On February 20th, local time, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) announced the finalists of the 54th nebula awards. The award ceremony will be held on May 18th, local time, and the Warner Marriott Center in California will produce the winners of this year’s nebula awards.
In addition to awards for novels, novelettes, novelettes and short stories, this year’s Xingyun Awards also set up three fiction awards, including the best game writing award, the "bradbury Award" for the best drama presentation, and the "Andre Norton Award" for the best youth science fiction and fantasy works. Among them, the Best Game Writing Award is the first award added this year.
The annual nebula award was first presented in 1965, in recognition of science fiction and fantasy novels published or published in the United States the previous year. The nebula award is one of the most important awards in science fiction and fantasy novels. It is often compared with Hugo Award. Together, they are called "Double Awards", which is called the Nobel Prize in science fiction. Works that win both the nebula award and Hugo award are often regarded as stepping into the palace of classic works.
The nebula award is a spiral nebula made of transparent synthetic resin, hence the name of this award.
China writer Liu Cixin was nominated for the nebula award in 2015. The nominated work is the first part of the English version of Three-body trilogy, which was translated by Chinese-American Liu Yukun, and the name of the English version was translated into The Three Body Problem. In August 2015, at the 73rd World Science Fiction Conference, Liu Cixin’s "Three-body" won the Hugo Award for novels, which was the first time that China people won the highest honor in science fiction literature. In addition, Liu Cixin has won the "Global Chinese Science Fiction Galactic Award" sponsored by the World Chinese Science Fiction Association for many times.
2018 nebula award finalist list:
long
The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal, published by Tor.
In the setting of overhead history, the global disaster forced mankind to carry out a greatly accelerated space program, which at the same time forced female astronauts not to escape from the earth.
The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang, published by Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)
The "Poppy War" by Chinese-American women writers is an epic of historical military fantasy. The story of betrayal and magical conception are intertwined in the background of China’s 12th century war.
Blackfish City, author: Sam J. Miller Publishing: Ecco; Orbit UK
"Black Fish City" is a compact science fiction work, involving a series of problems faced by the real society, such as political corruption, organized crime, gender identity and climate change.
Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik, published by Del Rey; Macmillan
The author Naomi Novik studied the magic of fairy tales deeply and wrote a love story that is eternal but suitable for the present. This bestseller was rated as "one of the best fantasy novels of the year" by The New York Times.
Witchmark, by C.L. Polk, published by Tor.com Publishing.
The author sets the story in England. In the primitive world under the shadow of the world war, the cabal of aristocratic families uses their unique magical gifts to control the destiny of the country, while young people just want to live their own lives.
Trail of Lightning, by Rebecca Roanhorse, published by Saga.
The climate disaster caused the sea level to rise suddenly, and most parts of the world have been submerged below the water level, leaving only the last reserve. Gods and heroes have traveled all over this land, including those legendary monsters.
Medium length
Fire Ant, by Jonathan P. Brazee, published by Semper Fi.
The protagonist is an exploration pilot employed by a big company. During a routine task of analyzing the galaxy system, she came across something that might threaten the survival of mankind. Not oppressed by power, she tried to convey this message to others: there are very real dangers waiting for mankind in the deep air.
The Black God’s Drums, by P. Djèlí Clark, published by Tor.com Publishing.
In the parallel universe, New Orleans fell into the American Civil War. A girl longed to escape from the battlefield, so she boarded the airship of the midnight robber and won the trust of the captain after completing the task many times.
The Tea Master and the Detective, by Aliette de Bodard, published by Subterranean.
Exiled anthropologists and powerful families form a circular habitat. In this mobile society, physical and virtual reality overlap, and the environment will change its appearance according to the current mood of the interlocutors.
Alice Payne Arrives, by Kate Heartfield, published by Tor.com Publishing.
A lost hero, a highway robber, and a raging war. This time travel science fiction story makes a thief reluctantly become a hero.
Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, by Kelly Robson, published by Tor.com Publishing.
This novel is an adventure story about the changes of human history. People choose to go back to the less polluted past or to repair the damaged planet.
Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells, published by Tor.com Publishing.
Known as the "murder robot", it has a dark history, and many people have died at its hands. However, it has only a vague memory of the massacre behind the title, so it cooperates with a transport ship to explore its past.
Short novella
The only harmony great thing, by Brooke Bolander, published by Tor.com Publishing.
In the early 20th century, a group of female factory workers in New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. At about the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately electrocuted to death on Coney Island. The author established a clever connection between the two events in the way of overhead history.
"The Last Banquet of Temporary Conflicts", by Tina Connolly, published in Tor.com.
In this story about the traitor king, a food taster needs to make his own choice: pastry, magic or betrayal.
"An Agent of Utopia", by Andy Duncan, published in An Agent of Utopia.
An assassin, an aging UFO contact, a Mohawk steel worker, a time-traveling fighter, a zombie who eats yam, and a child who likes to eat chicken, they ride in a steamer together, creating a fairy tale in the 21st century.
"The Substance of My Lives, The Incidents of Our Births", by José Pablo Iriarte, published at Lightspeed.
Jimmy is a "non-duality" teenager in a small town, but Ta still remembers many dead people in the town, one of whom is closely related to a murder case 40 years ago.
