World Fantasy Award Nominees 2012

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And now, the nominees for my favorite award of the year havebeen announced!  The best part about this list is that there is very littlethat I have actually read. 
  World Fantasy Award Ballot  Novel
•  Those Across the River, ChristopherBuehlman (Ace)
•  11/22/63, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder& Stoughton as 11.22.63)
•  A Dance with Dragons, George R.R. Martin(Bantam; Harper Voyager UK)
•  Osama, Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)
•  Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor) 

I’veread Among Others and still consider it to be my favorite novel published lastyear and I recently finished King’s 11/22/63.  I enjoyed the King, butWalton’s novel was better.  I am still on a GRRM moratorium until I catchup my re-read of A Song of Ice and Fire, so while I own A Dance With Dragons, Istill prefer to reread A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows before I getaround to his latest novel.  On the plus side, this hopefully gets me that muchcloser to finishing the book with less of a gap between that and the nextnovel.  We’ll see.

I’veheard good things about Osama, but haven’t been all that keen on readingit.  Until now.  Those Across the River is a complete unknown to me.  

Novella
•  "NearZennor", Elizabeth Hand (A Book ofHorrors)
•  "ASmall Price to Pay for Birdsong", K.J. Parker (Subterranean Winter 2011)
•  "Alice Through the PlasticSheet", Robert Shearman (A Book ofHorrors)
•  "Rose StreetAttractors", Lucius Shepard (Ghosts byGaslight)
•  Silentlyand Very Fast, Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA Press; Clarkesworld)
Theonly novella I’ve read from this list is Valente’s Silently andVery Fast.  I didn’t appreciate it.  Shepard is consistently excellent. I was delighted by Shearman’s World Fantasy nominated collection TinyDeaths, so I’m excited to read this story.   

Short Fiction
•  "Xfor Demetrious", Steve Duffy (Blood andOther Cravings)
•  "YoungerWomen", Karen Joy Fowler (SubterraneanSummer 2011)
•  "ThePaper Menagerie", Ken Liu (F&SF3-4/11)
•  "AJourney of Only Two Paces", Tim Powers (TheBible Repairman and Other Stories)
•  "TheCartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees", E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld 4/11) 

I’ma big fan of Yu’s “The Cartographer Wasps”, it was such animaginative and inventive story and I’m glad to see it recognized acrossmultiple awards.  Liu has likewise had an impressive year and if he maintainsthe level of quality and output that he has done thus far, I’ll expect tosee him on ballots for years to come.  The other three stories are new to me.

Anthology
•  Blood and Other Cravings, Ellen Datlow,ed. (Tor)
•  A Book of Horrors, Stephen Jones, ed. (JoFletcher Books)
•  The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities,Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, eds. (Harper Voyager US)
•  The Weird, Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, eds.(Corvus; Tor, published May 2012)
•  Gutshot, Conrad Williams, ed. (PSPublishing) 

Collection
•  Bluegrass Symphony, Lisa L. Hannett(Ticonderoga)
•  Two Worlds and In Between, Caitlín R.Kiernan (Subterranean Press)
•  After the Apocalypse, Maureen F. McHugh(Small Beer)
•  Mrs Midnight and Other Stories, ReggieOliver (Tartarus)
•  The Bible Repairman and Other Stories, TimPowers (Tachyon) 

Theonly collection here that was on my radar is After the Apocalypse.  It’sone of those that I’ve been *meaning*to get to and just haven’t.

Artist
•  JohnCoulthart
•  JulieDillon
•  JonFoster
•  KathleenJennings
•  JohnPicacio 

Ilike Foster and Picacio.  This is a good time to look at the other artists andsee what they are all about.

