Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award 2019

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.

Applicants must 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.

What Baen wants to see:

Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, and adventure.

What Baen Doesn't Want to See:

Stories that show technology or space travel as evil or bad, galactic empires, paranormal elements, UFO abductions, zombie stories, thinly veiled copies of previous winners, non-standalone novel excerpts, and screenplays.

General Guidlines:

1. No entry fee. But please only submit one story...your best one!
2. No reprints.
3. Entries can be from any country.
4. 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.
5. Employees of Baen Books, NSS and previous Grand Prize Winners are not eligible. Previous Second and Third place winners are eligible.

Prizes:

• 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 submissions, currently .07/word. The author will also receive an engraved award, free entry into the 2019 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 place winners will receive free entry into the 2019 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.
• The three winners will be announced and notified no later than March 22^nd, 2019. The winners will be honored at the 2019 International Space Development Conference in Arlington, VA, 6^th-9^th June,  2019 (we would prefer the winner attend the conference, but it is not required.)