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1. The Bad Sex in Fiction Award
Since 1993, the Literary Review magazine has been honoring the year’s most awkward and cringe-worthy sex scenes in literature. This British award doesn’t shy away from naming big-name authors who’ve stumbled in their intimate prose. The 2023 winner was Paul Lynch for his novel “Prophet Song,” though he declined to attend the ceremony in London. The award’s purpose isn’t just to mock writers but to highlight how difficult it is to write convincing romantic scenes without falling into purple prose or anatomical absurdity. Previous winners include Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and even a posthumous award to Mailer Miller. The ceremony typically draws crowds who come for the entertainment value of hearing the winning passages read aloud by professional actors.
2. The Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title
Every year since 1978, The Bookseller magazine crowns the strangest book title published. The 2024 winner was “Lawnmowers: An Illustrated History” which beat out titles like “How to Poo on a Date” and “The Joy of Ux.” This award celebrates the publishing industry’s ability to create titles that make you do a double-take in bookstores. The competition receives hundreds of nominations from publishers, booksellers, and the general public worldwide. Past winners include classics like “Living with Crazy Buttocks” and “How to Avoid Huge Ships.” The prize doesn’t come with money but offers the winning author eternal bragging rights and guaranteed conversation starters at dinner parties.
3. The Literary Review’s Bad Sex Award for Young Adult Fiction
In 2019, recognizing that awkward romantic writing extends beyond adult literature, a subcategory emerged focusing on young adult novels. This award highlights how teen romance writing can sometimes miss the mark spectacularly. The judges specifically look for passages that make teenage relationships sound either impossibly mature or embarrassingly juvenile. Recent nominees have included popular YA series that shall remain nameless to protect the dignity of their teenage fan bases. The award has sparked debates about whether young adult literature should even attempt detailed romantic scenes. Critics argue that bad romantic writing in YA can set unrealistic expectations for young readers about relationships and intimacy.
4. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
Named after Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who penned the infamous opening line “It was a dark and stormy night,” this contest celebrates deliberately awful opening sentences. San Jose State University has hosted this competition since 1982, receiving thousands of entries annually from writers trying their hardest to write the worst possible first line. The 2024 winner opened with a sentence comparing a detective’s investigation to a badly mixed cocktail at a dive bar. Entries are judged on their ability to be simultaneously terrible and entertaining, often involving ridiculous metaphors and overwrought descriptions. The contest has spawned multiple published collections of winning entries and has become a beloved tradition among writers who enjoy embracing literary failure. Winners receive a small cash prize and the satisfaction of being officially recognized as wonderfully awful writers.
5. The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year
Different from the general Diagram Prize, this specific category focuses on trade and academic publications with particularly bizarre titles. The 2023 winner was “Catfish Noodling: A Complete Guide to Catching Catfish with Your Bare Hands” published by a small Missouri press. This award often features highly specialized academic texts whose titles sound absurd to general audiences but make perfect sense within their niche fields. Previous winners have included books about concrete poetry, unusual medical conditions, and extremely specific historical topics. The award committee consists of booksellers who encounter these titles daily and appreciate the unintentional humor in academic publishing. The prize has helped boost sales for many winning books, proving that sometimes being weird is the best marketing strategy.
6. The Philip K. Dick Memorial Award
Established in 1983, this award honors the best original science fiction paperback published in the United States each year. Unlike major SF awards that focus on hardcover publications, this prize specifically celebrates paperback originals, often giving recognition to smaller publishers and emerging writers. The 2024 winner was “The Archive Undying” by Emma Mieko Candon, a debut novel that explores AI consciousness and human identity. The award comes with a $1,000 cash prize and significant prestige within the science fiction community. Past winners include authors who later became major names in the genre, making this award something of a predictor of future success. The selection committee consists of science fiction writers, critics, and scholars who read hundreds of paperback submissions annually.
7. The Golden Duck Awards
Since 1992, these awards have recognized excellence in science fiction for young readers, divided into elementary, middle grade, and young adult categories. The Chinese-American Librarians Association sponsors these awards, making them unique in their cultural perspective and commitment to diversity in children’s literature. The 2024 elementary winner was “The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera, which combines space travel with Latina folklore traditions. These awards often highlight books that introduce scientific concepts through engaging storytelling rather than dry exposition. The selection process involves librarians from across North America who work directly with young readers and understand what captures their imaginations. Winners receive a certificate and the recognition of librarians who know which books actually get checked out repeatedly.
8. The Shirley Jackson Awards
Named after the master of psychological horror, these awards recognize outstanding achievement in horror and psychological suspense literature. Established in 2007, the awards cover both novels and short fiction, with separate categories for each. The 2024 novel winner was “Holly” by Stephen King, while the short fiction winner was a story from Ellen Datlow’s anthology “Final Cuts.” The awards specifically focus on literary quality within the horror genre, often recognizing works that blur the lines between literary fiction and supernatural storytelling. A jury of horror writers, critics, and scholars selects winners based on literary merit rather than commercial success or shock value. The awards have helped elevate the critical reputation of horror literature and demonstrated that scary stories can be serious literature.
