Baen Books, in partnership with the National Space Society, has announced the 2023 finalists for the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award.

First launched in 2007, for the past 17 years the Jim Baen Memorial Award has been awarded to realistic hard science fiction about what can be achieved in space exploration in the next few decades, ranging from the colonization of Mars to asteroid mining, with a focus on hard science and optimism.

The contest occurs annually and looks for stories that demonstrate the positive aspects of space exploration and discovery.

The finalists for the 2024 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award are:

• Nik Alexander (Maryland)
• Zack Be (Maryland)
• Gustavo Bondoni (Argentina)
• S.L. Davis (Louisiana)
• Trent Guillory (Texas)
• C. Stuart Hardwick (Texas)
• William Paul Jones (California)
• Jason Lairamore (Oklahoma)
• Avery Parks (Texas)
• Marie Vibbert (Ohio)