Science Fiction Contest! 11 Nov 2021 - 06 Jan 2022

source: commission from daOtterGuy

Welcome!

Hello friends!

I've been doing some thinking. Wouldn't it be nice if there were more works exploring the ramifications of scientific ideas and technological innovations through stories about pastel-colored magic horses?

Well, that is what this contest is for! Over the next eight weeks, until 2022 January 06, let's write some great science fiction!

Prizes!

Note that all prize amounts will be sent by PayPal. If you are unable to receive money by PayPal, I, Bicyclette, will try my very best to arrange an alternative that works for you, but please be aware that it may not work out.

Thanks to me, Bicycletteme, Bicyclette, and an anonymous donor that I, Bicyclette, personally regard highly, we have a total prize pool of $250$500!

The top threefour winners will gain the following in American Dollars:

• First Place: $80$145
• Second Place: $55$95
• Third Place: $35$65
• Fourth Place: $0$45

Entries will be judged on two metrics: concept execution and characterization. To highlight standouts, we will also give the following prizes:

• Best Concept Execution: $20$35
• Best Characterization: $20$35

In addition, each judge will bestow a Judge Prize of $10$20 on any entry of their choosing.

Judges!

• Bicyclette

  Favorite authors: Peter Watts, Margaret Atwood, Samuel R. Delany, Stephen Baxter, Alice Sheldon
  Author of: The 41-Second Goddess, Timescales, Cosmological, Long-Distance

• Lofty Withers

  Favorite authors: Christopher Anvil, David Weber, Rupi Kaur, Keith Laumer, Greg Bear
  Favorite works: A Pail of Air (Fritz Leiber), The Answer (Fredric Brown), Rescue Party (Arthur C Clarke), The Writing on the Wall (Horse Voice), The Brave Guardsmen of Spidera IV (Pooka)

• Syke Jr

  Favourite authors: Terry Pratchett and Kurt Vonnegut
  Favourite works: Dune (Frank Herbert), Don't Bite the Sun (Tanith Lee), The Knife of Never Letting Go (Patrick Ness), The Sirens of Titan (Kurt Vonnegut)
  Author of: Souls and Silicon, The Horizonverse

• Shaslan

  Favourite authors: Ursula K. Le Guin and Anne McCaffrey
  Favourite works: The Word for World is Forest (Ursula le Guin), A Fall of Moondust (Arthur C Clarke), Luna is a Harsh Mistress (Starscribe), The Ship Who Sang (Anne McCaffrey)
  Author of: Patience, Frozen Hope, FiO: Even the Strongest Heart

Please keep in mind that judges are not allowed to preread, edit, or discuss any entries with the author before the contest results are released! In addition, judges are asked to withhold commenting on entries until after the release of contest results.

Rules!

1. All entries must include the Sci-Fi tag.
2. Stories will be judged on both concept execution and characterization.
3. Stories can be rated M, but if so, please contact me, Bicyclette, before submission to make sure it's within what the judges are good with reading.
4. Stories based in Equestria Girls and MLP:ANG (G5) are allowed
5. Stories from a specific fandom multiverse (e.g. Friendship is Optimal) are allowed as long as they can be understood without having read the original. The same spirit applies to AUs, crossovers, sequels, and side stories.
6. OCs are allowed, with the same caveat as above.
7. The deadline is 1900 06/01/2022 UTC-5:00 (7:00PM of January 06, 2022, EST). Stories must be published and completed by this time in order to qualify.
8. There is no minimum wordcount, but the maximum is 20kw. If you feel this is too restrictive, please contact me, Bicyclette, to discuss a possible exception.
9. You may submit as many fics as you want to the contest! However, each person may only win one prize.
10. If you are a new writer and your entry ends up stuck in the moderation queue, please contact me, Bicyclette, to avoid being disqualified for this.
11. Submissions will be collected in the Science Fiction Contest Submissions folder. Feel free to join the group and place it in yourself!
12. If you feel like your idea, despite technically meeting all these rules, might go against what we might reasonably expect from a good-faith entry, or if you have any questions or want to clarify anything, please don't be afraid to discuss it with me, Bicyclette! The last thing we want is for you to spend a lot of time working on an entry and then have it not qualify at the end. We understand there will always be corner cases to consider.
13. For legal and job reasons of myself, any submission under the same account as fics that would be illegal to publish in the nation of Australia (a certain subset of pornographic material) are disqualified. This is the only requirement based on factors outside of the actual submission itself.

That's it!

Good luck!

Comments

[iAmSiNnEr]

HERE WE GO-

1. Stories will be judged on both concept execution and characterization.

well shit I'm bad at characterization

[Thought Prism]

Oh, neat. There's no chance the one sci-fi idea I have in the pipeline will work for this, but I will leave one of mine here in case you haven't read it already:

ENo Time For a Sunset

• Equestria Girls
• Romance
• Sci-Fi
• Tragedy

Even across eons and lightyears, love blooms. But everything beautiful withers away in time.

• Human
• Crossover
• Sunset Shimmer
• Wallflower Blush

Thought Prism · 6.6k words  ·  45  6 · 833 views

I'm still very proud of this fic. It's Sunflower... IN SPACE!

[Reactception]

Oh boy I have a lot going on but I’ll try to submit a shorter story!

[The Sleepless Beholder]

5606181
I can confirm it's really good. Inspirational even.

[GaPJaxie]

I'M GONNA DO IT

[SparklingTwilight]

The listing of favorite authors and works was a very nice idea!

Also, a very nice cover image.

[Dewdrops on the Grass]

I'm in this to win this, along with my partner in crime. Otter and I, we've got this on lock.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Based on the promo image alone, I kind of want to write Wallflower Blush, Astromare and her adventures in the Harmony system. I'll definitely see what I can do for this one.

[Thought Prism]

5606199
You flatter me.

[Secret Moon]

Hello. As usual, I would like to invite you to repost the contest in the Hall of Contests [SFW] group.

Thank you and hope the contest will be successful.

[Muggonny]

Aight, guess it's time to dust off ye ol' typewriter.

[Koekelbag]

Wait, magic is a science too in FIM... can we write a story purely about magic?

[Bicyclette]

5607921
if magic is taking the place technology normally does in sci-fi, sure! exploring magic-based technology systems and their impacts would count. but that is a distinct feel from a "purely" magical/fantasy story, if that makes sense

[alarajrogers]

I assume of course that stories must be new for the contest. Do they have to be complete?

[Bicyclette]

5609472
the ideas don't have to be new, but they have to be published in between the contest start and end dates, yes. as Rule 7 says, they have to be complete by the time the contest ends.