Locus Awards 1977: Complete list of winners

The 1977 Locus Awards showcased something particularly special about that year in science fiction—a moment when the genre’s most dedicated readers were celebrating bold, unexpected voices. The Locus Awards, voted on by the science fiction and fantasy community itself rather than critics or industry gatekeepers, have always served as a genuine barometer of fan enthusiasm, and the selections that year reflected a field bubbling with creative energy. Michael Bishop’s “The Samurai and the Willows” took home the Best Novella award, a win that highlighted Bishop’s remarkable ability to blend philosophical depth with genre storytelling—a quality that would define much of his most acclaimed work throughout the late seventies and beyond.

The Locus Awards themselves had become increasingly influential by this point, having grown from a modest fan publication into a serious player in recognizing science fiction excellence. Unlike some of the more establishment-oriented awards, the Locus voters represented the broadest possible consensus among the people actually reading science fiction month after month, and their choices often presaged which works would endure in the genre’s collective memory. The 1977 ceremony captured a transitional moment in science fiction, as the genre was moving beyond the New Wave experiments of the sixties and early seventies toward something fresher and more expansive.

Below you’ll find a complete breakdown of the 1977 Locus Awards winners and nominees:

Best Novella

• The Samurai and the Willows by Michael Bishop