Harmony Knight’s Earth S.O.S., a novel set on a future Earth and following a group of renegades, has been named the winner of Future Worlds Prize 2025.
The runner-up is Amber Houlders for Blood in the Water.
The winner and runner-up were chosen from a shortlist of eight writers by the judging panel, made up of 2023 Future Worlds Prize winner Mahmud El Sayed, Shadow and Bone actor Amita Suman, bestselling author Saara El Arifi, literary agent Amandeep Singh and author Rogba Payne.
Knight won £4,500 and was announced as the winner at an awards ceremony in London. Earth S.O.S. is set on a future Earth, which has been ravaged following a super quantum arms race. Hidden beneath The Colossus, New London is one of the last outposts of Old Earth and home to a quagmire of renegades; Hiro, a disgraced Martian Prince, Abyss, a junkie without a cause, John, Earth’s golden boy, and Alber, an elite killing machine.
“Earth S.O.S. is authored by someone who really knows how to write,” the judges said, “and the author confidently crafts the voice of a group of unforgettable characters who we want to spend more time with.”
As the runner-up, Houlders wins £2,500. Blood in the Water follows Ifunanya, who is on the brink of her overdue retirement when her quartermaster asks her for one last favour: to find a missing scavenger ship and its crew. Upon finding the ship stranded in the middle of the desert and occupied by Wata Mmụọ, sirené who haven’t been seen in hundreds of years, Ifunanya and her crew are attacked by Caliban, the empire’s newest Commodore.
“Blood in the Water is an original story, with a great voice, excellent pacing, and interesting concepts,” the judges commented. “This read like a classically epic yet unique fantasy, and we admired the author’s approach to themes of empire.”
The six shortlisted writers will each receive £850. They are:
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All Storms a Labyrinth by Phoebe Yemi Ara.
“The prose and ambitious concept of All Storms a Labyrinth are to be lauded,” said the judges. “We thought this was a really inventive and mythically rich story, and one with very funny footnotes.” -
Dream Scion by Thomas Gough.
“Telling the story through the eyes of three siblings made Dream Scion an interesting story,” the judges commented, “with the author balancing the different characters well.” -
Hantu by Kat Bador.
“Hantu is a great combination of science fiction and horror, telling stories within stories to address grief, duty and more,” the judges revealed. “We loved the inclusion of Malaysian mythology, and the whole story feels mythic and folkloric.” -
Pit by Ayanna Van Der Maten.
“The first person present voice of the protagonist of Pit is strong and with hints of humour,” the judges said. “The freshness of this story made us feel a little breathless, and its unusual prose is unique and stands apart from other SFF.” -
Silted Hearts by Jade Cuttle.
“The world-building in Silted Hearts is excellent, in particular the natural world and the character’s connection with it,” the judges commented, “and we loved the unique take on the Viking world.” -
The Princess of Small Things by C. M. Leung.
“The Princess of Small Things has an intriguing premise,” the judges mentioned, “and we enjoyed the mythological world-building and the drama of the beginning.”
All eight writers get mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners, which are Bloomsbury, Daphne Press, Gollancz, HarperVoyager, Hodderscape, Orbit, Penguin Michael Joseph, Simon & Schuster, Titan Books and Tor.
This year marks the fifth time the prize has been awarded. The shortlisted entries can be read on the Future Worlds Prize website.
Future Worlds Prize was founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch in 2020, and was previously named the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. The prize is financially supported by Aaronovitch and Bridgerton actor Andoh, with additional support from its publishing partners.
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