2014 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees

[farseer2]

http://www.philipkdickaward.org/

The judges of the 2014 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce six nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:

ELYSIUM by Jennifer Marie Brissett (Aqueduct Press)

THE BULLET-CATCHER'S DAUGHTER by Rod Duncan (Angry Robot)

THE BOOK OF THE UNNAMED MIDWIFE by Meg Elison (Sybaritic Press)

MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta (Harper Voyager)

MAPLECROFT: THE BORDEN DISPATCHES by Cherie Priest (Roc)

REACH FOR INFINITY edited by Jonathan Strahan (Solaris)

1) Has anyone read any of the nominees? If so, what's your opinion? (I'm afraid I haven't).

2) Can someone with more knowledge about the US publishing industry explain to me what's the deal with this award? It's supposed to be "for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States". What does it say about a book if it is "published in paperback original form"? Why is there a need to have an award targeted specifically towards books published that way?

 

[Micah R Sisk]

1) No, I've not read any of these, and actually none of the authors' names even look familiar to me (my bad!).

2) The award is as it is because it was founded in honor of Philip K. Dick, who throughout his prolific and influential (albiet tripped-out) career was mostly relegated to paperback-only publishing. He started writing back in the pulp-SF days of the 50s. Short stories mostly. Then in the pshychedelic 60s he graduated to (small) novels, attaining an early success with Man in the High Castle (Hugo award winner in 1963). But that didn't really make him a household name. He struggled most of his life, pounding out short novels rapidly when he needed rent money. Ultimately these were destined for poorly paid paperback editions. It wasn't until late in his life that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was adapted to film (Blade Runner) and people really woke up to his work. He died, though, before the film hit the theaters.

So, in honor of his paperback career, we have this award dedicated to those who don't pull hardback publications right out of the box. It's nominations are often authors you don't hear a whole lot about (Rudy Rucker, Robert Charles Wilson, Richard Paul Russo, Jon Armstrong, Simon Morden...etc.).

 

[farseer2]

So it's a matter of helping worthy authors who for some reason are not very commercially successful yet...

 

[odo]

http://www.philipkdickaward.org/
1) Has anyone read any of the nominees? If so, what's your opinion? (I'm afraid I haven't).

I found Reach for Infinity to be excellent. One of the best anthologies of original SF of the last few years, in fact. My review: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot.com.es/2014/06/reach-for-infinity-edited-by-jonathan.html

 

[farseer2]

I found Reach for Infinity to be excellent. One of the best anthologies of original SF of the last few years, in fact. My review: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot.com.es/2014/06/reach-for-infinity-edited-by-jonathan.html

Nice review! Makes me want to read it, but I don't know how I'll find the time...