Nebula Awards 1968: Complete list of winners

The 1968 Nebula Awards ceremony marked a pivotal moment in science fiction, showcasing the genre’s expanding literary ambitions during a transformative era for speculative fiction. Voted on by the members of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the Nebula Awards had by this point established themselves as one of the most prestigious honors in the field—a counterweight to the popular Hugo Awards and a mark of peer recognition among working writers. That year’s winners revealed a fascinating mix: established voices and relative newcomers all contributing richly imaginative work that pushed against the boundaries of what science fiction could explore.

Alexei Panshin’s Rite of Passage took home the Best Novel award, a coming-of-age story that blended philosophical depth with intimate character study. Meanwhile, Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider claimed the Novella prize and would prove to be the genesis of one of science fiction’s most beloved and enduring franchises. Kate Wilhelm’s The Planners won for Best Short Story, while Richard Wilson’s Mother to the World earned recognition in the Novelette category. What united these winners was their willingness to center human emotion and consequence alongside their speculative premises—a quality that would come to define much of science fiction’s best work in the decades to follow.

Below, you’ll find the complete breakdown of all the 1968 Nebula Award winners and nominees across each category:

Best Novel

• Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

Best Novelette

• Mother to the World by Richard Wilson

Best Novella

• Dragonrider by Anne McCaffrey

Best Short Story

• The Planners by Kate Wilhelm