The finalists for the 2024 Kurd Laßwitz Preis were announced on April 3. The award, named after German author Kurd Laßwitz, is given to works written in or translated into the German language and published during the previous year.
The ballot was compiled from 513 nominations submitted by 77 eligible voters plus 256 evaluations and comments from the pre-selection committee. Over 280 eligible voters will have until the end of May to vote on all the categories except for translation and radio play, which a jury of experts will judge.
A new Special Award category is being introduced this year to highlight and reward achievements that combine social commitment with artistic, organizational or scientific excellence. In the tradition of the pacifist and humanist Kurd Laßwitz, the new special prize is intended to honor “critical, committed, intersectional” work that makes the world of German-language science fiction more accessible, diverse and tolerant. The prize sends out a positive signal against anti-Semitism, racism, ableism, sexism, queer hostility and classism and makes the work and commitment that people in science fiction are already demonstrating more visible to the public.
The award ceremony will take place at ElsterCon, to be held September 27-29 at the Haus des Buches in Leipzig.
Best German SF Novel
From 113 nomination proposals for 52 novels, the eight most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
| Reda El Arbi, [empfindungsfæhig] Lector Books |
| Sven Haupt, Niemandes Schlaf Eridanus |
| Christian Kellermann, Adam und Ada Hirnkost |
| Aiki Mira, Neurobiest Eridanus |
| Jacqueline Montemurri, Skábma – Das Nanobot-Experiment Edition Roter Drache |
| Brandon Q. Morris, Tachyon – Die Waffe (Tachyon, vol. 1) Fischer Tor |
| Lena Richter, Dies ist mein letztes Lied OhneOhren |
| Michael Marcus Thurner, Die Terrania-Trilogie (Perry Rhodan, vol. 3208-3210) VPM |
Best German SF Story
Out of 124 nomination proposals for 61 short stories, novelettes and novellas, the eleven most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
| Christian Endres, Die Straße der Bienenin: Fritz Heidorn and Sylvia Mlynek (ed.): Klimazukünfte 2050 – Geschichten unserer gefährdeten Welt Hirnkost |
| Uwe Hermann, Die End-of-Life-Schaltungin: René Moreau, Hans Jürgen Kugler and Heinz Wipperfürth (ed.): Exodus 46 Exodus Selbstverlag |
| Dieter Korger, Nur ein Werbespotin: Hans Jürgen Kugler and René Moreau (ed.): Ferne Horizonte – Entfernte Verwandte Hirnkost |
| Michael Marrak, Der Mann, der Räume glücklich machte (Stellaris, Folge 94)in: Robert Corvus, Cyberflora (Perry Rhodan, vol. 3234) VPM |
| Aiki Mira, Nicht von dieser Weltin: Team Nova (ed.): Nova 32 p.machinery |
| Michael Schneiberg, Die Frau in der Wandin: René Moreau, Hans Jürgen Kugler and Heinz Wipperfürth (ed.): Exodus 47 Exodus Selbstverlag |
| Yvonne Tunnat, Der Spielplatzin: Marianne Labisch and Gerd Scherm (ed.): Jenseits der Traumgrenze p.machinery |
| Yvonne Tunnat, Trauergeschäftein: René Moreau, Hans Jürgen Kugler and Heinz Wipperfürth (ed.): Exodus 47 Exodus Selbstverlag |
| Melanie Vogltanz, No Filterin: Judith C. Vogt, Lena Richter and Heike Knoop-Sullivan (ed.): Queer*Welten 10 Ach je |
| Wolf Welling, Stulpain: René Moreau, Hans Jürgen Kugler and Heinz Wipperfürth (ed.): Exodus 47 Exodus Selbstverlag |
| Charline Winter, Grüne Herzenin: Judith C. Vogt, Lena Richter and Heike Knoop-Sullivan (ed.): Queer*Welten 11 Ach je |
Best non-german SF Work translated first time in 2023
From 59 nomination proposals for 32 foreign works, the eleven most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
| Ned Beauman, Der gemeine Lumpfisch (Venomous Lumpsucker) Liebeskind |
