Philip K. Dick Award 2011

[Rob B]

2011 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

The judges of the 2011 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce seven nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award [which is awarded to the best SF book published as a paperback original]:

A SOLDER'S DUTY by Jean Johnson (Ace Books)
AFTER THE APOCALYPSE by Maureen F. McHugh (Small BeerPress)
DEADLINE by Mira Grant (Orbit)
THE COMPANY MAN by Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit)
THE OTHER by Matthew Hughes (Underland Press)
THE POSTMORTAL by Drew Magary (Penguin Books)
THE SAMUIL PETROVITCH TRILOGY by Simon Morden (Orbit)

I've only read one of the nominees and loved it (Deadline) so I'd be pleased to see that book receive the award.

McHugh's collection is generating nothing but positive buzz on teh intarwebs

Simon Mordern was nominated for three books, rather than one, much like Connie Willis was recently. I wonder if this is a new trend.

I'll admit my initial bias against Jean Johnson's A Soldier's Duty because it was genre-switch novel for the author who is best known for paranormal romances. I have copy and will make an effort to read it before the awards are announced.

I am VERY surprised that something like Leviathan Wakes, which has received a great deal of acclaim, didn't make the list.

Any other thoughts?

[suciul]

I read the Morden trilogy which started ultra-strong in the first volume which is superb but then the second volume which also started very strong (antigravity anyone...) moved to a run-of-the-mill plot (zombie invasion), ok not quite zombies but the closest sf analog) ignoring the sfnal stuff all together and the third volume was mediocre at best with some laughable ideological stuff (the UN saves the world...) instead of focusing on the sf stuff.
Overall a B level series and a pity as I expected so much more after the first volume and the promises it held and were completely unfulfilled

The Jean Johnson book is mediocre mil-sf with superpowers that had been done for ages and from which there is so much better stuff out there (eg DK Moran just to name one)

I took a look at The Company man and I would like to read it (and Troupe for that matter) at some point, but too many books, too little time...

No interest in the rest for me

[odo]

I am VERY surprised that something like Leviathan Wakes, which has received a great deal of acclaim, didn't make the list.

At first I thought that it had been published in HC and dind't qualify but after quick Amazon check I've learnt that it's not the case. Certainly surprising, yes (though I'm reading LW at the moment and find it not especially remarkable).