Please read the rules for information about the current Contest.
The 2023-2024 winners were announced at Boskone 61, February 2024, as follows:
- Winners (tie): Dragana Matovic of Serbia for the story "Outside the Rain Was Relentlessly Falling" and Dr. Jennifer Grimes of Milford, MA for the story "The Simulation: Subject Ashe Klinn".
- Runner-up: Michael Barron of Parkville, MD for the story "The Last Time My Twin Destroyed the World".
- Honorable Mention: Jessica Li of Fremont, CA for the story "Wed the Sea Angels".
- Honorable Mention: Tyler Robinson of Dexter, MO for the story "Acid Memory Reflux".
Administrator: Steven Lee
First readers: Ann Crimmins, Chip Hitchcock, Liz Patton, Kylie Selkirk, Steven Lee
Final judges: Brad Lyau (B61 Special Guest) and John Scalzi (B61 NESFA Press Guest)
For the 2023-2024 contest, we received 36 entries by the September 30th deadline.
The 2022-2023 winners were announced at Boskone 60, February 2023, as follows:
- Winner: Amy Johnson of Somerville, MA for the story "Excuse Me, This is My Apocalypse"
- First runner-up: Dianne Lee of Chicago, IL for the story "The Gambler"
- Finalist: Chloe Oriotis of Toronto, Canada for the story "Mara's Moon"
- Finalist: Gideon P. Smith of Winchester, MA for the story "To Look Upon the Face of God"
- Finalist: Lauren Zarama of Hopkinton, MA for the story "The Surrogate"
Administrator: Steven Lee
First readers: Chip Hitchcock, Ann Crimmins, Rick Katze, Kylie Selkirk, Steven Lee
Final round judges: Nalo Hopkinson, Tui Sutherland, Elaine Isaak
For the 2022-2023 contest, we received 56 entries by the September 30th deadline.
The 2021-2022 winners were announced at Boskone 59, February 2022, as follows:
- Honorable Mention: Shira Hereld of Pennsylvania for the story "What Feels Good"
- Honorable Mention: Olga Werby of California for the story "Floaters"
- Honorable Mention: Alex Evans of France for the story "First Blood"
- Honorable Mention: M.A. Florin of Romania for the story "The Last Choice of Isabel"
Administrator: Steven Lee
First readers: Chip Hitchcock, Ann Crimmins, Rick Katze, David G. Grubbs, Kelsey Pouk, Steven Lee
Final round judges: Tamsyn Muir, Tim Griffin, Elaine Isaak
For the 2021-2022 contest, we received 60 entries by the September 30th deadline.
The 2020-2021 winners were announced at Boskone 58, February 2021, as follows:
- Winner: "The Last Prophet" by Nicholas Marconi
- First Runner-Up: "What We Take From Each Other" by Sam Ruhmkorff
- Honorable Mention: "Letter to Death" by K. S. Shere
- Honorable Mention: "You Told Me To" by John Dulak
Administrator: Steven Lee
First readers: Ann Crimmins, Don D'Ammassa, David G. Grubbs, Chip Hitchcock, Steven Lee, Suford Lewis, and Kelsey Pouk
Final round judges: Kim Stanley Robinson and Joe Abercrombie
The 2019-2020 winners were announced at Boskone 57, February 2020, as follows:
- Winner: "Stick in the Mud" by Mary Alexandra Agner
- First Runner-Up: "Hope Chest" by Sarah Day
- Honorable Mention: "Author of the Dreams of an Outer God" by Jonathan Bronico
- Honorable Mention: "Deathtree" by Kit Harding
- Honorable Mention: "The Gravity of Grace" by Carina Bissett
Administrator: Steven Lee
First readers: James Boggie, Ann Crimmins, David G. Grubbs, Chip Hitchcock, Mike Kerpan, Suford Lewis, and Kelsey Pouk
Final round judges: Elaine Isaak, Tony Lewis, and Kim Stanley Robinson
The 2018-2019 winners were announced at Boskone 56, February 2019, as follows:
- Winner: "A Symphony of Hydrogen" by Ronald Elliot
- Runner-Up: "The Coral Sculpture" by Ronald Kaiser
- Runner-Up: "Mister Rizal, Interdimensional" by Harry Pauf
- Honorable Mention: "Dreamliners" by Lexie Boris
- Honorable Mention: "Thirteen" by Theresa Michals
Administrator: Michael Sharrow
First readers: Terri Bruce, Ann Crimmins, Alex Donald, Brenna Harvey, Elaine Isaak, Suford Lewis, and John Murphy.
