Friday, June 4, 2021, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the longlist of 24 titles for the 2021 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, the result of a juried selection from the 64-title eligibility list, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

• Renee Ahdieh, The Damned (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)
• Paul Barrett, Cry of Decay (Falstaff Books)
• Natania Barron, Queen of None (Vernacular Books)
• Emily Colin, Sword of the Seven Sins (Blue Crow Books)
• Tracy Deonn, Legendborn (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
• Patrick Dugan, Storm Shattered (Falstaff Books)
• T. Frohock, Carved from Stone and Dream (Harper Voyager)
• Jenna Glass, Queen of the Unwanted (Del Rey)
• Crymsyn Hart, Forest of Bones (Mocha Memoirs Press)
• A.J. Hartley, Impervious (Falstaff Books)
• Whitney Hill, Elemental (Benu Media)
• T. Kingfisher, Paladin’s Grace (Argyll Productions)
• T. Kingfisher, The Hollow Places (Gallery / Saga Press)
• Robin Kirk, The Hive Queen (Blue Crow Books)
• Gail Z. Martin, The Sellsword’s Oath (Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency)
• James Maxey, Dragonsgate: Devils
• Kwame Mbalia, Tristan Strong Destroys the World (Rick Riordan Presents)
• Jay Posey, Every Sky a Grave (Skybound Books)
• Scott Reintgen, Ashlords (Crown Books for Young Readers)
• Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White (DAW)
• Christopher Ruocchio, The Lesser Devil
• Lisa Shearin, The Entity Game (Murwood Media)
• Meagan Spooner, The Other Side of the Sky (HarperTeen, with Amie Kaufman)
• Rysa Walker, Now, Then, and Everywhen (47North)

A shortlist of finalists will be announced on Monday, June 28, and the winner(s) will be announced at ConGregate 7 / DeepSouthCon 59 on Saturday, July 10, 2021.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2021 award covers novels published in 2020.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

Monday, July 27, 2020, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, the result of juried selection from the list of finalists, in turn the result of juried selection from an eligibility list of over 80 titles. The award was presented online via ConTinual to Durham author Michael G. Williams for A Fall in Autumn, published by Falstaff Books:

Set thousands of years into humanity’s future, A Fall in Autumn features: staggering world-building in technology, culture, and religion; an amazing, living, breathing, dying, flying city; a private eye for the science fictional ages; and a mystery with plenty of twists and turns that add up to a truly stunning book which reflects on human and artificial human nature, past, present, and future.

Accepting the award, Williams thanked the many people who helped the book along its path from inception to publication (publisher John G. Hartness, editors Erin Penn and Melissa McArthur), and added a personal note about his community of fellow authors in North Carolina:

I want to also thank everyone else who was nominated, the longlist, the shortlist, finalists, most of all for helping to create an environment in North Carolina where it is possible for someone to join in and try to find their voice and be a part of this amazing environment of writers, and feel very supported and very welcomed at all times. And I am desperate for times to return when I can be with those people again.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2020 award covers novels published in 2019.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

Monday, June 29, 2020, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the shortlist of 6 titles for the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy. These titles are the result of a juried selection from the 18-title longlist, itself the result of a juried selection from the 83-title eligibility list, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

• Where Oblivion Lives by T. Frohock (Harper Voyager)
• The Women’s War by Jenna Glass (Del Rey)
• The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher (Saga Press)
• Breaking Gods by D. J. Molles
• To the Bones by Valerie Nieman (West Virginia University Press)
• A Fall in Autumn by Michael G. Williams (Falstaff Books)

The winner(s) will be announced at ConGregate on Friday, July 17, 2020. However, as ConGregate will not be held in person this year, location and manner of the announcement is subject to change at this time.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2020 award covers novels published in 2019.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

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Bookshop.org list: https://bookshop.org/lists/wellman-award-finalists-2020

Sunday, May 31, 2020, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation was proud to have last year’s winner, Christopher Ruocchio, announce as part of this year’s ConCarolinas closing ceremonies the longlist of 18 titles for the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy. These titles are the result of a juried selection from the 83-title eligibility list, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

• Masks & Malevolence / Time & Temper by Natania Barron (Falstaff Books)
• The Hive by Orson Scott Card [and Aaron Johnston] (Tor Books)
• The Storm by David Drake (Baen Books)
• The Hanged Man by K. D. Edwards (Pyr)
• 48 Hours by William R. Forstchen (Forge Books)
• Where Oblivion Lives by T. Frohock (Harper Voyager)
• The Women’s War by Jenna Glass (Del Rey)
• Carl Perkins’ Cadillac by John G. Hartness (Falstaff Books)
• Southern Fury / Southern Souls by Stuart Jaffe
• The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher (Saga Press)
• Inheritance by Gail Z. Martin (SOL Publishing)
• Breaking Gods by D. J. Molles
• To the Bones by Valerie Nieman (West Virginia University Press)
• Winter World by A. G. Riddle (Legion Books)
• Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio (DAW)
• As the Crow Flies by Rysa Walker and Caleb Amsel (Starry Night)
• A Fall in Autumn by Michael G. Williams (Falstaff Books)
• A Midnight Dreary by David Niall Wilson (Crossroad Press)

