2020 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

M.T. Reiten

M.T. Reiten has won the grand prize in the 2020 Jim Baen Memorial Short story Award competition with his short story “Bagala Devi Objective.” Persistence paid off — it’s Reiten’s first win, after twice placing third in previous years (2017 and 2019).

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest has been held annually since 2007 and is focused on stories of space exploration and discovery, with an optimistic spin on those activities for the human race.

FIRST PLACE

  • “Bagala Devi Objective” by M.T. Reiten

SECOND PLACE

  • “Spinners” by Kate MacEachern

THIRD PLACE (tie)

  • “Sample Return by C. Stuart Hardwick
  • “The Caretaker” by Tiffany Smith

The contest judges were Baen Books editors Hank Davis, Jim Minz, Tony Daniel, David Afsharirad, and Baen author David Drake.

The Grand Prize winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submittals, currently .08/word. The author will also receive an engraved award, free entry into the 2020 International Space Development Conference (unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak), a year’s membership in the National Space Society and a prize package containing various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise.

Second and Third place winners will receive a year’s membership in the National Space Society and a prize package containing various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise. They were also to have received free entry into the now-cancelled 2020 International Space Development Conference.

What the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award looks like.