Special Award Professional
•  JohnJoseph Adams, for editing - anthology and magazine
•  JoFletcher, for editing - Jo Fletcher Books
•  EricLane, for publishing in translation - Dedalus books
•  BrettAlexander Savory & Sandra Kasturi, for ChiZine Publications
•  JeffVanderMeer & S.J. Chambers, for TheSteampunk Bible
 
Special Award Non-Professional
•  KateBaker, Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan & Sean Wallace, for Clarkesworld
•  CatRambo, for Fantasy
•  RaymondRussell & Rosalie Parker, for Tartarus Press
•  CharlesTan, for Bibliophile Stalker blog
•  MarkValentine, for Wormwood

2012 Hugo Award Winners

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Via Tor.com

Best Novel

• Winner: Among Others by Jo Walton (Tor)
• A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin (Bantam Spectra)
• Deadline by Mira Grant (Orbit)
• Embassytown by China Miéville (Macmillan UK / Del Rey)
• Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Orbit)

Best Novella

• Winner: “The Man Who Bridged the Mist” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s September/October 2011)
• Countdown by Mira Grant (Orbit)
• “The Ice Owl” by Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction November/December 2011)
• “Kiss Me Twice” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s June 2011)
• “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” by Ken Liu (Panverse 3)
• Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)

Best Novelette

• Winner: “Six Months, Three Days” by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com)
• “The Copenhagen Interpretation” by Paul Cornell (Asimov’s July 2011)
• “Fields of Gold” by Rachel Swirsky (Eclipse Four)
• “Ray of Light” by Brad R. Torgersen (Analog December 2011)
• “What We Found” by Geoff Ryman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2011)

Best Short Story

• Winner: “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2011)
• “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees” by E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld April 2011)
• “The Homecoming” by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s April/May 2011)
• “Movement” by Nancy Fulda (Asimov’s March 2011)
• “Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book One: The Dead City: Prologue” by John Scalzi (Tor.com)

Best Related Work

• Winner: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Third Edition edited by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls, and Graham Sleight (Gollancz)
• Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and Other Observations about Science Fiction Movies by Daniel M. Kimmel (Fantastic Books)
• The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers (Abrams Image)
• Wicked Girls by Seanan McGuire
• Writing Excuses, Season 6 by Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story

• Winner: Digger by Ursula Vernon (Sofawolf Press) 
• Fables Vol 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham (Vertigo)
• Locke & Key Volume 4, Keys to the Kingdom written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• Schlock Mercenary: Force Multiplication written and illustrated by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton (The Tayler Corporation)
• The Unwritten (Volume 4): Leviathan created by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Written by Mike Carey, illustrated by Peter Gross (Vertigo)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• Winner: Game of Thrones (Season 1), created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss; written by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, and George R. R. Martin; directed by Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, Tim van Patten, and Alan Taylor (HBO)
• Captain America: The First Avenger, screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephan McFeely, directed by Joe Johnston (Marvel)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, screenplay by Steve Kloves; directed by David Yates (Warner Bros.)
• Hugo, screenplay by John Logan; directed by Martin Scorsese (Paramount)
• Source Code, screenplay by Ben Ripley; directed by Duncan Jones (Vendome Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

• Winner: “The Doctor’s Wife” (Doctor Who), written by Neil Gaiman; directed by Richard Clark (BBC Wales)
• “The Drink Tank’s Hugo Acceptance Speech,” Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon (Renovation)
• “The Girl Who Waited” (Doctor Who), written by Tom MacRae; directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
• “A Good Man Goes to War” (Doctor Who), written by Steven Moffat; directed by Peter Hoar (BBC Wales)
• “Remedial Chaos Theory” (Community), written by Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna; directed by Jeff Melman (NBC)

Best Editor, Short Form

• Winner: Sheila Williams
• John Joseph Adams
• Neil Clarke
• Stanley Schmidt
• Jonathan Strahan

Best Editor, Long Form

• Winner: Betsy Wollheim
• Lou Anders
• Liz Gorinsky
• Anne Lesley Groell
• Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist

• Winner: John Picacio
• Dan dos Santos
• Bob Eggleton
• Michael Komarck
• Stephan Martiniere

Best Semiprozine

• Winner: Locus edited by Liza Groen Trombi, Kirsten Gong-Wong, et al.
• Apex Magazine edited by Catherynne M. Valente, Lynne M. Thomas, and Jason Sizemore
• Interzone edited by Andy Cox
• Lightspeed edited by John Joseph Adams
• New York Review of Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell, Kevin J. Maroney, Kris Dikeman, and Avram Grumer

Best Fanzine

• Winner: SF Signal edited by John DeNardo
• Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
• The Drink Tank edited by James Bacon and Christopher J Garcia
• File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
• Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Christopher J Garcia, et al.

