The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the Best Novel category for the award in 1979; however, it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist Society revived it in 1982. The Society created a Prometheus Hall of Fame Award (for classic works of libertarian and anti-authoritarian science fiction and fantasy, not necessarily novels) in 1983, and also presents occasional one-off Special Awards.
While the Best Novel category is limited to novels published in English for the first time during the previous calendar year, Hall of Fame nominees — which must have been published at least 20 years ago — may be in any narrative or dramatic form, including novels, novellas, stories, films, television series or episodes, plays, musicals, graphic novels, song lyrics, or verse.
The Best Novel winner receives a plaque with a one-ounce gold coin, and the Hall of Fame winner a plaque with a smaller gold coin.
Prometheus Blog Appreciation Series Since 2019, LFS members have launched an Appreciation series of review-essays honoring all past winners and making clear why each work of fiction fits the distinctive focus of the award – something that was viewed as not necessarily obvious to sf/fantasy fans unfamiliar with the broad scope of libertarian thinking and analysis, which often overlaps with classical liberalism, its philosophical cousin.
Each Appreciation review-essay is published on the Prometheus Blog at https://www.lfs.org/blog/ and then linked next to each winning title on the past-winners list posted on the LFS website's Prometheus Awards page.
Multiple recipients Some authors have won the award for best novel more than once:
Thrice Cory Doctorow Michael F. Flynn Victor Koman Ken MacLeod L. Neil Smith
Twice Travis J. I. Corcoran James P. Hogan Neal Stephenson Vernor Vinge F. Paul Wilson Daniel Suarez Five authors have won the Prometheus Hall of Fame award more than once: Poul Anderson Robert Heinlein George Orwell Ayn Rand F. Paul Wilson
Process Books published in a given year are eligible (although books from the last few months of the previous year are also eligible if it is felt that they have been overlooked).
All members may nominate novels for the award. Members of the Best Novel Committee read all of the nominated novels (typically between 12 and 16) and vote for a slate of typically 5 finalists. Full members, Sponsors and Benefactors (higher membership levels) then vote on the finalists.
Step 2 happens in the first few months of the following year.
Step 3 happens in early summer of the following year.
The awards were historically given at the Annual Worldcon or NASFIC. Since the pandemic, they have been presented live via Zoom and then posted on YouTube and the Videos page of the LFS website (www.lfs.org).
Prometheus Award winners and finalists * Winners + No winner selected + List of winners and finalists for the Prometheus AwardYearAuthorNovelPublisherRef. * Doubleday Berkley Books The Genesis Machine Del Rey Books * Del Rey Books Alongside Night Crown Publishers An Enemy of the State Doubleday Songs from the Stars Simon & Schuster Tales of Nevèrÿon Bantam Books The Watcher Ace Books * Voyage from Yesteryear Del Rey Books Fire Dancer New American Library Friday Holt, Rinehart and Winston The Many-Colored Land Houghton Mifflin and Oath of Fealty Phantasia Press * The Rainbow Cadenza Simon & Schuster Double Crossing Putnam The Nagasaki Vector Del Rey Books Orion Shall Rise Phantasia Press and Thendara House DAW Books (no award)+ The Final Encyclopedia Tor Books Manna Analog Science Fiction and Fact The Peace War Analog Science Fiction and Fact Tom Paine Maru Del Rey Books The Tomb Berkley Books * The Cybernetic Samurai Arbor House Elegy for a Soprano Severn House The Gallatin Divergence Del Rey Books A Matter of Time Ace Books Radio Free Albemuth Arbor House * Marooned in Realtime Analog Science Fiction and Fact Circuit Berkley Books The Crystal Empire Tor Books A Door into Ocean Arbor House The Handmaid's Tale McClelland & Stewart * The