9. The World Fantasy Awards
While not completely unknown, these awards often get overshadowed by the Hugos and Nebulas despite being equally prestigious in speculative fiction circles. Established in 1975, they honor the best fantasy fiction published each year across multiple categories including novels, novellas, short fiction, and anthologies. The 2024 novel winner was “She Who Became the Sun” by Shelley Parker-Chan, a reimagining of the founding of the Ming Dynasty with fantasy elements. What makes these awards unique is their focus specifically on fantasy rather than broader science fiction, and their emphasis on literary quality over commercial appeal. The distinctive trophy is a bust based on horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, though this has become controversial in recent years due to Lovecraft’s racist views. Winners are selected by a panel of fantasy writers, editors, and critics who read extensively in the genre.
10. The Andre Norton Award
This award, presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, specifically honors the best young adult or middle grade science fiction or fantasy book published each year. Established in 2005 and named after the prolific YA SF author Andre Norton, it recognizes that young adult speculative fiction deserves the same critical attention as adult works. The 2024 winner was “The Wicked Bargain” by Gabe Cole Novoa, a pirate fantasy that explores themes of identity and belonging. The award fills a crucial gap in genre recognition, as most major SF awards historically ignored books written for younger audiences. Selection involves SFWA members who specifically seek out YA books that combine excellent storytelling with sophisticated treatment of speculative elements. Winners often see significant boosts in sales and library acquisitions, making this award particularly valuable for authors’ careers.
11. The Mythopoeic Awards
Since 1971, the Mythopoeic Society has presented awards for fantasy literature that best captures the spirit of the Inklings, the Oxford literary group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. These awards focus on fantasy that incorporates myth, legend, and fairy tale elements in sophisticated ways. The 2024 adult literature winner was “The Ten Thousand Doors of January” by Alix E. Harrow, which weaves portal fantasy with themes of colonialism and belonging. The society also presents awards for scholarship about fantasy literature and for children’s literature in the mythic tradition. Judges look specifically for works that demonstrate the kind of secondary world-building and mythic resonance that characterized the Inklings’ best work. The awards ceremony takes place at the annual Mythopoeic Conference, which rotates between different cities and combines academic scholarship with fan appreciation.
12. The James Tiptree Jr. Literary Award
Now known as the Otherwise Award following the author’s request before their death, this honor recognizes science fiction or fantasy that explores and expands gender roles. Established in 1991, the award specifically seeks out works that challenge traditional gender assumptions through speculative storytelling. The 2024 winner was “The Space Between Worlds” by Micaiah Johnson, which uses multiverse travel to explore identity and belonging across different versions of reality. The award often highlights works by authors who themselves challenge gender norms, making it an important platform for LGBTQ+ voices in genre fiction. A jury of writers, critics, and scholars evaluates submissions based on how effectively they use speculative elements to examine gender issues. The award has helped bring attention to works that might otherwise be overlooked by more mainstream literary prizes.
13. The Crawford Award
Presented annually at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, this award recognizes the best first fantasy novel published by an English-language author. Established in 1985 and named after fantasy scholar William Crawford, it specifically focuses on debut novels rather than established authors’ work. The 2024 winner was “The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon, an epic fantasy that reimagines dragon mythology across multiple cultures. The award serves as an important launching pad for new fantasy authors, often identifying writers who go on to have successful careers in the genre. Selection involves conference attendees who are typically academics specializing in fantasy literature, bringing scholarly rigor to the evaluation process. Winners receive recognition at the annual conference, which brings together scholars, writers, and fans for academic presentations about fantasy literature.
14. The Sideways Award for Alternate History
Since 1995, this award has honored the best alternate history novel or story published each year, recognizing a subgenre that asks “what if history had gone differently?” The 2024 winner was “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which creates an alternate version of Hollywood’s golden age. The award specifically looks for works that not only change historical events but explore the logical consequences of those changes in compelling ways. Judges evaluate both the plausibility of the alternate history scenario and the quality of the storytelling built around it. The award has helped establish alternate history as a legitimate literary subgenre rather than just a science fiction curiosity. Winners often see increased interest from history enthusiasts as well as genre fiction readers, creating crossover appeal that benefits authors’ careers.
15. The Locus Awards
While Locus Magazine’s awards might be known within science fiction and fantasy circles, they remain invisible to most general readers despite being among the most democratic literary prizes in existence. Since 1971, these awards have been determined entirely by reader votes rather than jury selection, with thousands of Locus subscribers participating annually. The 2024 science fiction novel winner was “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro, demonstrating how literary authors increasingly engage with genre elements. Categories include everything from first novels to non-fiction, making these among the most comprehensive genre awards available. The voting process involves Locus subscribers from around the world, creating an international perspective on genre literature. Winners receive distinctive trophy designs that change annually, and the awards ceremony at the World Science Fiction Convention often draws hundreds of attendees who appreciate the democratic nature of the selection process.
What other literary prizes might be hiding in plain sight, celebrating the weird, wonderful, and unexpected corners of the publishing world?
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
