The Kitschies, the annual tentacle-themed prize for works containing elements of the “speculative and fantastic,” have released their shortlists for the most “progressive, intelligent, and entertaining” fiction of 2014.
This year’s shortlists have been narrowed down from 198 submissions, coming from over 40 different publishers and imprints. This year also features the prize’s first self-published finalist.
Another change is new director Glen Mehn organizing and overseeing this year’s group of judges, authors, and artists. Congratulations to all of the finalists—we can’t wait to see who will take home the coveted squid statue!
The Red Tentacle (Novel), judged by Kate Griffin, Adam Roberts, Frances Hardinge, Kim Curran, and Glen Mehn:
- Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (Egmont)
- The Peripheral by William Gibson (Viking)
- The Way Inn by Will Wiles (4th Estate)
- The Race by Nina Allan (NewCon Press)
The Golden Tentacle (Debut), also judged by the above panel:
- Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre (Jonathan Cape)
- The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne (Blackfriars)
- Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta (Voyager)
- The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Self)
- The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (Atlantic Books)
The Inky Tentacle (Cover Art), judged by Jim Kay, Dapo Adeola, Ed Warren, and Siân Prime:
- The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin, design by Steve Marking (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
- A Man Lies Dreaming by Lavie Tidhar, cover by Ben Summers (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Through the Woods by Emily Carroll, cover by Emily Carroll and Sonja Chaghatzbanian (Faber and Faber)
- The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber, cover by Rafaela Romaya and Yehring Tong (Canongate)
- Tigerman by Nick Harkaway, cover by Glenn O’Neill (William Heinemann)
The Invisible Tentacle (Natively Digital Fiction), judged by James Wallis, Laura Grace, and Clare Reddington:
- @echovirus12 (Twitter fiction), created/curated by Jeff Noon (@jeffnoon), Ed (@3dgriffiths), James Knight (@badbadpoet), violet sprite (@gadgetgreen), Richard Biddle (@littledeaths68), Mina Polen (@polen), Uel Aramchek (@ThePatanoiac), Graham Walsh (@t_i_s_u), Vapour Vox (@Wrong_Triangle)
- Kentucky Route Zero, Act III by Cardboard Computer
- 80 Days by Inkle Studios
- Sailor’s Dream by Simogo
The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Seven Dials Club on March 4 in London. In the meantime, Mahvesh Murad (host of Tor.com’s Midnight in Karachi podcast) will also be conducting interviews with the shortlisted authors.
Art: Steven Noble/Kraken Rum
