SPSFC5 Round 1 review – Marc Edmond Best: The Cataphract Oath I read this novel for The Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, SPSFC. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole. Find o…

My third full-read review of Round 1 of #SPSFC #SPSFC5 was for The Cataphract Oath by Marc Edmond Best. #BookSky

Cataphract engineer Victor's thesis talk ends explosively, but will his skills be enough to restore a legendary war machine and a family's future?

helynalclove.com/2026/03/22/s...

SPSFC5 Round 1 review – Nikki Null: Our Simulated Selves I read this novel for The Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, SPSFC. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole. Find o…

My second full-read review of Round 1 of #SPSFC #SPSFC5 was for Our Simulated Selves by Nikki Null. #BookSky

Ren needs a brainscanner to figure out what's wrong with him. But...maybe Jeanne could fix him instead?

helynalclove.com/2026/03/20/spsfc5-round-1-review-nikki-null-our-simulated-selves/

SPSFC5 Round 1 review: Marianne Pickles: Artificial Selection I read this novel for The Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, SPSFC. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole. Find o…

My first full-read review of Round 1 of #SPSFC #SPSFC5 was for Artificial Selection by Marianne Pickles! #BookSky

An AI, a PI, and a geneticist walk into a library on the floating sea platform city of Silicon Fen, a couple of decades after The Melt...

helynalclove.com/2026/03/20/s...

Shout out to the #SPSFC, which I am competing in this year! My debut novel, The Quantum Entanglement is available on Amazon and in the running!

Very cool contest, good luck to all the competitors.

My second novel, Sins of the Palatine, a Roman historical fantasy, will be on sale later this year!

The cover of Our Simulated Selves by Nikki Null.

My second #SPSFC full read is Our Simulated Selves by Nikki Null.

My other fave 30% from the scouting phase so, looking forward to it! Queer, quantum, brainscan-y... 👀 #BookSky #SPSFC5

And here it is! My last "first impression" post of the last 5 books I sampled for Round 1 of #SPSFC as a member of Team Space Girls! #BookSky 👾🌌 @spsfc.bsky.social #SPSFC5

helynalclove.com/2026/02/07/s...

The cover of Artificial Selection by Marianne Pickles.

Starting my first #SPSFC full read with Artificial Selection by Marianne Pickles!

I'm excited, I really liked the beginning. A curious AI and its Head of Awkward Questions sets off to investigate some book vandalism on the platform-city of Silicon Fen... #SPSFC5

Our Simulated Selves A mind-bending quantum thriller about simulated realiti…

Read Our Simulated Selves by Nikki Null as a judge in team #SpaceGirls for #SPSFC5
This is an unequivocal YES from me to move forward to be read by our whole team. I’ve completed it and you can read my review on Goodreads
#SPSFC #Self-publishedSci-fi #🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 #Booksky 💙📚🪐
#pukapuka 📚🇳🇿

Earth Sucks It’s the apocalypse. And Feng has a knack for pissing p…

I read Earth Sucks by Heather Chambers as a judge 4 team #SpaceGirls in #SPSFC5. Whilst it's a No to moving on, this was an enjoyable read, with some comic relief scattered throughout. I do recommend giving this book a read.
#SPSFC #Self-publishedSci-fi #Aliens #dystopia #Booksky💙📚🪐 #pukapuka📚🇳🇿

Afterburn Kara is an outcast. A freak. A non-telepath. The only p…

Read Afterburn by D Andrews as a judge in team #SpaceGirls for #SPSFC5 I'd already read this due to personal interest and I'm personally giving this a Yes to move forward.
#SPSFC #Self-published #Sci-fi🪐🚀 #discrimination #gaslighting #Booksky💙📚 #pukapuka🇳🇿📚
Pic shows a fiery silhouette in a bubble

My second "first impressions" blog is up involving ten more #SPSFC sample reads as a member of Team Space Girls! #BookSky ✨🪐 @spsfc.bsky.social

helynalclove.com/2026/01/24/s...

Ashen Light John Allenbeck hates his job. Most days, it feels like …

As part of team #SpaceGirls, I read Ashen Light by Ian Young for #SPSFC5 I personally am giving this a Yes to be read in full by whole team. RTC
www.goodreads.com/book/show/22...
#SPSFC #Self-published #Scifi🪐 #Automata🤖 #crime🔍 #Spaceships🛰🚀#Booksky💙📚 #pukapuka💙📚🇳🇿

Read for: Technomagic and complex relationships Avoid if: You don’t want to read a story where many characters are struggling with mind control and mental influence R/Fantasy Bingo squares: Self-published, parents, stranger in a strange land

2026 micro-reviews
In Spite of the Inevitable by Morgan Biscup @vazdimet.com

Ex-military fugitive necromancer is trying to raise his adopted son in peace when his former nation attacks his new planet. He wants to run, but his son convinces him to fight.

#booksky 🪐📚💙📚👀 #sff #&microreviews #spsfc

Read for: A solid marriage of interesting character writing and sci-fi Avoid if: You aren’t in the mood for a slow book R/Fantasy Bingo squares: Self-Published, Published in 2025

2026 Micro-reviews
Ab initio by Jacob Terracina

Really cool story about the creation of humanlike intelligence, told through the lenses of courtroom drama and the hearts of the humans working on it.

#booksky 🪐📚💙📚👀 #sff #&microreviews #spsfc

WELP.