| Peter Cawdron, Der Sturm (The Tempest) (Erstkontakt, vol. 2) A7L Books |
| Guy Hasson, Das perfekte Mädchen (The Perfect Girl) in: Sheldon Teitelbaum and Emanuel Lottem (Hrsg.): Zion’s Fiction Hirnkost |
| Polly Ho-Yen, The Mothers (Dark Lullaby) Piper |
| Lucy Kissick, Projekt Pluto (Plutoshine) Heyne |
| Rebecca F. Kuang, Babel (Babel. Or the Necessity of Violence) Eichborn |
| Ursula K. Le Guin, Immer nach Hause (Always Coming Home Carcosa |
| Emily St. John Mandel, Das Meer der endlosen Ruhe (Sea of Tranquility) Ullstein |
| Cheon Seon-Ran, Tausend Arten von Blau (천 개의 파랑) Golkonda |
| Neil Sharpson, Ecce Machina – Die Seele der Maschine (When the Sparrow Falls) Piper |
| Neal Stephenson, Termination Shock (Termination Shock) Goldmann |
Best Translation of SF into German
Out of 26 nomination proposals for ten translations, seven were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee and are available for the translation jury to choose from:
Best SF Art (Cover, Illustration) related to a German edition in 2023
From 63 nomination proposals for 27 cover graphics, the seven most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
Best German SF Radio Play
From four nomination proposals for three radio plays, two were selected and are available for the radio play jury to choose from:
| Der Ernstfall byPaula Dorten andKerstin Schütze Director: Kerstin Schütze; Composer: The Z & Noir Desir; Production: ORF |
| Slughunters – Jagd auf die Jäger byBodo Traber Director: Bodo Traber; Composer: André Abshagen; Production: WDR |
Best German Non-fiction Texts related to SF
Out of 30 nomination proposals for 17 non-fiction texts, the five most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
| Gunther Barnewald, Handbuch der Planeten – Reiseführer durch die Welten von Jack Vance FanPro |
| Hans Frey, Vision und Verfall – Deutsche Science Fiction in der DDR Memoranda |
| Olaf Kemmler, Big Data is watching you! Werden wir durch unsere Smartphones belauscht? Tor Online |
| Alfred Vejchar, Von Andromeda bis Utopia – Eine Zeitreise durchs österreichische Fandom p.machinery |
| Felix Wirth, Science Fiction im Radio – Programm und Sound utopischer Hörspiele in der Deutschschweiz von 1935 – 1985 transcript |
Special Achievement Award for actual SF activities in 2023
Out of 43 nomination proposals for 15 actual sf activities, the nine most nominated were selected in consultation with the pre-selection committee:
Special Achievement Award 2023 for long term activities
From 30 nomination proposals for eleven long term sf activities, the three most nominated were selected in consultation with the preselection committee:
| Arndt Drechsler-Zakrzewski for his lifetime achievement (posthumously) |
| René Moreau, Olaf Kemmler, Heinz Wipperfürth and Hans Jürgen Kugler for 20 years of publishing Exodus (since restart) |
| Jörg Weigand for decades of commitment in the field of SF, fantasy and entertainment literature as an editor and non-fiction author |
Special Achievement award critical, committed, intersectional 2023
From 21 nomination proposals for ten sf activities, the four most nominated were selected in consultation with the preselection committee:
| Aşkın-Hayat Doğan for his video series Diverser Lesen mit Ask |
| The Team of Hirnkost publishing house for the publication of the first German anthology of Israeli SF, Zion’s Fiction |
| Klaus Farin, Hans Frey, Christian Kellermann, Hardy Kettlitz and Karlheinz Steinmüller for the project Kongress der Utopien |
| Lena Richter, Judith C. Vogt, Heike Knopp-Sullivan and Kathrin Dodenhoeft for the edition of the magazine Queer*Welten |
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