Competition » Science Fiction Contest! 11 Nov 2021 - 06 Jan 2022 · 4:10pm Nov 16th, 2021
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, Bicyclette, we have a total prize pool of $250!
The top three winners will gain the following in American Dollars:
- First Place: $80
- Second Place: $55
- Third Place: $35
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
- Best Characterization: $20
In addition, each judge will bestow a Judge Prize of $10 on any entry of their choosing.
Judges!
Favorite authors: Peter Watts, Margaret Atwood, Samuel R. Delany, Stephen Baxter, Alice Sheldon
Author of: The 41-Second Goddess, Timescales, Cosmological, Long-DistanceFavorite 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)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 HorizonverseFavourite 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!
- All entries must include the Sci-Fi tag.
- Stories will be judged on both concept execution and characterization.
- 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.
- Stories based in Equestria Girls and MLP:ANG (G5) are allowed
- 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.
- OCs are allowed, with the same caveat as above.
- 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.
- 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.
- You may submit as many fics as you want to the contest! However, each person may only win one prize.
- 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.
- Submissions will be collected in the Science Fiction Contest Submissions folder. Feel free to join the group and place it in yourself!
- 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.
- 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!
Finally I get to live every writer's dream: participating in a contest by sitting in judgement of others without having to write anything myself!
5607871
You get to live this writer's nightmare: having to formulate an objectively valuable artistic opinion (as opposed to just assigning points based on dry sarcastic wit and well-executed puns) on other people's work, and having to push oneself into doing something productive within a short timeframe without getting your own shiny new story to show for it at the end.
I wish you best of luck and much fun with it though though. I will be doing my own judgmental-ing over here in that shadowy corner. Quietly to myself, using a pun-based points system.
5607874
I formulate objectively valuable artistic opinions for breakfast.
Or... something.
Quick clarification question: are pre-existing works eligible, or do they need to be brand-new stories?
Against my better judgement, I'm tossing my hat into the ring. See you later, folks.
5607883
new stories, please.
5607894
That's what I thought as soon as I asked. Thanks!
Well, I do have a G5 sci-fi story idea that's in the planning stage. This is all the motivation I need to finish it.
MY TIME HAS COME
Dumb question - I assume this would have to be a new fic we write?
Wouldn't anything involving magic count as science in mlp, as magic itself has already been extensively studied and turned into a science?
5607920 Bike would be the person to ask, but I think it depends on how it’s presented and framed.
Sci-Fi is very broad genre. Are we limited specifically to stories about tech, or can we reach beyond? Like... Classic Twilight Zone stuff. Aliens and what have you?
Fallout equestria is a pretty good look at what could happen if you gave ponies guns
5607915
Likely foalcon stories, not that Bicyclette would tell you which ones disqualify you. As it stands that means I can't participate in any of their contests.
where is that image from ?
5607999
The source is actually listed in the post. It was commissioned from daOtterGuy.
5607924
5607920
yes, science fiction is not limited to technology! we are looking more for how well stories deal with science fiction themes, and not necessarily about technology, stories dealing with aliens or extradimensional beings and such would qualify, as would stories about hard magic systems, alternate physics, or even just proven scientific theories in the context of a world in any time or place. just keep in mind that we are grading on both concept execution and characterization!
I'm tempted to try... a sequel to my story 'Horse Play'. Gives me something to think about.
we could certainly use more sci-fi 😃
5607871
it's really fun
5607893
5607903
5607905
that's great to hear! good luck with writing your entries!
5607909
yes, it has to be published between the start date (11 Nov) and the end date
5608075
definitely do consider it! sequels are welcome as long as they can be understood without having to read the original
5608120
definitely! which is why i am spending all this money on a contest lol
5608149
Thanks.
I am interested in the contest but science-fiction isn’t really up my alley. The best I can do is have a bit of science fiction in the story. Do you know what other contest you’ll be doing after or have you not decided?
I got a question, in lines of the genre of Sci-Fi; would anything Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, Terminator, Steampunk-estic apply to this contest?
5608197
the one right after this one will be crackshipping, most likely
5608257
yes, those would count, but remember that crossovers should be able to be understood and enjoyed without having read or seen the source material!
5608295
Okay, just wanted to check. Thank you
why nobody talking about the cute Spike Moon?
5608546
it is great! as are the Pie sister moons and the Scootlaoo comet, daOtterGuy did really great work here
I assume because of the max word limit multi-chapter stories are good to go?
5608748
yes!
I just wanna know who got butthurt so bad they downvoted everyone on this post.
Damn. Was going to submit my most recently completed story.
This sounds interesting, so I'm going to give it a shot.
I'm sorta new here, but interested. I might give it a shot. One thing though, where do I submit the story?
5610355
if you look at the post above, there's a link to the group where you can submit the story
5610366
Ok. Thanks
5609091
The down-votes are probably from people who are:
A: Too dumb to understand sci-fi stories.
B: Have zero writing talent, so they are filled with impotent rage and jealousy whenever they see a contest pop up.
C: Sad little trolls with nothing better to do.
or most likely
D: all of the above.
Lets see how many down-votes this comment gets.
5610664
So far no one has downvoted you
But as for B, "Zero writing talent", I would say that it's not that they have no talent at all, but that they didn't spend enough time practising their writing. After all, skill is obtained, not bestowed.
So, an encouragement to new or amateur writers like myself, just keep practising. I heard a quote: 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration.
5611054
Also passion. Gotta be passionate about what you write.
(*Lets his mind wander a moment... then has a brilliant idea....*)
Oh, yes..... I think I can manage something.....
I still havent gotten a scifi idea XD, time running out
AAAAND POSTED! Best of luck, Everypony!
I've never posted any writing of mine, but I'll give it a shot here!
5621928
Welcome to the site! The moderation queue for new authors' works can sometimes take a few days to post. Make sure to submit your story a few days in advance of the deadline or, if you wait until close to the deadline and the story has not yet posted, you may wish to note rule 10:
5622087
Thanks!
Good luck to everypony! This contest is right up my alley but disability is preventing me from entering. I'll be in the G5 competition ending in a few days, though.