Fortieth Annual Asimov's Readers' Award Finalists
We are very excited to bring you most of the works that finished in the top five slots in each category of the 40th Annual Readers’ Award Poll. Although we won’t be announcing the winners until a later date, we’re listing all the finalists in alphabetical order by story title. We’ve uploaded these files, so check out the links to these tales if you missed them when they were first published in Asimov’s! (If you see more than five stories in a category, this is due to a tie that expanded the finalist list.)
A big thanks goes to our readers for taking the time to vote and to our writers for allowing us to post their works. Enjoy these works and remember to check out the 2026 issues of Asimov’s. We want to know what your favorites are when we compile the 41st annual poll.
BEST NOVELLA
Quantum Ghosts (Part I and Part II), Nancy Kress, March/April 2025 – May/June 2025
Spare Parts for the Mind, Greg Egan, November/December 2025
The Chronolithographer’s Assistant, Suzanne Palmer, July/August 2025
The Hidden God, T.R. Napper, March/April 2025
The Signal and the Idler, Ted Kosmatka, September/October 2025
BEST NOVELETTE
In the Gardener’s Service, Michele Laframboise, July/August 2025
Lagrange Point 5, Sean McMullen, November/December 2025
Most Things May Never Happen, Rich Larson, July/August 2025
Tenth Contact, Bruce Sterling & Paul Di Filippo, September/October 2025
The Last Operation of Shroud, Alexander Jablokov, September/October 2025
BEST SHORT STORY
Catch a Tiger in the Snow, Ray Nayler, November/December 2025
Lolo’s Last Run, E.M. Kerkman, September/October 2025
The Demon of Metrazol, Ray Nayler, March/April 2025
What the Frog’s Eye Tells the Frog’s Brain, Beston Barnett, January/February 2025
Woolly, Carrie Vaugh, May/June 2025
BEST POEM
Einstein to Newton, Gary Sterling, January/Februa ry 2025
Fantastic!, Jane Yolen, January/February 2025
Field Note from an Outlier Physicist, Robert Frazier, November/December 2025
Good Dogs, Leslie J. Anderson, November/December 2025
Inheritance Haiku, Bruce Boston, November/December 2025
BEST COVER
July/August, Maurizio Manzieri
May/June, IG Digital Arts & Annie Spratt
November/December, Shutterstock