Kilpack's Dystopian Military Sci-Fi Novel Battle Calm Named Finalist in Utah Book Awards

West Jordan, Uta. — Battle Calm by award-winning Utah author W.D. Kilpack III is one of five finalists in the Utah Book Awards in the Speculative Fiction category.

Program Manager Kase Johnstun, Utah Center for the Book, said, "I want to thank all who submitted their books to the 2025 Utah Book Awards! There were so many amazing submissions in all categories. Your work highlights the depth of Utah’s literary landscape. If your book was not selected as a 2025 Notable Read [Finalist], please know that the competition was very steep and this is no reflection on your writing! Our judges struggled to narrow these lists down to get to our notable reads."

According to the Utah Book Awards Web site, an award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance, and overall quality. The Utah Book Awards is a project of The Utah Center for the Book at Utah Humanities (an affiliate of The Library of Congress Center), the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, the Utah State Library Division, and The League of Utah Writers.

Kilpack said, "I will never get tired of hearing from readers who work. So much goes into writing a novel, let alone a trilogy, and having a little appreciation shown goes a long way in making it feel worthwhile!"

Winners for each category, General Fiction, Speculative Fiction, General Nonfiction, Memoir/Narrative Nonfiction, Illustrated, Young Adult/Middle Grade Readers, and Poetry, will be announced by July 15, 2025, with hopes to have an award ceremony during the Utah Humanities Book Festival in October 2025.

This year's competition was judged by a panel of seven judges, including

• Kathryn MacKay is a Professor Emeritus from the History department of Weber State University. She is the author of numerous published articles, essays, and book reviews. She is on the boards of the Utah Historical Quarterly, the Friends of Stewart Library, and the Utah Humanities.
• J. Gordon Daines III is the Research and Instruction Services Archivist and Yellowstone National Park Collection Curator in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University. He holds degrees in history, archives and records management, and educational leadership. He has a deep passion for the humanities and books. He is a current board member for Utah Humanities.
• Joella Bagshaw is the Children’s Services Manager at the Provo City Library. She has been a youth services librarian for more than 20 years. She has served on many different ALSC and YALSA Committees—including the Odyssey Award Committee and the Excellence in Early Learning and Digital Media Award Committee. She has served on numerous Cybils Award Committees and chaired the Middle-Grade Fiction Cybils Committee twice. Joella also has served in various positions in the Utah Library Association. One of her favorite things is to help young children get excited about books and coming to the library.
• Kathleen Broeder is the Special Collections Librarian in the Department of Library & Information Science at Southern Utah University, where she works with the Children's and Juvenile book collection. She holds two master’s degrees from the University at Albany, SUNY, in Information Science and History.
• Jay Hart, recently retired after 43 years of teaching English and History at the secondary and college level, lives in Ogden, UT, where he continues to teach wine appreciation classes for the local arts center.
• Alisha Geary is an Adult Reference and Teen Librarian at the Provo City Library. She has Master's Degrees in both Library Science from Emporia State University and Literature and Writing from Utah State University.
• Dianne Aldrich is a dedicated, experienced librarian who is passionate about promoting inclusive library services. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of Library Services at Rocky Vista University, she brings over two decades of experience working in various library settings, including academic, medical, and high school libraries. Dianne’s expertise lies in information literacy instruction, collection development, and leadership in fostering inclusive library environments. She holds a Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor's in Literature and Writing Studies. She is also actively involved in professional organizations and community service.

Kilpack has published seven novels to date, five in the epic fantasy New Blood Saga (Crown Prince, Order of Light, Demon Seed, Rilari and Vengeance Borne), and the science-fiction novella, Pale Face. Between them, they have won 27 book awards and honors, including the International Impact Book Award, International Firebird Book Award, The BookFest Award, Honorable Mention in L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future, Editor's Choice and Top Pick from BooksShelf.com, and runner-up finishes in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Online Book Club's Book of the Year Competition. Pale Face is currently in movie development, and book two in the Battle Calm Cycle, Battle Calm: Omega Message, is scheduled for release in June 2025.

Other finalists in the Speculative Fiction category include

• The Ascenditure by Robyn Dabney
• The Avian Hourglass by Lindsey Drager
• Battletech: A Question of Survival by Bryan Young
• The Befallen by Cambria Williams 

To be eligible for competition, the entries had to be written by permanent residents of Utah, and published between Jan. 1, 2022, and Oct. 1, 2024.

According to Sinister Soup podcast co-founder, Clay Vermulm, "Bill [Kilpack] is a wonderful man who works extremely hard on his craft. Kilpack delivers a stunning blow to the belief that Indie-Fantasy is worth any less that its salt [with] well-crafted epic[s] with unique plot mechanisms, well-developed and believable characters, and a world grounded in the visceral and the real."

