We need your recommendations of works for the Otherwise Award jurors to consider. If you’ve read a work of science fiction or fantasy that explores or expands our understanding of gender, please tell us about it by filling out the recommendation form below. If you have more than one, just fill out the form again for each recommendation.
Anything that you enter in the Author, Title, Publisher, Link, and Additional Comments fields will be publicly visible. If you want to add non-public comments about the work that you’re recommending, email recommendations@otherwiseaward.org.
The Additional Comments field is optional, but we recommend saying something in that field about the ways in which the work explores or expands gender.
Because anyone can recommend a work, a work’s presence on this list doesn’t indicate recognition by the Otherwise Award, so please don’t use a work’s presence on this list to promote the work. You’re welcome to promote works that win the award, or that appear on an Honor List.
Recommendations for this year’s award close in December, 2024. The 2024 Otherwise Award will be given in 2025, location to be determined.
To let us know something related to recommendations that doesn’t fit in the form, email recommendations@otherwiseaward.org.
The 2024 Otherwise Award Recommendations
| Author | Title | Publisher | Comments | Sub Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neo Glyph | Ensnared | Self | This Star Trek fan fiction explores gender and sexuality issues. The short story was submitted for Stonewall Gaming Network's Writing Challenge.stonewallgaming.net/forums/threads/18032… | 2024-04-21 08:31:00 | |
| Andy Siege | SCHIZOTOPIA | UpLit Press | Schizotopia by Andy Siege is a creative and thoughtful exploration of mental illness and gender. This book is not a genre I typically read, but the book description hooked me. I wanted to figure out what was coming and tried to anticipate the next turn of events, but that was impossible in this twisty read. Instead, immersing myself in the story without trying to put a “normie” structure around it enabled me to appreciate this masterful book. Schizotopia is both fanciful and very real. There were moments of agony and moments of joy. This story was touching and challenging, capturing both my heart and mind.a.co/d/gixopxi | 2024-04-04 08:22:34 | |
| HUNTER LIGUORE | IT'S COB DAY! | The Terminal Press: UNAUTHORIZED DEPARTURES ANTHOLOGY | RICK MCGRATH IS THE EDITOR, his email to get a copy: rickmcgrath@shaw.cafacebook.com/theterminalpress/?locale=hi… | 2024-03-20 14:41:50 | |
| Clara Ward | Be the Sea | Atthis Arts | “I’m not a big sci-fi person, but if more of it left me feeling as good as this one did, I’d call myself a huge fan.” — Alex Brown, Ignyte Award winning critic of Punk-Ass Book Jockey “An amazing sci-fi novel… An eclectic cast of queer and disabled characters… If you enjoy optimistic stories that take into account the realities of our world but present innovative solutions, you’ll enjoy Be the Sea“ — Dawn Vogel, History That Never Wasatthisarts.com/product/be-the-sea/ | 2024-03-12 06:45:54 | |
| Jae Steinbacher | What the Mountain Takes, What the Journey Offers | Beneath Ceaseless Skies | This novelette follows a nonbinary protagonist in a second-world setting in which gender ambiguity is rare. As the protagonist undertakes a journey to help their sick wife, they meet others like themself and discover there are belief systems out there that make room for their identity. Ultimately, the wider world is more accepting than what they've always known.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/what… | 2024-02-27 15:19:21 | |
| Joseph Howard | The Vampire Mariki | JH Novels | Against a malevolent vampire, a daring prince named Mariki sets out on a thrilling quest to safeguard his kingdom in the ancient kingdom of Kemet. But that's not all - for Mariki, his challenges are twofold. As he delves deeper into this perilous journey, Mariki uncovers long-hidden family secrets that shake his very foundation, as well as the perilous power grab of his stepfather and wicked stepbrother. And here's the twist - Mariki is no ordinary mortal. As a vampire, he soon discovers he is unique, destined to traverse the ages, interacting with cultures across the globe. Joined by his maker, a wise mentor, and a fiercely loyal protector, Mariki sets off on an extraordinary odyssey, where loss, pain, and heartache test his resilience at every turn. In the midst of these trials, he unearths profound discoveries and experiences a tapestry of emotions, including electrifying thrills of adventure, tender warmth of romance, and even moments of lighthearted comedy. In this enthralling tale, shadows lurk around every corner, and enigmatic mysteries shroud Mariki's path. With each twist and turn, the story keeps readers on edge and craving more, blending fantasy, horror, and suspense. Every twist and turn keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eager for more to come. With his quest to uncover the secrets of his lineage and confront the forces of darkness that threaten his beloved kingdom, Mariki embarks on a grand adventure through the ages. Take part in a breathtaking adventure that explores human nature and reveals a world you never knew existed.sites.google.com/view/jhnovels-ordering-… | 2024-02-25 06:57:19 | |
