| The Astounding Award for Best New Writer | |
| Awarded For: | The best new writer whose first professional work of science fiction or fantasy was published within the two previous calendar years. |
| Presenter: | World Science Fiction Society |
| Year: | 1973 |
| Holder: | Xiran Jay Zhao |
| Holder Label: | Most recent winner |
The Astounding Award for Best New Writer (formerly the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer) is given annually to the best new writer whose first professional work of science fiction or fantasy was published within the two previous calendar years. It is named after Astounding Science Fiction (now Analog Science Fiction and Fact), a foundational science fiction magazine. The award is sponsored by Dell Magazines, which publishes Analog.
Between its founding in 1973 and 2019, the award was named after Astoundings long-time editor John W. Campbell, one of the most influential figures in the early history of science fiction. In the aftermath of 2019 winner Jeannette Ng's acceptance speech, in which she described Campbell as a fascist, the science fiction fandom community discussed whether it was appropriate to continue honoring Campbell in this way; the editor of Analog subsequently announced that the award had been renamed.
The nomination and selection process is administered by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), represented by the current Worldcon committee, and the award is presented at the Hugo Award ceremony at the Worldcon, although it is not itself a Hugo Award. All nominees receive a pin, while the winner receives a plaque. Beginning in 2005, the award has also included a tiara; created at the behest of 2004 winner Jay Lake and 2005 winner Elizabeth Bear, the tiara is passed from each year's winner to the next.
Writers are eligible for the Astounding Award for two years, and become eligible once they have a work of science fiction or fantasy published in a professional publication. Final decisions on eligibility are decided by the Hugo Administrators while qualification criteria are set by the sponsor, Dell Magazine. The eligibility criteria for what counts as a professional publication are roughly similar to those of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). As of 2023, qualifying publications must meet at least one of the following criteria: be accepted by SFWA; have at least 10,000 readers; pay the writer at least 8 cents a word and a total of at least US$80; or be self-published or published through a small press, with earnings for the author of at least US$3,000 in one year.
Members of the current and previous Worldcon are eligible to nominate new writers under the same procedures as the Hugo Awards. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, at which point a shortlist is made of the six most-nominated writers—five prior to 2017—with additional nominees possible in the case of ties. Voting on the ballot of six nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held.
Works by winners and nominees of the award were collected in the New Voices series of anthologies, edited by George R. R. Martin, which had five volumes covering the awards from 1973 through 1977 and which were published between 1977 and 1984. Michael A. Burstein, who was nominated in 1996 and won in 1997, commented that the largest effect of winning or being nominated is not on sales but instead that it gives credibility with established authors and publishers. Criticism has been raised about the award that due to the eligibility requirements it honors writers who become well-known quickly, rather than necessarily the best or most influential authors from a historical perspective.
Over the 52 years the award has been active, 218 writers have been nominated. Of these, 53 authors have won, including one tie. There have been 60 writers who were nominated twice, 21 of whom won the award in their second nomination.
In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than the year when the writer's eligible work was first published. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature". Although the award is not given explicitly for any particular work, and such works are not recorded by the World Science Fiction Society or Dell Magazines, a selection of works that the writer in question published in the eligibility period are listed. This list includes novels and short stories, and is not intended to be comprehensive. Entries with a yellow background and an asterisk (*) next to the writer's name have won the award; those with a gray background are the other nominees on the shortlist.
