Angela Liu

Speculative poetry is having a great moment, and 2026 will be the first year that there will be a Nebula Award for Poetry. Also, through the tireless effort of spec poetry advocates and their supporters, 2026 will also be the second year there will be a Hugo Award for Poetry (they will also vote on whether or not to make the category permanent). It’s a wonderful time to start reading (and writing!) more spec poetry.

I had five poems published in 2025. Check ’em out below!

Full List of Nebula/Rhysling/Hugo Award Eligible Poems

LONG POEM

1. “The Church At The Edge of Time” (Strange Horizons)
   – my take on an end-of-the-world poem

SHORT POEM

1. “The Mourning Robot” (Uncanny Magazine)
   – a companion to my flash story “How To Set Up Your Mourning Robot” and a follow-up to my 2022 poem, “The Machine Family”
2. “Toba Catastrophe Theory” (The Cosmic Background)
   – toxic relationships and disaster theories
3. “The Language of Fireflies” (The Deadlands)
   – inspired by my son’s question, “why are there never fireflies in the winter?”
4. “High School Graduation, June 2099” (Worlds of Possibility)
   – my sci-fi take on a graduation poem