After the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) made Octavia E. Butler its inaugural Infinity Award honoree last week, people began to offer ideas about who should be selected next. However, they also expressed a desire for a clearer understanding of who is eligible.   

File 770 contacted Rebecca Gomez Farrell, SFWA Communications Director, to ask if the organization had an official statement or set of rules to govern the Infinity Award? She answered:

The official Board vote creating the Infinity Award is a simpler version of what is in the press release: “Be it moved that the Infinity Award be created to present to someone SFWA would have considered for Grandmaster Award but no longer qualifies because they have passed on.”

Although more may be added in the future, there are no additional qualifications at this time.

I hope that aids the future speculation.

If the opportunity window for the Infinity Award depends on someone’s career overlapping the existence of the SFWA Grand Master award, then it is relevant that the award’s first recipient Robert A. Heinlein was selected in 1974.