Lambda Literary Award for Speculative Fiction
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the United States–based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works that celebrate or explore LGBTQ themes. The awards are presented annually for books published in the previous year. The Lambda Literary Foundation states that its mission is "to celebrate LGBT literature and provide resources for writers, readers, booksellers, publishers, and librarians—the whole literary community."
Since their inception in 1989, awards have been given in various categories in fiction and non-fiction. The title for this category has changed several times, most recently to "LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction".
Eligibility guidelines
To be eligible for the award, a book must meet the following requirements:- The book must have been published for the first time in the United States between January 1 and December 31 of the previous calendar year.
- The book must be published in English; translations are accepted.
- The book must be available for purchase in a bound or collected format. Self-published books are eligible, provided they exist in a single published file; books published exclusively on social or subscription-based sites are not eligible.
As with other Lambda Literary Awards, the books nominated for the Lambda Literary Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror are selected based on several factors, including LGBTQ+ content, quality of writing and artistic merit.
Winners and nominees
In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the book's release. The ceremonies are always held the following year. Entries with a yellow background have won the relevant award, while those with a white background are the nominees. Categories are abbreviated; the official category titles are presented in the key.Recipients
Multi-time winners of the award include Melissa Scott, Nicola Griffith, Jim Grimsley, and Stephen Pagel. Nicola Griffith holds the record for most nominations, and Perry Brass has the most nominations without winning.| Year | Category | Author | Title | Publisher | Result | |
| 1989 | Gay M/SF | Goldenboy | Alyson | Winner | ||
| 1989 | Gay M/SF | Death Takes the Stage | St. Martin's Press | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Gay M/SF | Obedience | Mysterious Press | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Gay M/SF | Unicorn Mountain | William Morrow and Co. | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Gay M/SF | Who Next | International Polygonics | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Lesb. M/SF | Skiptrace | Banned Books | Winner | ||
| 1989 | Lesb. M/SF | Heavy Gilt | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Lesb. M/SF | Lessons in Murder | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Lesb. M/SF | Mundane World | Crossing Press | Finalist | ||
| 1989 | Lesb. M/SF | The Crystal Curtain | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Gay SF/F | Somewhere in the Night | Alyson | Winner | ||
| 1990 | Gay SF/F | Gentle Warriors | Knights Press | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Gay SF/F | Key West 2720 AD | Knights Press | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Gay SF/F | Magic's Pawn | DAW Books | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Gay SF/F | Walking Water / After All This | Banned Books | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Lesb. SF/F | What Did Miss Darrington See? | Feminist Press | Winner | ||
| 1990 | Lesb. SF/F | Clicking Stones | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Lesb. SF/F | In the Blood | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Lesb. SF/F | Memories and Visions | Crossing Press | Finalist | ||
| 1990 | Lesb. SF/F | Sue Slate: Private Eye | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Gay SF/F | Magic's Price | DAW Books | Winner | ||
| 1991 | Gay SF/F | Secret Matter | Lavender | Winner | ||
| 1991 | Gay SF/F | Alternate Casts | Banned Books | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Gay SF/F | Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Gay SF/F | The Gift | Space and Time | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Lesb. SF/F | Gossamer Axe | Roc | Winner | ||
| 1991 | Lesb. SF/F | Doc and Fluff | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Lesb. SF/F | Mighty Good Road | Baen Books | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Lesb. SF/F | Priorities | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1991 | Lesb. SF/F | Virago | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Gay SF/F | Tor Books | Winner | |||
| 1992 | Gay SF/F | Embracing the Dark | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Gay SF/F | Mirage | Belhue | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Gay SF/F | Steam | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Gay SF/F | Vampires Anonymous | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Lesb. SF/F | The Gilda Stories | Firebrand Books | Winner | ||
