Parsec Awards


The Parsec Awards were a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media. They were first presented in 2006 at DragonCon. In 2009 the awards were described as "one of the most recognizable honors in science and fiction podcasting". The awards were given from 2006 to 2018.
Nominations were accepted from the listening public annually in each of the categories. The list was vetted for eligibility by the steering committee before producers were invited to submit samples of work for consideration by a panel of judges. The panel reduced the list of nominees to five finalists in each category. The finalists' work was submitted for judging and the winner was selected by that panel of authors, podcasters, and others knowledgeable in the field of speculative fiction, podcasting, and/or publishing. Past finalist judges have included Catherine Asaro, Charles de Lint, Cory Doctorow, and Evo Terra.
The awards were last presented in 2018.

Winners

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastStar Wars Best in Galaxy Mark Restuccia and Patch Hyde
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationCalliope Writing Coach PodcastAngie Fenimore and Michael Sheen
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast Aggressive Negotiations: A Star Wars PodcastJohn Mills and Matt Rushing
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastThe Theatre of TomorrowTravis McMaster and Mark Whitten
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast The Faculty of HorrorAndrea Subissati and Alexandra West
Best Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastTalk Nerdy with Cara Santa MariaCara Santa Maria
Best Speculative Fiction Video StoryThe Uncle Interloper ShowGrant Baciocco
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamMarsCorpDefinitely Human
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama Uncanny CountyTodd Faulkner, Alison Crane, and Nicole Greevy
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast "Genie", Return HomeMaia Brown-Jackson
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast "Things Unseen", The Raven and the Writing DeskChris Lester
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast "Shadows", The Wicked LibraryK. B. Goddard
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast Six Stories, Told at NightK. T. Bryski
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama "Woods Ferry", Campfire Radio TheaterJohn Ballentine

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama "The Sinister Secret of StarNasty" or "A Mike in the Mechanics", Hadron Gospel HourMichael McQuilkin and Richard Wentworth
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama Aaron's WorldMike Meraz and Aaron Meraz
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationThe Journeyman Writer
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody Podcast New Message
Best Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastUniverse Today's Guide to Space
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast The Incomparable
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast The Scot and the Sassenach
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast "Last Contact", The Dunesteef Audio Fiction MagazineRish Outfield and Bigg Anklevich
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastSeminar
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamPleasureTown
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast The Black
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast "O'Malley’s Media Storm", SeminarV. C. Morrison
Best Speculative Fiction Video StoryMario Warfare

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast "Now Cydonia", Cast of WondersRick Kennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. LovecraftMike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast Underwood and FlinchMike Bennett
Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast"The Road To Utopia Plain", The Dunesteef Audio Fiction MagazineRick Kennett
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama The Minister of ChanceRadio Static
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama Star Trek: OutpostTony Raymond and Daniel McIntosh
Best Speculative Fiction Video StoryI Have Your HeartMolly Crabapple, Kim Boekbinder, and Jim Batt
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastTales from the Archives, Volume 2Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamThe NoSleep PodcastDavid Cummings
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast RebelForce RadioJimmy Mac and Jason Swank
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast Nights at the Round TableAsh Farbrother
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationStoryForwardJ. C. Hutchins and Steve Peters
Best Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastHubblecastOli Usher and Joe Liske
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastBlastropodcastMark Soloff
Best Speculative Fiction Music PodcastThe Funny Music ProjectDevo Spice

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Story Saying the NamesMaggie Clark
Best Speculative Fiction Story Kissyman & the GentlemanScott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story Owner's ShareNathan Lowell
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama The Radio Adventures of Dr. FloydGrant Baciocco and Doug Price
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama HG WorldJay Smith
Best Speculative Fiction Video StoryGrant's Advent Calendar Video Podcast
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastDrabblecast
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamCobalt City Adventures Unlimited
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast PodCulture: TARDIS Interruptus
Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast WhatTheCast
Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationFullcast Podcast
Best Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastPlanetary Radio
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastTechnorama
Best Speculative Fiction Music PodcastRenaissance Festival Podcast
Best Youth-Driven Speculative Fiction PodcastAaron's World

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Story "Under The Bed", Variant FrequenciesMichael Natale
Best Speculative Fiction Story "7th Son: Obsidion", Eusocial NetworkingScott Sigler
Best Speculative Fiction Story FETIDUS: The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and SupernaturalJames Durham
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama The Radio Adventures of Dr. FloydGrant Baciocco and Doug Price
Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama "Making the Cut", The Metamor City PodcastChris Lester
Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastPseudopodBen Phillips and Alasdair Stuart
Best Speculative Fiction Video PodcastStranger ThingsEarl Newton, David Kanter, and Cody P. Christian
Best Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastBell's in the BatfryJohn Bell
Best Speculative Fiction Writing-related PodcastWriting ExcusesBrandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells
Best Speculative Fiction Fan PodcastThe ScapeCastBrent Barrett, Chris Polansky, Hank Shiffman, Kevin Bachelder, Kimberly Thompson, Lindy Rae, Michael Falkner, Sammy Mohr, and Wendy Hembrock
Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast Shite on the TubeBruce Moyle, Chris Rattray, David Quinn, Dion Brooks, and Tiarne Double
Best Gaming PodcastBrilliant GameologistsJosh, Meg, Zeke, and Tom
Best Speculative Fiction Infotainment Podcast365 Days of AstronomyInternational Year of Astronomy
Best Speculative Fiction Music PodcastThe FuMPDevo Spice, Possible Oscar, Raymond and Scum, Rob Balder, Robert Lund, and Spaff.com, the great Luke Ski, Tom Smith, and Worm Quartet
Best Anime PodcastAnime World Order
Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/TeamFETIDUSJames Durham

CategoryWinnerCreator
Best Speculative Fiction Story "No World for Warriors", Variant FrequenciesMatt Wallace
Best Speculative Fiction Story The ArwenTimothy P. Callahan
Best Speculative Fiction Story The ImmortalsTracy Hickman
Best Audio Drama The Radio Adventures of Dr. FloydGrant Baciocco and Doug Price
Best Audio Drama Prometheus Radio TheatreSteven H. Wilson and Scott D. Farquhar
Best Audio ProductionThe Radio Adventures of Dr. FloydGrant Baciocco and Doug Price
Best Video ProductionMissing PagesJerome Olivier
Best Video PodcastMissing PagesJerome Olivier
Best Non-Speculative FictionNumber One with a BulletMark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
Best Fan PodcastThe SignalJill Arroway, Les Howard, and Kari Haley
Best Speculative Fiction News PodcastSkepticalityDerek Colanduno and Robynn McCarthy
Best Anime PodcastGeekNights Wednesdays: Anime Manga ComicsRym and Scott
Best Gaming PodcastPulp Gamer: Inside Track
Best Graphic Literature PodcastComics RadarJ. M. Campbell and Matt Melnyk
Best "Infotainment" CastPulp Gamer: Out of Character
Best Reality PodcastTag in the SeamLeann
Best Tech PodcastThe Command LineThomas Gideon
Best Writing Related PodcastI Should Be WritingMur Lafferty