World Fantasy Awards 2001

[Rob B]

Copied from www.locusmag.com (s-l-o-w p-a-g-e-s damned Code Red! is hitting them as well)

Anyway, below is the final ballot for the World Fantasy Awards. Any thoughts? Who will win? Why? What you've read from the nominees? Any you thought should have been nominated?

• DECLARE, Tim Powers
• GALVESTON, Sean Stewart
• THE GRAND ELLIPSE, Paula Volsky
• HIS DARK MATERIALS 3: THE AMBER SPYGLASS, Philip Pullman
  
  
  
  
  
• LORD OF EMPERORS, Guy Gavriel Kay
• PERDIDO STREET STATION, China Miéville
  
  
  
  
  

Of the nominees the only ones I've read thus far were Miéville and Pullman. Both are worthy of the nomination. A bit surprised at the Pullman nomination since it is marketed towards the younger crowd, but a great book, and a satisfying conclusion to wonderful series nonetheless. I guess with HARRY POTTER getting some award recognition, doors are opened for Pullman's trilogy (which I think is a better set of books, IMHO).

I am surprised that A STORM OF SWORDS wasn't nominated, though it was nominated for the Hugo, hopefully it will take that home.

That said, hands down, I'd vote for PERDIDO and think it will take home the award. Any words I use to describe the magnificence of the book will not do justice to the book itself.

 

[allanon]

But GRRM won LocusAward for "Storm of Swords".This is his ninth career Locus and third only for ASOIF.
IMHO I dont think that World Fantasy Awards are very important,really big awards are Hugo,Nebula and Locus.

 

[Rob B]

Actually The World Fantasy Award is a fairly large award--there is a big convention every year of the World Fantasy Organization. The WFA is probably on level with the Hugos, just specifically aimed at fantasy, the awards are voted on in the same manner, voted on by the members of the convention. Hugos voted on at the World Science Fiction Convention, by members of that convention.

Locus is voted on by subscribers of the magazine; Nebulas voted on by members/panel of members from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America(SFWA).

Don't get me wrong, I think it is an incredible acheivement to win all those Locus awards and in different categories, it speaks to GRRM's diversity and ability to write.

 

[cassandra]

Hey, Fitz, is the Perdido Street Station one about angels? I think I remember seeing it at the Comicon and being interested, but they didn't actually have it for sale there (Del Ray needs to get their booth together). Also, the Guy Gavriel Kay book, Lord of Emporers, is damn amazing. If you're running out of stuff to read this summer, it's the 2nd book in a duology. The first is Sailing to Sarantium. Excellent stuff. Thanks for posting.

 

[The Fortyish Man]

There are some interesting comments on the World Fantasy Awards by one of the judges, Dianna Wynne Jones,in Ansible 169 http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Ansible/a169.html


Diana Wynne Jones has been struggling with `the little matter of pleurisy, combined with the World Fantasy Awards. In fact, the former helped the latter on unexpectedly much, in that I seem to be the only judge to have read all 206 books. Yes, count them. I did. Now we're at the stage of scrambling for lists; when I put in my recommendations, I get distraught cries of "Oh, God, do I have to read that too?!" And when, with a view to lightening the mood a little, I suggested that A Kiss of Shadows [by Laurell K.Hamilton] ought to have been subtitled Elfin Lays, all I got was a harassed silence. Sad. • Actually, I'm here to tell you that the WFA is a caucus race and a MUG'S GAME. I would not do it again even if they paid me next time. There are too many books and not enough time, and the management chip in all the time and try to direct the judges' choice.' Later, 20 July: `I thought it was over -- until the 207th book arrived this morning, full of the customary vampires. Am I the only person in the world who is BORED by vampires?'

Diana Wynne Jones adds a delighted footnote on judging the World Fantasy Award: `The WFA administrators -- usually known among us humble panelists as The Secret Masters, when it isn't something ruder -- blandly admit they have lost the Rules. Apparently said Rules were last seen three years ago before one of them moved house. Not untypical.'

 

[Rob B]

cassandra:

Perdido isn't about angels. The wing on the cover represents one of the characters, a Hawk-man like character.
BUY IT AND READ IT!

GG Kay's Sarantium duology was published as an omnibus by SFBook Club, I've been considering picking it up.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I don't know what about the rest of you guys.
But when i buy a book the awards it won has absolutly no effect on my decision of which book to read.

 

[Giarc]

I agree with Fitzchiv...awards don't influence my decision to read one jot and...whoa. Hang on a sec. Ye gads! Fitzchiv...I agreed with you about something!!!

Must be the heat

Still, I hope GGK takes it out since he never seems to get the accolades I've always thought he deserves. Have to agree with Cassandra on the sarantium books

Ok, off to see a doc for heatstroke now (just kidding ya Fitzchiv

)

 

[FitzChivalry]

I'm off to the synagog now..
I found religion again.

 

[Cadfael]

Posted by Giarc

I agree with Fitzchiv...awards don't influence my decision to read one jot and...whoa. Hang on a sec. Ye gads! Fitzchiv...I agreed with you about something!!! Must be the heat

MY God!, this is becoming an epidemic... you ain't going soft are you FC. But I am 100% behind you on that comment... I read what I like, I don't take too much notice of awards.

But... they are a good yardstick to start with. I have to say when I started to read SF, the Hugo award meant something... if a book, or author picked up one of these it was a big thing. I still read SF, but I could not tell you the winner of the 'best book' Hugo winner for the last 10 years. I can remember a lot of 'Hugo' winners from the 60' and 70's though. Yes... I agree, I am an old fogie, but SF is not a patch on what it used to be, there are some shining examples, but very few these days.

 

[Rob B]

I don't always agree with the books chosen as nominees, let alone winners for these types of awards. Sometimes I will finish a book that won a Hugo or Nebula and be surprised it won the award.

Anyway, thought this would be interesting discussion. Also, first time I read 2 books on one of these lists BEFORE they were nominated.

 

[Shehzad]

Call the CDC this epidemic is getting out of hand: not only am I agreeing with FC, Giarc and FF, but also with dennizm.....

SF is not a patch on what it used to be, there are some shining examples, but very few these days

You got that right, big brother....

 

[FitzChivalry]

Well, maybe i'm getting soft, when i got here i was an energetic 22 years old guy.
Now i got old and i'm 23...
Or maybe you just finally realized that my words are always the final truth.

 

[Eventine]

I can't say I have read as much modern SF as older stuff. One new series definitely wortha read is the Gap series by Donaldson - especially if you are a fan.

And I have no idea if it won any awards