Dave Freer’s Storm-Dragon wins first Prometheus Special Award for YA fiction

Raconteur Press says Dave Freer’s Storm-Dragon has won the first-ever Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction from the Libertarian Futurist Society. The rare honor gives Raconteur Press two Prometheus wins in the same cycle and spotlights a push to publish adventure fiction for boys and young readers.

Why it matters: - The Libertarian Futurist Society has never before given the Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction. - The win gives Raconteur Press two Prometheus honors in the same award cycle. - The award adds visibility to adventure fiction aimed at boys and young readers.

What happened: - Dave Freer’s debut Boys' Adventure novel, Storm-Dragon, won the 2026 Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction. - The Libertarian Futurist Society board created the Young Adult Fiction Special Award category several years ago and had not previously used it. - Raconteur Press announced the win from Iowa Park, Texas, on July 14, 2026. - J. Kenton Pierce’s A Kiss for Damocles won Best Novel last week, giving Raconteur Press its first Prometheus Award before Storm-Dragon’s win.

The details: - Special Prometheus Awards are occasional awards, not annual ones. - The category is reserved for work outside the Society’s annual Best Novel and Prometheus Hall of Fame categories. - Only ten Special Awards have been given since the category was established in 1998. - The Libertarian Futurist Society had not presented a Special Award since 2017 before this year. - Storm-Dragon follows Skut, a refugee on a rough ocean colony world, who rescues an alien creature described as an electrosensitive, six-limbed dragon. - Skut’s friend Podge gets pulled into a conflict as the settlement faces an unexplained threat. - The story includes bullies, bad teachers, a town government that pushes people around, and a raid that forces the colony to confront what it stands for. - Freer’s novel is positioned in the tradition of Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton, with adventure and self-reliance presented through story rather than argument. - Ian McMurtrie said the dual award wins show that entertaining stories about freedom, self-reliance and adventure still have an audience. - Freer previously won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel in 2023 for Cloud-Castles. - Freer is based in Tasmania, Australia, and has worked as a marine biologist, commercial shark fishery scientist, salvage diver and steeplejack. - Freer has written or co-written more than twenty novels.

Between the lines: - The award signals that the Libertarian Futurist Society sees Storm-Dragon as fitting its idea of young readers’ adventure fiction. - Freer said the book was written to get boys reading for pleasure, not specifically to win an award. - Raconteur Press launched its Boys' Adventure line to address what the press calls a reading crisis among boys. - The press says that line is meant to offer adventure fiction that entertains young male readers rather than instructing them. - The recognition also fits Raconteur Press’s broader pitch as a publisher of unapologetically entertainment-first genre fiction.

What’s next: - The Libertarian Futurist Society will present this year’s awards at its 46th annual online ceremony on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 16, 2026. - Freer will accept remotely from Tasmania because of the 14-hour time difference. - Storm-Dragon is available in paperback and ebook at Amazon and in paperback at IngramSpark. - Parents, educators and librarians can request a review copy by emailing pr@raconteurpress.com. - Raconteur Press says Freer is available for interviews by email or video, with scheduling adjusted for Tasmania.