Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education

2023 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Award 

An annual writing contest for Tampa Bay high school students.

Entries accepted now through May 1, 2023  

In 2023, Artificial Intelligence – A.I. – is part of almost every aspect of our daily lives.

A.I. navigates and drives for us; chooses our entertainment; organizes our calendars; and picks our dates. A.I. knows our schedules, our shoe sizes, our favorite memes and our friends’ phone numbers better than we do. 

A.I. may save humanity – or spell the end of it.

Your story may be set in the past, present or future, but it must contain the sentence, “Alexa (or Siri, or Google, or…), will artificial intelligences take over the Earth?”

The answer? That’s up to you.

Entries will be judged by a panel of experts including:

• Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and Dell Magazines Award-winning author Rich Larson
• Sidewise Award-winning author, editor and professor Dr. Rick Wilber
• Nebula and Compton Crook Award-winning author Fran Wilde

The Grand Prize winner will receive: 

• $200 cash grand prize
• Grand prize plaque
• Winning story published on the contest website

Runners-up will receive:

• $25 cash prize
• Award certificate

For more information and to enter, CLICK HERE

Rules: Visit tampabay.com/nie/storycontest for complete official rules and to enter. The contest is open to all students over the age of 13 in grades 9-12 in public, private and home schools in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. Stories must be previously unpublished and unsold. There is no fee to enter, and no limit to the number of stories a student may submit.