Current Bimonthly Writing Prompt

Hard Science Writing Prompt

May – June 2026

Word Count: 750–2500 words

Submission Deadline: 15 June 2026

Magazine Publication: 30 June 2026

Our May–June 2026 theme is Hard Science.

A Hard Science story is grounded in scientific theory. Events in the story should have technical plausibility and respect the known laws of the universe. Our prompt challenges writers to imagine what could exist and not what simply sounds exciting. In a Hard Science story, the worlds, the technologies, and the events feel real and consistent. They are explainable with actual science, often focusing on physics, astronomy, biology, engineering, or other disciplines, using them as the foundation for narrative rather than as decoration.

This prompt can explore anything: the challenges of long-distance space travel, the realities of living on another planet, the limits of human biology, the consequences of new technologies, or the problem-solving mindset of scientists. You might examine how a system works, how it fails, or how people adapt to its constraints. Hard science thrives on detail, logic, and cause-and-effect. Even so, these are still human stories with dramatic and engaging characters.

Good hard science fiction has shaped how we think about the future and our place in the universe. Some influential works include The Martian by Andy Weir, Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, and Tau Zero by Poul Anderson. Read them and be inspired.

PUBLICATION

Nebula Magazine seeks original, unpublished stories for inclusion. One story per writer. Submit final, fully-edited, ready to publish manuscripts, no drafts. Please stay within the word count and follow our Submission Guidelines.

If accepted, your submission will be published online as part of Nebula Magazine’s Hard Science writing prompt. By submitting your work, you grant Nebula Magazine the non-exclusive right to publish your story on our website and associated digital and print platforms.

You retain full copyright and all other rights to your work, and you are free to publish or license it elsewhere at any time.

Anton Kukal

Submissions Editor

Writer Prompts

Review our Submission Guidelines here:

https://nebulascifymagazine.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html