[clong]

I don't see that this has been posted yet:

http://www.sfwa.org/awards/2006/NebPrelim2005.html

[tdeanatoz@yahoo]

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction has already put all of their ballot stories up on their website for free perusal. Asimov's and Analog will follow shortly, I expect.

As usual with the Nebulas, nothing much here strikes my fancy. The Novella category looks particularly bare.

I believe that Kelly Link is the current "Flavor of the Month" over at SFWA, so look for her to win at least one award, probably for "Magic for Beginners."

[Vanin]

I collected all available texts on my blog (links to them, that is). So you may check them out here (http://www.maciejmajewski.pl/czytam/2006/01/nagrody-nebula-2005-wstepne-nominacje) , if you are interested.

[Ash]

I thought Cusp was a fun read, a little weird, but full of ideas :)

same with camoflage, although it ended very quickly :(

[Bob Lock]

In the novels catergory I've read Iron Council and Going Postal but I would choose Mieville's Iron Council; it is an inventive story and I like his linguistic style. Surreal throughout and full of weird and wonderful characters; worth a read but bear in mind that it's the third novel of the New Crobuzon series and although can be read as standalone it's certainly better to read the others first. Perdido Street Station is the one I would start with.

Going Postal is the sort of fun read you expect from Pratchett. It deals with the triumph of the small man, (Moist -a con-artist) seconded into reviving the postal service by Lord Vetinari, over the large and modern "clacks" service (a bit like BT hehe). Definately one of his better stories.

Bob

[Yobmod]

I've not read much in any of the catergories. Only one of the novels (JS&MN), although 4 or 5 are already on my to read list (Mieville's, Ryman's, Bujold's, Stevenson's).

I usually only pay attention to the short list, which i guess is why the long list feels strangely full of authors i've never heard of.

I particularly don't want Bujold to win. I read the first in thre series, and it was good, but not great. If Hallowed Hunt wins too, this will be one of the most awarded series ever :mad:

I'd also rather Clarke didn't scoop another award. The book was good (but too long), but if she wins this too, then in ten years time people will look back and think there were no great SF books out this year.

[Beleg]

That Jonathan Lethem short story (Super Goat Man) is great!

[Yobmod]

The Short list (http://www.sfwa.org/news/2006/nebula_ballot05.htm) is now out. All the novellas, novelettes and short stories (except the Lanangan) are available online for free for a limited time. FreeSpecFic (http://www.freesfonline.de/Authors.html) has them all

Novels

Air - Geoff Ryman
Camouflage - Joe Haldeman
Going Postal - Terry Pratchett
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Polaris - Jack McDevitt
Orphans of Chaos - John C. Wright

Novellas

"Clay's Pride" - Bud Sparhawk
"Identity Theft" - Robert J. Sawyer
"Left of the Dial" - Paul Witcover
"Magic for Beginners" - Kelly Link
"The Tribes of Bela" - Albert Cowdrey

Novelettes

"The Faery Handbag" - Kelly Link
"Flat Diane" - Daniel Abraham
"Men are Trouble" - James Patrick Kelly
"Nirvana High" - Eileen Gunn and Leslie What
"The People of Sand and Slag" - Paolo Bacigalupi

Short Stories

"Born-Again" - K.D. Wentworth
"The End of the World as We Know It" - Dale Bailey
"I Live With You" - Carol Emshwiller
"My Mother, Dancing" - Nancy Kress
"Singing My Sister Down" - Margo Lanagan,
"Still Life With Boobs - Anne Harris
"There's a Hole in the City - Richard Bowes

[KatG]

So the Nebula now does both sf and fantasy? And the novels may have come out in 2004 or 2005? Has Pratchett ever gotten a nomination before? This is all much more confusing than back when I used to pay attention to this stuff.

[clong]

From the Nebula Rules (http://www.sfwa.org/awards/rules.htm):

Works must be in either the Science Fiction or the Fantasy genres. The Nebula Awards® Report (NAR) Editor will decide the eligibility of a questionable work, subject to appeal to the SFWA Awards Rules Committee.

Eligibility
Works in categories (a) through (e) are eligible for twelve (12) months from the month of publication or release. A work's eligibility period begins on the first day of the month of its first publication in the United States, or, in the case of a dramatic work, on the day of its first release in a U.S. public theater, or first air-date on U.S. TV, or equivalent for radio plays and theatrical products, and ends on the last day of the preceeding month in the following year, or, in the case of a dramatic work, 365 days later.
A work is eligible to be placed on the Preliminary Nebula Ballot only once. A work that has been placed on the Preliminary Nebula Ballot is no longer eligible, even if the twelve month eligibility period has not expired.
At the end of the Nebula Awards® year, the NAR editor will issue a Preliminary Nebula Ballot. All works receiving ten (10) or more recommendations during their period of eligibility shall be placed on the Preliminary Ballot in their appropriate categories. The Preliminary Ballot must be mailed to active members no later than January 15.
Members will nominate no more than five works in each category on the Preliminary Ballot. These ballots shall be returned to the NAR editor or independent agent (as indicated on the ballot) before the Preliminary Ballot closing date, which will be not less than 28 days after the date of distribution of the Preliminary Ballot. The five works in each category receiving the most nominations will be placed on a Final Ballot.
The Final Ballot will be published and distributed by the NAR editor to all active members within fourteen (14) days after the Preliminary Ballot closing date.