A shortlist of finalists will be announced on Wednesday, July 1, and the winner(s) will be announced at ConGregate on Friday, July 17, 2020. However, as ConGregate will not be held in person this year, location and manner of the announcement is subject to change at this time.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2020 award covers novels published in 2019.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

Monday, January 20, 2020, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the preliminary eligibility list of 77 titles for The 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

Continue reading Announcing the preliminary eligibility list for the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award →

Monday, July 15, 2019: Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, the result of juried selection from the list of finalists, in turn the result of juried selection from an eligibility list of over 80. The award was presented on Friday, July 12, 2018 at Congregate 6 at the Red Lion Hotel High Point to Raleigh author Christopher Ruocchio for Empire of Silence, published by DAW:

Pitched variously as Dune meets The Book of the New Sun or Dune meets Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles, Empire of Silence begins a science fantasy trilogy recounting the story of Hadrian Marlowe, heir to an interplanetary fortune, rogue, fugitive, slave pit gladiator, and infamous star-killer, combining deep world-building and beautiful, quotable prose. Continue reading Announcing the winner of the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award →

Monday, July 8, 2019, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the finalists for the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy. These finalists are the result of juried selection from the final eligibility list, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

• In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey (John Joseph Adams Books)
• Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel (Saga Press)
• The Bond by Robin Kirk (Goldenjay Books)
• The Crossing by Jason Mott (Park Row)
• Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (DAW)
• Finders by Melissa Scott (Candlemark & Gleam)

The winner(s) will be announced at ConGregate on Friday, July 12.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2019 award covers novels published in 2018.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

[For additional PR material related to this announcement including book cover art and print-suitable information sheets, please visit the finalists page.]

Monday, July 16, 2018, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2018 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy,  after the result of voter selection from the nominees, in turn the result of voter selection from an eligibility list of over 100 novels. The award was presented on Friday, July 15, 2018, at ConGregate 5 at the Red Lion Hotel High Point to Charlotte author Gail Z. Martin for Scourge, published by Solaris Books:

Like the best kinds of fantasy, the novel’s themes invite the reader to reflect and refract upon their own ideas and interests: weaponized gang warfare, arms and militia freedoms, police violence, and media manipulation; or as an incredibly well-realized secondary fantasy world of city-states and guilds ripe for adaptation as a homebrew roleplaying game setting; or simply a story of three brothers trying to hold their family together.

The novel is Martin’s 7th nomination for and first win of the Manly Wade Wellman Award, having had at least one novel named as a finalist in each of the award’s first five years.

Accepting the award, presented as part of ConGregate’s opening ceremonies, Martin said: “It’s one thing to be on a slate with strangers. It’s another when everyone is a friend and a fantastic writer—and the books are all winners. So I am humbled, honored and kinda gobsmacked.  This reminds me that a couple of years ago, Bud Sparhawk—a terrific author with a slew of great stories—asked me, ‘So, when are you gonna write something serious?’ Well Bud, this one’s for you!”

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2018 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2017.  Nominations opened at illogiCon in January ahead of a final voting round after ConCarolinas, with the award presented at ConGregate in July.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

Monday, June 4, 2018, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the nominees for the 2018 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy. These nominees are the result of voter selection from the final eligibility list through the nominations process, presented in alphabetical order by author last name:

• Frost & Filigree by Natania Barron (Falstaff Books)
• Amazing Grace by John G. Hartness (Falstaff Books)
• The Stravinsky Intrigue by Darin Kennedy (Curiosity Quills Press)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• Scourge by Gail Z. Martin (Solaris)

The nominees were announced at ConCarolinas in Charlotte, NC on Friday, June 1. Additionally, final voting is now open and continues through Monday, July 2, 2018 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time. The winner(s) will be announced at ConGregate on Friday, July 13. (Note: originally announced as Saturday, July 14.)

To register to place an award ballot, please submit a voter registration form.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded in 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2018 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2017. Nominations open at illogiCon in January and the nominees are announced at ConCarolinas in June ahead of the final voting round, with the award being presented at ConGregate in July.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.

[For additional PR material related to this announcement including book cover art and print-suitable information sheets, please visit the nominees page.]

Tuesday, February 27, 2018, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce that nominations for the 2018 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy are now open, using an updated final eligibility list which includes 112 titles.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2018 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2017. Nominations will remain open until Monday, May 21, followed by a final voting round to begin in June after the finalists are announced at ConCarolinas. The award will be presented at ConGregate in July.

To register to place a nominating ballot, please submit a voter registration form.

The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.