| 1992 | Lesb. SF/F | Mega | Mother Courage | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Lesb. SF/F | Shadows of Aggar | New Victoria | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Lesb. SF/F | Stranded | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1992 | Lesb. SF/F | Zeta Base | Naiad Press | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Gay SF/F | China Mountain Zhang | Tor Books | Winner | ||
| 1993 | Gay SF/F | Cry Gender | Baen Books | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Gay SF/F | Lost Souls | Abyss / Delacorte | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Gay SF/F | The Living One | Random House | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Gay SF/F | Knopf | Finalist | |||
| 1993 | Lesb. SF/F | Ammonite | Del Rey Books | Winner | ||
| 1993 | Lesb. SF/F | Dreamships | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Lesb. SF/F | Return to Isis | Rising Tide | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Lesb. SF/F | Running Fiercely Toward a High Thin Sound | Firebrand Books | Finalist | ||
| 1993 | Lesb. SF/F | Speaking Dreams | Firebrand Books | Finalist | ||
| 1994 | SF/F | Bantam Books | Winner | |||
| 1994 | SF/F | Burning Bright | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 1994 | SF/F | Drawing Blood | Delacorte Books | Finalist | ||
| 1994 | SF/F | In the Garden of Dead Cars | Cleis Press | Finalist | ||
| 1994 | SF/F | The Unfinished | Alyson Books | Finalist | ||
| 1995 | SF/F | Trouble and Her Friends | Tor Books | Winner | ||
| 1995 | SF/F | Metal Angel | Roc | Finalist | ||
| 1995 | SF/F | Storm Warning | DAW Books | Finalist | ||
| 1995 | SF/F | The Furies | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 1995 | SF/F | Warriors of Isis | DAW Books | Finalist | ||
| 1996 | SF/F | Shadow Man | Tor Books | Winner | ||
| 1996 | SF/F | Slow River | Del Rey Books | Finalist | ||
| 1996 | SF/F | Atlantis: Three Tales | Wesleyan | Finalist | ||
| 1996 | SF/F | Dark Angels | Cleis Press | Finalist | ||
| 1996 | SF/F | Dryland End | Richard Kasak | Finalist | ||
| 1997 | SF/F | Sacrament | HarperCollins | Winner | ||
| 1997 | SF/F | Godmother Night | St. Martin's Press | Finalist | ||
| 1997 | SF/F | and Thomas S. Roche | Sons of Darkness | Cleis Press | Finalist | |
| 1997 | SF/F | and Jewelle Gomez | Swords of the Rainbow | Alyson | Finalist | |
| 1997 | SF/F | Women Who Run With Werewolves | Cleis Press | Finalist | ||
| 1998 | SF/F | and Stephen Pagel | Bending the Landscape: Fantasy | White Wolf | Winner | |
| 1998 | SF/F | Grave Passions: Tales of the Gay Supernatural | Masquerade | Finalist | ||
| 1998 | SF/F | Monsters in the Closet | Manchester University Press | Finalist | ||
| 1998 | SF/F | The Drag Queen of Elfland | Circlet Press | Finalist | ||
| 1998 | SF/F | The Harvest | Belhue | Finalist | ||
| 1999 | SF/F | and Stephen Pagel | Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction | Overlook Press | Winner | |
| 1999 | SF/F | Desmond | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 1999 | SF/F | Falling to Earth | Firebrand Books | Finalist | ||
| 1999 | SF/F | Galilee | HarperCollins | Finalist | ||
| 1999 | SF/F | Things Invisible to See | Ultra Violet | Finalist | ||
| 2000 | SF/F | Minions of the Moon | Tor Books | Winner | ||
| 2000 | SF/F | and Judith Redding | Night Shade: Gothic Tales by Women | Seal Press | Finalist | |
| 2000 | SF/F | The Annunciate | Avon | Finalist | ||
| 2000 | SF/F | The Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual Corpse | Meisha Merlin | Finalist | ||
| 2000 | SF/F | Through a Brazen Mirror | Circlet Press / Ace | Finalist | ||
| 2001 | SF/F/H | Kirith Kirin | Meisha Merlin | Winner | ||
| 2001 | SF/F/H | Angel Lust | Belhue | Finalist | ||
| 2001 | SF/F/H | Jumping off the Planet | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2001 | SF/F/H | Merrick | Knopf | Finalist | ||
| 2001 | SF/F/H | Queer Fear | Arsenal Pulp Press | Finalist | ||
| 2002 | SF/F/H | and Lisa A. Barnett | Point of Dreams | Tor Books | Winner | |
| 2002 | SF/F/H | and Stephen Pagel | Bending the Landscape: Horror | Overlook Press | Finalist | |
| 2002 | SF/F/H | Bound in Blood | Kensington | Finalist | ||
| 2002 | SF/F/H | Gumshoe Gorilla | Meisha Merlin | Finalist | ||
| 2002 | SF/F/H | Vampire Vow | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 2003 | SF/F/H | Queer Fear II | Arsenal Pulp | Winner | ||
| 2003 | SF/F/H | Daughters of an Amber Noon | Overlook Press | Finalist | ||
| 2003 | SF/F/H | Seeds of Fire | Bella Books | Finalist | ||
| 2003 | SF/F/H | The Devil Inside | West Beach | Finalist | ||
| 2003 | SF/F/H | Wired Hard 3 | Circlet Press | Finalist | ||
| 2004 | SF/F/H | Necrologue | Diva | Winner | ||
| 2004 | SF/F/H | Elf Child | Southern Tier | Finalist | ||
| 2004 | SF/F/H | The Red Line of Yarmald | Bella Books | Finalist | ||
| 2004 | SF/F/H | The Substance of God | Belhue | Finalist | ||
| 2004 | SF/F/H | Vampire Thrall | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 2005 | SF/F/H | The Ordinary | Tor Books | Winner | ||
| 2005 | SF/F/H | Firelands | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 2005 | SF/F/H | Shadows of the Night: Queer Tales of the Uncanny and Unusual | Southern Tier | Finalist | ||
| 2005 | SF/F/H | The Wizard of Isis | Bella Books | Finalist | ||
| 2005 | SF/F/H | With Her Body | Aqueduct Press | Finalist | ||
| 2006 | LGBT SF/F/H | Daughters of an Emerald Dusk | Alyson | Winner | ||
