Parsec Awards

The Parsec Awards were a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty,^[1] Tracy Hickman and and awarded by FarPoint Media. They were first presented in 2006 at DragonCon^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] and had become "one of the most recognizable honors in science and fiction podcasting".^[6]

Nominations were accepted from the listening public annually in each of the categories. The list was vetted for eligibility by the steering committee, before producers were invited to submit samples of work for consideration by a panel of judges. The panel reduced the list of nominees to five finalists in each category. The finalists' work was submitted for judging and the winner was selected by that panel of authors, podcasters, and others knowledgeable in the field of speculative fiction, podcasting, and/or publishing.^[7] Past finalist judges have included Catherine Asaro, Charles de Lint, Cory Doctorow, and Evo Terra.^[8]

The awards were last presented in 2018.

Award categories[]

(Current for 2013 Nomination Year)

Categories are modified from year to year. This is a list of some past categories:

Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Novella Form)
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Long Form)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents)
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story Podcast
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)
Best Podcast About Speculative Fiction Content Creation
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast ("Infotainment")
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast

Past winners[]

2014[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Growth Spurt by Paul Lorello (from PseudoPod)
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Novella Form): Blood and Smoke by Mike Bennett (from Underwood and Flinch)
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Long Form): Underwood and Flinch: A Vampire Novel by Mike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story Large Cast (Short Form): Dirty Hands by Niall Kitson (from Seminar: An Original Anthology Show)
Best Speculative Fiction Story Long Form: Fire on the Mound by William J. Meyer
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): Tallington by Jon Thrower (from We Are Not Alone)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): We’re Alive: A Story of Survival by Kc Wayland
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: Once Upon a Time in the 1970s by Chris & Anne Lukeman
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: The NoSleep Podcast edited by David Cummings
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: Richard Wentworth, Michael McQuilkin, Lisa McQuilkin, and Michael Atkinson of Hadron Gospel Hour
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): Cyborgs: A Bionic Podcast hosted by John S. Drew and Paul K. Bisson
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): Sword & Laser hosted by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: StoryWonk Sunday hosted by Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: Universe Today’s Guide to Space hosted by Fraser Cain
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: DragonConTV hosted by Brian Richardson
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: Insufficient submissions
Best Youth Driven Speculative Fiction Podcast: Insufficient submissions
^[9]

2013[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Now Cydonia by Rick Kennett (from Cast of Wonders)
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Novella Form): The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft, produced by Mike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Long Form): Underwood and Flinch by Mike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story Large Cast: The Road To Utopia Plain by Rick Kennett (The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Minister of Chance by Radio Static
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): Star Trek: Outpost by Tony Raymond and Daniel McIntosh
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: I Have Your Heart by Molly Crabapple, Kim Boekbinder & Jim Batt
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 by Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: The NoSleep Podcast by David Cummings
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): RebelForce Radio by Jimmy Mac and Jason Swank
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): Nights at the Round Table by Ash Farbrother
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: StoryForward by J.C. Hutchins & Steve Peters
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: Hubblecast by Oli Usher & Joe Liske
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Blastropodcast by Mark Soloff
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: The Funny Music Project by Devo Spice
Best Youth Driven Speculative Fiction Podcast: insufficient entries
^[10]

2012[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Precarious Child by Pip Ballantine (from The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences)
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Novella Form): Insufficient submissions
Best Speculative Fiction Story Small Cast (Long Form): Underwood and Flinch: A Vampire Novel by Mike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story Large Cast: The Seven by P.C. Haring (from The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): Keeg's Quest: A Skyrim Adventure by Rich Matheson
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): The Mask of Inanna by Alicia Goranson
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: Insufficient submissions
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Drabblecast
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: Toasted Cake featuring Tina Connolly
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): The Signal
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): The Incomparable
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: Writing Excuses
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: MonsterTalk
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Supervillain Corner
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: Radio Free Hipster
Best Youth Driven Speculative Fiction Podcast: Insufficient submissions
^[11]

