Speculative Fiction Contest & Art Expo

Sponsored by the SOA Actuary of the Future Section and the Emerging Topics Community.

Thank you to all the writers and artists who shared their creative visions of the future!

First Place Package ($400 + professional literary critique + actor read audio version)	“Faulty Medication” by Brian Tajlili, FSA, MAAA Audio Version coming soon!
Second Place ($300)	“Model Behavior” by Jacob Ogle, Candidate
Most unique use of technology ($200)	“Chebyshev’s Sigma” by Joel McVey, FSA, MAAA
Most unique vision of the future ($200)	“Quantum Nudge” by Gregory Dreher, FSA, MAAA
Most unique actuarial career of the future ($200)	“Happiness Factor” by Karsem Chiamprasert, Candidate
Best First-Time Entry ($100)	“A Persistence Study” by Daniel Blaszkiewicz, ASA, MAAA
People's Choice Fiction ($100)	“What could possibly go wrong?” by Joe Stoutenburg, FSA, MAAA
People's Choice Art ($100)	Actuarial Anthem (song) by Simon Hill, FSA, MAAA
People’s Choice Art ($100)	Kentucky Derby Themed Cake by Sherry Chan, FSA, MAAA, EA, FCA
People’s Choice Art ($100)	ASOP 0.0 - Seeing the Invisible (poem) by Yukki Yeung, FSA, MAAA Bonus: See the author perform her poem.

Dr. Bob Mielke, literary judge extraordinaire, professor of English at Truman State University, who has served as literary judge since the first Speculative Fiction Contest in 1996.
Volunteer judges from the Actuary of the Future Section and the Emerging Topic Community that selected the winners for the categories of most unique use of technology, vision of the future, and actuarial career of the future.
People’s Choice voters, thank you for reading, listening, viewing and voting!

Type of Entry	Title	Description	Author/Artist
Song Parody	Never Knew	Rewritten lyrics to “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell	Rod Keefer, FSA, MAAA
Poem	Life’s Hidden Variables	Poem written while learning the style of Robert Frost	Jing Huang, FSA, MAAA
Song	Actuarial Anthem	Composed, recorded, and produced by Simon Hill	Simon Hill, FSA, MAAA
Screenplay	A Harmonic Passage	Screenplay, modeled after Krapp's Last Tape but with a fictional actuary as Krapp.	Stefanos Orfanos, FSA, CERA
Poem	ASOP 0.0 - Seeing the Invisible	Added Bonus: See the author perform her poem at a poetry slam open mic in September 2024.	Yukki Yeung, FSA, MAAA
Visual Art	License to Predict	Like James Bond, the future actuary will continue to live a thrilling life surrounded by money, risk, and “models”. In this high-stakes world, the villains may change, but the mission remains the same: analyze, predict, and conquer uncertainty, all while armed with cutting-edge technology.	Amanda Ellis, FSA
Cake	Kentucky Derby Cake	Studying for exams, early May was always the final home stretch, so I never got to fully enjoy the Kentucky Derby (that’s the first Saturday in May). Dreaming of life after exams, attending the Derby was always on my bucket list. All decorations handmade and inspired by my FSA dreams!	Sherry Chan FSA, MAAA, EA, FCA

Title	Author
A Persistence Study Chebyshev's Sigma Dream Job Faulty Medication Happiness Factor Homeowner vs. Tree: Household Risk Dashboard Model Behavior Moving Target Quantum Nudge Risk Is Our Business Tempest The Exam The Last Actuary The Long Run The Risk of Us Troy Annuities Company v. Tyler Ty Thonus What could possibly go wrong?	Daniel Blaszkiewicz, ASA, MAAA Joel McVey, FSA, MAAA Rod Keefer, FSA, MAAA Brian Tajlili, FSA, MAAA Karsem Chiamprasert, Candidate John Blocher, FSA, MAAA Jacob Ogle, Candidate Luke Swiatek, Candidate Gregory Dreher, FSA, MAAA Benjamin Sharkansky, ASA Lee Nizan, FSA, EA Nate Worrell, FSA Andrea Rome, FSA, MAAA, CERA Spencer Matthews, Candidate Smriti Paneru, Candidate Karthik Tumuluru, ASA, CERA Joe Stoutenburg, FSA, MAAA