Autumn House Press Fiction Prize

Michael X. Wang's award-winning debut collection of short stories interrogates personal and political events set against the backdrop of China that are both real and perceived, imagined, and speculative. Wang plunges us into the fictional Chinese village of Xinchun and beyond to explore themes of tradition, family, modernity, and immigration in a country grappling with its modern identity. Steeped in a long history of violence and suffering, Further News of Defeat is rich with characters who have known struggle and defeat and who find themselves locked in pivotal moments of Chinese history-such as World War II and the Tiananmen Square massacre-as they face losses of the highest order and still find cause for revival.

Winner of the Autumn House Press Fiction Prize, Hadley Moore's debut Not Dead Yet studies the uncertainties of loss, turning a gaze toward the often-silenced voices of the infirm, elderly, and adolescent. Rich in humor and honesty, Hadley Moore's debut collection of short stories presents a contemporary set of narratives from a lush cast of characters. We find the protagonists of her stories tenderly revealing their pain after the loss of loved ones and coping with the voids left by the passing of youth, happiness, and fulfillment.

Molly by Kevin Honold was selected by Dan Chaon as the winner of the 2020 Autumn House Fiction Prize and is a compelling story of enduring hardships in rural New Mexico. This debut novel tells the story of nine-year-old Raymond, nicknamed "Ray Moon" by Molly, his adoptive caretaker, a waitress, and the former partner of his recently deceased uncle. These two outcasts rely on one another for survival, and their bond forms the heart of this book. Living atop a mesa in the high desert of New Mexico in 1968, Raymond ages quickly amid hostile circumstances. With the help of a keen imagination that Molly inspires, he navigates various forms of loss and exploitation amid enduring hardship. Kevin Honold's deft and trance-like prose is interspersed with sharp insights and brings attention to the hardships of capitalism, the ills of misogyny, and the raw hurt of living a displaced or marginalized life. This is a story of endurance, memory, and unceasing change.

Entry Level, the debut short story collection of Wendy Wimmer, selected by Deesha Philyaw as the winner of the 2021 Autumn House Fiction Prize, focuses on an eclectic cast of characters trying to find, assert, or salvage their identities. These fifteen stories center around the experience of being underemployed-whether by circumstance, class, gender, race, or other prevailing factors-and the toll this takes on an individual. Wimmer pushes the boundaries of reality, creating stories that are funny, fantastic, and at times terrifying. Her characters undergo feats of endurance, heartbreak, and loneliness, all while trying to succeed in a world that so often undervalues them. From a young marine biologist suffering from imposter syndrome and a haunting to a bingo caller facing another brutal snowstorm and a creature that may or not be an angel, Wimmer's characters are all confronting an oppressive universe that seemingly operates against them or is, at best, indifferent to them. These stories reflect on the difficulties of modern-day survival and remind us that piecing together a life demands both hope and resilience.

Winner of the 2015 Autumn House Fiction Prize, this debut collection of short stories by Kathy Anderson is darkly funny and surprisingly tender. These thirteen stories explore gender, sexuality, love, and family dynamics while always maintaining a sense of humor.

Winner of the 2016 Autumn House Fiction Prize, Andrew Bourelle's debut novel, Heavy Metal, gives us a glimpse into the life of Danny, a teenager who seeks peace and stability after the death of his mother. Set in 1980s Ohio, Danny is a sensitive teen struggling to find his place in the world. Guided by his older brother, Craig, Danny finds solace in heavy metal music and begins to make connections with a new group of friends and repair his relationship with his father. This sense of stability is disrupted when Craig makes an impulsive decision that changes everything for Danny's family and friends. A coming-of-age story for those looking The Outsiders set to the soundtrack of Metallica.