Hugh Howey

Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.

The SPSFC continues!

Welcome back to the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition! Now in its second year! In case you missed it last year, you may be wondering what in the world is the SPSFC? Well, it’s an opportunity to shine a great big laser beam on wonderful works of self-pubbed science fiction. For a few years now, Mark Lawrence has been organizing a contest known as the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. Science fiction authors and bloggers have been clamoring for something similar. So we made it ourselves. Just bigger, faster, stronger. Scouring the world…

SPSFC 2022

The second annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition is about to begin! Author applications are now open! You’ll need to answer a questionnaire so we know a little bit about you and your work, and you’ll have to make sure your book qualifies (word count, content guidelines, correct genre). Over the course of the next eleven / twelve months, the first 300 novels entered will be whittled down to seven finalists and one winner. To read more about the competition, click here. Note: Applications close July 31st On a side note, we’re looking for Judges / reviewers…

SPSFC Submissions

The first annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition is about to begin! On July 1st, at noon EST (9am PST), author applications will open. Have your files ready (an .epub or .mobi file and your cover art). You’ll need to answer a questionnaire so we know a little bit about you and your work, and you’ll have to make sure your book qualifies (word count, content guidelines, correct genre). Over the course of the next eleven months, the first 300 novels entered will be whittled down to ten finalists and one…

Film Review: District 9

Say it three times: There is no genre like science fiction. There is no genre like science fiction. There is no genre like science fiction. And films like District 9 are proof. Continuing a stellar run of speculative fiction over the last few years (Fountain, Moon, Children of Men) District 9 strikes that perfect balance of tickling our brains while tormenting our hearts. All the great action/adventure cliches are here to drive the plot along, but the filler, the satire of the human condition, is really what sets this film…

How science fiction becomes science fact

My publisher and I were talking last night about the uncanny habit science has of catching up with developments first mentioned in science fiction. We both agreed that this seems to happen quite often, but after giving it more thought, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not really sure that’s the case. Of the billions of concepts dreamed up each year in the genre, how many become viable? Several thousand? I don’t see prescience there, I see statistical chance. In fact, science fiction writers (whether it’s TV, film, or literature) tend…