Shortlist
- “An Appeal to Adolf”, Ian Watson (Conqueror Fantastic)
- “Arabian Wine”, Gregory Feeley (Asimov's Apr/May 2004)
- “The Baum Plan for Financial Independence”, John Kessel (Sci Fiction 24 Mar 2004)
- “Dancer in the Dark”, David Gerrold (F&SF Apr 2004)
- “The Fear Gun”, Judith Berman (Asimov's Jul 2004)
- “The Gladiator's War: A Dialog”, Lois Tilton (Asimov's Jun 2004)
- “Invisible Kingdoms”, Steven Utley (F&SF Feb 2004)
- “The Lost Pilgrim”, Gene Wolfe (The First Heroes: New Tales of the Bronze Age)
- “The Magical Negro”, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (Dark Matter: Reading the Bones)
- “The Risk-Taking Gene as Expressed by Some Asian Subjects”, Steve Tomasula (Denver Quarterly Fall 2004)
- “Savant Songs”, Brenda Cooper (Analog Dec 2004)
- “Scout's Honor”, Terry Bisson (Sci Fiction 28 Jan 2004)
- “Singing My Sister Down”, Margo Lanagan (Black Juice)
- “Start the Clock”, Benjamin Rosenbaum (F&SF Aug 2004)
- “Stone Animals”, Kelly Link (Conjunctions 43: Beyond Arcadia)
- “The Strange Redemption of Sister Mary Ann”, Mike Moscoe (Analog Nov 2004)
- “Venus Flowers at Night”, Pamela Sargent (Microcosms)