Living Canon

Arthur C. Clarke Award 1987: Complete list of winners

The Arthur C. Clarke Award has long served as one of science fiction’s most prestigious honors, celebrating the year’s most imaginative and forward-thinking works. Named after the legendary science fiction author and futurist, the award has become a touchstone for identifying essential reading in the genre. When Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale claimed the 1987 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction, it marked a significant moment—not just for the award itself, but for how the literary world perceived the boundaries of speculative fiction. Atwood’s dystopian masterpiece had already captivated readers and critics since its 1985 publication, and this recognition from the Clarke Award solidified its place as a landmark work that would influence generations of writers exploring the intersection of politics, gender, and power through a speculative lens.

What made Atwood’s win particularly noteworthy was how it demonstrated the award’s commitment to recognizing literary excellence within speculative storytelling. The Handmaid’s Tale offered something more than ingenious world-building; it presented a chillingly plausible near-future that forced readers to confront uncomfortable truths about society, freedom, and resistance. The novel’s achievement in garnering the 1987 Arthur C. Clarke Award reflected a growing recognition that science fiction need not choose between intellectual rigor and emotional depth—it could, and should, be both.

Below you’ll find the complete list of the 1987 winners and finalists:

Science Fiction