Locus Awards 2003: Complete list of winners

The 2003 Locus Awards celebrated a particularly adventurous year in speculative fiction, with winners that pushed boundaries across fantasy, science fiction, and young adult literature. China Miéville’s The Scar claimed the Best Fantasy Novel prize, continuing the author’s reign as one of the field’s most imaginative voices with its sprawling, world-building ambitions. Meanwhile, Kim Stanley Robinson’s alternate history epic The Years of Rice and Salt dominated the science fiction category, offering readers a sweeping reimagining of history itself—a signature move for Robinson that resonated deeply with Locus voters who prize ambitious conceptual work.

What made this particular year’s Locus Awards especially interesting was the breakthrough recognition of debut talent alongside established names. Alexander C. Irvine’s A Scattering of Jades earned Best First Novel honors, signaling the Locus Awards’ continued role as a discovery mechanism for emerging writers in the genre. Perhaps most notably, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline won Best Young Adult Book, bringing a distinctly literary sensibility and gothic atmosphere to children’s fantasy—a signal that YA literature was evolving into richer, more complex territory.

The Locus Awards, which began in 1973 as a reader-voted honor celebrating the year’s best science fiction and fantasy works, had by 2003 become one of the field’s most prestigious recognitions. Below, you’ll find the complete list of 2003 Locus Awards winners and honorees across all categories.

Best Fantasy Novel

• The Scar by China Miéville

Best First Novel

• A Scattering of Jades by Alexander C. Irvine

Best Science Fiction Novel

• The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

Best Young Adult Book

• Coraline by Neil Gaiman