This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.
I spend a lot of time promoting awards lists as a way to stay up to date on major genres, to use them for collection development, displays, and suggestions, but there is another reason why some of these awards lists are vital to our work-- Discovery-- and that is showcased with the lists I have today.
Both awards are the perfect example of why awards lists are vital to our work. These are book you might have missed without their nominations.
The award is presented annually to a distinguished work of science fiction originally published in paperback form in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philip K. Dick Trust and the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, and the ceremony is sponsored by the Northwest Science Fiction Society.
This year’s judges are Jim Aikin (chair), Kim Antieau, J.D. Goff, Abbey Mei Otis, and Lisa Swanstrom.
The winner and any special citations will be announced April 3, 2026 at Norwescon 48, to be held April 2-5, 2026 in SeaTac WA.
- Sunward, William Alexander (Saga)
- Outlaw Planet, M.R. Carey (Orbit UK; Orbit US)
- Casual, Koji A. Dae (Tenebrous)
- The Immeasurable Heaven, Caspar Geon (Solaris UK)
- Uncertain Sons and Other Stories, Thomas Ha (Undertow)
- Scales, Christopher Hinz (Angry Robot UK)
- City of All Seasons, Oliver K. Langmead & Aliya Whiteley (Titan)
This award is genre (SF) and for paperback originals. The paperback original part is key for libraries as many prioritize buying hardcover do to it standing up to more checkouts. But these titles are worth an add to your collection as they are deemed the best of the best. Each of these titles is a perfect addition to all public library collections.
Thankfully, Locus also makes it easy with the awards database for you to find all the past nominees and winners of this award right here.
The Story Prize, now in its 22nd year, is pleased to honor as its finalists three outstanding short story collections chosen from 114 submissions representing 72 different publishers or imprints:
Other Worlds by André Alexis (FSG Originals)Atavists by Lydia Millet (W.W. Norton & Company)Long Distance by Ayşegül Savaş (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Library patrons read short stories at a higher rate than the general public. They also appreciate finding new authors through their stories and get very excited when they also have novels to explore.
Speaking of that, the backlist of nominees and winners is also a great place to find excellent story collections to add to your collections along with the three above.
You can access the backlist by year through a drop down menu entitled "Winners" from the main page.
Take a look at these 2 awards to help you find titles you may have missed. Order them, use the backlist from the last few years to order a few more, and promote them with displays so readers can find them.
Lesser known awards in general make for eye catching displays. Why? Because you are highlighting great reads that your users would never know about without your help. And that is how we show them our worth and expertise. You will make a lot of readers very happy, but only if you get those books out in front of them.
Story Prize and Philip K Dick Award displays are a great idea anytime of year and with the backlist options so easily accessible, you can keep them full as the books get checked out.
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