The Carl Brandon Society has announced the winners of their 2019 Parallax and Kindred Awards. “After a hiatus of several years, we’re very proud to once again highlight outstanding works of speculative fiction written by BIPOC authors—the Parallax—and focused on racial issues—the Kindred,” said CBS steering committee member K. Tempest Bradford.

The 2019 Carl Brandon Parallax Award 

• Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (Random House Children’s Books)

The award goes to the best speculative fiction created by a person of color in the preceding calendar year. 

Honors List

• “Mister Dog” by Alex Jennings
• “Kali_Na” by Indrapramit Das
• “The Freedom of the Shifting Sea” by Jaymee Goh
• “Harvest” by Rebecca Roanhorse
• A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurence Gidney
• David Mogo: God Hunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

The 2019 Carl Brandon Kindred Award 

• “Doll Seed” by Michele Tracy Berger (FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction)

The award goes to the work of speculative that best explores and expands our understanding of race in the preceding calendar year; its creator may be of any racial or ethnic background. 

Honors List

• Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender
• “Blood Is Another Word for Hunger” by Rivers Solomon
• “Burn the Ships” by Alberto Yáñez
• “A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy” by Rebecca Roanhorse.

“The jury considers works published in the preceding year. So, these winners were published in 2019 and selected in 2020,” explained Carl Brandon steering committee member Candra K. Gill. “Both authors will receive a $1000 cash prize in addition to the physical award.”

2019 jury members were Jacqueline A. Gross, Julia Rios, J.G. Stewart, and Yang-Yang Wang.

Details of the online presentation ceremony will be forthcoming.

For jury statements on the awards’ winners and honors lists and a list of previous winners, please visit Carl Brandon Society Awards. Nominations for the 2020 Parallax and Kindred Awards are now open; access the nominations form there also.