Imagine a world in the next century.

Humanity has overcome many of the problems of the 20th century. Hunger and poverty have disappeared. Advances in medicine and biotechnology have significantly extended life expectancy and slowed aging. Nuclear and thermonuclear reactors provide all the energy needed on Earth. Automation of production and the use of artificial intelligence in the economy have ensured the fulfillment of basic needs for the entire global population and a high standard of living for most people.

Communication networks span the entire surface of the planet, and everyone has access to educational programs, databases, and news channels. Most of humanity lives in cities managed by AI.

Nations and civilizations are experiencing a cultural Renaissance, and new technologies have given rise to new forms of art in which programs and algorithms often assist humans.
The ecological crisis is a thing of the past. New technologies ensure minimal harm to the planet’s biosphere. The populations of once-endangered animal and plant species have been restored. The areas covered by nature reserves and national parks have increased.
Human interests are no longer limited to Earth. Active exploration of space and other planets in the Solar System is underway. A lunar base inhabited and staffed by engineers and scientists is actively operating.

Humanity also has its footprints on the Red Planet, which saw numerous international expeditions of Earth dwellers. Several dozen people live on Mars permanently, and the population of the Martian colony is still to grow.
However, this world is not a utopia, and it is not perfect.

It has its own new problems and challenges.

The Contest accepts science fiction stories that have a tone of technological optimism and match the given theme and setting.

Stories submitted in the “Best Story for Children and Teenagers” category must not contain scenes of violence or explicit language.

The story length must be no less than 20,000 characters and no more than 80,000 characters including spaces (as per Word statistics).

Only one story per author will be accepted within each category (meaning each author may submit only one story per category).

Only previously unpublished stories are accepted, stories published on the Internet will also be excluded.

Stories submitted anonymously or without the author’s real name will not be accepted. If an author submits multiple stories under different pseudonyms, all their entries will be disqualified.

Authors must be 18 years or older to participate.

Submitted stories must meet the following requirements:

• Files must be in .doc or .docx format;
• The file name must include the author’s last name and the story title (e.g., Lastname_Best Story);
• The file must include the author’s full name, story title, and contact email address;
• Font: Times New Roman, size 14;
• Justified alignment.