1st Place: “Bees Wings” by Matthew Goldberg
“This delicate sketch of our powerful tendency to humanize the universe—to make it bearable—walks a knife’s edge of tonal balance. Too much, either way, would have ruined it. Ultimately, I read in it a celebration of the absolute beauty of every moment of life, no matter where it occurs in our linear experience of it.” Ken Liu
2nd Place: “The Organic Host” by Anne Ramallo
“The best tales featuring technology are not *about* technology but show us how technology both empowers and disempowers us, makes us both more and less human. This story accomplishes that task wonderfully.” Ken Liu
3rd Place: “Green Thumb” by Jill Baguchinsky
“I’m no good at keeping plants alive; perhaps that’s why I’m so fascinated by stories featuring plants and the people who connect with them. I love the premise here and the world spun from it.” Ken Liu
Short List:
Green Glass Julie Le Blanc
Coreopsis Kris Faatz
Mooncake John-Paul Franks
Blaze Trails Unlimited Mathew Lebowitz
In-between Haley Kennedy
running… Celeste Chen
May You Live in Interesting Times Kathy Chao
Words of Advice at the End of the World Aleksandra Hill
The Arch of the Eyebrow Mike McClelland
We the Machines Ryan Riley
The Fragmented Legend of Stone Mother Shinjini Chatterjee
Pandora’s Zoo Miel MacRae