The Short Mystery Fiction Society announced the 2025 Derringer Award winners, and several special awards, on May 1.

FLASH

• “Kargin the Necromancer” by Mike McHone (Mystery Tribune, December 15, 2024)

SHORT STORY

• “The Wind Phone” by Josh Pachter (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, September/October 2024)

LONG STORY

• “Heart of Darkness” by Tammy Euliano (Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, Down & Out Books)

NOVELETTE

• “The Cadillac Job” by Stacy Woodson (Chop Shop Episode 1, Down & Out Books, January 1, 2024)

ANTHOLOGY

• Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, Edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, Level Best Books

HALL OF FAME

• O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)

This year’s inductee to the Hall of Fame is O. Henry (1862-1910), real name William Sydney Porter.  Though best remembered today for the Christmas story “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry’s hundreds of published short stories also include a huge number of influential crime narratives, including “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “The Cop and the Anthem,” and “A Retrieved Reformation.”  A master of plotting and effective twist endings, O. Henry exemplified the depth, range and flexibility of the short story.

EDWARD D. HOCH MEMORIAL GOLDEN DERRINGER FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

• Art Taylor

This year’s recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement is Art Taylor.  Jon L. Breen has accurately described Art as “one of the finest short-story writers to come to prominence in the twenty-first century.”  His many awards include an Edgar, an Anthony, four Agathas, four Macavitys, and four Derringers.  Art brings to the mystery story an unusually rich sense of character and theme; his stories are not merely puzzles to be solved, but insightful and engaging meditations on the mystery of life itself.  He is also one of the finest scholars of the history of mystery fiction, particularly in its short form, and unfailingly generous in his support for other writers, including through his continuation of the “First Two Pages” blog series begun by B. K. Stevens.

THE SILVER DERRINGER FOR EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE

• Janet Hutchings

On rare occasions, the SMFS Awards Committee presents a special lifetime award: The Silver Derringer for Editorial Excellence.  The award was most recently presented to Cathleen Jordan in 2002.  This year, the committee is delighted to present the award once more, to Janet Hutchings.  From 1991 until her retirement at the end of 2024, Janet served as just the third editor-in-chief of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, indisputably the most important publication in our genre.  To mention just a few of her accomplishments during this remarkable thirty-three year run, Janet introduced readers to a huge number of the best authors in the business, including Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Jeffrey Deaver, Val MdDermid, Marcia Muller, and many more; created the “Passport to Crime” department, which has presented the work of hundreds of international authors; and guided Queen into the twenty-first century with its first blog, podcasts, and digital editions.  It is safe to say that no living person has done as much for short mystery fiction, and we are honored to recognize Janet’s overwhelming contributions and influence.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]