Applications call for Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. Since its early days, science fiction has played a unique role in human civilization. It removes the limits of what “is” and shows us a boundless vista of what “might be.” Its fearless heroes, spectacular technologies and wondrous futures have inspired many people to make science, technology and space flight a real part of their lives and in doing so, have often transformed these fictions into reality. The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen.

Contest Rules

Here are some basic rules of the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

• Write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.
• No entry fee.
• No reprints.
• Entries can be from any country.
• All entries must be original works in English. Plagiarism, poetry, song lyrics, or stories that utilize characters or settings from another person’s works will not be considered.

Submission

Candidates should send submissions through e-mail only. They should send entries as .RTF attachments to [email protected]

Must put the word SUBMISSION in the subject line when sending a contest entry and QUESTION in the subject line for questions to the contest administrator. In addition to that. the body must include the following in the body of your email:

• The title of the work
• The author’s name, address, and telephone number
• An approximate word-count

Prizes

• GRAND PRIZE: The Grand Prize winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submittals, currently .08/word. The author will also receive an engraved award, free entry into the 2021 International Space Development Conference, a year’s membership in the National Space Society, and a prize package containing various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise.
• SECOND and THIRD: Second and Third place winners will receive free entry into the 2021 International Space Development Conference, a year’s membership in the National Space Society, and a prize package containing various Baen Books merchandise.
• The winners will be announced and notified no later than March 22, 2021. The winners will be honored at the 2021 International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles, California, May 27-May 30, 2021. (It is preferred for the winner to attend the conference, but it is not required.)

More Competitions here