Prometheus Awards
The Prometheus Awards: A Brief History
In 1979, science fiction writer L. Neil Smith created the Prometheus Awards to honor libertarian science fiction. A panel selected F. Paul Wilson's Wheels Within Wheels
Founded in 1982, the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS) revived the Prometheus Award, sponsoring an
The Prometheus Awards take their name from the Greek myth about a titan who brought fire to mankind. As Louis Rougier wrote in The Genius of the West , his 1971 book with a preface by
the Nobel-Prize-winning economist Friedrich Hayek,
The myth undergirding the civilization of the West is the myth of Prometheus - the philanthropic hero who dared defy the will of Zeus by stealing fire from heaven and giving it to mortal men whom that jealous tyrant of the heaven and the earth had decided to destroy. The story expresses the spirit of revolt
against the prohibition of jealous gods (and) embodies that love of action which incited Hercules to rid the earth of tyrants.
Art can fire up the imagination about the limitless possibilities of liberty – not only
in the West but throughout the world and for all of humanity.
Young Adult Honor Roll
The Libertarian Futurist Society has recognized more than a dozen works of Young Adult (YA) fiction
since the Prometheus Awards were first presented in 1979. That includes five Best Novel winners and
three inductees into the Hall of Fame for Best Classic Fiction.
All YA finalists and winners are now listed together in a Prometheus
Award Young Adult Honor Roll page. Our hope is that this recommended reading list will serve as
an introduction to the literature of liberty for younger readers, as well as parents and
grandparents,
Award Submissions Publishers, authors and sf/fantasy fans may submit works of fiction
for LFS consideration for all categories of the Prometheus Awards. For more details, what required
information to submit and who to contact, please read this submission-guidelines letter .
Award Appreciation Series
To highlight the four-decade history of the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society began
publishing in 2019 a series of weekly Appreciations of past winners on the Prometheus Blog , starting with our earliest Best Novel awards.
See "A 40th Anniversary Retrospective: Introducing a Reader's Guide to the Prometheus Award Winners" with an overview of the diverse range of past winners.
As the Appreciations are published, links to those review-essays will be added below.
Prometheus Best Novel Award Winners
2025 -- Michael Flynn,
In the Belly of the Whale ,
Appreciation
2024 -- Daniel Suarez, Critical Mass Appreciation
2023 -- Dave Freer,
Cloud-Castles
Appreciation
2022 -- Wil McCarthy,
Rich Man's Sky
Appreciation
2021 -- Barry B. Longyear,
The Hook
Appreciation
2020 -- C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher,
Alliance Rising
Appreciation 2019 -- Travis Corcoran,
Causes of Separation ,
Appreciation
2018 -- Travis Corcoran,
The Powers of the Earth
Appreciation
2017 -- Johanna Sinisalo,
The Core of the Sun ,
Appreciation
2016 -- Neal Stephenson, Seveneves ,
Appreciation
2015 -- Daniel Suarez, Influx
Appreciation
2014 -- Cory Doctorow, Homeland ,
Appreciation
2014 -- Ramez Naam, Nexus
Appreciation
2013 -- Cory Doctorow, Pirate Cinema
Appreciation
2012 -- Delia Sherman, The Freedom Maze Appreciation 2012 -- Ernest Cline,
Ready Player One
Appreciation
2011 -- Sarah Hoyt, Darkship Thieves Appreciation
2010 -- Dani and Eytan Kollin, The Unincorporated Man
Appreciation
2009 -- Cory Doctorow, Little Brother Appreciation
2008 -- Harry Turtledove, The Gladiator
Appreciation
2008 -- Jo Walton,
Ha'penny ,
Appreciation
2007 -- Charles Stross, Glasshouse Appreciation 2006 -- Ken MacLeod, Learning the World Appreciation
2005 -- Neal Stephenson, The System of the World Appreciation
2004 -- F. Paul Wilson, Sims Appreciation
2003 -- Terry Pratchett, Night Watch Appreciation
2002 -- Donald Kingsbury, Psychohistorical Crisis Appreciation
2001 -- L. Neil Smith, The Forge of the Elders Appreciation
2000 -- Vernor Vinge, A Deepness in the Sky Appreciation
1999 -- John Varley, The Golden Globe Appreciation
1998 -- Ken MacLeod, The Stone Canal Appreciation
1997 -- Victor Koman, Kings of the High Frontier Appreciation
1996 -- Ken MacLeod, The Star Fraction Appreciation
1995 -- Poul Anderson, The Stars are also Fire Appreciation
1994 -- L. Neil Smith, Pallas Appreciation
1993 -- James P. Hogan, The Multiplex Man Appreciation
1992 -- Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Michael Flynn, Fallen Angels Appreciation
1991 -- Michael Flynn, In the Country of the Blind Appreciation
1990 -- Victor Koman, Solomon's Knife Appreciation
1989 -- Brad Linaweaver, Moon of Ice Appreciation
1988 -- Victor Koman, The Jehovah Contract Appreciation
1987 -- Vernor Vinge, Marooned in Realtime Appreciation
1986 -- Victor Milan, Cybernetic Samurai Appreciation
