The SFWA has announced the final ballot for the Nebula Awards and from top to bottom, this has to be the most interesting ballot I’ve seen in some time.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I wonder just how much of the tonal change of the ballot stems from this being the first year the nomination voting was done by secret ballot. From my perspective of taste, I think this is a much stronger ballot than previous years. That’s a taste thing, but I really like the looks of this ballot.
Congratulations to all of the nominees.
I would also like to say that I am extra pleased to see the recognition given to N. K. Jemisin, Paolo Bacigalupi, Rachel Swirsky, Cherie Priest, Jeff VanderMeer, and Catherynne Valente. This is really, really cool.
Short Story
"Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela", Saladin Ahmed (Clockwork Phoenix 2, Norilana Press, Jul09)
"I Remember the Future", Michael A. Burstein (I Remember the Future, Apex Press, Nov08)
"Non-Zero Probabilities", N. K. Jemisin (Clarkesworld, Nov09)
"Spar", Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Oct09)
"Going Deep", James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jun09)
"Bridesicle", Will McIntosh (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jan09)
Novelette
"The Gambler", Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2, Pyr Books, Oct08)
"Vinegar Peace, or the Wrong-Way Used-Adult Orphanage", Michael Bishop (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jul08)
"I Needs Must Part, The Policeman Said", Richard Bowes (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Dec09)
"Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast", Eugie Foster (Interzone, Jan/Feb09)
"Divining Light", Ted Kosmatka (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Aug08)
"A Memory of Wind", Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com, Nov09)
Novella
The Women of Nell Gwynne’s, Kage Baker (Subterranean Press, Jun09)
"Arkfall", Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sep09) (also here)
"Act One", Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Mar09)
Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon, Feb09)
"Sublimation Angels", Jason Sanford (Interzone, Sep/Oct09)
The God Engines, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press, Dec09)
Novel
The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Nightshade, Sep09)
The Love We Share Without Knowing, Christopher Barzak (Bantam, Nov08)
Flesh and Fire, Laura Anne Gilman (Pocket, Oct09)
The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey, May09)
Boneshaker, Cherie Priest (Tor, Sep09)
Finch, Jeff VanderMeer (Underland Press, Oct09)
Bradbury Award
Star Trek, JJ Abrams (Paramount, May09)
District 9, Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Tri-Star, Aug09)
Avatar, James Cameron (Fox, Dec 09)
Moon, Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker (Sony, Jun09)
Up, Bob Peterson and Pete Docter (Disney/Pixar, May09)
Coraline, Henry Selick (Laika/Focus Feb09)
Andre Norton Award
Hotel Under the Sand, Kage Baker (Tachyon, Jul09)
Ice, Sarah Beth Durst (Simon and Schuster, Oct09)
Ash, by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown & Company, Sep09)
Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev (Feiwel and Friends, Jul09)
Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi (Tor Aug08)
When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, 2009)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making, Catherynne M. Valente (Catherynne M. Valente, Jun09)
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld (Simon, Oct09)
I agree, this is a much more interesting shortlist than we've seen in years.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the secret ballots. I think you are right, that would explain the shift.
If I could vote for a novel it would go straight to Barzak. The Love We Share Without Knowing was brilliant, and is one of my absolute favorite books. I can never quite decide if it is my favorite or second favorite, but it's up there.
I've never read any of Gilman's work, so there is a small chance that her book might wow me into changing my pick, but it isn't likely.
I think the online voting had a greater effect.
ReplyDeleteRachel: You think? I had seen a couple of SFWA members post publicly in past years that they did not participate in nominating because of the lack of anonymity. If my memory serves, they also suggested that they knew others who also didn't nominate for that reason.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right, though, that online voting greatly increased the pool of people nominating. Half of one, perhaps?
Also, Congratulations, Rachel.
thanks, joe!
ReplyDeletethere was definitely an increase in the nominating pool--but also, i'd bet there was a change in *who* was doing the nominating... i know mary and lee are going to release some numbers at some point, so maybe that will clarify. :-D
I don't have as much history with watching the awards process but I too had thought this looked like a nominations list with quite a bit of variety to it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the nominees. I have read very little that is on the list, but what I've read I've been impressed with and am glad I have time before the awards to sample some more.
On that note, thanks for the links to the stories that are available online. I really appreciate it.
No prob. I plan to update the post when the other stories are posted online.
ReplyDeleteI expect the Asimov's and F&SF stories will be up in the next week, maybe two. I have hopes Apex will post the Burstein.