Looking through the ballot, it is great to see such a wide variety of sources for the short fiction nominees. As I noted earlier, Clarkesworld got two short stories onto the ballot. Interzone has one in novelette and one in novella. Subterranean Press has two novellas, and Tachyon one. Of the “big three” digest fiction magazines, Asimov’s has five nominees, F&SF two, and Analog none at all.
I have read three of the Best Novel nominees: Finch, The Windup Girl and The City & The City, and loved them all. I have a copy of Boneshaker on my “to read” pile. I’ll pick up the Gilman and Barzack when I get home to California.
I think it is time that SFWA stopped pretending that the Bradbury is for scriptwriting. By all reports Avatar was an amazing movie in many ways, but everyone seemed to agree that the script was awful.
The Norton short list looks much more representative of the field this year. It includes a book from Tachyon, and a book serialized online. Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan has moved up my “to read” pile (though it is in California so it will have to wait). I’m delighted to see Cat Valente getting more recognition, but I’m now kind of worried that Fairyland and Palimpsest are going to be competing for nominations in the Hugos, and that neither will get in as a result.
Congratulations are due to Mary Robinette Kowal and her team for a very smooth operation. It is great to see the Nebulas going off without a hitch.
Looking at part of the announcement about the Bradbury, JJ Abrams wasn’t the screenwriter on Star Trek, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman were. The other thing about that which caught my eye is that for all the other films on the list, the director was also one of the screenwriters.
When the rules changed in January 2008, the title for the Bradbury changed to The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
The rules say:
15. The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
a. Beginning in 2010 (for works released in 2009), SFWA shall award, in tandem with the Nebula Awards, an annual Ray Bradbury Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. This award is not a Nebula, but shall follow all Nebula rules and procedures, and be administered by the Nebula Awards Commissioner.
b. Eligible works for this award shall be dramatic works such as motion pictures, television, Internet, radio, audio, and stage productions.
c. The award will be given to the principal director and writer(s) of the production.
Oh great, well done! I’d forgotten you’d made that change.
You might want to tell Galley Cat.