Adventurers of the Nebula Awards
Going to the Nebula Conference, well, virtually was rather easy. The sessions were author-centric, which is understandable. This is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) conference. Many of the panelists were ones I’ve never met before. I tend to go to local and regional cons, where I’ve made friends. I really love it when major cons are in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area near where I live. World SF, Discon iii, for example, where the Hugo Awards are presented, will be in D.C., so I’ll be there in person in December—at my first in-person major con. Years ago, I attended World SF when it was in Chicago and saw the Hugo Awards being given out. George R.R. Martin came on stage and he was really, well, funny—which wasn’t what I expected at all. Though, in Game of Thrones it’s clear he’s a sense of humor, amid the blood thirstiness of it all.
I’d never seen the Nebula Awards before. It was presented on Youtube and through Facebook. I could see that more the 400 people were watching live on Youtube. I watched Nalo Hopkinson awarded Damon Knight Grandmaster. She’s the youngest person to ever be awarded it and the seventh woman to receive the accolade in its 37 year history.
I've met four of this year’s Nebula finalists and was so happy they were nominated. To me their being finalists is wonderful recognition, whether they win the award itself or not. That being said, the first Nebula went to someone I met only about a week earlier when I moderated a panel they were on at Balticon on “Writing in a Post-Covid World.” John Wiswell won Best Short Story for “Open House on Haunted Hill.” John shared at the panel that he’s immune-compromised, so the feelings so many of us had during Covid are what he’s lived for years, which likely comes out in interesting ways in his writing. He wrote “Open House on Haunted Hill” during Covid.
Then again, I also know Sarah Pinsker, who just won the Best Novelette Nebula for “Two Truths and a Lie.” I first met her about six years ago—and happened to meet her father in none SFF circles about the same time. It can be a small world, you know? About the story, Sarah shared she was shocked to win. She loved the other nominees’ stories and first wrote “Two Truths and a Lie” years ago while in college, stating, “It took 20 years to get right.” So, the lesson is, don’t give up on your stories. Oh, she’s now on that college’s faculty, so for her life’s come full circle.
Of those who received a Nebula, who I've never met, whose acceptance speech resonated with me was the author, T. Kingfisher. She won the Andrea Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction for A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. She wrote the story between 2008 and 2012. She sold the book around that time but the publisher didn’t know how to market it and traded the rights back for another book of hers. Middle Grade and Young Adult publishers liked the book but kept rejecting it because they too didn’t know how they’d market it… Then came Covid and the popularity of baking at home. A Wizard’s Guide to Baking found its market at last. The author also shared she bought a new mixer while working on the book, so you never know what comes in handy for researching a book even on magic and murder…
Bottom line, authors can inspire more than readers—and stories can take their authors on adventures, not just readers. Whether you read for the enjoyment of the genres and tales, or aspire to write your own, both of which describe me, I’ve been inspired and hope you may be too.
The Nebula winners are as follows:
BEST NOVEL": Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tordotcom)
BEST NOVELLA: Ring Shout, P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom)
BEST NOVELETTE: “Two Truths and a Lie”, Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com)
BEST SHORT STORY: “Open House on Haunted Hill”, John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots)
THE ANDRE NORTON NEBULA AWARD FOR MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION": A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, T. Kingfisher (Argyll)
BEST GAME WRITING: Hades, Greg Kasavin (Supergiant)
THE RAY BRADBURY NEBULA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC PRESENTATION:
The Good Place: “Whenever You’re Ready”, Michael Schur, NBC (Fremulon/3 Arts Entertainment/Universal)
Additional awards and honors presented:
THE SFWA DAMON KNIGHT MEMORIAL GRAND MASTER AWARD: Nalo Hopkinson
THE KATE WILHELM SOLSTICE AWARD: Jarvis Sheffield, Ben Bova (posthumous), Rachel Caine (posthumous)
THE KEVIN J. O’DONNELL, JR. SERVICE TO SFWA AWARD: Connie Willis
Presenters included: SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal, SFWA Vice President Tobias S. Buckell, incoming SFWA President Jeffe Kennedy, and writers and creatives Nisi Shawl, Carrie Patel, Mallory O’Meara, Mark Oshiro, Troy L. Wiggins, and Adam Savage.
The ceremony can be viewed at SFWA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Lastly, here’s where you can find my free stories (among other great giveaways this month):
My new novella, Apocalypse Knot, prequel to Bigfoot Is Not Your Friend appears in June Sci-fi & Fantasy Giveaway. This month Bigfoot Is Not Your Friend is featured for the first time in any promo in Fantasy Reads on Kindle Unlimited.
Grounding a Mockingbird, prequel to Lessers Not Losers, is featured in the group promo, Witch's Brew. Lessers Not Losers is featured in YA Books for Teens in KU.
The Dragon's Curse, prequel to my Highmage’s Plight and Hands of the Highmage series, is featured in the Dragon's Lair. Highmage’s Plight, Book 1, and my urban fantasy, Dare 2 Believe, are featured in Readers Live A Million Lives. Shh, but if you’re not on Kindle Unlimited, Dare 2 Believe is also free on Kindle for a couple of days.
Beginning June 14th, Last Knight, prequel to Knight of the Broken Table, is featured in the group promo Wild Worlds: Fantasy & Science Fiction With Amazing Worldbuilding. Knight of the Broken Table is featured in the Summer Sci Fi in Kindle Unlimited promo.
D.H.