Carl Brandon Society
The Carl Brandon Society is a speculative-fiction organization that promotes racial and ethnic diversity among the field's creators, audiences, and communities.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Carl Brandon Society is an organization rooted in the science-fiction and speculative-fiction community. Its central purpose is to expand racial and ethnic diversity in both the production of speculative fiction and the audiences that read, discuss, publish, and celebrate it. The Society's work connects literary recognition, community-building, historical memory, and practical support for writers of color. The organization was formed in 1997 after discussions held at WisCon 23, a feminist science-fiction convention in Madison, Wisconsin. Its name refers to Carl Brandon, a fictional Black fan writer created in the mid-1950s by science-fiction figures Terry Carr and Pete Graham. The choice of a fictional namesake reflects the Society's connection to science-fiction fandom and also echoes the use of a fictional identity in the naming of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. The Society's most visible programs have included the Carl Brandon Parallax Award and the Carl Brandon Kindred Award. Both were inaugurated in 2005 and are juried recognitions for speculative works. The Parallax Award recognizes a work created by a self-identified person of color. The Kindred Award is concerned with speculative fiction addressing race or ethnicity, and its nominees may come from any racial or ethnic background. These distinctions allow the organization to recognize both the lived experience of creators of color and the broader importance of stories that confront racial and ethnic questions. The first Parallax Award went to Walter Mosley's young-adult novel 47, while the first Kindred Award went to Susan Vaught's Stormwitch. The awards developed through shortlists, honor lists, and public ceremonies associated with conventions including WisCon and Arisia. Award activity paused from 2012 through 2018 and resumed with the 2019 awards cycle. Beyond awards, the Society maintains annual lists of fantastical works published by writers of color. It has also supported emerging writers through the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship, established in 2006 in memory of Octavia E. Butler. The scholarship helps writers of color attend a Clarion writing workshop, where Butler herself developed as a writer; the first scholarship was awarded in 2007. The Society's work therefore operates across several parts of the speculative-fiction ecosystem: identifying and publicizing relevant literature, honoring authors and works, encouraging participation in genre communities, and helping writers gain access to intensive educational opportunities. In 2023, it received a Special Locus Award for developing diversity in genre communities, recognizing its longer-term contribution to the culture and institutions of speculative fiction. The organization remains an active nonprofit-style community institution rather than a commercial consumer brand, with its identity centered on advocacy, literary awards, scholarships, and inclusion.
History
The Carl Brandon Society emerged from discussions held during WisCon 23 in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1997. WisCon's feminist and politically engaged science-fiction setting provided an environment for discussing how race and ethnicity shaped participation in speculative-fiction communities, publishing, fandom, and readership. The Society was created to address those concerns through an organization dedicated to increasing diversity in both the making of speculative fiction and the communities that receive it. The name Carl Brandon comes from a fictional Black fan writer invented in the mid-1950s by Terry Carr and Pete Graham. Using that name connected the new organization to the history and imaginative culture of science-fiction fandom. It also created a thematic parallel with the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, whose name was based on a fictional male persona used by the writer Alice Sheldon. A major early institutional development was the creation of two juried literary awards in 2005. The Carl Brandon Parallax Award was designed for speculative fiction created by a self-identified person of color. The Carl Brandon Kindred Award addressed works dealing with race and ethnicity, regardless of the racial or ethnic identity of the creator. The first Parallax Award recognized Walter Mosley's young-adult novel 47, and the first Kindred Award recognized Susan Vaught's Stormwitch. Subsequent shortlists and honor lists included novels, short fiction, poetry, and other speculative works by writers such as Octavia E. Butler, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Vandana Singh, Tenea D. Johnson, Zen Cho, and others. The awards were presented in convention-linked settings. The 2006 awards were presented during WisCon 30, while the 2011 awards were presented at Arisia in Boston. The award program then entered a hiatus lasting from 2012 through 2018. It resumed with the 2019 award cycle, which again included Parallax, Kindred, and honor-list recognition. The Society has also maintained annual lists of fantastical works published by writers of color. These lists serve as a discovery and visibility tool, drawing attention to authors and works that may be underrepresented in mainstream genre conversations. Rather than treating diversity as a single annual prize, this activity creates a continuing record of relevant speculative fiction and helps connect readers, writers, publishers, and critics. In 2006, the Society established the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship. The program honors Butler and supports writers of color seeking to attend Clarion writing workshops, an important part of Butler's own development. The first scholarship was awarded in 2007, extending the Society's work from recognition into direct access to professional and educational opportunities. The Society's influence was formally acknowledged in 2023, when it received a Special Locus Award for developing diversity in genre communities. Across its history, its activities have combined awards, recommendations, scholarships, and community advocacy. It is best understood as a cultural and literary institution within speculative fiction rather than as a commercial brand: its principal value lies in widening participation, making diverse work more visible, and helping genre communities imagine more inclusive futures.
