom\/\"><i>The Moon is a Harsh Mistress<\/i> <\/a>was a major influence on my views. Before I read it, my view was that the free market, voluntary exchange, was the right way to produce things, but that it required a legal framework produced and enforced outside the market &#8211; a government.<\/p>\n<p>That view was in tension with my moral intuitions, which found no basis for taxes, government authority, no obligation to obey the law merely because it was the law. Right and wrong are not made by act of Congress.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1888\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/lunar-revolution-rational-anarchism-anarcho-capitalism-a-self-aware-computer-ecological-crisis-and-tanstaafl-an-appreciation-of-robert-heinleins-the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress-a-1983-prom\/0-themoonisaharsh_mistress_book\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?fit=220%2C332&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"220,332\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_(book)\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Robert Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?fit=199%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?fit=220%2C332&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1888 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?resize=199%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?resize=199%2C300&amp;ssl=1 199w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/0-TheMoonIsAHarsh_Mistress_book.jpg?w=220&amp;ssl=1 220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a>Heinlein\u2019s book was set in a society where the legal order was endogenous &#8211; produced from within the society. So far as I could tell, it was an internally consistent picture.<\/p>\n<p>If the society he described existed, there was no reason why it could not have functioned as he described. If that society could function as described, it <b><i>could not be true,<\/i><\/b> as I had believed and thought I could prove, that all societies required a legal framework produced by government.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3037\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/smart-self-defense-in-an-anarcho-capitalist-society-vernor-vinges-the-ungoverned-the-2004-prometheus-hall-of-fame-winner\/machinery-of-freedom_\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?fit=333%2C499&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"333,499\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Machinery of Freedom,_\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;David Friedman David D. Friedman Guide to a Radical Capitalism&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?fit=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?fit=333%2C499&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3037 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?resize=200%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Machinery-of-Freedom_.jpg?w=333&amp;ssl=1 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>A theorem is refuted by a single counter example &#8211; in this case, a fictional counterexample, but one that appeared to me to be internally consistent.<\/p>\n<p>If a stateless legal order was not impossible, it was worth trying to imagine what such a thing could be like in something closer to the real world. That was the origin of the model of anarcho-capitalism, a stateless legal order in my first book <i>(The Machinery of Freedom.)\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9657\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9657\" style=\"width: 243px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9657\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/celebrating-the-45th-prometheus-awards-astrid-anderson-bears-acceptance-speech-for-her-father-poul-andersons-novel-orion-shall-rise-the-2025-prometheus-hall-of-fame-winner\/a-at-jannas-brunch-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?fit=831%2C1027&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"831,1027\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1662371422&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A at Janna&#8217;s brunch (2)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Astrid Anderson Bear, Poul Anderson&#8217;s daughter (Photo courtesy of Bear)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?fit=243%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?fit=660%2C815&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9657\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?resize=243%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"243\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?resize=243%2C300&amp;ssl=1 243w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?resize=829%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 829w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?resize=768%2C949&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-at-Jannas-brunch-2.jpg?w=831&amp;ssl=1 831w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 243px) 100vw, 243px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9657\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astrid Anderson Bear, Poul Anderson&#8217;s daughter (Photo courtesy of Bear)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Astrid Anderson Bear on her father Poul Anderson and his novel <em>Orion Shall Rise:<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy parents went to Cape Kennedy many times to watch rocket launches, from Apollo in the 1970s and on to some shuttle launches in the 1980s as well. Friendships with rocket scientists, physicists, and scientists of all stripes are all in the mix that went into this book.<\/p>\n<p>And of course Orion, the nuclear pulse powered spaceship that &#8212; spoiler alert &#8212; does rise as the novel concludes, is closely modeled after the designs of Project Orion from the late 1950s.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m not positive that my dad and Freeman Dyson ever met, but it is likely, and Dyson is called out in the text of the book.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/hall-of-fame-finalist-review-poul-andersons-orion-shall-rise-offers-masterful-social-scientific-world-building-in-clash-of-cultures-including-a-libertarian-society\/\"><i>Orion Shall Rise, <\/i><\/a>the pleas for nuclear power to be used solely in peaceful ways, especially for space flight, are set against the pervasive desires of humans to seek power and domination over each other.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Will we evolve our thinking enough to be able to do this?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We are left to wonder and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9670\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9670\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9670\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/celebrating-the-45th-prometheus-awards-lfs-co-founder-michael-grossbergs-speech-presenting-the-best-novel-category-to-michael-flynns-in-the-belly-of-the-whale\/kevin-flynn\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?fit=1770%2C1170&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1770,1170\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Kevin Flynn\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Kevin Flynn, brother of Michael Flynn (Courtesy of family)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?fit=300%2C198&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?fit=660%2C436&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9670\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?resize=300%2C198&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?resize=300%2C198&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?resize=1024%2C677&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?resize=768%2C508&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?resize=1536%2C1015&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?w=1770&amp;ssl=1 1770w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kevin-Flynn.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9670\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin Flynn, brother of Michael Flynn (Courtesy of family)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Kevin Flynn on Michael Flynn:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>* \u201cIt sounds odd to say but I am so happy for Michael even though he\u2019s left us, because he lived exactly the life he wanted to live. From his youngest days, he wanted to be a science fiction author, in collaboration with his Irish twin brother Dennis.