It’s here; congratulations to all the nominees, even the ones I’m about to say I personally am not very excited about!
Now, category by category:
Best 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; pdf link)
Oh joy, a Michael A Burstein story to read (assuming it gets made available online EDIT: doesn’t look like it will be). Other than that, strikes me as a solid list. “Bridesicle” is probably my favourite of McIntosh’s stories to date, and if “Non-Zero Probabilities” struck me as a little thin, it’s executed well enough. “Spar” is probably the best of the ones I’ve read, although I don’t love it as others do.
Best 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; pdf link)
- “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, Feb09)
- “Divining Light,” Ted Kosmatka (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Aug08)
- “A Memory of Wind,” Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com, Nov09)
A very crunchy selection, although has that slightly schizophrenic can’t-decide-what-year-it-is thing going on. “The Gambler” was probably my single favourite piece of Hugo-nominated fiction last year, so I’m rooting for that. Good to see Foster’s story, which is of course also on the BSFA Award ballot, and “Divining Light”, which we discussed here. I’d have quite strongly preferred to see “Eros, Philia, Agape” on the ballot in place of “A Memory of Wind”, but the latter is by no means a bad story. Haven’t read the Bishop or Bowes.
Best Novella
- The Women of Nell Gwynne’s, Kage Baker (Subterranean Press, Jun09)
- “Arkfall,” Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sep09)
- “Act One,” Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Mar09; pdf link)
- Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon, Feb09)
- “Sublimation Angels,” Jason Sanford (Interzone, Oct09)
- The God Engines, John Scalzi ( Subterranean Press, Dec09)
Eh. I like “Sublimation Angels“, but am less than whelmed by either the Kress or Gilman stories, and am sceptical of the Morrow. I’m intrigued by The God Engines, however.
Best 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)
My heart says Bacigalupi, and damn the naysayers; my head thinks The City & The City is probably going to be a Hugo-and-Nebula-winner by the end of the year.
Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting
- 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)
If Abrams wins, I will cry. Actually, if pretty much anyone other than Jones/Parker wins, I will sulk, though Up would be acceptable.
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Hotel Under the Sand, Kage Baker (Tachyon, Jul09)
- Ice, Sarah Beth Durst (Simon and Schuster, Oct09)
- Ash, Malinda Lo (Little, Brown and Company, Sep09)
- Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev (Feiwel and Friends, Jul09)
- Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi (Tor Aug08)
- When You Reach Me, 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)
Eight is pushing it for a shortlist, isn’t it? Stil, several books here I’d like to get around to reading, so I’m not complaining too much. I will say, though, that I feel a rash of tweets like this just before nominations closed, which may have been poorly worded but which as they stand look like they were just trying to drum up votes irrespective of whether the voter had read the book or not, devalue Baker’s nomination a bit. And that’s a shame.