There are moments in the life of a genre when the air crackles, when the molecules of imagination rearrange themselves, when the future leans over your shoulder and whispers: pay attention.
The announcement of the 2026 Rosny Aîné Awards finalists is one of those moments.
The list has dropped—sharp as a blade, bright as a supernova—and the French‑language SF community is already vibrating like a reactor core on the edge of overload.
The second round will be decided by the brave souls attending the 53rd French National Science Fiction Convention, a four‑day pilgrimage of fandom and fever dreams, unfolding from July 9 to 12, 2026, in Esneux, Belgium—a town that will soon glow with the collective radiation of hundreds of imaginations running at full burn.
But before the voting booths open and the speculative dust settles, behold the combatants stepping into the arena.
In the novel category, Philippe Battaglia storms in with “La Dernière Tentation de Judas” (The Last Temptation of Judas), a theological grenade lobbed straight into the cosmic void.
David Bry follows with “Échos stellaires” (Stellar Echoes), a title that already hums like a transmission from a dying star.
Anouck Faure’s “Aatea” arrives as a mythic creature, half‑dream, half‑weapon.
Audrey Pleynet’s “Sintonia” pulses with the precision of a quantum heartbeat.
And Floriane Soulas unleashes “Soma”, a book that feels like it was distilled from the fevered bloodstream of the future itself.
The short story category is no less explosive.
Chloé Chevalier ties reality into impossible knots with “Les Noueurs” (The Knot‑Makers).
Mina Jacobson’s “Résonance” vibrates at a frequency that could crack the hull of a starship.
Katia Lanero Zamora rewrites the rules of rebirth in “Re:Start”.
Julia Richard’s “(Dés)incarnations” slips between bodies and metaphysics like a ghost with an agenda.
And Nicolas de Torsiac detonates fairy‑tale architecture in “Maléficity – Histoire d’un conte défait” (Maleficity – Story of an Undone Tale), leaving only glittering ruins behind.
But what exactly is this Rosny Aîné prize that sends writers and readers into such a frenzy every year?
Since 1980, it has stood as one of the great democratic rituals of French‑language science fiction—a prize of the people, by the people, for the people who dream beyond the horizon.
It crowns the novels and short stories published in French during the previous year, and it does so through a two‑round voting system that feels almost mythic in its simplicity.
First, an open vote—anyone can join the fray, casting their ballots for up to five novels and five short stories, whether listed or not.
This is the great sifting, the collective hallucination of a community deciding what deserves to rise.
Then comes the second round, reserved for the registered participants of the national convention, who choose the ultimate winners in a final act of literary divination.
The prize for best short story, awarded annually since 1980, has become a kind of oracle: a way of reading the pulse of francophone speculative fiction, of sensing where the genre is mutating, expanding, shedding its skin.
And now, in 2026, the stage is set again. The names are out. The engines are warming. The future is sharpening its teeth.
Somewhere in Esneux, the Meuse River is already rehearsing the sound it will make when the winners are announced—a low, metallic hum, like a spaceship preparing for atmospheric entry.
The countdown has begun.
THE 2026 ROSNY AÎNÉ AWARDS NOMINEES
Novel category / Catégorie romans
Philippe Battaglia, La Dernière Tentation de Judas (The Last Temptation of Judas)
David Bry, Échos stellaires (Stellar Echoes)
Anouck Faure, Aatea
Audrey Pleynet, Sintonia
Floriane Soulas, Soma
Short story category / Catégorie nouvelles
Chloé Chevalier, Les Noueurs (The Knot‑Makers)
Mina Jacobson, Résonance
Katia Lanero Zamora, Re:Start
Julia Richard, (Dés)incarnations
Nicolas de Torsiac, Maléficity – Histoire d’un conte défait (Maleficity – Story of an Undone Tale)
The participants of the 53rd French National Science Fiction Convention (XuCon 4.0), held at the Domaine Brunsode in Esneux (Belgium) from July 9 to 12, 2026, are responsible for selecting the winners of the Rosny Aîné Awards.
The final vote is open to those present on site, who will determine the winning novels and short stories.
In addition to the Rosny Aîné Awards, the 53rd French National Science Fiction Convention (XuCon 4.0), will also host the awarding of several other major distinctions in the field, including the Alain le Bussy Prize, the Pépin Prize, the Aristophanes Prize, and the Versins Prize.
Banner based on Julie Larrans’ XuCon’s poster.
