File 770 reports that Hayley Gelfuso's The Book of Lost Hours won the 2026 Compton Crook Award for best debut in science fiction, fantasy, or horror. The post notes the two-stage BSFS judging process, lists this year's finalists, and confirms the winner package includes a cash award plus Compton Crook Guest of Honor status at Balticon.
Debut-focused awards like this still matter because they can convert early critical notice into longer-term visibility inside genre ecosystems. For emerging writers, that combination of community endorsement and convention-stage positioning can do more for career momentum than a single launch-week sales burst.
(Shortened and summarised to avoid devaluing the source)