| Russell Klyford | EMERGENT MARS | Russell Klyford | About EMERGENT MARS: It's 2059 and Ailia Bax, a burnt-out war correspondent whose career has been going nowhere for the last decade, is aimless and suffering from the debilitating effects of PTSD. When the opportunity arises to report on the unfolding political situation on Mars, she jumps at the chance despite her misgivings about the lack of detail related to the assignment. After nearly twenty-five years of colonization efforts, Mars has developed a unique society composed of both humans and sapient robots called mecha, living in a dozen settlements dotted around the Red Planet. But trouble is brewing: someone's prepared to commit mass-murder to stop their society from flourishing; they need to overcome dwindling economic support, intrusive surveillance and increasing distrust by Earth authorities; while internal differences of opinion threaten to derail their dreams of independence. Mars has already weathered two violent political events; it doesn't need a third. Finding more than she ever bargained for on the Red Planet, Ailia has to adjust to the complexities of life there while struggling to cope with graphic flashbacks from her past. Gradually she becomes an unlikely ally in the settlers' pursuit of self-determination and must make choices that will shape her life and possibly determine the fate of all those who call Mars home. Like "Red Mars" meets "Dances with Wolves" with economics and interplanetary politics mixed into the narrative, EMERGENT MARS will entertain and inspire, leaving you pondering a profound question: How will humanity free itself from all the mistakes of its past as it expands into the solar system?russellklyfordbooks.com | 2024-02-19 15:22:19 | |
| Nghi Vo | On the Fox Roads | Reactor | East-Asian-descended bank robbers in 1930s America; magical roads; gender; escape and belonging.reactormag.com/on-the-fox-roads-nghi-vo-… | 2024-02-18 08:39:25 | |
| Helen Marshall | The Gold Leaf Executions | Unsung Stories | Submitting for consideration in 2024 as issues with your form meant I couldn't for 2023. Marshall remains a shining luminary of the uncanny, combining savagery and nimble wit with deceptive ease.unsungstories.co.uk/the-gold-leaf-execut… | 2024-02-15 13:47:13 | |
| Kelly Link | White Cat, Black Dog | Random House | penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704687/whit… | 2024-01-29 07:10:45 | |
| Yael Goldstein-love | The Possibilities | Random House | penguinrandomhouse.com/books/708816/the-… | 2024-01-29 07:08:41 | |
| micha cardenas | Atoms Never Touch | AK Press | I tried to submit this for 2023, but I missed the deadline by some hours. Thanks for considering it. akpress.org/atoms-never-touch.html | 2024-01-25 20:07:57 | |
| Hadeer Elsbai | The Daughters of Izdihar | Harper Voyager | The Daughters of Izdihar explores sexism and misogyny through the lens of an Egyptian-inspired fantasy world. It is a fantastical re-imagining of the Egyptian women's suffrage movement of the 1950s and the Egyptian feminist movement of the 1920s. | 2024-01-17 17:35:04 | |
| Geneviève BlouinTranslated by Margaret Sankey | The Secret Lives of Shellwomen | Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Volume One | Short storyamazon.com/years-canadian-fantasy-scienc… | 2024-01-11 11:57:29 | |
| Morgan Welch | Hikari | Small Wonders | The story features a non-binary protagonist seeking solace and ghosts in an abandoned Japanese house. They struggle with grief, while craving acceptance. As well as reflecting the personal experiences of the author, the work seeks to normalise the use of 'they' as a personal pronoun.smallwondersmag.com/piece/hikari/ | 2024-01-08 10:59:01 | |
| Cecilia Tan | Personalize Your Netherparts | Flingass Productions | A near-future sf erotic short story by Cecilia Tan, who is known for mixing erotica and sf/f. It's the one new story in the new collection Bent for Leather. During crowdfunding for the book, one backer got to choose the prompt for the new story, and they chose "easy alternate genitalia." The story explores the concept through the relationship of two tech company founders whose relationships with each other, with gender, and with their "personalized netherparts" products are, well, "complicated." patreon.com/posts/2023-in-review-9540530… | 2024-01-03 18:59:35 | |
| Meena broken soul in healing Jahi | Greener Grass | Unpublished | LGBTQ: Conversations with Jah and the Universe | 2023-12-02 15:13:13 |