- 2023
Receives Special Locus Award
[1]The Society received a Special Locus Award for developing diversity in genre communities.
- 2019
Awards resume
[1]The Society resumed its award activity with the 2019 Parallax and Kindred cycles and related honor shortlists.
- 2012
Award ceremonies enter a hiatus
[1]The Carl Brandon awards were not presented during the period from 2012 through 2018.
- 2007
First Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship awarded
[1]The scholarship program began awarding support for participation in Clarion workshops.
- 2006
Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship established
[1]The Society created a scholarship in Butler's memory to support writers of color attending Clarion writing workshops.
- 2005
Parallax and Kindred awards inaugurated
[1]The Society launched two juried awards addressing creator diversity and speculative fiction concerned with race and ethnicity.
- 1997
Society founded after discussions at WisCon 23
[1]The Carl Brandon Society was established following discussions at the feminist science-fiction convention WisCon 23 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Products and positioning
A community-led speculative-fiction organization focused on racial and ethnic diversity, literary recognition, access to writing education, and inclusion in genre communities.
Literary award · 2005
Carl Brandon Parallax Award
A juried award for a speculative-fiction work created by a self-identified person of color. Introduced in 2005, it has recognized works across age categories and speculative-fiction forms. Walter Mosley's young-adult novel 47 received the inaugural award.
Literary award · 2005
Carl Brandon Kindred Award
A juried award for speculative fiction that engages with issues of race and ethnicity. Unlike the Parallax Award, eligibility is based on the subject matter of the work rather than requiring the creator to identify as a person of color. Susan Vaught's Stormwitch received the inaugural award.
Writing scholarship · 2006
Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship
A scholarship established in memory of Octavia E. Butler to help writers of color attend Clarion writing workshops. The program connects financial access to an intensive educational setting associated with Butler's own development as a writer.
Literary recommendation and visibility program
Annual lists of speculative works by writers of color
Recurring lists highlighting fantastical works published by writers of color. The lists support discovery and visibility by directing readers and genre communities toward fiction that might otherwise receive less attention.
Brand decisions
2019
Resume the Carl Brandon award cycleOtherBackground
The Parallax and Kindred award ceremonies had been on hiatus from 2012 through 2018.
Action taken
The Society resumed awards and related shortlist or honor-list recognition with the 2019 cycle.
Aftermath
Award activity returned after the seven-year gap, restoring a recurring public platform for the Society's diversity-focused literary mission.
2006
Establish the Octavia E. Butler Memorial ScholarshipStrategyBackground
The Society expanded its diversity mission beyond literary recognition and sought to improve access to writing education for writers of color.
Action taken
It created a scholarship in Butler's memory to support attendance at Clarion writing workshops.
Aftermath
The first scholarship was awarded in 2007, adding direct professional-development support to the Society's awards and visibility work.
2005
Create two complementary literary awardsOtherBackground
The Society sought mechanisms for recognizing both creators of color and speculative works that address race and ethnicity.
Action taken
It inaugurated the Parallax Award for works by self-identified people of color and the Kindred Award for works engaging with racial or ethnic issues.
Aftermath
The awards became the Society's principal recurring literary-recognition programs and generated shortlists, honor lists, and convention-linked ceremonies.
Recent events
- 2023
Carl Brandon Society receives a Special Locus Award for developing diversity in genre communities[1]
Other
The Society was recognized with a Special Locus Award for its contribution to diversity and inclusion within speculative-fiction genre communities.
- 2019
Carl Brandon awards resume after an extended hiatus[1]
Other
After award ceremonies were not held from 2012 through 2018, the Society resumed the Parallax and Kindred award cycle with 2019 recognitions and shortlists.
- 2007
Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship begins supporting Clarion attendance[1]
Other
The first scholarship established in Octavia E. Butler's memory was awarded to help a writer of color attend a Clarion writing workshop.
Sources2 sources
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