Editor Neil Clarke has announced the finalists for the 2020 Clarkesworld Magazine Reader’s Poll for best story and cover art.  

Clarke commented, “This year, it seemed clear from the start that a small group of works were destined to become finalists, but as the deadline approached the border blurred. At the buzzer, six stories tied for fifth place. Voters clearly felt passionately about these works, so it seems only fair to include them all as finalists, as a tie-breaker just didn’t seem fair. They are worthy contenders, after all.”

The public is invited to pick the winners. Go to:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/clarkesworld2020poll

Voting will close on February 15 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The winners will be announced in Clarkesworld’s March issue.

(Incidentally, the reasons finalist “Helicopter Story” is not available online are discussed here: “Clarkesworld Removes Isabel Fall’s Story”.)

Best Story

• “An Important Failure” by Rebecca Campbell (Novelette, August)
• “The Translator, at Low Tide” by Vajra Chandrasekera (Short Story, May)
• “Helicopter Story” by Isabel Fall (Novelette, January) Not currently available online.
• “One Time, a Reluctant Traveler” by A. T. Greenblatt (Short Story, July)
• “Distant Stars” by P H Lee (Short Story, April)
• “Lone Puppeteer of a Sleeping City” by Arula Ratnakar (Novelette, September)
• “Ask the Fireflies” by R. P. Sand (Novelette, September)
• “AirBody” by Sameem Siddiqui (Short Story, April)
• “To Sail the Black” by A.C. Wise (Novelette, November)
• “A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential” by JY Neon Yang (Novelette, May)

Best Cover Art

“Alien Scout” by Arjun Amky (November)

“Home Planet” by Beeple (April)

“Monk’s Mirror” by Joseph Diaz (August)

“Family Portrait” by Yigit Koroglu (July)

“Ancient Stones” by Francesca Resta (October)