Gustavo Bondoni was named the winner of this year’s Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest for his story, “Space Monkeys”. The contest has been held annually since 2007 by Baen Books, in partnership with the National Space Society, to discover original stories celebrating optimistic, near-future space exploration.

FIRST PLACE

• “Space Monkeys” by Gustavo Bondoni

SECOND PLACE

• “Lights in the Void” by Tiffany Smith

THIRD PLACE

• “Atlas’ Shoulders” by Jason P. Crawford

Judges for the award included Baen publisher Toni Weisskopf and the editorial staff of Baen Books, and all entries were judged anonymously. 

This year’s winners will be honored at the 2025 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) held in Orlando, FL from June 19 to 22. In addition to the award, winners receive membership in the National Space Society, and the first place story will be offered publication at Baen’s website at professional rates.