So The Cataphract Oath didn't get one of the randomly chosen 300 spots for #SPFBO. Buuut, at least it got picked up (at least for the first round) for #SPSFC.

Let's hear it for writing multigenre mashups!

SPSFC5 – Round 1 Scouting Phase update Happy new year! This year, I’m doing judging for the SPSFC, The Self-Published Science Fiction Competition as a part of Team Space Girls. You can read more about SPSFC over here! I’m st…

I'm judging for the #SPSFC @spsfc.bsky.social this year as a member of Team Space Girls! ✨🪐

Round 1 is already going full-thrust forward, so check out my first impressions of the first 10 novels! #BookSky

helynalclove.com/2026/01/01/s...

Read for: Weird Thursday Next-ish vibes Avoid if: You don’t like absurd literature R/Fantasy Bingo squares: Self Published, Stranger in a Strange Land, Impossible Places, Published in 2025

2025 Micro Reviews
The Terminus of All Things by Jay Neill @jayneill.com

British man ends up in alternate reality for forgotten things. His efforts to get home lead him to discover a plot that threatens our reality.

#booksky 🪐📚💙📚👀 #sff #&microreviews #spsfc

My book, Run Like Hell, is on longer on KU as of the 27th,but it still awesome to see it on this list. Fingers crossed I make it to the next round. #spsfc #queerwriters #indiebooks #writingcommunity #booksky

Quote this with what you have accomplished in 2025 no matter how small

🍦Learned how to make ice cream.
🍕Learned how to make pizza.
🖋️Wrote a first draft and completed revisions on my 3rd novel.
📚 Made it into Amazon's Bestsellers listing with a second book.
🚀 Served as a judge in #SPSFC year 4.

Time Traitors by @elidonovanwriter.bsky.social

Dino scientist gets to go back in time again after her poacher husband’s arrest. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks she deserves a second chance, and her ex wasn’t the only one harvesting velociraptors.

#booksky 🪐📚💙📚👀 #sff #&microreviews #spsfc

Read for: Lighthearted character-focused romp Avoid if: Conveniently incompetent adversaries will irritate you R/Fantasy Bingo squares: Biopunk, A Book in Parts, Pirates, Self-Published, LGBTQIA, Hidden Gem

2025 Micro-reviews:

Wherever the Stars Call by S. Jean – An ace girl and her nonbinary cyborg buddy steal a space Porsche to escape from a controlling government. Things go wrong, but maybe running into vampire space pirates isn’t all bad?

#booksky 🪐📚💙📚👀 #sff #litrpg #&microreviews #spsfc

Grab a copy of my space opera sci-fi adventure for ZERO dollars today through December 20. Aliens, artifacts, smugglers, and an alien in a box. An #SPSFC semifinalist, 4.5 average on ~700 ratings. Also available on audio.

Shares of this post absolutely welcome - thanks!

Artificial Selection: A Near-Future Science Fiction Mys… From the WINNER of the Green Stories Prize. What do y…

I read 100% of Artificial Selection by Marianne Pickles as a judge in #TeamSpaceGirls for #SPSFC5 Giving this a Y to go forward. See my review at www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...

#SPSFC #Self-published #Sci-fi 🪐📚 #Mystery 🔍 #Booksky💙📚 #Pukapuka📚🇳🇿

Books Received for SPSFC 5 SPSFC 5 took submissions of books for the contest from Oct. 13, 2025, to Nov. 9, 2025. Here’s a list of the books submitted. Books available on Kindle Unlimited have “(KU)” after the ti…

If you have Kindle Unlimited, 63 of the books entered into #SPSFC are available there. Look for (KU) on the list:

spsfc.space/books-receiv...

Animus Paradox (Digital Extremities, #2) There's a thief on the loose. The Tigres excel at tippi…

Read Animus Paradox by Adam Basset as a judge for #SPSFC5. I enjoyed this & before I knew it, I'd read the whole book. Check out my initial thoughts here www.goodreads.com/book/show/22...

#SPSFC #TeamSpaceGirls #Self-published #Sci-fi 🪐📚
#Booksky 💙📚 #pukapuka 📚🇳🇿

Happy to be a judge in the SPSFC again this year! Hope to meet all the participants after and wish them the very best!
@spsfc.bsky.social #spsfc

Andgate Based on the Award-Winning "Dark Science Fiction" Scree…

Read a percantage of this as a judge (team #SpaceGirls) for #SPSFC5. I will be giving this an N to moving forward. My initial thoughts can be found on Goodreads www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

#SPSFC #SPSFC #Self-published #sci-fi #dystopia #Booksky💙 #pukapuka📚🇳🇿

The 5th Self-Published Science Fiction Competition has kicked off. Of the titles admitted to the contest, these are the ones that sound the most interesting to me:

www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

www.goodreads.com/book/show/95...

#SPSFC

Image of the header for the blog post described in the text.

Here's an intro to our first five contestants for Team 1.21 Gigawatts in the 5th annual #SPSFC.

davedobsonbooks.com/team-1-21-gi...

All You Need To Know About the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) — Allison Alexander Key details about the contest for self-published sci-fi novels founded by Hugh Howey.

SPSFC 5 judge @aealexander.bsky.social has an informative post up about the contest that includes all of the past winners and finalists. #SPSFC

www.aealexander.com/blog/spsfc