Jehovah Contract Franklin Watts Circuit Breaker Berkley Books First Citizen Baen Books The Uplift War Phantasia Press Way of the Pilgrim Ace Books * Moon of Ice Arbor House David's Sling Baen Books Falling Free Analog Science Fiction and Fact Final Circuit Ace Books To Sail Beyond the Sunset Ace Books * Solomon's Knife Franklin Watts The Boat of a Million Years Tor Books Henry Martyn Tor Books Infinity Hold Questar The Mirror Maze Bantam Spectra * In the Country of the Blind Baen Books The Cybernetic Shogun William Morrow and Company The Tery Baen Books Under the Yoke Baen Books and V for Vendetta Warner Books , and * Fallen Angels Baen Books Distant Drums Domain D'Shai Ace Books The Infinity Gambit Bantam Books ME: A Novel of Self-Discovery Baen Books The Silicon Man Bantam Spectra Star Trek#57: The Rift Pocket Books A Tale of the Wind Villard * The Multiplex Man Bantam Spectra The Memory of Earth Tor Books Snow Crash Bantam Spectra Steel Beach Ace Books Timemaster Tor Books A Woman's Place American West Books * Pallas Tor Books Beggars in Spain AvoNova/William Morrow Rainbow Man Tor Books The Silicon Man Bantam Spectra Virtual Girl Ace Books * The Stars Are Also Fire Tor Books Dark Rivers of the Heart Charnel House Deadly Care (novel) Vantage Press The Select Headline Solis Hodder & Stoughton * The Star Fraction Legend Books CLD: Collective Landing Detachment AvoNova and Design for Great-Day Tor Books The Diamond Age Bantam Spectra Four Ways to Forgiveness Harper Prism * Kings of the High Frontier Pulpless.com Firestar Tor Books Paths to Otherwhere Baen Books Sliders: the Novel Boulevard Books Wildside Tor Books * The Stone Canal Legend Books Bretta Martyn Tor Books Finity's End Warner Books The Fleet of Stars Tor Books Nanotime Avon Books * The Golden Globe Ace Books and Masque Aspect/Warner Books Moonwar Hodder & Stoughton Rogue Star Tor Books Y2K: The Millennium Bug Xlibris * A Deepness in the Sky Tor Books The Cassini Division Orbit Books Cradle of Saturn Baen Books Cryptonomicon Avon Books The Martian Race Aspect/Warner Books * The Forge of the Elders Baen Books Eagle Against the Stars Baen Books Lodestar Tor Books The Sky Road Orbit Books The Truth HarperCollins * Psychohistorical Crisis Tor Books The American Zone Tor Books Enemy Glory Tor Books Falling Stars Tor Books Hosts Tor Books * Night Watch Doubleday Dark Light Orbit Books Escape from Heaven Pulpless.com The Haunted Air Tor Books Schild's Ladder Gollancz * Sims Tor Books Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Bloomsbury Publishing Naked Empire Tor Books The Pixel Eye Tor Books Spin State Bantam Spectra * The System of the World William Morrow and Anarquia Sense of Wonder Press Marque and Reprisal Del Rey Books Newton's Wake: A Space Opera Orbit Books State of Fear HarperCollins * Learning the World Orbit Books 47 Little, Brown The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Resistance Mountain Media Chainfire Tor Books The Hidden Family Tor Books and RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone Rebelfire Press * Glasshouse Ace Books Empire Tor Books The Ghost Brigades Tor Books Harbingers Tor Books Rainbows End Tor Books * The Gladiator Tor Books * Ha'penny Tor Books The Execution Channel Orbit Books and Fleet of Worlds Tor Books Ragamuffin Tor Books * Little Brother Tor Books Half a Crown Tor Books The January Dancer Tor Books Matter Orbit Books Opening Atlantis Roc Books Saturn's Children Ace Books * The Unincorporated Man Tor Books Hidden Empire Tor Books Liberating Atlantis Roc Books Makers Tor Books The United States of Atlantis Roc Books * Darkship Thieves Baen Books Ceres Phoenix Pick For the Win Tor Books The Last Trumpet Project Lulu Live Free or Die Baen Books * Ready Player One Random House * The Freedom Maze Big Mouth House The Children of the Sky Tor Books and In the Shadow of Ares Amazon Kindle The Restoration Game Orbit Books Snuff Doubleday * Pirate Cinema Tor Books Arctic Rising Tor Books The Unincorporated Future Tor Books Darkship Renegades