Reviews of Battle Calm

• 5/5 Stars — "Battle Calm is a dystopian military science fiction novel that explores the life of soldiers entrenched in perpetual war. The story revolves around Badger, the successor of his father, Red Skin, as the Keeper Base Leader. Badger is a complex character — renowned as a skilled tactician and fighter, he navigates a relentless world governed by the unyielding Red Skin’s Laws, which assert that war is humanity’s perpetual state. The narrative dives deep into the psyches of its characters, illustrating the psychological toll of endless combat and the fragile bonds formed among comrades. The book’s intense action sequences and vividly detailed world-building are highlights. Kilpack immerses the reader in the brutal realities of dystopian warfare, where moments of calm between battles carry their own form of tension and danger. The thematic exploration of war’s cyclical nature and its dehumanizing effects offers thought-provoking insights, making it more than just an action-driven tale. Not just the protagonist but the emotional depth of characters like Trinity and Korry, also bring additional dimensions to the narrative as Badger's loyal allies. Fans of hard military science fiction and dystopian sagas will likely find Battle Calm a rewarding, intense, and reflective read. It balances relentless action with philosophical underpinnings." — Jasveer Singh Dangi, author of The Hunter Genesis
• 5/5 Stars — "Battle Calm is a visceral dystopian war novel. Kilpack builds a world that is haunting in its vivid depictions of a world at war for so long that humans remember nothing else. Born to train, fight and live to take the lives of their enemy. Following the laws of a veteran leader, the characters strive to find humanity in the loss of their compatriots, as their numbers dwindle and the enemy continues to advance with more hardware and seemly endless combatants. Kilpack brings you into the lives, histories and hopes of soldiers fighting for survival. Combat is fierce, on the battlefield and in the calm between enemy engagements. Awaiting book two - Battle Calm: Omega Message.” — Jessica Bair, former Special Agent, US Army CID
• 5/5 Stars — "Battle Calm is a sensational book that I did not want to end. From the first page, I was enchanted by the author’s incredible words and wanted [to] follow Badger as well as fellow Keepers whose lives are dominated by killing and fighting against the backdrop of a vicious war and the result is an unforgettable and twisty tale that [kept me] hooked from the get-go! The author has done this [to me] time and time again with his work. W.D. Kilpack III is an incredible author who has created a fantastic, brilliant story and it is evident to me that he has invested so much thought and time into his new series, perfectly executed and full of vibrant and descriptive scenes! Battle Calm is a fascinating tale laced with many incredible moments that will captivate, shock, and thrill its readers, while these elements are also woven around a sensational story that will have you on the edge of your seat. It makes for a memorable reading experience full of many ups and downs and will have you saying ‘Just one more page!’ as it is that incredible. Beautiful descriptions will send the reader’s mind into visual overdrive, perfectly imagin[ing] every detail the reader comes across! Five stars!” — RedHeadedBookLover.com
• 5/5 Stars — "W.D. Kilpack III’s book, Battle Calm, is a dystopian military science fiction novel. Keepers have known nothing but war, fighting in a radioactive, blasted landscape and trying to kill as many 'Reds' as the enemy can throw at them. It has not always gone their way; Badger and his keepers have been forced to bug out of a few bases. However, the world and the enemy are changing. Radiation storms are no longer the certain death sentences they once were, and the Reds are becoming more aggressive. The bonds between the Keepers have begun to fray. Battle Calm takes place many years after the war began. None of the characters recall a time before the war. The interactions among the characters reveal the emotional complexity of individuals striving to cope with the dehumanizing effects of endless warfare. Adapting to cybernetic body parts is a way of life for most, a reality that Badger must now come to terms with. The book is intense, encompassing everything from the action sequences to the interpersonal relationships. While intended for a mature audience, Battle Calm captivates with its compelling narrative." — Kurt D. Springs, author of the Dreamscape Warriors Series

About Kilpack

Kilpack is an award-winning and critically acclaimed science-fiction and fantasy author, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television. He has been editor and/or publisher of 23 news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster University. As an undergrad, he double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling. For 25 years, he was a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. He is an accomplished cook and has cooked nearly every type of food on a grill. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, consult and educate. For more information go to www.Kilpack.net.

About Utah Humanities

UH is an independent nonprofit established in 1975. With a small, dedicated staff and volunteer board of directors, it offers public humanities programs across the state that involve thousands of people and organizations. To do its work, UH partners with organizations that want to improve their communities through the humanities. UH's partnerships span Utah and focus on literature, heritage, education, conversations, and local humanities ideas. Its mission is to empower Utahns to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities. UAD received funding from UH. Urgent: As you may know, our NEH operating grant has been terminated by DOGE. Please contact your elected officials and consider a donation to Utah Humanities. For more information go to www.UtahHumanities.org.

About Utah Arts and Museums

Utah Arts & Museums seeks to advance Utahns’ quality of life through arts and museum experiences and cultural opportunities. We are a service organization offering a variety of professional development opportunities and grants to serve our constituents. We serve schools, local arts agencies, organizations, community centers, performing groups, museums, and individuals across Utah. For more information go to www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov.

About Utah State Library Division

The Utah State Library, created in 1957, provides funding, training, professional expertise, and technical advice to library directors, library staff, and trustees across Utah. Through the Program for the Blind and Disabled, Utah Bookmobiles, Interlibrary Loan program, Book Buzz for Book Groups, Utah's Online Public Library, and the Utah Government Digital Library, USL ensures access to library materials and state publications for all Utahns. For more information go to www.library.utah.gov.

About the League of Utah Writers

LUW is a vibrant writing community built on the backbone of local chapters throughout the state — from Cache Valley to St. George — with many to choose from along the Wasatch Front. Founded in 1935, LUW has grown into a strong network of writers and authors throughout the state. As a nonprofit organization, its members strive to promote literacy and creativity through education, mentoring, and inclusivity accessible through its local chapters. For more information go to www.LeagueofUtahWriters.org.