Recent book by Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne named as finalist for prestigious award in science fiction

Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne, Assistant Professor of History at Purdue University, is author of the science fiction book, Triangulum (Rosarium Publishing, 2024), which was named as a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Philip K. Dick Award in a January 10 announcement.

The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States during the previous calendar year.

First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 18.

Eligible books are submitted by the publishers for award committee consideration. “Some awards rely on fan nominations,” explains Wijeyeratne (right), “however, the Philip K. Dick Award primarily considers publisher-submitted work,” A panel of five judges selected by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society (PSFS) reviews the submissions, with judges rotating annually to maintain diversity in selection.

“Unlike other awards which consider hardcovers, trade editions, and other formats, the Philip K. Dick Award only spotlights paper pack originals,” continues Wijeyeratne, who says that these formats are a historically important but frequently overlooked segment of the market. The award often recognizes speculative and socially relevant science fiction, aligning with Dick’s legacy of exploring themes like reality, identity, consciousness, and authoritarianism.

For Wijeyeratne, the balance between academic writing and fiction works is a delicate one. “It’s a struggle, particularly between works. But my rule of thumb is to do at least 30 minutes of fiction writing per day – it’s a little figure I can squeeze in whenever I have a bit of free time!”

Wijeyeratne’s next novel, A Beast Called Man, is currently under consideration, and he has begun on a third, The Crimson Banner of Dawn. He says the three titles will form a sort of unofficial trilogy.

See the full Philip K. Dick Award press release at this link: https://www.philipkdickaward.org/