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 

    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. Phil in SF says:

    1983 winner

  4. Tea with the Black Dragon by 

    No rating

    From first page Bantam paperback May 1983:

    R. A. MacAvoy's Tea with the Black Dragon is the tale of a …

    Phil in SF says:

    1984 winner

  5. The Wild Shore by  (Three Californias (1))

    4 stars

    2047: and for sixty years America has been quarantined after a devastating nuclear attack.

    Seventeen-year-old Henry wants to help make …

    Phil in SF says:

    1985 winner

  6. Contact by 

    4 stars

    In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who …

    Phil in SF says:

    1986 winner

  7. War for the Oaks by 

    4 stars

    Amazon.com Review Emma Bull's debut novel, War for the Oaks, placed her in the top tier of urban fantasists and …

    Phil in SF says:

    1988 winner

  8. Phil in SF says:

    1989 winner

  9. Orbital decay by  (Ace science fiction)

    4 stars

    Phil in SF says:

    1990 winner

  10. 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

  11. Phil in SF says:

    1992 winner

  12. Phil in SF says:

    1993 winner

  13. Gun, with occasional music by 

    3 stars

    Gun, with Occasional Music is a 1994 novel by American writer Jonathan Lethem that blends science fiction and hardboiled detective …

    Phil in SF says:

    1994 winner

  14. Phil in SF says:

    1995 winner

Sort List

Embed this list on a website