This here is a two-part blog post, dear readers, because awards season is in full swing, and in order to bring you all the late-breaking news, we need to conserve space. So, firstly, we’d like to congratulate David France’s insider account of the AIDS epidemic, How To Survive A Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS, for being the unanimous winner of this year’s Green Carnation Prize!
Chair of judges and internationally acclaimed author John Boyne said: ‘In this time of renewed activism in an increasingly uncertain world, France’s definitive account of the AIDS crisis and the activists who changed the fate of so many lives, seems vital and important to inspire everyone, not just the LGBTQ+ community. We couldn’t be prouder to choose this book as the rightful winner.’
And secondly….
This past weekend, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America held their annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and announced the winners of the Nebula Awards.
The Nebulas were first handed out in 1966, as a response to the Edgar Awards (which celebrated the best in the mystery genre). They are selected by, and voted on, by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. There are those who say that the Nebula is a more discriminating (and, thus, discriminatory) award, as it is selected by other writers, who focus (allegedly) on artistry and composition over the plot elements, pacing, and surprises that might attract a reader. On the other hand, because the Nebula voting is so limited, it also means that they have avoided the kind of scandal that hit the Hugos (see our discussion of Puppies from last week). Thus, while most agree that the Hugo is the more well-recognized of the science fiction awards, the Nebula is a highly–prized sign of recognition from the industry, and from one’s peers.
The award celebration itself sounds like a ridiculous amount of fun, not in the least because of the event’s toast master. As report by The Verge:
The event’s toastmaster was Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, who spent 141 days on the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 44 and Expedition 45 missions, where he served as a flight engineer and mission specialist. You might remember him as one of the astronauts who sampled the first station-grown lettuce and took part in an EVA to upgrade the station. He spoke about how NASA was turning science fiction into science fact, and that as a science fiction fan, it was a pleasure to meet some of his heroes who wrote the stories he grew up with. “I am here today because of science fiction,” he said, “my path to space was paved with books.”
I swoon. I also love knowing that science fiction inspired a real live person to imagine impossible things and to go chasing after them. Let that be your inspiration today, while you head down to the Library to check out these terrific, award-winning books!
BEST NOVEL
All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders
BEST NOVELLA
Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire
BEST NOVELETTE
“The Long Fall Up,” William Ledbetter
BEST SHORT STORY
“Seasons of Glass and Iron,” Amal El-Mohtar
RAY BRADBURY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve, screenplay by Eric Heisserer, 21 Laps Entertainment / FilmNation Entertainment / Lava Bear Films / Xenolinguistics
ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Arabella of Mars, David D. Levine