Stories Worth a Nod: Award-Eligible Titles for 2026
Two Cameron Cooper titles published in 2025 are eligible for nomination in the 2026 Hugo, Nebula, Aurora, and Dragon Awards. If you’re voting this year, here’s what to know.
Cameron Cooper
I Finally Watched Prey—And Didn’t Hate It
I never thought I’d watch a Predator movie—let alone enjoy one—but Prey surprised me. With a strong female lead, solid storytelling, and just enough alien menace, it turns out brains and grit can outmatch gore and tech. If you’ve avoided the franchise like I did, this might be the one to try.
“If Amazon Collapsed Tomorrow…”
What if Amazon collapsed tomorrow? Thousands of exclusive authors would lose their income overnight, and Kindle Unlimited readers would find their go-to content gone. In this speculative thought experiment, I explore how such a collapse would reshape the indie publishing landscape—for authors, readers, and the future of storytelling.
Solarpunk from SRP Author Cameron Cooper
Today, SRP author Cameron Cooper released their solarpunk short story, Winds of Change.
Dune is Not Fantasy: A Space Opera Rant
“Someone online called Dune ‘just epic fantasy in spacesuits’ and I resisted the urge to flame them… mostly. Here’s why Dune is firmly science fiction — space opera at its finest — and why the spice matters not for magic, but for who controls the stars.”
When Sci-Fi Steps into the Kitchen: Meet Helix, the Freakishly Human Robot
Watching Helix, Figure AI’s humanoid robot, calmly flipping boxes like a human worker, I felt that eerie thrill: science fiction is stepping right into the kitchen. With promises of domestic robots in homes within a decade, are we ready for this future — or already living it?
The Stars as Home: The Practical Fantasies of Spacefaring Cruise Life
What if people lived out their entire lives aboard interstellar cruise ships, drifting between stars with no planetary home? Inspired by a real-world ocean liner turned permanent residence, this post explores the practicalities and story potential of life aboard a spacefaring cruiser.
Why I Write (and Read) Short Stories — Part II
“Writing short stories started as a clever way to outsmart publishing algorithms, but it quickly became a passion. They’re fast, fierce, and let me explore parts of my worlds that novels can’t always reach.”
Why I Write (and Read) Short Stories.
“Short stories are like paper planes—light, quick to launch, and sometimes, they soar higher than you’d ever expect. They’re small vessels that carry big ideas.”
Romance Invading SF… or Saving It?
Romance in science fiction isn’t a takeover. It’s an infusion. A graft that’s thriving—and in some ways, it may be what’s keeping the heart of genre fiction beating.