Winners of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Writing Contest

Simon & Schuster brought back the popular fan fiction writing contest, Strange New Worlds in celebration of Star Trek’s 50th anniversary this year. The winners were announced April 13.

The following authors have been selected to be published in an upcoming Star Trek anthology.

Grand Prize Winners

  • Neil Bryant – Dilithium Is a Girl’s Best Friend
  • Gary Piserchio & Frank Tagader – A Christmas Qarol
  • Kelli Fitzpatrick – The Sunwalkers
  • Chris Chaplin – The Seen and Unseen
  • Michael Turner – The Façade of Fate
  • Nancy Debretsion – The Manhunt Pool
  • Derek Tyler Attico – The Dreamer and the Dream
  • Roger McCoy – The Last Refuge
  • John Coffren – Life Among the Post-Industrial Barbarians
  • Kristen McQuinn – Upon the Brink of Remembrance

The two First Prize winners, who will each receive a free publishing package from Archway Publishing, are:

  • Kerry F. Booth
  • James Corrigan

3 thoughts on “Winners of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Writing Contest

  1. I have fond memories of the Strange New Worlds anthologies when I was in my teens. It’s nice to them revived!

    At first flush I’m a little confused by the “First Prize” bit, though:

    The two First Prize winners will each receive a free publishing package from Archway Publishing valued at approximately $5,000 to publish a book on a subject other than Star Trek™.

    This just feels out of left field. Yay I did well in a Trek short fiction contest – so I get a self-publishing package for something non-Trek? Huh?

    I’m particularly confused by “First Prize” vs. “Grand Prize” — which is meant to be better? Are these, like, runners-up? If so, well, umm – why bother?

    And then, of course, there’s the fun element about the publication package coming from Archway Publishing – another Author Solutions outfit, which is best steered clear of (Writer Beware, David Gaughran). I hope this pair didn’t just win a rousing bout of furious upselling attempts. (Not that I’d expect S&S to see it that way, or acknowledge it that way, of course.)

    So, ummm, just a little weird? These prizes feel oddly tacked on to the rest of the project.

  2. @Standback: It feels like the contest is partially just an ad for Archway Publishing. ::eyeroll::

    Grand > First, always. Fifth trumps them all. 😉 But I agree, naming like this is silly.

  3. Grand prize winners are getting paid a $1000 advance for their story to be published by S&S. First prize winners are getting something “valued at approximately $5000” (?!) for self-publishing. (Non-Trek because that’s Trademarked!! as they remind you all over the linked website.) I’d say Grand prize is better than First prize.

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