Ted Kosmatka is an American writer. His short stories have been reprinted in ten Year's Best anthologies, and he is a two-time winner of the Asimov's Readers' Poll Award. His novelette "Divining Light" was nominated for the 2009 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, and his novel The Games was nominated for the 2013 Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Personal life Kosmatka was born and raised in northwest Indiana where he worked for more than a decade in the steel industry. After moving to Seattle with his family, he worked for several years as a video game writer before returning to the Midwest.
Awards and Honors Kosmatka has been nominated for the Nebula Award and Locus Award, and he was a finalist for the Sturgeon Award. He is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the Asimov's Readers' Award Poll.
List of awards and honors in chronological order: Best Novelette (3rd Place), 2008 Asimov's Readers' Award Poll for "The Prophet of Flores".Asimov's Reader Poll 2008, Science Fiction Awards Database, https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2008 Best Novelette (Nomination), 2009 Nebula Awards for "Divining Light".2009 Nebula Awards, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/2009/ Best Novelette (2nd Place), 2009 Asimov's Readers' Award Poll for "Divining Light".Asimov's Reader Poll 2009, Science Fiction Awards Database, https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2009 2010 Finalist, Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for "Blood Dauber".2010 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award Finalists, Locus Magazine, https://locusmag.com/2010/05/2010-theodore-sturgeon-memorial-award-finalists/ Best Novelette (Winner), 2010 Asimov's Readers' Award Poll for "Blood Dauber".Asimov's Reader Poll 2010, Science Fiction Awards Database, https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2010 Best First Novel (Nomination), 2013 Locus Awards for "The Games".Locus Awards Winners, Locus Magazine, https://locusmag.com/2013/06/locus-awards-winners/ Best Short Story (Winner), 2020 Asimov's Readers' Award Poll for "Sacrificial Iron".Asimov's Reader Poll 2020, Science Fiction Awards Database, https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2020 Best Novelette (3rd Place (tie)), 2021 Asimov's Readers' Award Poll for "The Beast Adjoins".Asimov's Reader Poll 2021, Science Fiction Awards Database, https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2021
Bibliography
Novels The Games (2012) Prophet of Bones (2013) The Flicker Men (2015)
Video games Dota 2 (2013) Portal 2 (2011)
Short Speculative Fiction "The Signal and the Idler," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 49 No. 596 & 597 (Sep/Oct 2025)."Title: The Signal and the Idler," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?3538031 "Shy Sarah and the Draft Pick Lottery," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 54 No. 540 (Jan/Feb 2021)."Title: Shy Sarah and the Draft Pick Lottery," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2830313 "The Beast Adjoins," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 44 No. 532 (Jul/Aug 2020)."Title: The Beast Adjoins," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2747511 "Sacrificial Iron," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 43 No. 520 (May/Jun 2019)."Title: Sacrificial Iron," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2551395 "The One Who Isn't," Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 74 (Jul 2016)."Jul. 2016 (Issue 74)," Lightspeed Magazine, https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/issues/july-2016-issue-74/ "The Stone War," The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (May/Jun 2016)."Title: The Stone War," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2011045 "The Bewilderness of Lions," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 40 No. 482 (Mar 2016)."Title: The Bewilderness of Lions," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1980604 "Chasing Ivory," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 40 No. 480 (Jan 2016)."Title: Chasing Ivory," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1941794 "Cry Room," Nightmare Magazine, Issue 5 (Feb 2013)."Feb. 2013 (Issue 5)," Nightmare Magazine, https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/issues/issue-5-feb-2013/ "Haplotype 1402," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 37 No. 450 (Jul 2013)."Title: Haplotype 1402," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1605840 "Escape He Done," Shocklines: Fresh Voices in Terror, 2013."Shocklines: Fresh Voices In Terror", Cemetery Dance Publications, https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/shocklines-toc/ "The Color Least Used by Nature," The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (Jan/Feb 2012)."January/February 2012 • 63rd Year of Publication," Fantasy & Science Fiction, https://www.fandsf.com/toc1201.htm "In-fall," Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 7 (Dec 2010)."Dec. 2010 (Issue 7)," Lightspeed Magazine, https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/issues/dec-2010-issue-7/ "Blood Dauber," (in collaboration with Michael Poore) Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 33 No. 405 & 406 (Oct/Nov 2009)."Title: Blood Dauber," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1030641 "Limited Penetrance, Variable Expression," The Human Genre Project, July 2009. "The Ascendant," Subterranean Online, Spring 2009."Title: The Ascendant," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1120231 "Divining Light," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 32 No. 391 (Aug 2008)."Title: Divining Light," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?898401 "The Art of Alchemy," The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (Jun 2008)."June 2008 • 59th Year of Publication," Fantasy & Science Fiction, https://www.fandsf.com/toc0806.htm "N-words," Seeds of Change, edited by John Joseph Adams, 2008."Title: N-Words," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?900050 "The Prophet of Flores," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 31 No. 380 (Sep 2007)."Title: The Prophet of Flores," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?836365 "Deadnauts," Ideomancer, Vol. 6 Iss. 3 (Sep 2007)."Title: Deadnauts," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2229900 "Doxology," City Slab, #11 (Feb 2007)."Title: Doxology," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1683133 "Bitterseed," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 30 No. 366 (Jul 2006)."Title: Bitterseed," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?195757 "The God Engine," Asimov's Science Fiction, Vol. 29 No. 357 & 358 (Oct/Nov 2005)."Title: The God Engine," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?194916 "Quicksilver," SPIRITS Magazine (Indiana University Northwest).SPIRIT MAGAZINE, Indiana University Northwest, https://northwest.iu.edu/student-activities/spirit-magazine/index.html "The Extinction of Ursus Theodorus," Deep Outside SFFH (Mar 2000)."Title: The Extinction of Ursus theodorus," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2415340
Short Literary Fiction "Last Exit of Highway 94," Kindred Voices, 2006. "Indiana Harbor Jones," Workers' Anthology Audio CD, 2006. "Steel," Spirits Magazine.
Essays "Philip K. Dick the Shaman," Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep #18, Boom Studios, 2010.
Plays Steel, a one act play
References
External links
Official website Story behind Prophet of Bones - A World Where Creationists Were Right, a science thriller