THE 2026 NEBULA AWARD FINALISTS: NOVELETTES

RATED 92% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE = 4.2 OUT OF 5

6 STORIES: 2 GREAT / 3 GOOD / 1 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF

The Nebula Award Finalists for Best Novelette were better on average than the Hugo Finalists this year. The only overlap was H.H. Pak’s wonderful story of motherhood, corporate control, and mass genocide on a generation starship. But as good that that is, the Nebula should go to Thomas Ha’s fabulous “Uncertain Sons,” which is also the same of his excellent first story collection.

The Nebula Awards are the second most important awards given in science fiction and fantasy. Unlike the Hugo Awards, which are given by popular vote, the Nebual Awards are voted on by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

“Founded as the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1965 by Damon Knight, the organization began with a charter membership of 78 writers; it now has over 2,000 members, among them many of the leading writers of science fiction and fantasy … Since 1965, the Nebula Awards® have been given each year to outstanding novel, novella, novelette, and short stories eligible for that year’s award … An anthology including the winning pieces of short fiction and several finalists has been published every year since 1966. It was known as the Nebula Awards Showcase and the year from 2000 to 2019; starting in 2020 the series number replaced the year. The latest editions are Nebula Awards Showcase 57, 58, 59, and 60.”

This is the first year that I am trying to review and rank all of the short fiction finalists, but I’ve read many of the Nebula Awards Anthologies.

Nebula Awards

Best Short Story

“Uncertain Sons”, by Thomas Ha (Uncertain Sons and Other Stories, 2025)
Great. A Gene Wolfean sci-fi quest story, revenge story. A young man carries the remnants of his father’s head in a backpack. The young man intends to destroy Behenna - the being, mountain, entity, creator - that killed his father. Also his father’s head is giving him advice. Shades of Vandermeer’s Annihilation or The Red Badge of Courage. Weird, strange, violent, and enthralling.
“Never Eaten Vegetables”, by H.H. Pak (Clarkesworld 1/25)
Great. A sentient transport ship’s ai has to deal with babies that need her when a small number of the embryos awake ahead of schedule. Years later, one of those who were born investigates why the corporation wants to destroy the ai that saved them. I found this a more interesting science fictional examination on abortion than more well know stories like Rabbit Test.
“We Begin Where Infinity Ends”, by Somto Ihezue (Clarkesworld 2/25)
Good. A coming of age story where two boys are trying to adjust their streetlights to help fireflies, which are now an endangered species. Drama and complicated feels emerge when a smart young girl arrives. Great for the first 90% and then hampered by the obligatory wish-fulfillment ending coda. The author didn’t have the courage of writing to a media literate reader.
“The Name Ziya,” by Wen-Yi Lee (Reactor / Amazon)
Good. A fantasy story about a mountain girl in a culture where they are born with magic names on their body. They sell the names and have them ripped off their body to fund opportunities like going to a prestigious school. A classic "poor kid goes to upper class school and becomes different" story, but with thinly veiled magical allegory.
“Our Echoes Drifting Through the Marsh”, by Marie Croke (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 1/9/25)
Good. In the Whispermarsh, the dead become echo-bearing wooden statues. This place is made more dangerous by giant heron-like creatures that menace the main characters. Good idea, hampered slightly by overly stylized prose.
“The Life and Times of Alavira the Great as Written by Titos Pavlou and Reviewed by Two Lifelong Friends”, by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 3-4/25)
Average. A story told in the reviews and comments attached to a fictional fantasy book series. The story explores the friendship of two women and the life of a writer. Some themes about queer youth, friendship, and the career of writing. Unfortunately, it is too tied up in the cutesy premise to be much of a story.