The Book Bin in Onley, Virginia, and Secant Publishing in Salisbury, Maryland, are announcing the winning entries in an international contest that will produce a one-volume anthology of new, original short stories on the human impact of climate change.

With recurring themes that include a warming climate, rising seas, and retreating flora and fauna, the 34 winning submissions were drawn from nine countries and ten states. Submissions were accepted from October 15, 2023 to March 1, 2024.

Cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively, will be awarded to A. A. Rubin of East Williston, New York (“Noah’s Great Rainbow,” First Place); K. M. Watson of Sykesville, Maryland (“Desert Fish,” Second Place), and Olaf Lahayne of Vienna, Austria (“Beyond the Timberline,” Third Place). Prizes are sponsored by the Book Bin.

All 34 stories, including the three prize winners, will be published in a book-length anthology to be released in September of this year.

"It was exceptionally difficult to pick just three stories for special recognition when we were presented with so many arresting takes on the climate crisis,” said the judges, Philip Wilson of the Book Bin, Ron Sauder of Secant Publishing, and Karen Gravelle, a widely published Onancock, Virginia author.

“In the end, the top three were chosen for their general excellence in storytelling, imaginative scenarios, and central focus on climate change and its many ramifications in the lives of individuals.”

Common themes in the collection include subtle changes in human psychology, with growing erosion of personal relationships and society at large; the increasing precariousness of childhood and parenthood; changing relations between humans and animals, especially pets; and the gradual erasure of history, whether in the form of low-lying coastal graves or the public architecture of coastal communities.

“Almost all of our stories portray human resilience and tenacity, including in the form of geoengineering,” the judges said. “But all of that resourcefulness is balanced against the exceptional complexity of Planet Earth and our limited ability to anticipate and control the future. In the world of this anthology, humans win some battles, while incurring losses whose magnitude is still to be fully reckoned.”

In announcing the contest, which was promoted nationally and internationally, the judges made it clear that a wide range of genres would be welcome. The resulting collection features themes from social realism to dystopia, social justice to post-apocalypticism, humor to horror.

In addition to the three stories listed above, the winning entries are:

“2100, Remnants of a Thriving World,” B. E. Saunders, Tasmania, Australia.
“Adaptive Solutions,” Karly Foland, Washington, D.C.
“American Mangroves,” Paul Briggs, Easton, Maryland.
“Awakened,” Cindy Diggs, Machipongo, Virginia.
“Bitter Almonds,” Andrea Dejean, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
“Blood,” P H Zietsman, Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Blue Cassandra,” Douglas Arvidson, Onancock, Virginia.
“Brownian Motion,” Cedric Rose, Cincinnati, Ohio.
“Collateral Damage,” Jim Coleman, Ridgely, Maryland.
“Deluge,” Tabitha Bast, Bradford, United Kingdom.
“Dislocation,” Clare Becker, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“Don’t Ask,” Kitty Beer, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“First Can on Mars,” V. M. Sawh, Toronto, Canada.
“In Times of Change, Root Down to Rise Up,” Jessica Marcy, Dublin, Ireland.
“Landslide,” Catherine Chaddic, Exmore, Virginia.
“Leave No Trace,” Lee Clontz, Decatur, Georgia.
“Lookout Point,” Benedict Joseph Amato, Fishkill, New York.
“My Dearest Daughter,” C. B. Buzz, Bend, Oregon.
“Planet Suite,” Martin Phillips, Cullompton, United Kingdom.
“PLaNT Man,” Maura A. Morgan, Greenville, South Carolina.
“Raymond and Ruby,” Ian Inglis, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
“RISE,” Melody Cooper, Los Angeles, California.
“Sea Burial,” Lee Nash, Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France.
“Symbiosis,” Brian Brennan, Springfield, Virginia.
“The Amuse Bouche,” Dean K. Engel, Morton Grove, Illinois.
“The Blue Ridge Mountain Tree,” Adjie Henderson, Bronx, New York.
“The Captain of the Fleet,” David Poyer, Franktown, Virginia.
“The Circle City Run,” Tom Sterling, Fairfax, Virginia.

“The Island,” Mary Ethna Black, London, United Kingdom.
“When the Water Starts to Rise,” Jennifer Gryzenhout, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
“Wildfire,” Nicola Billington, Corbridge, United Kingdom.

For more information on the contest, see https://secantpublishing.com/blogs/news/best-stories-
on-human-impact-of-climate-change-a-contest-announcement.