2026 JIM BAEN MEMORIAL SHORT STORY AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Annual Contest Celebrates Stories Focused on Near-Future Space Exploration Contest Marks 19 Years Highlighting Bright Futures and Rising Talent
RIVERDALE, NY, March 17, 2026—Baen Books, in partnership with the National Space Society, is thrilled to announce the 2026 finalists for the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award.
Now in its 19th year, the Jim Baen Memorial Award recognizes the best in science fiction about realistic space exploration within the next few decades. From asteroid mining to Mars colonization, the contest focuses on stories filled with hard science, optimism, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest challenges are often solved with duct tape and guts. “The National Space Society and Baen Books value the role science fiction has always played in inspiring real progress,” said Contest Director C. Stuart Hardwick. “The award honors Jim Baen by giving writers a chance to imagine how science and ingenuity might build a brighter future—and perhaps even inspire the scientists and entrepreneurs making it happen.”
Judges for the award included Baen publisher Toni Weisskopf and the editorial staff of Baen Books, and all entries were judged anonymously. According to Baen publisher Toni Weisskopf, “We launched this award with the goal of paying tribute to Jim Baen, and celebrating two of his great passions, space exploration and discovering new authors,” said Weisskopf. “It’s very encouraging to see people from around the world engaged and choosing to write positive stories about our future in space.”
The finalists for the 2026 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award are:
- Liam Hogan
- Joel C. Scoberg
- Thomas Butler
- Joyce Frohn
- Philip Levin
- Tiffany Smith
- Jason P. Crawford
- Paul Malory
- Wesley Stine
- Gideon Smith
This year’s winners will be honored at the 2026 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) which takes place June 4-7, 2026, in McLean, Virginia. Winners receive membership in the National Space Society and the first place story will be offered publication at Baen.com at professional rates.
Baen Books is known for its New York Times bestselling science fiction and fantasy, including David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire alternate histories, and Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International urban fantasies. Baen’s physical books are distributed by Simon & Schuster, while their ebooks are available via numerous venues, including their own website.
Entries for the 2027 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest open October 1st, 2026.
For more information, visit https://www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa and https://nss.org.
* * * * * *