The 2026 Otherwise Award: Jury Announcement

Being on an award jury has been a dream of mine for years. I suppose it's only to be expected; I spend so much time telling people which books they should or should not read, that naturally I would leap at the opportunity to do so with the imprimatur of an award behind me. This year, I finally got my wish, and was invited to be a member of the jury for the 2026 Otherwise Award. Over the next few months, I and the other members of the jury will be reading books, stories, and other works published in 2026, with the award list and honor list to be announced in the spring of next year.

Formerly known as the Tiptree award, the Otherwise seeks to recognize works that expand and explore the definition of gender, a topic on which science fiction has always had a great deal to say, and all the more so in the 21st century. Members of the jury may request and recommend works for consideration, but so can members of the public. If you've read something that you think I and the other jurors should be looking at, please fill out the form here. (Works published in 2025 that did not appear on last year's recommendation list are also eligible.)

The 2026 Otherwise jury is chaired by Gautam Bhatia, and includes myself, Akankshya Abismruta, and three other members how have opted to reveal their names later in the process. I can tell you that it's an excellent group of people, who will no doubt produce an excellent list of winners. I am very excited about this new experience, and hope to share more about it with you in the coming months.

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