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Thank you so much for participating in the awards. The entries all had something truly unique or special about them. However, there can only be one winner and just like a good steak, our judges must trim the fat.
Below, are the second round results for Sci-Fi.
Good luck to those continuing and thank you for your efforts to those who didn't make it through.
General judging comment: This round was so hard to judge! I thoroughly enjoyed reading every one of these unique entries, and in the end, the margin was tiny, but I had to narrow them down somehow.
ENTRIES NOT GOING THROUGH:
THE RIGHT TO DIE by avadel Character/s Introduction: 9/10 Genre Fit: 9/10 Grammar/Mechanics: 8.5/10 Details: 7.5/10 TOTAL: 34/40 Notes: I love the suggestions of class struggle and how it shaped M'yu's character, but I still felt distant from any other named characters by Chapter 4. The writing was clean overall, but there were some awkward word choices or places where it felt like words were missing (Chapters 2-3), and the action sequences were a tad bit choppy (the fight with Alley-Cap). Finally, the setting is still slightly vague, with Chapter 4 just starting to give a good feel of the space and environment apart from the class struggle at the heart of it all. However, I was truly enjoying the story and plan to continue reading so I can find out what happens to M'yu!
WITHDRAWN FROM COMPETITION BY AUTHOR: KING EDEN by RowanCarver Notes:Withdrawn from the competition and taken off of Wattpad before the judging was complete.
GOLDILOCKS FOREVER by ellewritestuff Character/s Introduction: 8/10 Genre Fit: 7/10 Grammar/Mechanics: 8/10 Details: 8/10 TOTAL: 31/40 Notes: In general, while I enjoyed the character development and gradual unfolding of the plot, I felt that the story read more like a thriller or a mystery than science fiction, at least in the first four chapters, which did influence the ultimate score.The grammar is solid, but the uneven pacing and some confusing word and/or phrase choices tripped me up a bit. Sometimes I wasn't quite clear on which character was being talked about due to the use of pronouns instead of character names. I know you're probably trying to avoid using the characters' names too much, but when several characters of the same gender are discussed, using "he" or "she" instead of their name can get confusing. However, the banter in Chapter 4 was good, and I felt like it told us much more about Beau's personality.
AMANITA: POISON SHOT by marsaumell Character/s Introduction: 8/10 Genre Fit: 10/10 Grammar/Mechanics: 7.5/10 Details: 8/10 TOTAL: 33.5/40 Notes: Daphne's voice seemed distant until she started thinking about marriage. I also felt that a lot of the information/background of the setting relied on long passages that tended toward info-dumping (i.e., the radio journalist in Chapter 3). I think that slowly weaving these concepts and elements into the narrative, whether through dialogue or Daphne's thoughts could improve the flow. I also think that Uriel's dialogue came across as a little over the top and artificial for a teenage boy-- even a gross one (Chapter 3)-- and I was surprised that none of the other kids or her "friends'' just observed without even reacting. Finally, the short paragraph about Siegfried at the end removes some mystery by telling us what will happen. However, I was thoroughly invested in Daphne's plight - I think her fate (as projected at the moment) sounds absolutely horrible, and I am rooting for her to break the chains that bind her.