| 2006 | LGBT SF/F/H | Fledgling | Seven Stories Press | Finalist | ||
| 2006 | LGBT SF/F/H | No Sister of Mine | Bella Books | Finalist | ||
| 2006 | LGBT SF/F/H | Shapers of Darkness | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2006 | LGBT SF/F/H | Temple Landfall | Bold Strokes Books | Finalist | ||
| 2007 | LGBT SF/F/H | Izzy and Eve | Green Candy Press | Winner | ||
| 2007 | LGBT SF/F/H | A Strong and Sudden Thaw | Iris Print | Finalist | ||
| 2007 | LGBT SF/F/H | Carnival | Bantam Spectra | Finalist | ||
| 2007 | LGBT SF/F/H | Mordred, Bastard Son | Alyson | Finalist | ||
| 2007 | LGBT SF/F/H | Spin Control | Bantam Spectra | Finalist | ||
| 2008 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Dust of Wonderland | Alyson | Winner | ||
| 2008 | LGBT SF/F/H | and Sarah Monette | A Companion to Wolves | Tor Books | Finalist | |
| 2008 | LGBT SF/F/H | Ha'penny | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2008 | LGBT SF/F/H | Spaceman Blues | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2008 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wicked Gentlemen | Blind Eye Books | Finalist | ||
| 2009 | LGBT SF/F/H | Turnskin | Blind Eye Books | Winner | ||
| 2009 | LGBT SF/F/H | Sea, Swallow Me and Other Stories | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2009 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Archer's Heart | Blind Eye Books | Finalist | ||
| 2009 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Magician and the Fool | Bantam / Del Ray | Finalist | ||
| 2009 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wilde Stories 2008 | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2010 | LGBT SF/F/H | Palimpsest | Bantam Books | Winner | ||
| 2010 | LGBT SF/F/H | Centuries Ago and Very Fast | Aqueduct Press | Finalist | ||
| 2010 | LGBT SF/F/H | Fist of the Spider Woman | Arsenal Pulp Press | Finalist | ||
| 2010 | LGBT SF/F/H | In the Closet, Under the Bed | Dark Scribe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2010 | LGBT SF/F/H | Pumpkin Teeth | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2011 | LGBT SF/F/H | Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories | Lethe Press | Winner | ||
| 2011 | LGBT SF/F/H | Disturbed by Her Song | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2011 | LGBT SF/F/H | Flowers of Edo | Black Car Publishing | Finalist | ||
| 2011 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wilde Stories 2010 | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2011 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wolfsbane Winter | Bold Strokes Books | Finalist | ||
| 2012 | LGBT SF/F/H | The German | Lethe Press | Winner | ||
| 2012 | LGBT SF/F/H | Paradise Tales: and Other Stories | Small Beer Press | Finalist | ||
| 2012 | LGBT SF/F/H | Static | Amber Allure / Amber Quill Press | Finalist | ||
| 2012 | LGBT SF/F/H | Steam-powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories | Torquere Press | Finalist | ||
| 2012 | LGBT SF/F/H | Triptych | Dragon Moon Press | Finalist | ||
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | Green Thumb | Lethe Press | Winner | ||
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | Chocolatiers of the High Winds: A Gay Steampunk Romance | Circlet Press | Finalist | ||
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | and Steve Berman | Heiresses of Russ 2012: the Year’s Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction | Lethe Press | Finalist | |
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | In the Now | Blue Feather Books | Finalist | ||
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | and J. M. Redmann | Night Shadows: Queer Horror | Bold Strokes Books | Finalist | |
| 2013 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Survivors | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | and Amy Griswold | Death by Silver | Winner | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Collaborators | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Deprivation; or, Benedetto furioso: an oneiromancy | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Dragon Slayer | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Dust Devil on a Quiet Street | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Hell's Belle | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Invisible Soft Return | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Light | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | Like Light for Flies | Finalist | ' | ||
| 2014 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Stars Change | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Bitter Waters | Winner | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Afterparty | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Butcher's Road | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Child of a Hidden Sea | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Full Fathom Five | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | FutureDyke | Finalist | |||
