The final finalist is Generations by @noamj.bsky.social, an epic about a colony ship that carries the last hope of humanity and a centuries-old conspiracy. www.amazon.com/Generations-...

The fifth finalist is Our Simulated Selves by @nikkinull.bsky.social, a quantum thriller of romance, recreated realities and who we're truly meant to be. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCVK8RP7

The fourth finalist is FrostByte by N.S. Chaudhury, a South Asian cyberpunk novel about illegal resurrection and solving your own murder. www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5N4VHYR

The third finalist is Artificial Selection by Marianne Pickles, a post-apocalyptic mystery full of awkward questions and hope. www.amazon.com/Artificial-S...

The second finalist is ab initio by Jacob Terracina, an artificial intelligence courtroom thriller about what it means to be human. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FM6H956S

The first finalist is Time Traitors by @elidonovanwriter.bsky.social, a tale of dinosaurs, poachers and a broken time machine. www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSL63L7S

Six books have advanced to the finals of the fifth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC). We'll announce them in random order in the next six posts.

SPSFC 5 judging teams have announced the 10 novels advancing to the semifinals. spsfc.space/2026/06/17/t... The finals are coming on Aug. 1. #sciencefiction

Judging teams for SPSFC 5 are beginning to decide which books will advance to a full read for consideration as semifinalists. Here's a status board with the book allocations to teams. spsfc.space/2026/02/10/s...

SPSFC#5 book allocations by judging team

Here are the books and teams as allocated for the 5th annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition. Links to all the books are provided here. As the competition continues, we’ll update t…

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If you have Kindle Unlimited, 63 of the books entered into #SPSFC are available there. Look for (KU) on the list: spsfc.space/books-receiv...

Books Received for SPSFC 5

SPSFC 5 took submissions of books for the contest from Oct. 13, 2025, to Nov. 9, 2025. Here’s a list of the books submitted. Books available on Kindle Unlimited have “(KU)” after the ti…

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SPSFC 5 judge @aealexander.bsky.social has an informative post up about the contest that includes all of the past winners and finalists. #SPSFC www.aealexander.com/blog/spsfc

All You Need To Know About the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) — Allison Alexander

Key details about the contest for self-published sci-fi novels founded by Hugh Howey.

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The fifth #SPSFC is about to close for entries and we're looking for a few more judges: spsfc.space/2025/11/07/l... Come for the free books. Stay for the Discord community full of self-published authors and avid science fiction readers.

The fifth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (#SPSFC) has begun taking entries from authors. Details and the entry link here: spsfc.space/2025/10/13/h... If you're not entering a book join us as a judge! spsfc.space/2025/09/19/j...

How to Enter SPSFC 5

The fifth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) has begun taking entries. The authors who’ve been asking us when SPSFC 5 will begin as they get their manuscripts ready can be giv…

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With the fifth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) taking book entries next month, we're looking for a few good volunteers to join us as judges: spsfc.space/2025/09/19/j... More than a few, actually. #SPSFC

Congratulations to the top recognized and all who submitted works for consideration! I’ll link my personal favorites below. There were several excellent books that I’d read previously which didn’t advance in other groups. I enjoyed being a judge, thank you again! spsfc.space/2025/08/07/a...

And the SPSFC 4 Winner is

After four rounds of reading over the past 10 months, the judges of the fourth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) have advanced books through the scout phase, team quarterfinals, se…

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Big congratulations to @wickwelker.bsky.social, well done!

Here's more on the #SPSFC 4 winner Saint Elspeth by @wickwelker.bsky.social and the top 6 books. spsfc.space/2025/08/07/a... Carve out some quality time for yourself this evening and read a self-published novel.

And the SPSFC 4 Winner is After four rounds of reading over the past 10 months, the judges of the fourth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) have advanced books through the scout phase, team quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. What was once a to-be read pile of 175 books has…

And the SPSFC 4 Winner is

After four rounds of reading over the past 10 months, the judges of the fourth Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) have advanced books through the scout phase, team quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. What was once a to-be read pile of 175 books has become one winner and five runners-up claiming the top six places. Five teams participated in judging from start to finish:

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The winner of the fourth #SPSFC is Saint Elspeth by @wickwelker.bsky.social, a tightly crafted tale of a doctor who survived first contact and nuclear apocalypse. "They just arrived, inadvertently triggered humanity to tear itself to pieces, landed, and vanished." www.amazon.com/Saint-Elspet...

With four places announced out of six, the fourth #SPSFC is faced with the dilemma of what to announce next. By a margin of just 0.392, second place goes to "action packed" On Impulse by Heather Texle, led by migraine-afflicted ex-space cop Reliance Sinclair. www.amazon.com/Impulse-Reli...

Third place in the fourth #SPSFC goes to the second chances resurrection romp Yours, Celestially by @al-distortion.bsky.social. Judge: "I needed this in my life right now at a time where I had more than a few negative thoughts in my head about being who I am." www.amazon.com/Yours-Celest...

Fourth place in the fourth #SPSFC is claimed by the "rollicking space opera" Whiskey and Warfare by @emhamill.bsky.social. A found family of golden-years space mercs reunite to stop a genocide. www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Warf...

Fifth place in the fourth #SPSFC goes to the richly constructed noir cyberpunk thriller Accidental Intelligence by @geektells.bsky.social. A judge loved that the dark reign of AI began when a videogame "learned so well and so fast that it gained sentience." www.amazon.com/Accidental-I...

After 306 days and 175 novels, the fourth #SPSFC has chosen its winner along with five finalists as runners-up. Sixth place goes to the "awesome high-concept" Bisection by @jennelikejennay.bsky.social. You can share one brain and still not understand someone. www.amazon.com/Bisection-Sh...

The 6 novels that made the finals of #SPSFC 4 are Accidental Intelligence by Bryan Chaffin, Bisection by Sheila Jenné, On Impulse by Heather Texle, Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker, Whiskey and Warfare by E. M. Hamill and Yours Celestially by Al Hess. #readem spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s...

Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker has been picked as an #SPSFC 4 finalist: spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s... Judge: "I'm really glad I read this book. ... I like Elspeth Darrow. I rooted for her."

On Impulse by Heather Texle has been selected as an #SPSFC 4 finalist. spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s... Judge: "Well-paced and written in a way that makes it easy to slip into the story."

Accidental Intelligence by @geektells.bsky.social‬ has been chosen as an #SPSFC 4 finalist. spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s... Judge: "My favorite opening half of anything I've read in this competition this year."

Whiskey and Warfare by E. M. Hamill has been picked as an #SPSFC 4 finalist. spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s... Judge: "Equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking, full of real human depth, and a thoughtful exploration of aging."

Yours Celestially by @al-distortion.bsky.social‬ has been selected as an #SPSFC 4 finalist. spsfc.space/2025/06/05/s... Judge: "I needed this in my life right now at a time where I had more than a few negative thoughts in my head about being who I am sometimes."