1985 -- No Winner ("None of the Above")
Appreciation
1984 -- J. Neil Schulman, The Rainbow Cadenza Appreciation 1 Appreciation 2
1983 -- James P. Hogan, Voyage from Yesteryear Appreciation
1982 -- L. Neil Smith, The Probability Broach Appreciation
1979 -- F. Paul Wilson, Wheels Within Wheels Appreciation
Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Winners
2025 -- Poul Anderson,
Orion Shall Rise , Appreciation
2024 -- Terry Pratchett, The Truth Appreciation
2023 -- Robert A. Heinlein, Free Men Appreciation
2022 -- Robert A. Heinlein,
Citizen of the Galaxy
Appreciation
2021 -- F. Paul Wilson, "Lipidleggin' "
Appreciation
2020 -- Poul Anderson, "Sam Hall" Appreciation 2019 -- Kurt Vonnegut,
"Harrison Bergeron"
Appreciation
2018 -- Jack Williamson, With Folded Hands … Appreciation 2017 -- Robert Heinlein, "Coventry"
Appreciation 2016 -- Donald M. Kingsbury,
Courtship Rite
Appreciation
2015 -- Harlan Ellison,
"'Repent Harlequin!', Said the Ticktockman" Appreciation
2014 -- Lois McMaster Bujold, Falling Free Appreciation
2013 -- Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon Appreciation
2012 -- E. M. Forster, The Machine Stops Appreciation 2011 -- George Orwell, Animal Farm Appreciation
2010 -- Poul Anderson,
"No Truce with Kings" Appreciation
2009 -- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Appreciation
2008 -- Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange Appreciation
2007 -- Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here Appreciation 2007 -- Vernor Vinge, True Names Appreciation
2006 -- Alan Moore (writing) and David Lloyd (art), V for Vendetta Appreciation
2005 -- A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher Appreciation
2004 -- Vernor Vinge, "The Ungoverned" Appreciation
2003 -- Robert Heinlein, "Requiem" Appreciation
2002 -- Patrick McGoohan, The Prisoner Appreciation
2001 -- Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr editors, The Survival of Freedom Appreciation
2000 -- Hans Christian Andersen, "The Emperor's New Clothes" Appreciation
1999 -- H. Beam Piper and John McGuire, A Planet for Texans
Lone Star Planet
Appreciation
1998 -- Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love Appreciation
1997 -- Robert Heinlein, Methuselah's Children Appreciation
1996 -- Robert Heinlein, Red Planet
Appreciation
1995 -- Poul Anderson, The Star Fox
Appreciation
1994 -- Yevgeny Zamyatin, We Appreciation
1993 -- Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed Appreciation
1992 -- Ira Levin, This Perfect Day Appreciation
1991 -- F. Paul Wilson, An Enemy of the State Appreciation
1990 -- F. Paul Wilson, Healer Appreciation
1989 -- J. Neil Schulman, Alongside Night Appreciation
1988 -- Alfred Bester, The Stars my Destination Appreciation
1987 -- Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land Appreciation 1987 -- Ayn Rand, Anthem Appreciation
1986 -- Cyril Kornbluth, The Syndic Appreciation 1986 -- Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea, Illuminatus! Appreciation
1985 -- Poul Anderson, Trader to the Stars Appreciation 1985 -- Eric Frank Russell, The Great Explosion Appreciation
1984 -- George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
Appreciation 1984 -- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Appreciation
1983 -- Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Appreciation 1983 -- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Appreciation 1
Appreciation 2
Special Award Winners
2017 - Mark Stanley, Special Award for Chapter 1 of
Freefall , a webcomic
Appreciation
2016 - Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, Special Award for Alex + Ada ,
a graphic novel
Part 1 ,
Part 2 ,
Part 3
Appreciation
2016 -
L. Neil Smith , Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement
2015 -
F. Paul Wilson , Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement
2014 -- Leslie Fish, for a novella,
Tower of Horses and
filk song, The Horsetamer's Daughter .
Appreciation
2014 --
Vernor Vinge , Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement
2007 -- James McTeigue (director) and The Wachowski Brothers (screenplay), V For Vendetta Appreciation
2006 -- Joss Whedon (writer/director), Serenity Appreciation
2005 -- L. Neil Smith (writer) and Scott Bieser (illustrator), The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel Appreciation
2005 -- Editors Mark Tier and Martin H. Greenberg, Give Me Liberty Visions of Liberty Appreciation, Part 1 Appreciation, Part 2
2001 --
Poul Anderson , Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement
1998 -- Editors Brad Linaweaver and Edward E Kramer, Free Space Appreciation
All trademarks and copyrights property of their owners.
annual prize for Best Novel, starting in 1982, and adding in 1983 a second annual category for Best Classic Fiction (the Prometheus Hall of Fame). The prize for the awards is a gold coin, as a symbol of free trade and free minds, mounted on an engraved plaque.