2011[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Saying the Names by Maggie Clark (from Lightspeed Magazine)
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Kissyman & the Gentleman by Scott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form): Owner’s Share by Nathan Lowell
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco & Doug Price
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): HG World by Jay Smith (3015 North Studios)
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: Grant’s Advent Calendar Video Podcast
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Drabblecast
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: Cobalt City Adventures Unlimited
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): PodCulture: TARDIS Interruptus
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): WhatTheCast
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: Fullcast Podcast
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: Planetary Radio
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Technorama
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: Renaissance Festival Podcast
Best Youth Driven Speculative Fiction Podcast: Aaron’s World
^[12]

2010[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): The Tank by Scott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Personal Effects: Sword of Blood by J.C. Hutchins
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form): Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Metamor City Podcast - "Whispers in the Wood" by Chris Lester
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): Decoder Ring Theatre by Gregg Taylor
Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: GOLD: Season 1 by David Nett & Andrew R. Deutsch
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: The Drabblecast edited by Norm Sherman
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: In The Gloaming by Nathaniel Tapley
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): The Signal featuring Kari Haley, Kevin Bachelder, Kara Helgren, Les Howard, Jutta Jordans, Dave Tomasic, Andy King, Nick Edwards, Miranda Thomas, Helen Eaton, Anna Snyder, James Parkinson, & Jill Arroway
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): Galactic Watercooler featuring Audra, Chuck, & Sean
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: Writing Excuses featuring Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Eric James Stone, Howard Tayler, & Stacy Whitman
Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: Skeptoid featuring Brian Dunning
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Teknikal Diffikulties featuring Cayenne Chris Conroy
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: Radio Free Hipster featuring Z.
^[13]

2009[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form / Novel): FETIDUS: The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural by James Durham
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Eusocial Networking by Scott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Under The Bed by Michael Natale (from Variant Frequencies)
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): Metamor City: Making the Cut
Best Speculative Fiction Infotainment Podcast: The 365 Days of Astronomy, the daily podcast of the International Year of Astronomy 2009
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy /Parody Podcast: Bell's in the Batfry
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Pseudopod
Best Anime Podcast: Anime World Order
Best Speculative Fiction Fan Podcast: The ScapeCast
Best Speculative Fiction Video Podcast: Stranger Things
Best Gaming Podcast: Brilliant Gameologists
Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: The FuMP
Best Writing Related Podcast: Writing Excuses
Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast: (Cool) Shite on the Tube featuring Bruce Moyle, Chris Rattray, David Quinn, Dion Brooks and Tiarne Double
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: FETIDUS: The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural
^[14]

2008[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Red Man by Scott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Heaven - Season Four: Wasteland by Mur Lafferty
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form): Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents): Space Casey by Christiana Ellis
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents): Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword by
Best Speculative Fiction Video Podcast: Stranger Things
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Variant Frequencies
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Short Cummings Audio
Best Speculative Fiction Fan Podcast: Galactica Quorum
Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast:
Best Writing-related Podcast: Adventures in Scifi Publishing
Best “Infotainment” Cast: The Weird Show
Best Gaming Podcast: The Game Kennel
^[15]

2007[]

Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): "No World for Warriors" Variant Frequencies by Matt Wallace
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): The Arwen by Timothy P. Callahan
Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novel Form): The Immortalsby Tracy Hickman
Best Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents): The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco, Doug Price
Best Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents):Prometheus Radio Theatre by Steven H. Wilson, Scott D. Farquhar
Best Audio Production: The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco, Doug Price
Best Video Production: Missing Pages by Jerome Olivier
Best Video Podcast: Missing Pages by Jerome Olivier
Best Non-Speculative Fiction: Number One with a Bullet by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
Best Fan Podcast: The Signal by Jill Arroway, Les Howard, Kari Haley, & crew
Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast: Skepticality: The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine by Derek Colanduno & Robynn "Swoopy" McCarthy
Best Anime Podcast: GeekNights Wednesdays: Anime Manga Comics by Rym and Scott
Best Gaming Podcast: Pulp Gamer: Inside Track
Best Graphic Literature Podcast: Comics Radar by JM Campbell and Matt Melnyk
Best "Infotainment" Cast: Pulp Gamer: Out of Character
Best Reality Podcast: Tag in the Seam by Leann
Best Tech Podcast: The Command Line by Thomas Gideon
Best Writing Related Podcast: I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty
^[16]

