Introduction

Since 1978, the members of the Science Fiction Poetry Association have recognized achievement in the field of speculative poetry by presenting the Rhysling Awards, named after the blind bard protagonist of Robert A. Heinlein's "The Green Hills of Earth."

Each SFPA member may nominate two poems from the previous year for the Awards: one in the "long" category and one in the "short" category. Because it's practically unfeasible to read every nominated poem in the various publications where they originally appeared, the nominees are collected into one volume, the Rhysling Anthology. It is mailed to all the members, who read it and vote for their favorites. The top vote-getters in each of the two categories become the Rhysling winners, listed below by award year.

This archive comprises a complete bibliography of all Rhysling Anthologies since 1978, and lists as completely as possible every nominated poem. (In addition to the winners, poems by authors as diverse as Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Fred Chappell, Thomas Ligotti, Frank Belknap Long, Nancy Springer and Roger Zelazny can be found in the anthologies.) Click on any year below to access cover images and other information for every anthology.

The Rhysling Anthologies have gone through several stages of evolution. In the earliest years, when SFPA founder Suzette Haden Elgin ran the show, the anthologies were simply special issues of Star*Line, the association's newsletter. Under president and Star*Line editor Robert Frazier, the anthologies became stand-alone chapbooks; Frazier himself sometimes provided cover art and illustrations. In the early 1990s, now-defunct Figment Press gave the anthologies a sleek, professional look; David Kopaska-Merkel, editor of Dreams and Nightmares (and for a time editor and publisher of Star*Line) brought the minimalist sensibilities of his zine to later volumes. Later anthologies were team efforts helmed by layout maestro Mike Williams.

The Rhysling Awards, too, have evolved. In recent years it's become customary for SFPA to give awards for poems that came in second and third in their category. This archive will be updated as more information becomes available. (Archive originated by Mike Allen.) Rhysling nominee bios.

Rhysling Award Winners

To view the contents of any Rhysling Anthology since 1978, click on its year, above.

With grateful acknowledgements to Bruce Boston, Robert Frazier, Peter Roberts, Deborah Shepard, Mary Turzillo,
The Locus Index to Science Fiction and The Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards

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