Short Story Contest

Science fiction author, Vernor Vinge, has written about a distant future where software developers no longer exist, but are replaced by programmer archaeologists. The job requires a thorough knowledge of the software archives, which are used to create new applications by combining existing systems. Vinge's novels "Deepness in the Sky" and "Fire Upon the Deep" both provide glimpses into this style of programming. We will be holding a contest for short stories that are inspired by these ideas. The winning entry will be published as a chapter in an edited academic book.

Prize

The winning entry will be included as the final chapter of the book "Finding Source Code on the Web for Remix and Reuse" to be published by Springer Verlag in 2012. The author will receive one copy of the hardcover book. At this time, there is no cash prize, but we are looking for funding. The author will also have the opportunity to purchase hardcover and softcover copies of the book at a discount.

Submitting

All submissions are to be made through the EasyChair web site for this contest.

Note that this web app is normally used for academic conferences. Some fields on the forms might not make sense here, but fill out what you can.

Important Dates

Please register on the submission site by November 15, 2011.

The deadline for the contest is December 15, 2011 at 11:59pm Apia, Samoa Time.

Notifications will be sent out in late February, 2012.

Rules

The short story must be at least 1500 words long and at most 6000 words.

There is no entry fee.

Entries will be judged on extrapolation on code retrieval, creativity, originality, and artistic quality. All decisions by the judges are final.

The winner must assign publication rights to Springer Verlag in order for the story to be included in the web.

All royalties from the book will be donated to The Fistula Foundation and Sembrando (Sowing in Peru).

Eligibility

This contest is open to all.

There is no requirement for or prohibition on prior publication.

Judges

TBA