Time travel and dystopian futures, escapes and extinctions, mundane objects that plunge human beings into disorienting experiences: these are some of the elements that characterize the three finalist books in the second edition of the Mondofuturo Literary Prize, a competition that rewards the best original, untranslated science fiction book published in Italy in 2024.
The initiative, promoted and organized by the national research body Area Science Park and La Cappella Underground, was created with the aim of arousing public interest in research, scientific culture, and literature, using science fiction as a catalyst for attention.
The three finalists for the second edition of the award are: Anticaja Canaglia by Cobol Pongide and Emiglino Cicala (Edizioni Progetto Cultura), Cronache dalla deriva by Carlo Roselli (Zona 42), and Nero. Il complotto dei complotti by Luca Giommoni (effequ).
The three finalist books, selected from a shortlist of 19 books in competition, were chosen by a jury of experts composed of nationally renowned writers, university professors, journalists, and experts in literature and science fiction. The jury members are: Nicoletta Vallorani, writer and professor at the University of Milan (jury president); Loredana Lipperini, journalist, writer, and author for Rai Radio3; Alberto Garlini, editor of Pordenone Legge and writer; Giulia Martino, writer and video game critic; Andrea Viscusi, writer and content creator; Angela Bernardoni, podcaster and co-author of ‘Fantascienza: Storia delle storie del futuro’ (Science Fiction: History of Stories of the Future); Elisabetta Di Minico, researcher specializing in dystopia and otherness at the Complutense University of Madrid; Dottor Pira, Italian cartoonist, graphic designer, and television author; and Collettivo Scrittori FantaTrieste, with Lorenzo Davia and Fabio Novel.
“It’s just the second edition, but the leap in quality and participation compared to the first is remarkable: many novels, great vision, imaginations that intertwine scientific ideas and writing skills in the invention of often surprising narratives,“ said Nicoletta Vallorani, President of the Jury of Experts, adding, ”As Le Guin said, writers invent stories, which are not facts: that’s why they are called fiction. But then these stories reveal a lot about the real world, and that makes them valuable. The finalists are a carefully selected sample of a much larger group. The only small regret, mine and all of ours, is that there were few women among the contenders. But compared to last year, things are improving, and we hope to have more than one in the final three in the next edition.”
The three finalist works explore objects and themes related to the world of scientific research: from time travel to the use of artificial intelligence, from teleportation to aliens to laser guns. These are areas of research that have always aroused public interest.
The three finalist books are now in the hands of a jury of scientists composed of about 50 researchers and researchers working in the world of research at Area Science Park, supported by an honorary scientific jury including: Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park; Giovanna Fragneto, Scientific Director of the European Spallation Source (ESS); Fabio Pagan, science journalist; Fabrizio Brancoli, deputy editor of Il Piccolo; Giovanni Covone, professor at the University of Naples Federico II and researcher at INFN and INAF, winner of the Asimov Prize; Stefano Liberati, professor of astroparticle physics at SISSA.
The scientific jury will be tasked with choosing the winning entry from among the three works in competition. The criteria guiding the selection will include originality and the scientific, technological, and social vision of the story. The award will be presented in Trieste on November 2, the final day of the 25th edition of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival.
The Mondofuturo Literary Prize project is made possible thanks to the contribution of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and with the support of “Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia”.
