Silver Falchion Award

Action adventure is a thriller, mystery, and suspense genre wherein fast-paced action is the primary component, outshining even characters and setting. This genre also usually includes a secondary element such as a murder investigation or a quest, but the main focus is always on fast-forward action. Subgenres of action adventure include crime action & adventure, fantasy, men’s adventure, mystery, organized crime thrillers, romantic suspense, science fiction, sea adventures, suspense, terrorism, thriller, war & military, and women’s adventures.

Best Children’s Book, for those younger than Juvenile / Young Adult age range.

This category requires little explanation (like any good joke). Comedies are designed to make your audience laugh and evoke feelings of merriment.

The cozy mystery genre is a suspense story in which a protagonist solves a crime or puzzle, though very little graphic or gory detail of the crime is included. Subgenres of the cozy mystery include amateur sleuths, standard British detectives, and women sleuths in a cozy non-professional context.

A debut novel is the first published novel by an author, representing their introduction to the literary world as a novelist. Works from all fiction genres are welcome, provided the submitted book is the author's first published novel. Authors who have previously published short stories, essays, poetry, or other non-novel works are also eligible.

Fantasy explores fictional worlds and extraordinary events shaped by magic, mythology, and the supernatural. Stories may feature mystical creatures, enchanted objects, legendary beings, magical powers, or entirely imagined realms governed by their own rules.

A historical novel is one that has as its setting a period of history and that attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and historical fact. Historical revisionist works are also welcome.

A horror novel is one that seeks to evoke fear, dread, suspense, or unease through its characters, setting, and events. Works may explore supernatural forces, psychological terror, disturbing circumstances, or the darker aspects of human nature. Both supernatural and realistic horror are welcome.

The procedural mystery genre is a thriller and suspense story in which a professional protagonist (detective, journalist, attorney, physician) solves a crime, usually gruesome and with graphic detail. Subgenres of the procedural mystery include hard-boiled, historical, international, police procedural, private investigator.

The young adult genre we are interested in involves mystery, thriller and suspense elements. The target for this award is a young adult; however, if you have an entry that would appeal to adults, as well (the Harry Potter franchise, for example), you can also choose to enter it in that genre category rather than generically here.

The mystery genre can be broken down into a seemingly endless list of subgenres. In general, a mystery is any novel in which a protagonist is trying to unravel unexplained or unexplainable events and get to the truth.

Includes forensics, law enforcement, biography, publicity/marketing, academic, reference, and criticism

A romance novel is one that focuses primarily on the development of a romantic relationship between two or more characters, exploring themes of love, attraction, emotional connection, and personal growth. Works may incorporate elements of suspense, mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, or other genres, but must feature a central love story and an emotionally satisfying, optimistic ending.

Science fiction explores imagined worlds, futuristic settings, and speculative technologies or scientific advancements. Stories may feature space exploration, extraterrestrial life, alternate realities, advanced technology, or the consequences of scientific discovery.

Includes any collection of short stories by one author or several in the categories of Action Adventure, Comedy, Cozy, Historical, Investigator, Juvenile/YA, Literary, Mainstream/Commercial, Mystery, Nonfiction, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Short Story Collections, Southern Gothic, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, and Western. In the case of several authors, the honor and physical award will be given to the editor. Individual short stories are not eligible at this time.

Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic Literature that takes place in the American South. Southern Gothic novels tend to be a bit dark and feature grotesque characters, dark humor, isolation, violence, the supernatural, etc. Best Southern Gothic includes both historical and present day.

Supernatural works focus on, well, the supernatural. This can include ghosts, witchcraft, divine entities, werewolves, goblins, ghouls, monsters, etc.

Suspense is closely aligned to mystery and thriller but, in general, it should create a sense of anticipation in your reader. While the genre also contains many elements of mystery/thriller (conflict, red herrings, fast pacing, etc.) there is a sense of foreboding throughout. Often, the reader will be aware of things the protagonist is not aware of.

The thriller genre is a mystery or suspense category that covers a broad spectrum, probably overlapping numerous genres, but defined mainly by the moods it produces using techniques of anticipation and surprise. The thriller should keep the reader unbalanced in terms of what might happen next. Normally a thriller centers on the pursuit of (or prevention of) a single goal.

Best Western includes both historical and present day.