Baen Books Kill Decision Dutton * Homeland Tor Books * Nexus Angry Robot A Few Good Men Baen Books Crux Angry Robot Brilliance Thomas & Mercer * Influx Dutton The Three-Body Problem Tor Books Raising Steam Doubleday A Better World Thomas & Mercer * Seveneves William Morrow and Company Golden Son Del Rey Books Apex Angry Robot The Just City Tor Books A Borrowed Man Tor Books * The Core of the Sun Grove Press The Corporation Wars: Dissidence Orbit Books The Corporation Wars: Insurgence Orbit Books The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 HarperCollins Blade of p'Na Phoenix Pick * The Powers of the Earth Morlock Publishing and Drug Lord: High Ground High Ground Books Torchship, Torchship Pilot and Torchship Captain Kelt Haven Press Darkship Revenge Baen Books The Corporation Wars: Emergence Orbit Books Artemis Crown Books Causes of Separation Morlock Publishing Kingdom of the Wicked Ligature Pty Limited State Tectonics Tor Books The Fractal Man Steve Heller Publishing The Murderbot Diaries Tor Books and Alliance Rising DAW The Testaments Random House: Nan A. Talese Ruin's Wake Titan Books Luna: Moon Rising Tor Books Ode to Defiance LMBPN Publishing The Hook Enchanteds Who Can Own the Stars? Amazon Kindle Storm between the Stars Kelt Haven Press Braintrust: Requiem LMBPN Publishing Heaven's River Amazon Rich Man's Sky Baen Books Between Home and Ruin Kelt Haven Press Seize What's Held Dear Kelt Haven Press Klara and the Sun Faber and Faber Should We Stay or Should We Go HarperCollins Cloud Castles Magic Isle Press Widowland Quercus Captain Trader Helmsman Spy Kelt Haven Press A Beast Cannot Feign Amazon Summer's End Baen Books Critical Mass Dutton Lord of a Shattered Land Baen Books Swim Among the People Kelt Haven Press God's Girlfriend Amazon Theft of Fire: Orbital Space#1 Devon Eriksen LLC In the Belly of the Whale CAEZIK SF & Fantasy and Alliance Unbound DAW Cancelled: The Shape of Things to Come Annie Mosse Press Beggar's Sky Baen Books Mania HarperCollins Storm Dragon Raconteur Press War by Other Means Kelt Haven No Man's Land Goldport Press A Kiss for Damocles Raconteur Press Powerless CAEZIK SF & Fantasy
Hall of Fame Award inductees 1983: Robert A. Heinlein, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress | Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged 1984: George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four | Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 1985: Poul Anderson, Trader to the Stars | Eric Frank Russell, The Great Explosion 1986: Cyril Kornbluth, The Syndic | Robert Anton Wilson / Robert Shea, Illuminatus! trilogy 1987: Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land | Ayn Rand, "Anthem" 1988: Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination 1989: J. Neil Schulman, Alongside Night 1990: F. Paul Wilson, The Healer 1991: F. Paul Wilson, An Enemy of the State 1992: Ira Levin, This Perfect Day 1993: Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed 1994: Yevgeny Zamyatin, We 1995: Poul Anderson, The Star Fox 1996: Robert A. Heinlein, Red Planet 1997: Robert A. Heinlein, Methuselah's Children 1998: Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love 1999: H. Beam Piper / John J. McGuire, A Planet for Texans (also known as Lone Star Planet) 2000: Hans Christian Andersen, "The Emperor's New Clothes" 2001: Jerry Pournelle / John F. Carr (editors), The Survival of Freedom 2002: Patrick McGoohan, The Prisoner (TV series) 2003: Robert A. Heinlein, "Requiem" 2004: Vernor Vinge, "The Ungoverned" 2005: A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher 2006: Alan Moore (author) / David Lloyd (illustrator), V for Vendetta (graphic novel) 2007: Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here | Vernor Vinge, True Names 2008: Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange 2009: J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings 2010: Poul Anderson, "No Truce with Kings" 2011: George Orwell, Animal Farm 2012: E. M. Forster, "The Machine Stops"