Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction
and Fantasy Writing |
Award |
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The Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science
Fiction and Fantasy Writing has been established by Asimov's Science
Fiction magazine and the International Association for the Fantastic
in the Arts with the support of the School of Mass Communications
at the University of South Florida. The award honors the legacy
of one of science fiction's most distinguished authors through
an award aimed at undergraduate writers.
The $500 award will go to the best unpublished and unsold science
fiction or fantasy short story submitted by a full-time undergraduate
college student. The winner will be invited to the IAFA annual
Conference on the Fantastic in mid-March in Fort Lauderdale, FL,
and the winning story will be considered for publication in Asimov's
science fiction magazine.
In general, the winner of the Asimov award will be the story that
best meets the expectations of Asimov's editors. Those stories
typically are "character oriented"; i.e., the characters, rather
than the science, provide the main focus for the reader's interest.
Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will have the best
chance of success. The editors do enjoy humorous stories, but
pun endings have little chance of success, and the editors are
not interested in sword & sorcery, elves, trolls, or dragons.
They are not interested in explicit sex or violence, either. Generally,
bear in mind that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate
some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the
backdrop against which events occur is the size of the universe.
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Deadline |
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Deadline for entries for this year's contest is December 15, 2000.
The contest is open to all full-time undergraduates at accredited
colleges and universities. The award is not limited to unpublished
authors, but all submissions must be previously unpublished and
unsold, and they should be from 1,000 to 10,000 words long. Writers
may submit an unlimited number of stories, but each manuscript
must include the writer's name, address, phone number, and the
name of the university the writer attends.
There is a $10 entry fee, with up to three stories accepted for
each fee paid. Checks should be made out to the Asimov Award.
There is no limit to the number of submissions from each writer. |
Format |
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Manuscripts should be neatly typed, double-spaced on one side
of the sheet of paper, with adequate margins. Mail it flat in
a 9" X 12" envelope. Computer print-outs should have the pages
separated.
Make sure the cover sheet of the manuscript has on it your name,
address, phone number and the university you attend. Your name
should not be on the manuscript itself. |
Eligibility |
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The editors reserve the right to double-check your university
status. For this year's contest, you must have been a full-time
undergraduate during the fall 1999; spring 2000; summer 2000;
or fall 2000 semesters (or quarters) of your university.
Story submissions should have been written during your time as
a student. However, if you attended college full-time during a
qualifying semester and then graduated, went to part-time status
or quit entirely for a time, you are still eligible.
Manuscripts cannot be returned, so do not include a self-addressed
stamped envelope, and make sure you keep a copy of the story for
your files.
The winner will be determined by the editors of Asimov's magazine
and the award administrator. |
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Submissions
Submissions should be sent to:
Asimov Award
School of Mass Communications
4202 E. Fowler
Tampa, Fla. 33620
If you have any questions, call Awards Administrator Rick Wilber
at 813.974.6792.
To contact or to see more information about Rick Wilber, click here.
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