Locus Award for Best First Novel Public

Created and curated by Phil in SF

The award for Best First Novel was first presented in 1981. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year.

  1. Dragon's Egg by  (Dragon's Egg, #1)

    4 stars

    In a moving story of sacrifice and triumph, human scientists establish a relationship with intelligent lifeforms--the cheela--living on Dragon's Egg, …

    Phil in SF says:

    1981 winner

  2. Phil in SF says:

    1982 winner

  3. Courtship Rite by 

    No rating

    Gaet, Hoemei and Joesai are three clone brothers, survivors of the rigorous and deadly process of nurture and weeding that …

    Phil in SF says:

    1983 winner

  4. Tea with the Black Dragon by  (Black Dragon, #1)

    No rating

    Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter, Elizabeth, is in trouble—she just doesn’t know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San …

    Phil in SF says:

    1984 winner

  5. The Wild Shore by  (Three Californias Trilogy, #1)

    No rating

    Seventeen-year-old Henry wanted to help make America great again, like it had been sixty years ago, before all the bombs …

    Phil in SF says:

    1985 winner

  6. Contact by 

    4 stars

    Phil in SF says:

    1986 winner

  7. Phil in SF says:

    1987 winner

  8. Phil in SF says:

    1988 winner

  9. Phil in SF says:

    1989 winner

  10. Phil in SF says:

    1990 winner

  11. In the Country of the Blind by 

    No rating

    What if it were all a plot? What if there really were a secret conspiracy running things behind the scenes…and …

    Phil in SF says:

    1991 winner

  12. China Mountain Zhang by 

    4 stars

    What if Chinese Marxism, not Western capitalism, came to dominate the globe? In this dazzling and insightful novel, Maureen F. …

    Phil in SF says:

    1992 winner

  13. Phil in SF says:

    1993 winner

  14. Gun, with Occasional Music by 

    5 stars

    Conrad Metcalf has problems. He has a monkey on his back, a rabbit in his waiting room, and a trigger-happy …

    Phil in SF says:

    1994 winner

  15. Phil in SF says:

    1995 winner

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