Archive for Awards

You Know, I Honestly Can’t Think of a Pun for the Title of this Post

Saturn Returns by Sean WilliamsWonderful news just in that Sean Williams’ Saturn Returns has made the final ballot for the Philip K. Dick Award, presented annually for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.

Sean is quite naturally extremely pleased and reports receiving “a wave of Dick jokes, the likes of which I haven’t seen since High School”.

Many congratulations to Sean and all of the shortlisted authors.

Shortlisted but Long-Talented

All right, I admit it: that’s a terrible title for a blog post. What’s far from terrible, though, is the fact that Glenda Larke, Marianne de Pierres and Sean Williams all have novels on the shortlist for the 2008 Aurealis Awards!

Song of the Shiver Barrens

Glenda’s Song of the Shiver Barrens is shortlisted in Best Fantasy Novel Category, while Marianne’s first foray into space opera, Dark Space, and Sean’s most recent excursion into similar territory, Saturn Returns, are both shortlisted in the Best SF Novel category. Song of the Shiver Barrens will be available in an Orbit edition in May next year (although the very wise amongst you will seek out the first two books, Heart of the Mirage and The Shadow of Tyr, to see what all the fuss is about!), while Dark Space and Saturn Returns are available now (with a mass market paperback of Saturn Returns coming next June).

Dark Space

Many congratulations to Glenda, Marianne and Sean, and all the shortlisted authors.

Saturn Returns

Stross Steals Fire From The Gods

Glasshouse by Charles StrossWell . . . not quite. But Charles Stross’ Glasshouse has just won the 2007 Prometheus Award for best libertarian novel of the year.

Founded in 1979 and awarded since 1982 by the Libertarian Futurist Society, the award honours science fiction writers whose books examine the meaning of freedom. Orbit has some history of achievement in this award, with Charlie following the success of Ken MacLeod’s 2006 winner, Learning the World. Ken has won the Prometheus three times, in fact — a point Charlie wittily acknowledges on his blog.

Our congratulations to Charlie on the success of Glasshouse, which was also shortlisted for this year’s Hugo Award — Charlie’s fourth consecutive shortlisting. The last writer to achieve that was a fellow by the name of Silverberg . . .

Science Fiction Awards Watch

The team behind the late, lamented SF review site Emerald City, Cheryl Morgan and Kevin Standlee, have launched a new online project, Science Fiction Awards Watch. They describe the purpose of the new site:

So what is this all about? Well, there are few things that the science fiction community likes to talk about more than awards, so we thought it might be good to have a central place where these conversations can take place . . . We have a number of fine critics who have offered to participate in discussions here from time to time, and we are looking for more . . . There will also be public debate. After all, the Hugo Award winners will be announced very soon now, and somehow that always results in a storm of controversy around the blogosphere. Which is why we are launching this site now. We are coming up to what we expect to be the busiest time of the year for award controversies.

You can find out more on their site.

A Devil of a Short List

Mike Carey

Mike Carey
(photo: Charlie Hopkinson)

Much ecstatic piping on the tin whistle (Clarke original, key of D, natch) greeted the news that Mike Carey’s superb debut The Devil You Know, featuring freelance exorcist Felix Castor, has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society’s August Derleth Award for Best Novel.

The award will be presented at Fantasycon in Nottingham this September, which Mike will be attending — along with fellow Orbit author Terry Brooks, who is one of the Guests of Honour.

You can read an extract of The Devil You Know here.

Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, and our best wishes to Mike — everyone at Orbit is hoping for a well-deserved win for Felix Castor’s first outing.