- 2005 Locus Award
- Collection – The John Varley Reader
- 2004 Asimov’s Science Fiction’s Readers’ Award
- Novelette – “The Bellman”
- 2004 Endeavour Award / Oregon SFConventions, Inc.
- Novel – Red Thunder
- 2004 Prix du Cafard cosmique
- Best SF Novel – Le systEme Valentine (The Golden Globe)
- 1999 Prometheus Award
- Novel – The Golden Globe
- 1992 Seiun Award
- Foreign Short Story – “Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo”
- 1991 Hayakawa’s SF Magazine Reader’s Award
- Foreign Short Story – “Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo”
- 1987 Locus Award
- Collection – Blue Champagne
- 1987 Seiun Award
- Foreign Short Fiction – “Press Enter ■”
- 1985 Hugo Award
- Novella – “Press Enter ■”
- 1985 Nebula Award
- Novella – “Press Enter ■”
- 1985 Locus Award
- Novella – “Press Enter ■”
- 1985 Science Fiction Chronicle Poll
- Novella – “Press Enter ■”
- 1982 Hugo Award
- Short Story – “The Pusher”
- 1982 Locus Award
- Novella – “Blue Champagne”
- Short Story – “The Pusher”
- 1982 Science Fiction Chronicle Poll
- Short Story – “The Pusher”
- 1981 Locus Award
- Single Author Collection – The Barbie Murders
- 1980 Analog Analytical Laboratory
- Serial – “Titan”
- 1980 Locus Award
- SF Novel – Titan
- 1980 Prix Apollo
- Single Author Collection – The Persistence of Vision
- 1979 Hugo Award
- Novella – “The Persistence of Vision”
- 1979 Locus Award
- Novella – “The Persistence of Vision”
- Novelette – “The Barbie Murders”
- Single Author Collection – The Persistence of Vision
- 1978 Jupiter Award
- Novella – “In the Hall of the Martian Kings”
- 1976 Special Locus Award – 4 Novelettes in Top 10
- “Bagatelle”
- “Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance”
- “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank”
- “The Phantom of Kansas”
Near Awards
- 1993 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novel – Steel Beach
- 1984 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novel – Millennium
- 1982 Nebula Nominee
- Best Short Story – “The Pusher”
- 1982 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novella – “Blue Champagne”
- 1981 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Beatnik Bayou”
- 1981 Nebula Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Beatnik Bayou”
- 1981 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novel – Wizard
- 1980 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Options”
- 1980 Nebula Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Options”
- 1980 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novel – Titan
- 1980 Nebula Nominee
- Best Novel – Titan
- 1979 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novelette – “The Barbie Murders”
- 1978 Hugo Nominee
- Best Short Story – “Air Raid”
- 1978 Nebula Nominee
- Best Short Story – “Air Raid”
- 1978 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novella – “In the Hall of the Martian Kings”
- 1977 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novelette – “The Phantom of Kansas”
- 1977 Hugo Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance”
- 1976 Nebula Nominee
- Best Novelette – “Retrograde Summer”