A scorched-Earth post-apocalyptic SF set centuries after severe global warming has nearly wiped out humanity. The story follows Elly, a technician surviving in sealed domes called Cocoons installed by alien saviors; Asahi, daughter of the Crystal People, a matriarchal clan that evolved to thrive in the extreme heat; and Yuzuri, who lost her family and vows to exterminate the remaining humans. A tale of sin and vengeance among those who endure in a ruthless world.

A post-apocalyptic SF set on a scorched Earth

In a future ravaged by climate change and war, the wealthy have uploaded their minds to virtual spaces to live forever, while others choose to donate all their assets to future generations and accept death. At the paradise facility "Heavens Garden," where the desired endings of its guests are arranged, Elm, a former refugee working as a coordinator, confronts people with differing views on life and death, and continues to question the mistakes of humanity and the meaning of living. Winner of the 13th Hayakawa SF Contest Special Award.

A quiet SF tale depicting people struggling to face the wounds left by humanity on an Earth irreparably damaged by global warming and war.

Civilization collapsed in the mid-21st century. The few survivors of the remote mountain village of Iris-zawa cling to life under primitive agriculture and a harsh feudal system. Even in such an era, a group of girls gather in a converted abandoned building called the "club room," elegantly enjoying dandelion "tea" while embracing friendship, club activities, and manga. Their next goal is "Comiket," a legendary manga paradise that once existed by the seaside of old Tokyo. A post-apocalyptic school-club SF depicting the twilight of civilization.

A post-apocalyptic school-club SF depicting the twilight of civilization.

An android named "I" (watakushi) serves a clan in which only males transform into "御羊" (holy sheep) at the moment of death, and whose duty is to butcher the flesh and feed it to the blood relatives. One morning, upon discovering that the current master has become a holy sheep, the android calmly prepares for the ritual — but the clan members each harbor complicated feelings about the transformation. An unconventional fantasy SF novel that questions life and death, submission and rebellion, and the nature of love.

This morning — yes, this very morning — the master has become a holy sheep.

Saeko, a struggling actress, is hired as a documentary reporter to investigate a string of bizarre phenomena plaguing a housing complex in Tokyo, thanks to a connection with a horror film screenwriter. Inside the complex, residents behave strangely, people go missing, and in a room rumored to be cursed since an old woman was killed there ten years ago, she discovers cryptic messages and black scales. As her investigation deepens, the plot draws in Greek mythological grudges, prewar military schemes, and the machinations of a secret society — ultimately expanding into a tale of transphenomal cosmology. This is the Excellence Award–winning work from the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest.

Housing complex horror meets Greek mythology in this ambitious SF epic where mythic forces invade contemporary reality.

A finalist for the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest. An SF work centering on the theme of music, submitted by Fujita Shohei, who had previously published a single-volume book with Hayakawa Shobo in 2018. Due to concerns about fairness in the judging process, the work was ultimately excluded from receiving an award. Detailed plot information has not been made public.

A finalist for the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest.

A finalist work for the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest. An SF novel by Yamada Noboru. Detailed synopsis is not publicly available as the work has not been published.

A finalist for the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest. A battle SF novel in three parts: Collapse Arc, Dawn Arc, and Flight Arc. The author Mizumachi So is known as an SF writer with expertise in action and battle sequences, with a punk sensibility. Detailed plot information has not been made public.

A finalist for the 12th Hayakawa SF Contest, structured in three arcs: Collapse, Dawn, and Flight.