Prizes and eligibility: The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA or equivalent: sale of a novel or sale of 3 stories to a large circulation publication). Previous multiple winners and current contest coordinators are also ineligible. The best story which uses the contest theme as a key element will be published in the Confluence 2010 program book, and the author awarded the first prize of $200. Second and third prize win $100 and $50 respectively. Stories may be considered for possible publication in a PARSEC INK publication. Submission to the contest implies consent for publication, but all rights revert immediately to the authors upon publication. Coordinators screen the entries, and the best submissions go on to our panel of three Judges. Decisions of the judges and coordinators in all these matters are final. There is NO entry fee. Multiple submissions (maximum of 4) are allowed.

Judges: John Scalzi, author of SF Hugo nominee, The Old Man’s War, from Tor ; Paul Melko, author of Singularity’s Ring and The Walls of the Universe, from Tor; Karina Sumner-Smith, author of numerous short stories, including Nebula nominated short story An End to All Things.

Format: Stories must be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror genre. Stories must be original, unpublished, unsold and no more than 3500 words in length. Submit in contest format: title and page number on each page, but author name only on separate cover page with story title and author's contact info (including both postal and email address); otherwise as in any professional submission: double space, 1 inch margins. Email submissions accepted only upon request (see below). Include SASE for notification by postal mail. Incorrect format will make the entry ineligible.

Theme:

Use this as a metaphor, literally, or anything in between for your genre story. As this is a themed contest, your interpretation of the theme element must be integral to the story. Only an incidental mention of the theme will count against you. Please remember, though, that Confluence attracts many families, and the story will be printed in the program book. A certain restraint and subtlety is called for.

Deadline: Entries must be submitted by April 15, 2010 (either postmark or submission time stamp). All entrants will be notified by June 15th of their results.

Address: Send entries to:

For questions or clarifications only you may email to

Last time's winners (for the theme of "Dark Glass") were:

• First Place: "Where Their Worm Dieth Not, and Their Fire Is Not Quenched" by Spencer Ellsworth, Washington
• Second Place: "The Proxy" by Katy Darby, England
• Third Place: "Solvers" by Gaea Denker-Lehrman, California