Final round judges: Elaine Isaak, Daniel M. Kimmel, and Elizabeth Hand
The 2017-2018 winners were announced at Boskone 55, February 2018, as follows:
- Winner: "Game of Thermodynamics" by Garrett Butler
- Runner-Up: "The Voice" by Ashley Nelson
- Honorable Mention: "Static Rain" by Ronald Kaiser
- Honorable Mention: "Anna 101a" by Michael Jervis
- Honorable Mention: "Flesh Molder" by Brett Wooldridge
Administrator: Michael Sharrow
First readers: Suford Lewis, Ann Crimmins, Alex Donald, Elaine Isaak, Terri Bruce, Tim Goyette, and Becky DeVendra
Final round judges: Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel M. Kimmel, and Elaine Isaak
The 2016-2017 winners were announced at Boskone 54, February 2017, as follows:
- Winner: "An Odd Missive" by Leo Byrne Jenicek
- Runner-Up: "Enduring Winter" by Scott Coon
Administrator: Michael Sharrow
First readers: Suford Lewis, Ann Crimmins, Wes Brodsky, David G. Grubbs
Final round judges: Dan Kimmel, Jennifer Pelland, James Patrick Kelly
The 2015-2016 winners were announced at Boskone 53, February 2016, as follows:
- Winner: "Super" by Kevin Fitch
- Runner-Up: "First Impressions" by Alexandria Krein
Administrator: Michael Sharrow
First readers: Suford Lewis, Ann Crimmins, Wes Brodsky, David G. Grubbs
Final round judges: Tony Lewis, Dan Kimmel, Garth Nix
The 2014-2015 winners were announced at Boskone 52, February 2015, as follows:
- Winner: "Purpose Is But a Slave to Memory" by James J. Seals (as Peter Hodges) [Texas]
- Runner-Up: [tie] "For the Heart I Never Had" by Raluca Balasa & "Ashan Like Me" by Sherry Peters [both from Canada]
- Honorable Mention: "Coalescence" by Adam Vocale [Australia]
Administrator: Michael Sharrow
First readers: Ann Broomhead, Ann Crimmins, Chip Hitchcock, Rick Katze, Joan Pfeffer, Larry Pfeffer, Joe Ross, Suford Lewis, David G. Grubbs
Preliminary judges: Michael Sharrow, David G. Grubbs, Suford Lewis
Final round judges: Tony Lewis, Dan Kimmel, Steven Brust
The 2004-2005 winners were announced at Boskone 42, February 2005, as follows:
- Winner: "Going for Chain" by M. C. DeMarco of Brighton, MA
- Runner-Up: "Shades of Hades" by Darren Moore, Phoenix, AZ
The final round judge was Tony Lewis.
The 2003-2004 winners were announced at Boskone 41, February 2004, as follows:
- Winner: "White Like Me" by Tony Reidy of Charlestown, MA
- Runner-Up: "The Kith" by Anjani Rogenski, Fort Collins, CO
- Honorable Mention: "Pre-Columbian Art" by Ramon Rozas III of Ridgeley, WV
- Honorable Mention: "The Welsh Squadron" by Margaret Ronald of Watertown, MA
The final round judges were Tony Lewis and Michael A. Burstein.
The 2002-2003 winners were announced at Boskone 40, February 2003, as follows:
- Winner: "Dig" by P.J. Kaszas
- Runner-Up: "Merge" by Elaine Isaak
- Runner-Up: "Dragonslayer" by Robert J. Santa
- Honorable Mention: "Up and Down in Tycho" by Robert J. Santa
The final round judges were David Brin and John M. Ford.
The 2001-2002 winners were announced at Boskone 39, February 2002, as follows:
- Winner: "Destiny on Green Felt" by Drew Loewe of San Antonio, TX
- Runner-Up: "Treading Softly on Pianos" by Erica Fields of Upper Saddle River, NJ
- Honorable Mention: "Angel" by Frank Andreoti of Pine Bush, NJ
- Honorable Mention: "The Prison Planet" by Frank Andreoti of Pine Bush, NJ
For the 2002 Contest, the semi-finalist judge was Michael Burstein and the final judge was Neil Gaiman.
There was no 2000-2001 winner.
The 1999-2000 winners were announced at Boskone 37, February 2000, as follows:
- Winner: "The Lizard's Tale" by Penny Blubaugh of Chicago, IL
- Honorable Mention: "Immortal Coil" by Rudi Dornemann of Portland, ME
The final round judge was Michael Swanwick.
The 1998-1999 story contest winners were announced at Boskone 36, in February 1999, as follows:
- The winner: "Looped" by Linda A. Jacob of Rocky Hill, CT
- Runner-up: "Bug in the Brain" by Rick Heller of Reading, MA
- Runner-up: "Star Crossed" by Maria Isabel Pita of Ackworth, GA
The final round judges were Alexander Jablokov, Warren Lapine, and Allen M. Steele.
The 1997-1998 story contest winners were announced at Boskone 35, in February 1998, as follows:
- Winner: "The Lives of Ghosts" by Loren W. Cooper
- Runner-Up: "The Game" by Terry Hickman
- Honorable Mention: "Miss'ippi Snow" by Debbie Donofrio
- Honorable Mention: "The Secret Ingredient" by Dora Knez