Prizes and eligibility: The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA or equivalent). Previous multiple winners and current contest coordinators are also ineligible. The best story which relates to and features the contest theme will be published in the Confluence 2007 program book, and the author awarded the first prize of $200. At the discretion of the judges a second and third prize in the amounts of $100 and $50 may be awarded, with possible publication in a PARSEC INK publication (Triangulation 2007). Submission to the contest implies consent for publication, but all rights revert immediately to the authors upon publication. The coordinators will screen the entries, and the best submissions will go on to our panel of three Judges. Decisions of the judges and coordinators in all these matters are final. There is NO entry fee.

Judges: Holly Lisle, author of several fantasy series, high fantasy and contemporary (World of Korre, World Gates) and romantic suspense novels (Midnight Rain, Last Girl Dancing); Tobias Buckell, author of Crystal Rain, and over 30 published short stories; Jim Grimsley, recipient of the Academy Award in Literature from the Academy of Arts and Letters, the 2000 Lambda Literary Award for his fantasy novel Kirith Kirin, author of published short fiction, a playwright and teacher.

Format: Stories must be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror in genre. Stories must be original, unpublished, unsold and no more than 3500 words in length. Submit in standard contest format (title and page number on each page, but author name only appears on separate cover page; otherwise as in any professional submission). Email submissions accepted only upon request (see below). Include SASE for notification only, as manuscripts will not be returned. Incorrect format will make the entry ineligible. Stories must relate to the theme.

Theme:

We think this theme is broad and challenging enough to give everyone scope for new and interesting stories. Please remember, though, that Confluence attracts many families, and the story will be printed in the program book. A certain restraint and subtlety is called for. Too much explicit gore will definitely count against you.

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by April 15, 2007. The results are generally in by the end of May and all entrants notified by June 15th.

Address: Send entries to:

For questions or clarifications only you may email to

Last time’s winners (for the theme of "Instruments of Madness") were:

• First Place: "Coyote and the Nanobots" by Catherine Cheek
• Second Place: "Call of the Grand Radiant" by Camille Picot
• Third Place: "Moon Mad" by Erin Hartshorn

Direct questions concerning PARSEC to . Direct questions concerning Confluence to . http://trfn.clpgh.org/parsec/annex/contest.html -- Revised: 19 August 2006 Copyright © 2005 Kevin A. Geiselman

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