With Octavia Butler’s prescient novel “The Parable of the Sower” hitting the New York Times Best Seller List last month, it’s no secret that many of us are turning to works of science fiction to get us through these strange days of 2020. Two local organizations, Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project, are calling on area teens to add their voices to the genre.
The call is for The Tomorrow Prize, a contest that invites Los Angeles County high school students to submit their sci-fi short stories for a chance to win cash prizes and publication. Submissions opened Sept. 15 and will close Feb. 1.
In addition to The Tomorrow Prize, the Los Angeles Audubon Society will present the Green Feather Award, which highlights an environmentally focused sci-fi story.
Celebrity guests will read selected finalists’ work in a special performance.
First-, second- and third-place winners of The Tomorrow Prize will receive $250, $150 and $100 in cash, respectively. The first-place winner will be published in L.A. Parent magazine.
The Green Feather Award winner will receive $250 and online publication by the Los Angeles Audubon Society.
Students may submit up to two stories of up to 1,500 words each. Stories must be original and must not have been previously published online or in print, including personal websites and social media. Stories that feature characters, settings or other defining features of any existing media properties (books, film, TV, etc.), including fan fiction, will not be considered.
To enter, submit stories to TheTomorrowPrize@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 1.
For more information and tips, visit bit.ly/omegascifiawards.
