Already Here
Write about one technology, tool, or habit in your everyday life that already feels like science fiction, and what it’s quietly changing.
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $500
- 15 Runners-up:
- $25
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jul 22, 2026
Submissions closed
Sep 12, 2026 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Sep 23, 2026
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $500
- 15 Runners-up:
- $25
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jul 22, 2026
Submissions closed
Sep 12, 2026 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Sep 23, 2026
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write about one technology, tool, or habit in your everyday life that already feels like science fiction, and what it’s quietly changing.
Some of the things we use every day would have sounded like science fiction not that long ago. Now they're just part of everyday life.
Think about one technology, tool, or everyday habit that already feels like science fiction. It could be something you use every day or something you've only recently started to notice.
Explore how it's changing the way people live, work, create, communicate, or think. Whether your piece is personal, analytical, or reflective, stay grounded in the present and consider what these quiet changes might mean.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- Between 600 and 3,000 words.
- Submitted to the Futurism community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
- Submitted before September 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
- Your work must be original and unpublished.
The Prizes
- 5 Winners: $500 each
- 15 Runners-up: $25 each
- 10 Honorable Mentions: $5 each
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 3,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until September 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Already Here Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.
To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.
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Challenge resources
Already Here Challenge Winners
Useful tools can change your life before you think to question them. That’s really what made these Already Here entries interesting. Writers looked past the initial “how is this possible?” and paid attention to how quickly something remarkable becomes part of the routine. The strongest pieces didn’t ask us to choose between being impressed and being uneasy. They understood why people welcome these changes, then noticed what else shifts once we get used to them.
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