The Preliminary Nebula Ballot has landed

[ellen_datlow]

The Preliminary Nebula Ballot
I think it's an embarrassment that nothing made the preliminary ballot for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. . I really feel the membership let the ball drop in this category.

But on the admirable side, the venues for the short story category are relatively diverse this year -- of the fourteen stories:

2 were published online (Clarkesworld and Helix)
1 is from an anthology (The Coyote Road)
1 is from a collection (The Guild of Xenolinguists)

magazines
4 from Asimov's
2 from Realms of Fantasy
2 from F&F
1 Analog
1 from Subterranean Magazine

Out of the four novellas:
2 are from magazines (Analog and F&SF)
1 from a collection (Dangerous Spaces)
1 from an anthology (Alien Crimes)

The nine novelettes are from the usual suspects: F&SF, Asimov's, Analog, and one anthology (he SFWA European Hall of Fame)

and one lonely script: WALL-E

Comments

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

But what a script. <3

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it but I have heard that plaint!

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

Am I wrong? Have they transposed the novella and novelette nominees?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Not sure...

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I think it's an embarrassment that nothing made the preliminary ballot for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Well, they did nominate two YA books ... it's just that they were both put in the main category.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

They should move them to the Norton. Otherwise, what's the point?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Right.

[pnh.livejournal.com]

But the people who nominated them didn't nominate them for a "Norton," they nominated them for a Nebula. If YA novels are ineligible for the Nebula Award, that's news to me and I daresay it's news to a lot of other members.

The general understanding is that the Norton is its own award, not merely a category of the Nebulas. If matters are otherwise, and the Norton is just the Nebula for best YA book, then this should be clarified. Of course, that would mean it would become the responsibility of the Nebula administrators to draw a clear line between YA work and other fiction, frequently overruling the clear intent of SFWA members who nominate in one category or another. Good luck with that.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Yes, all what you said is true.

But then the Norton committee should be investigating why no one is nominating. Should the Norton stay paired with the Nebulas? Should they allow non-SFWA members to nominate?

YA spec fic is arguably getting better press than the adult (with books like Twilight and such), so why is there so little interest.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Again, it seems the people who do some of the most nominating never read much YA other than Harry Potter. Alas my SFWA membership had to lapse.

[yswilce.livejournal.com]

It is sad, particularly when so much of the YA out there right now is spec. But the twain--audience-wise--don't seem to meet.

[pnh.livejournal.com]

It's also striking that only one story from an online venue made the preliminary ballot.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Two, surely? "The Button Bin" and "Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky". Not that this really affects your point.

[oldcharliebrown.livejournal.com]

I'm not too sure what the point is:

2001: 2
2002: 1
2003: 1
2004: 1
2005: 1
2006: 3
2007: 3
2008: 2

I think I would be more worried if there was none . . .

Sean

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

Not really. Most SFWA members don't read anything that they're not in or that their friends don't give 'em, and most don't submit to online venues.

[ineti.livejournal.com]

I'm a fairly new member to SFWA and it still makes my head turn sideways in curiosity that the 2008 awards have exactly one novel published in 2008 and nine published in 2007.

The Coyote Road

[lindajdunn.livejournal.com]

As a member of the Nebula short fiction jury last year, I was delighted by the quallity of the stories in The Coyote Road and I had hoped there would be another Datlow-edited anthology this year.

Re: The Coyote Road

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Linda. there was! The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy ;-) So if you're on the jury again, and you need a copy of the book, let me know.

Re: The Coyote Road

[lindajdunn.livejournal.com]

Yes. Please. This is my second year and I think we've overlooked this market. Bud Webster is the jury chair.

My street mail address is
2436 Hill Drive
Greenfield, IN 46140

Re: The Coyote Road

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Linda,
I've asked my editor to send you a copy. I haven't seen the most recent NAR but I believe at least a few of the stories had some recs, particularly "The Goosle" by Margo Lanagan.

Re: The Coyote Road

[lindajdunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

The jury is supposed to look for works that SFWA members are likely to have overlooked but I don't consider a few recs to disqualify it from consideration. Sometimes, the problem is not ENOUGH members read the anthology or mentioned it to other members.

Re: The Coyote Road

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I agree. (but I would)

[dqg-neal.livejournal.com]

This being my first year getting the SWFA Bulletin I was confused reading that section.

What seperates the list of Prelimary Nebula Ballot and Works Nominated?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

the Preliminary ballot is everything that received 10 or more recommendations.

Then the membership votes to whittle those recommended stories to a final ballot. Presumably, a ballot will go out soon. (I'm not an active member so never see it and don't know when one gets it).