World Fantasy Awards 1985: Complete list of winners

The 1985 World Fantasy Awards proved to be a landmark year for the annual ceremony honoring the best in fantasy literature. Barry Hughart’s enchanting Bridge of Birds claimed the Best Novel prize, a richly imagined adventure set in a fantastical version of ancient China that captivated judges with its blend of humor, heart, and mythic storytelling. The award’s fiction categories showcased the genre’s remarkable diversity that year, drawing recognition to writers working across different scales and styles—from sprawling novels to tightly crafted short stories that demonstrated fantasy’s expanding reach beyond traditional sword-and-sorcery conventions.

Geoff Ryman’s novella “The Unconquered Country” represented the kind of literary ambition the World Fantasy Awards have long championed, pushing genre boundaries with its experimental approach to narrative. Meanwhile, the short fiction winners revealed voters’ appetite for varied voices and imaginative concepts, whether in the pages of Asimov’s Science Fiction or in standalone tales like Alan Ryan’s “The Bones Wizard.” These selections underscored what made the mid-1980s such a fertile period for fantasy—a moment when the genre was simultaneously honoring its classical traditions and embracing bold new directions.

Below, discover the complete list of 1985 World Fantasy Awards winners and finalists across all categories:

Best Novel

• Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
• Victor Gollancz by Mythago Wood

Best Novella

• “The Unconquered Country” by Geoff Ryman

Best Short Fiction

• “The Bones Wizard” by Alan Ryan
• Asimov’s Science Fiction by “Still Life with Scorpion”