Best Fan Writer

• Winner: Jim C. Hines
• James Bacon
• Claire Brialey
• Christopher J Garcia
• Steven H. Silver

Best Fan Artist

• Winner: Maurine Starkey
• Brad W. Foster
• Randall Munroe
• Spring Schoenhuth
• Steve Stiles
• Taral Wayne

Best Fancast

• Winner: SF Squeecast, Lynne M. Thomas, Seanan McGuire, Paul Cornell, Elizabeth Bear, and Catherynne M. Valente
• The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe
• Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alex Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (presenters) and Andrew Finch (producer)
• SF Signal Podcast, John DeNardo and JP Frantz, produced by Patrick Hester
• StarShipSofa, Tony C. Smith

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

• Winner: E. Lily Yu
• Mur Lafferty
• Stina Leicht
• Karen Lord
• Brad R. Torgersen

Congratulations to all the winners, but a double helping of congratulations to Charlie Jane Anders for her fabulous story Six Months, Three Days.  And to John DeNardo and the folks at SF Signal.  Well done and well deserved.  And to E. Lily Yu.  I can't wait to see what you do next.


I don't believe I posted my ballot, but I did manage to help pick six of the winners (Novel, Novella, Novelette, Dramatic Presentation Long Form, Fanzine, Campbell)

Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn (audio)

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I finished listening to this yesterday. I actually had only a little bit left to go and just hadn't turned it on to listen to in a while. And that was my biggest problem with the book, which was totally my problem and nothing to do with the book itself: I spread out the listening over too long a period of time. So I know that I enjoyed the book but I don't remember a lot of what happened at the beginning and I didn't really get into the rhythm of the story. It's probably one I'll need to read/listen to again to make sure I caught everything. Hence my very vague post here about it!

Thunderstorms a'brewin'

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Oh the audacity! The Nerve! I can't even...*splutter* ...it's....humph...

*Rant ahead*

Not much gets under my skin more then people who bully. People who assume their situation is the only space in the universe that matters. I know I don't usually (ever) talk about my job here...but I had a very frustrating phone call happen the other day and I needed to clear the air.

First of all. Is it even conceivable, in this, for lack of a better term, Day and Age, that someone NOT have access to a computer with internet capability? Seriously? If all else fails, the Library? But I get ahead of myself.

There was a "person of interest" quick article of me, in a local here. :) Just a quick bit. On the last page the story gave my contact info for my business. (This is important, trust me.) My phone number, email, and webpage. All good information to have! Yay!

I get a phone call, while I'm driving, from a woman who wanted information about the type of massage I do. Easy enough. She had read the article but couldn't find the FIRST PAGE of the article. The Second page was where all the contact information was so I told her about the webpage. She interrupts me and says very annoyed that she won't be going on to a computer to get any information about my business. Not that she doesn't have access but almost like she won't be bothered. Then she asks me to send her information about my business to her through the mail.  Um, ok? Now I'm confused a bit. So I told her I was driving and could I please call her back in a bit. Sure no problem. She was fine with that.

A couple of hours later, in the midst of a big thunderstorm, which I didn't think anything about, I tried calling her back.

Call 1: Her: Hello!! Yes! Do you have a piece of paper you can write on?
Me: (I'm catching about every other word of this...) I'm sorry you're breaking up...Did you say you needed information on the type of massage I do? (I'm thinking I can just simply answer her questions over the phone...)
Her: Yes! You need to mail it to me!
Me: I need to...
Disconnected

Call 2: Her: Hello? Hello! Yes you need to write my address down. I need you to send me information about your business.
Me: I can just answer your...
Disconnected

Call 3: Me: Are you on a cell phone?
Her: I don't understand why you keep hanging up on me. Do you have a pen and paper there to take down my address?
Me: *Sigh* Sure. Go ahead.
Her: It...Disconnected.

At this point I thought maybe it was my phone so I called my mother in law had a great perfectly crystal clear conversation with her for about 5 minutes . Then put my big girl panties on and called this...person...back.