* Winners and joint winners| Year | Writer | Work(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "Peace with Honor", A Spaceship for the King | ||
| "The Eight Thirty to Nine Slot", What Entropy Means to Me | |||
| "Stretch of Time" | |||
| "The Hero" | |||
| "Stop Me before I Tell More" | |||
| "Stranger in the House" | |||
| 1974 | "The Guy with the Eyes" | ||
| "Stranger in the House" | |||
| "Pigeon City" | |||
| "Wendigo's Child" | |||
| Testament XXI | |||
| 1975 | "Epicycle" | ||
| "Nostalgia Tripping" | |||
| Walk to the End of the World | |||
| "Outer Concentric", "The Examination" | |||
| "Hot Spot" | |||
| "Picnic on Nearside" | |||
| 1976 | "Twilla", "San Diego Lightfoot Sue" | ||
| "Picnic on Nearside" | |||
| "The Splendid Freedom", "Helium" | |||
| Tin Soldier | |||
| The Warriors of Dawn | |||
| 1977 | Gate of Ivrel | ||
| A Jungle of Stars | |||
| The Warriors of Dawn | |||
| "Closed Circuit" | |||
| 1978 | "Ender's Game" | ||
| Lord Foul's Bane | |||
| A Jungle of Stars | |||
| "We All Have to Go" | |||
| "Man-Made Self", Involution Ocean | |||
| 1979 | Lord Foul's Bane | ||
| Inherit the Stars | |||
| "We All Have to Go" | |||
| "Longshanks", Godsfire | |||
| "The Tryouts" | |||
| "What Song the Sirens Sang" | |||
| 1980 | "The Tryouts", Enemy Mine | ||
| "Sunsteps" | |||
| The Door into Fire | |||
| Daughter of the Bright Moon | |||
| "The Works of His Hand, Made Manifest" | |||
| "Dragon Story" | |||
| 1981 | "Sunsteps" | ||
| "The Singing Diamond", Dragon's Egg | |||
| "Spareen Among the Tartars" | |||
| The Door into Fire | |||
| The Orphan | |||
| "A Dragon in the Man" | |||
| 1982 | The Revolution from Rosinante, Long Shot for Rosinante | ||
| The Orphan | |||
| Sundiver | |||
| The Breaking of Northwall, The Ends of the Circle | |||
| "The Feast of St Janis", "Ginungagap" | |||
| 1983 | The Breaking of Northwall, The Ends of the Circle | ||
| The Red Magician | |||
| "Emergence" | |||
| "Brainchild" | |||
| Dreamrider | |||
| An Image of Voices | |||
| 1984 | Tea with the Black Dragon | ||
| "Brainchild", "In the Face of My Enemy" | |||
| The Red Magician | |||
| An Image of Voices, Flexing the Warp | |||
| King's Blood Four | |||
| The Sleeping Dragon | |||
| 1985 | "The Taylorsville Reconstruction" | ||
| The Game Beyond | |||
| "Elemental" | |||
| "Lazuli" | |||
| "Music of the Spheres" | |||
| "The Islands of the Dead" | |||
| 1986 | The Game Beyond | ||
| The Summer Tree | |||
| Contact | |||
| "Recalling Cinderella" | |||
| Tailchaser's Song | |||
| "Shanidar" | |||
| 1987 | "Recalling Cinderella", "Face Value" | ||
| Shards of Honor | |||
| Fire Sanctuary | |||
| "Projectile Weapons and Wild Alien Water" | |||
| The Cross-Time Engineer | |||
| "Mudpuppies" | |||
| 1988 | "Surviving", Pennterra | ||
| "Projectile Weapons and Wild Alien Water" | |||
| "Dress Rehearsal" | |||
| In Conquest Born | |||
| The Net | |||
| 1989 | Walkabout Woman | ||
| Through a Brazen Mirror | |||
| Liege-Killer | |||
| "Sing" | |||
| Dragon Prince | |||
| The Guardsman | |||
| Journey to Fusang | |||
| 1990 | "Sing" | ||
| "Live from the Mars Hotel", Orbital Decay | |||
| Sunglasses After Dark | |||
| Twistor | |||
| The Eight | |||
| 1991 | "The Music Box", The Kobayashi Maru | ||
| Sunglasses After Dark | |||
| Twistor | |||
| Strange Invasion, In Between Dragons | |||
| "Thirteen Days of Glory" | |||
| 1992 | "Tower of Babylon", "Understand" | ||
| "No Room for the Unicorn" | |||
| "Wings" | |||
| Into the Dark Lands | |||
| Moonwise | |||
| 1993 | "No Room for the Unicorn" | ||
| "The Winterberry" | |||
| "Wings" | |||
| Into the Dark Lands | |||
| Fire in the Mist | |||
| "Apotheosis" | |||
| 1994 | Virtual Girl | ||
| Fire in the Mist | |||
| "Apotheosis" | |||
| The Well-Favored Man | |||
| "A Fireside Chat" | |||
| 1995 | Vurt | ||
| "Ash Minette" | |||
| "Sibling Rivalry" | |||
| Midshipman's Hope | |||
| "Heart of Molten Stone" | |||
| 1996 | Midshipman's Hope, Challenger's Hope | ||
| "Ash Minette" | |||
| "TeleAbsence" | |||
| The Shape-Changer's Wife | |||
| Lethe | |||
| 1997 | "TeleAbsence" | ||
| The Shape-Changer's Wife | |||
| Celestial Matters | |||
| The Fortunate Fall | |||
| Wind From a Foreign Sky | |||
| 1998 | The Sparrow | ||
| An Exchange of Hostages | |||