| 2015 | LGBT SF/F/H | Skin Deep Magic | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Gracekeepers | Winner | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | Down | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | Minotaur | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | Sacrati | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Boys on the Mountain | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Caphenon | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Glittering World | Finalist | |||
| 2016 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wonder City Stories | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Devourers | Winner | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | A Little Queermas Carol | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | All Good Children | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | Irish Black | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | Kissing Booth Girl | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | Lily | Finalist | |||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | , Rasheedah Phillips, Alex Smith, and M. Eighteen Téllez | Style of Attack Report | Finalist | ||
| 2017 | LGBT SF/F/H | Will Do Magic for Small Change | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | Autonomous | Winner | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | Amberlough | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | An Excess Male | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | An Unkindness of Ghosts | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | I Stole You | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | Night Visitors | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Lost Daughter Collective | Finalist | |||
| 2018 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Prey of Gods | Finalist | |||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Breath of the Sun | Aqueduct Press | Winner | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | Forget the Sleepless Shores | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | In the Vanishers’ Palace | JABberwocky | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | Metabolize, If Able | Monster House Press | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | Resilience | Heartsome Publishing | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Barrow Will Send What It May | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Descent of Monsters | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | LGBT SF/F/H | Witchmark | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | , Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes | The Deep | Saga Press / Gallery | Winner | |
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | A Spectral Hue | Word Horde | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | Black Leopard, Red Wolf | Riverhead Books | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | False Bingo | Dzanc Books | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | Stories to Sing in the Dark | Lethe Press | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Priory of the Orange Tree | Bloomsbury Publishing | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | The Rampant | Aqueduct Press | Finalist | ||
| 2020 | LGBT SF/F/H | Wake, Siren | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Finalist | ||
| 2021 | LGBT SF/F/H | Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel | Lethe Press | Winner | ||
| 2021 | LGBT SF/F/H | Rebecca Roanhorse | Black Sun | Saga Press / Gallery | Finalist | |
| 2021 | LGBT SF/F/H | Zen Cho | The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water | Tor Books | Finalist | |
| 2021 | LGBT SF/F/H | Tlotlo Tsamaase | The Silence of the Wilting Skin | Pink Narcissus Press | Finalist | |
| 2021 | LGBT SF/F/H | Aaron A. Reed | Subcutanean | Self-published | Finalist | |
| 2022 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | No Gods, No Monsters | Blackstone Publishing | Winner | ||
| 2022 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | A Desolation Called Peace | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2022 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Breeder | Blackstone Publishing | Finalist | ||
| 2022 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | with Kit Schluter | Phototaxis | Nightboat Books | Finalist | |
| 2022 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | The Tensorate Series | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2023 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Shattered Scepter Press | Winner | |||
| 2023 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | The Book Eaters | Tor Books | Finalist | ||
| 2023 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Into the Riverlands | Tor.com | Finalist | ||
| 2023 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Angry Robot | Finalist | |||
| 2023 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Ballantine Books | Finalist | |||
| 2024 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself | Catapult | Winner | ||
| 2024 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Bang Bang Bodhisattva | Solaris | Finalist | ||
| 2024 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Tor.com | Finalist | |||
| 2024 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Tor.com | Finalist | |||
| 2024 | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Saga Press | Finalist |