Call 4: Her: Yes. I'm sorry this is NOT a good time for ME right now. And Obviously you are having a really hard time taking my information down so...good by. *Hang up*.

I had a really REALLY hard time not calling her right back and saying something not very pleasant to this woman.

Oi. People. Sometimes. Sometimes it's just a thunderstorm, you know?

Goin's On's

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This week I am over at Unicorn Bell posting about how we write culture into our stories.

Which sounds way more snobby then it really will be.

Mainly I'll be discussing the background noise that goes into the writing of a book. The 'stuff' the reader doesn't notice, but will if it's wrong.

I'll also be discussing the interesting phenomenon that happens along with this when readers bring their Own culture to your story. When they assume they know what the 'rules' are. But don't. I read a very quick snippet of an article on this in Writers Digest (I think) about how readers will Assume your world is male dominated, unless otherwise specified. How your readers will assume a pregnant woman has a husband, unless otherwise specified. How your readers will assume all sorts of things. It was rather interesting. And frustrating. And explained the old way of doing 'info dumps' at the beginning of fantasy and sci-fi books. Problem is. We don't do that now. So how do we get the rules of our worlds across without boring the pants off our readers?

Head over to Unicorn Bell! :) This is what we'll be exploring this week! Politics! Art! Religion! Weapons! All sorts of fun stuff.

Meanwhile...

WRiTE CLUB is still going on! Don't forget to head over there and vote! Vote! Vote!

Lollipop and Grandpa's Back Garden Safari - Penelope Harper and illustrated by Cate James

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Summary:
Back gardens have never been this exciting! Lollipop and Grandpa are intrepid explorers, always on the lookout for the next adventure! It’s often just the two of them against the world in their expeditions, armed only with ham sandwiches and imagination. In this book they set out on an exciting expedition in the back garden where they encounter Chimpan-trees, a Hippo-potta-compost and even a Croco-logus. They’re prepared for action, but will Lollipop and Grandpa make it back home safely?~~~

I was given this book a little while ago and I completely fell in love with it. The story is charming, imaginative and heart-warming. It's great for kids who want to have some adventures in their garden or in the park - instead of a boring patch of grass, they can discover a world full of danger and scary creatures like the Chimpan-trees or the Croco-logus. Any corner of the garden can transform into a scary creature and there really isn't a peaceful place to eat ham sandwiches!
The illustrations by Edinburgh-based illustrator Cate James are simply fantastic. They're very stylish and evocative and play on textures as well as colour. The font is really easy to read and Penelope Harper's story is well-paced, funny and an amazing springboard for children's imagination. 
This is an adorable book for grandparents to read to their own little explorers and this is the start of an amazing picture book series about Lollipop's adventures with her Grandpa. Thumbs up from me!

Lollipop and Grandpa's Back Garden Safari, by Penelope Harper and illustrated by Cate James | 2012 | Phoenix Books | Age 3 to 5 | Gift

Wanted: Topless Dungeon Master

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Just saw this on io9.com:

Woman DM needed for D & D based Adult Bachelor Party (Pringe George's County, MD)

Description:

Looking for a woman with Dungeon Master experience in Dungeons and Dragons (specifically 3.0 or 3.5 editions) to run a game. The event is for a Bachelor Party and the "future husband to be" would prefer if the DM could be topless. With that said, I ensure you that nothing else is expect of you other than an exciting adventure.

Requirements:

Dungeon Master experience in Dungeons and Dragons (preferably in 3rd or 3.5 Editions)Must be able to provide a picture including the face and body (No nudes please.)It is preferable that cup size be at least C or greater.

If books are needed it must be stated ahead of time however it would be preferable if the DM had her own.

Clientele:

There will be 5 "guys" that will be participation including myself. We are at all above the age of 24. Each of us are gentlemen and will treat the Dungeon Master with the utmost of respect.

Compensation:

I honestly don't know how to charge for this kind of service because it's not something typically done so the compensation will be negotiated. It's expected that the session last no less than 30 minutes.

Date:

A day prior to October 11th (The Day of the Wedding) would be ideal.

Location:

The location will be negotiated but priority will be give to the preference of the Dungeon Master.

Any other questions will be answered as needed. Only serious applicants need apply.
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I'm speechless. . . :/