| "Beluthahatchie" | |||
| Celestial Matters | |||
| The Fortunate Fall | |||
| 1999 | Brown Girl in the Ring | ||
| In the Garden of Iden | |||
| "First Contact" | |||
| An Exchange of Hostages | |||
| "The Big One" | |||
| 2000 | "Craphound" | ||
| "Time Gypsy" | |||
| "I Don't Know and I Don't Care" | |||
| Code of Conduct | |||
| The Shadow of Ararat | |||
| 2001 | Code of Conduct | ||
| The King's Peace | |||
| The Shadow of Ararat | |||
| "State of Disorder" | |||
| "A Diagram of Rapture" | |||
| 2002 | The King's Peace | ||
| "Rossetti Song" | |||
| Divine Intervention | |||
| Alien Taste | |||
| "Fish Merchant" | |||
| 2003 | Alien Taste | ||
| "The Political Officer" | |||
| Divine Intervention | |||
| Warchild | |||
| "Nucleon" | |||
| 2004 | "Into the Gardens of Sweet Night" | ||
| "Nucleon" | |||
| Warchild | |||
| "Little Gods" | |||
| Spin State | |||
| 2005 | Hammered | ||
| The Year of Our War | |||
| The Etched City | |||
| "O One" | |||
| "The Third Party" | |||
| 2006 | Old Man's War | ||
| The Etched City | |||
| Mélusine | |||
| "O One", Here, There & Everywhere | |||
| Elantris | |||
| The Year of Our War | |||
| 2007 | His Majesty's Dragon | ||
| The Lies of Locke Lamora | |||
| Mélusine | |||
| Elantris, | |||
| The Sky's the Limit | |||
| 2008 | "Portrait of Ari" | ||
| The Lies of Locke Lamora | |||
| Infoquake | |||
| The Blade Itself | |||
| Grey | |||
| 2009 | |||
| "Butterfly, Falling At Dawn" | |||
| Thunderer | |||
| "Metamorphoses in Amber" | |||
| "Lester Young and the Jupiter's Moons' Blues" | |||
| 2010 | Rosemary and Rue | ||
| Thunderer | |||
| Soulless | |||
| "Soulmates" | |||
| "Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela" | |||
| 2011 | The Magicians | ||
| "Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela" | |||
| Zoo City | |||
| Monster Hunter International | |||
| I Am Not a Serial Killer | |||
| 2012 | "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees" | ||
| "1963: The Argument Against Louis Pasteur" | |||
| Of Blood and Honey | |||
| Redemption in Indigo | |||
| "Ray of Light" | |||
| 2013 | "1963: The Argument Against Louis Pasteur" | ||
| The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo | |||
| Three Parts Dead | |||
| Of Blood and Honey, And Blue Skies From Pain | |||
| Blackbirds | |||
| 2014 | A Stranger in Olondria | ||
| The Lives of Tao | |||
| Three Parts Dead | |||
| Nexus | |||
| Chang'e Dashes from the Moon | |||
| 2015 | The Lives of Tao | ||
| Kaiju Apocalypse | |||
| "Totaled" | |||
| "Shakedown Cruise" | |||
| "Sucker Punch" | |||
| 2016 | The Martian | ||
| Red Rising | |||
| Traitor's Blade | |||
| Nethereal | |||
| "The Fisher Queen", "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" | |||
| 2017 | Too Like the Lightning | ||
| "Haunted", "Of Blood and Bronze" | |||
| An Equation of Almost Infinite Complexity | |||
| Infomocracy | |||
| Everything Belongs to the Future | |||
| "Waters of Versailles", "Two-Year Man", "The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill" | |||
| 2018 | "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™" | ||
| The Bear and the Nightingale | |||
| Heroine Complex | |||
| Under the Pendulum Sun | |||
| "A Series of Steaks", "Fandom for Robots" | |||
| An Unkindness of Ghosts | |||
| 2019 | Under the Pendulum Sun | ||
| The Bear and the Nightingale | |||
| The City of Brass | |||
| The Poppy War | |||
| "A Series of Steaks", "Fandom for Robots" | |||
| An Unkindness of Ghosts | |||
| 2020 | The Poppy War | ||
| City of Lies | |||
| The Ruin of Kings | |||
| "Advice for Your First Time at the Faerie Market" | |||
| Empire of Sand | |||
| Silver in the Wood | |||
| 2021 | Silver in the Wood | ||
| Axiom's End | |||
| The Vanished Birds | |||
| The Space Between Worlds | |||
| The Unspoken Name | |||
| The Ruin of Kings | |||
| 2022 | She Who Became the Sun | ||
| Legendborn | |||
| The Space Between Worlds | |||
| The Unspoken Name | |||
| Winter's Orbit | |||
| Iron Widow | |||
| 2023 | Legends & Lattes | ||
| The Bruising of Qilwa | |||
| "Christopher Mills, Return to Sender" | |||
| Comes Slowly | |||
| Ocean's Echo | |||
| 2024 | Iron Widow | ||
| To Shape a Dragon's Breath | |||
| The Book Eaters | |||
| I AM AI | |||
| Godkiller | |||
| The Death I Gave Him |