2006[]

Best Fiction (Short): Absolution Insured by Matt Wallace (from Variant Frequencies)
Best Fiction (Long): How to Succeed in Evil by The Seanachai & Patrick McLean
Best Audio Production: Virgin Falls by Jeff Folchinsky
Best Writing Podcast: The Secrets by Michael A. Stackpole
Best Audio Drama (Long): The Stargate Café by Planet Retcon
Best Audio Drama (Short): The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco & Doug Price
Best Fiction (Non-speculative): Death of A Dish Washer by The Seanachai & Patrick McLean
Best Fan Podcast: The Scapecast by Kevin Bachelder, Lindy Rae, and crew
Best News Podcast: by
^[17]

References[]

^ Hutton, Christopher (June 19, 2015). "Hall of Famers: Meet the Men and Women Who Changed Podcasting". Paste. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2017. Lafferty was also the editor of EscapePod, a speculative fiction podcast for two years, as well as a cofounder of the Parsec Awards, a DragonCon-centric award show that’s focused on science fiction podcasting.
^ Silver, Steven H. (August 6, 2008). "Parsec Awards". SF Site. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. The nominations for the first Parsec Awards, given for science fiction podcasting, have been announced. The winner will be announced at Dragon*Con, held this year from September 1–4.
^ Sloan, Sam (September 6, 2006). "2006 Parsec Awards Winners". Slice of SciFi.
^ Foster, Cymbre (December 28, 2007). "Podcasting with a purpose". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. The Parsec awards, which began in 2006, were dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction Podcasting. They were presented at Dragon*con, a popular culture convention with a focus that includes science fiction, fantasy and gaming that is held on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA.
^ "2009 Parsec Awards Nominations Open". Wired. April 29, 2009.
^ "365 Days of Astronomy Podcast Wins Prestigious Parsec Award". September 9, 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
^ "Parsec Awards 2009 Award Determination Process". Archived from the original on 2010-01-07.
^ "2009 Parsec Judge Biographies". Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
^ "2014 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 2, 2014.
^ "2013 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 3, 2013.
^ "2012 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 5, 2012.
^ "2011 Parsec Awards". Locus. September 6, 2011.
^ "Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 4, 2010.
^ "2009 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.
^ "2008 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.
^ "2007 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists". parsecawards.com.
^ "2006 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.

External links[]

Parsec Awards official website

[paste-1] Hutton, Christopher (June 19, 2015). "Hall of Famers: Meet the Men and Women Who Changed Podcasting". Paste. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2017. Lafferty was also the editor of EscapePod, a speculative fiction podcast for two years, as well as a cofounder of the Parsec Awards, a DragonCon-centric award show that’s focused on science fiction podcasting.

[2] Silver, Steven H. (August 6, 2008). "Parsec Awards". SF Site. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. The nominations for the first Parsec Awards, given for science fiction podcasting, have been announced. The winner will be announced at Dragon*Con, held this year from September 1–4.

[3] Sloan, Sam (September 6, 2006). "2006 Parsec Awards Winners". Slice of SciFi.

[4] Foster, Cymbre (December 28, 2007). "Podcasting with a purpose". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. The Parsec awards, which began in 2006, were dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction Podcasting. They were presented at Dragon*con, a popular culture convention with a focus that includes science fiction, fantasy and gaming that is held on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA.

[5] "2009 Parsec Awards Nominations Open". Wired. April 29, 2009.

[6] "365 Days of Astronomy Podcast Wins Prestigious Parsec Award". September 9, 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2010.

[7] "Parsec Awards 2009 Award Determination Process". Archived from the original on 2010-01-07.

[8] "2009 Parsec Judge Biographies". Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.

[2014win-9] "2014 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 2, 2014.

[2013win-10] "2013 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 3, 2013.

[2012win-11] "2012 Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 5, 2012.

[2011win-12] "2011 Parsec Awards". Locus. September 6, 2011.

[2010win-13] "Parsec Awards Winners". Locus. September 4, 2010.

[2009win-14] "2009 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.

[2008win-15] "2008 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.

[2007win-16] "2007 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists". parsecawards.com.

[2006win-17] "2006 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists – Parsec Awards". parsecawards.com.

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