World Fantasy Awards 1977: Complete list of winners

The World Fantasy Awards have long served as the field’s most prestigious honor for speculative fiction that embraces the uncanny and the imaginative, and the 1977 World Fantasy Awards proved no exception. That year, the judging panel recognized William Kotzwinkle’s Doctor Rat for Best Novel, a darkly inventive work that pushed the boundaries of what fantasy and fabulist literature could explore. Meanwhile, Russell Kirk claimed the Best Short Fiction award for “There’s a Long, Long Trail A-Winding,” cementing his reputation as a master of the form during a particularly fertile period for weird fiction.

The late 1970s represented a fascinating moment for the World Fantasy Awards—still relatively young as a major literary award, having been established in 1975—yet already establishing itself as the go-to recognition for authors who worked in the shadows of genre. The selections that year reflected the award’s commitment to honoring work that transcended simple categorization, celebrating authors who understood that true fantasy could operate as social commentary, psychological exploration, and sheer imaginative audacity all at once.

Below, you’ll find the complete list of 1977 World Fantasy Awards winners and finalists across all categories:

Best Novel

• Doctor Rat by William Kotzwinkle

Best Short Fiction

• “There’s a Long, Long Trail A-Winding” by Russell Kirk