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:

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.

Monday, February 5, 2018, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the prospective eligibility list of 110 titles for the 2018 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, superseding the previously announced preliminary eligibility list.

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 will open through mid-May, after a suitable period can be spent evaluating any additional eligible titles, with the finalists announced at ConCarolinas, and the award being presented at ConGregate in July following the second round of voting.

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

Please send any corrections and/or additions to the NCSFF as detailed in the about page, and/or use the online correction form.

To register to vote, please fill out a voter registration form.

Monday, July 17, 2017, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2017 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 July 15, 2017, at ConGregate 4 / DeepSouthCon 55 at the Radisson Hotel High Point to Charlotte author A. J. Hartley for Steeplejack, published by Tor Teen:

From New York where he was appearing at another event, Hartley sent his appreciation for the award with the following remarks: “I’m honored to receive an award whose namesake affirms the bond between the region and speculative fiction, particularly at a time when reading seems so crucially important as a pleasurable way to hone our instincts for critical thinking and empathy. I am doubly pleased to be the first person to receive the award as a writer for young people, and with a book which attempts to wrestle with serious social issues. My brand of fantasy is one which scrutinizes reality through a distorting mirror, rather than trying to escape from the reality entirely, so I’m especially delighted to find that Steeplejack has resonated for North Carolina readers. I’m so grateful to the organizers of the award, the voters, the convention circuit which helps forge a sense of community in the spec fiction world and to the other excellent writers, many of them friends, whose work was under consideration. That sense of a thoughtful, connected and thoughtful community is a great testament to where we are and, I hope, to better times ahead.”

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2017 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2016.  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.

Friday, June 2, 2017, Durham, NC:

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the nominees for the 2017 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 primary author last name:

• Death’s Bright Day by David Drake (Baen Books)
• Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley (Tor Books)
• Pawn’s Gambit by Darin Kennedy (Falstaff Books)
• Shadow and Flame by Gail Z. Martin (Orbit Books)
• War Pigs by Jay Requard (Falstaff Books)

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 2017 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2016. 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.]

Monday, March 6, 2017, Durham, NC: The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce that nominations for the 2017 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy are now open, using an updated final eligibility list which includes 118 titles.

The Manly Wade Wellman Award was founded to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2017 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, StellarCon, ConCarolinas, ConTemporal, and ConGregate), covers novels published in 2016. Nominations will remain open until Monday, May 22, 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.