<\/p>\n<p>Michael and Dennis grew up in the mid-50s at a time when kids enjoyed significantly more freedom than kids seem even to want these days. They don\u2019t know what they\u2019re missing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9648\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9648\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9648\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/9633-2\/mike-and-denny\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?fit=1586%2C1068&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1586,1068\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon MX920 series Network&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mike and Denny\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Michael Flynn&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Left to right: Michael and Denny Flynn in their childhood (Photo courtesy of the family)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?fit=300%2C202&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?fit=660%2C445&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9648\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?resize=300%2C202&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?resize=300%2C202&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?resize=1024%2C690&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?resize=768%2C517&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?resize=1536%2C1034&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?w=1586&amp;ssl=1 1586w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mike-and-Denny.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9648\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left to right: Michael and Denny Flynn in their childhood (Photo courtesy of the family)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With the neighborhood gang they named The Adventure Club, complete with their self-designed \u201cAC\u201d flag, they explored the nearby woods and hillsides, roasting crabapples by a mountain spring, making up scary stories and coming home only when the lightning bugs appeared. You couldn\u2019t call them latchkey kids because in those days, no one locked their doors.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9640\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9640\" style=\"width: 213px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9640\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/9633-2\/michael-flynn-in-his-prime\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?fit=227%2C320&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"227,320\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Michael Flynn in his prime\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Michael Flynn in his prime (Creative Commons license)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?fit=213%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?fit=227%2C320&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9640\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?resize=213%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"213\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?resize=213%2C300&amp;ssl=1 213w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Michael-Flynn-in-his-prime.jpg?w=227&amp;ssl=1 227w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9640\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Flynn in his prime (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>* \u201cMichael explored sociological themes while constructing a fantasy science, such as the cliological masters controlling world events behind the scenes in his first novel, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/40th-anniversary-celebration-an-appreciation-of-michael-flynns-in-the-country-of-the-blind-the-1991-prometheus-best-novel-winner\/\"><i>In the Country of the Blind, <\/i><\/a>for which he won his first Prometheus Award in 1991.<\/p>\n<p>He introduced dizzying arrays of personalities in order to explore how different people in different ages and different circumstances might respond to adversity and challenges.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9880\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/video-watch-the-45th-prometheus-awards-ceremony-with-speeches-by-leading-libertarian-thinker-david-friedman-and-tributes-to-the-late-poul-anderson-and-michael-flynn\/in-the-country-of-the-blind-michael-flynn\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?fit=272%2C436&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"272,436\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"In the Country of the Blind Michael Flynn\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?fit=187%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?fit=272%2C436&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9880 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?resize=187%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?resize=187%2C300&amp;ssl=1 187w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/In-the-Country-of-the-Blind-Michael-Flynn-.jpg?w=272&amp;ssl=1 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><\/a>Reading his books, I sometimes had no idea how he could keep them all in a straight line through the story.<\/p>\n<p>One of my two true-crime books had 27 essential characters for readers to follow. Michael could introduce more characters in just his first chapter. In fact, in <i>In the Country of the Blind,<\/i> my youngest brother Patrick and I ARE among the characters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Michael Grossberg on Flynn\u2019s first Prometheus Award:<br \/>\n<\/b><b><i><br \/>\n<\/i><\/b>\u201cWhen Flynn won his first award in 1991 for <i>In the Country of the Blind, <\/i>novelist Bob Shea (co-author of the satirical <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/conspiracies-discordianism-post-modernist-satire-robert-anton-wilson-and-robert-sheas-illuminatus-a-1986-prometheus-hall-of-fame-winner\/\">Illuminatus!<\/a> <\/em>trilogy, an early Prometheus Hall of Fame winner) presented the award to him at the World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago.<\/p>\n<p>Shea observed that \u201cFlynn&#8217;s novel dealt with a conflict between free will and historical determinism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his acceptance speech, Flynn said he was glad to finally learn what the novel was about.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8019\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/?attachment_id=8019\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?fit=750%2C751&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"750,751\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"LFS-icon-domain\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;logo LFS Libertarian Futurist Society&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?fit=660%2C661&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8019 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/LFS-icon-domain.png?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS AND THE LFS<\/b><\/p>\n<p>*\u00a0<b>Join us!<\/b> To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/join.shtml\">join<\/a> the Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s rights, human dignity, individuality and peaceful choices.<\/p>\n<p>* <b>Prometheus winners:\u00a0<\/b>For a full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees \u2013 including in the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the enhanced \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/awards.shtml\">Prometheus Awards page<\/a> on the LFS website. This page 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\u2019 distinctive dual focus on both quality and liberty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How did Robert Heinlein\u2019s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress give leading libertarian thinker David Friedman the radical idea that society can develop just laws and functional legal systems without government? What life events, travels, famous scientists and space projects helped shape the late Poul Anderson\u2019s 1983 novel Orion Shall Rise, the 2025 Prometheus Hall &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/video-watch-the-45th-prometheus-awards-ceremony-with-speeches-by-leading-libertarian-thinker-david-friedman-and-tributes-to-the-late-poul-anderson-and-michael-flynn\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Video: Watch the 45th Prometheus Awards ceremony, with speeches by leading libertarian thinker David Friedman and tributes to the late Poul Anderson and Michael Flynn\u2028<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[687,2080,31,1125,2665,1861,1860],"tags":[2713,673,204,6,46,2691],"class_list":["post-9875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-award-acceptance-speech","category-award-presenter-speech","category-awards-news","category-updates","category-michael-flynn","category-poul-anderson","category-robert-heinlein","tag-2025-awards-ceremony","tag-astrid-anderson-bear","tag-michael-flynn","tag-poul-anderson","tag-prometheus-awards","tag-shahid-mahmud"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-2zh","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9875"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9884,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9875\/revisions\/9884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}