"The Rule of Three", by Lawrence M. Schoen, published in Future Science Fiction Digest.
Computers around the world are paralyzed in a virus storm, and the world is in chaos. Adam’s car without a computer is one of the few machines that can still work. He used cars to bring people together in the community and seek ways to survive.
"Messenger" by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R.R. Virdi, published in Expanding Universe, Volume 4.
This sci-fi novel about aliens incorporates a lot of animation themes. The author and his partner are the first Sri Lankan writers nominated for the nebula award.
short story
"Interview for the End of the World", by Rhett C. Bruno, published in Bridge Across the Stars.
Rhett Bruno is an American science fiction writer, whose works such as Legend of the Circuit and Son of Titan are on the best-seller list of USA-Today. This short story discusses the end of the world.
"the secret lives of the nine Negroes of George Washington", by Phenderson Djèlí Clark, published in Fireside.
This short story is a fictional story about President George Washington, the founding father of the United States, buying teeth from nine black people.
"Going Dark", by Richard Fox, published in Backblast Area Clear.
The human war has spread to the stars. This short story depicts the fierce scene of heroic soldiers fighting with the enemy.
"And Yet", by A.T. Greenblatt, published in Uncanny.
Only a fool would believe in the haunted house of childhood. However, you have returned to the overgrown front porch, which has not changed for more than 20 years. Memories of the past slowly flow out from here …
"A Watch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Competition of Portal Fantasies", by Alix E. Harrow, published in Apex 2/6/18.
An escape guide for the witch was abandoned on the carpet with a map of foreign countries drawn in brown ink. A red backpack sits next to it …
"The Court Magician", by Sarah Pinsker, published at Lightspeed.
The boy who will become a court magician is different. His background distinguishes him from other children. Although he comes from the market, he is not a cruel child. He never steals money from others or beats children for candy …
Best Game Writing (game writing)
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, by Charlie Brooker, published in House of Tomorrow & Netflix.
The indie TV movie Black Mirror: Pandas Nike describes that young programmers in the 1980s tried to adapt their childhood favorite adventure novel Pandas Nike into a best-selling computer game. The interactive version sets five formal endings for the story.
The Road to Canterbury, by Kate Heartfield, published in Choice of Games.
"The Road to Canterbury" is a mobile APP game based on the author’s 170,000-word interactive medieval novel. The game does not contain animation and pictures, and the whole process is presented in the form of text. The choice of players will determine the direction of the story.
God of War, by Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Cory Barlog, Orion Walker and Adam Dolin, published in Santa Monica Studio/Sony/Interactive Entertainment.
"God of War" is a game developed by Sony Electronic Entertainment Company. The game is based on Greek mythology and tells the adventures of Kratos, who became a god of war from mortal to god of war, and started the killing of gods.
Rent-A-Vice, by Natalia Theodoridou, published in Choice of Games.
This is an interactive game based on a 150,000-word mystery novel. The player plays a private detective and handles a lot of troubles. The game is presented in the form of pure text, and the player’s choice determines the direction of the story.
The Martian Job, by M. Darusha Wehm, published in Choice of Games.
Welcome to Mars! This interactive game is based on the author’s novel text. Players start their own adventures on Mars through their own imagination, and even get rich outside the starry sky.
"bradbury" Best Screenplay Award
The Goodplace: "Jeremy Bearimy", written by Megan Amram.
Good Land is an American fantasy comedy TV series, and the nomination script is the fifth episode of the third season of the drama.
Black Panther, written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
Black Panther is an American action science fiction movie, which tells the story of a superhero with African descent in a highly developed era of science and technology.
A Quiet Place, written by John Krasinski and Bryan Woods & Scott Beck
In the movie Quiet Place, a large-scale invasion broke out, and here, keeping quiet is the only rule for survival.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, written by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman.
In the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a collider opens a passage to other universes, and Spider-Man from other universes and different versions come to help the hero complete his mission.
Dirty Computer, written by Janelle Monáe and Chuck Lightning
In the movie Dirty Computer, a robot tries to get rid of the control of a totalitarian society, which is also very disgusted with homosexuality.
Sorry to Bother You, written by Boots Riley
Sorry to disturb is a comedy fantasy movie. A black telemarketer accidentally discovers the dark secret hidden behind the company, and he has to choose between keeping silent and telling the truth.
"Andre Norton" Award for Best Youth Science Fiction or Fantasy Works
Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi, published by Henry Holt; Macmillan
Ancient magic hangs over the land of West Africa. The king’s ruthless orders deprived the hero of his mother. With the help of a princess, he searched for the lost magic and took revenge on the cruel and heartless royal family.
Aru Shah and the End of Time, by Roshani Chokshi, published by Rick Riordan Presents.
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has just begun to adapt to school life. On one occasion, Aru Shah and his classmates inadvertently released a demon who had been sleeping for thousands of years. The only way to stop the demon was to find five reincarnated soul children. Aru Shah embarked on an adventurous journey.
A Light in the Dark, by A.K. DuBoff, published by BDL.
The invasion of the alien fleet has arrived. Before the world is completely destroyed, Ellie and her friends must find the mysterious fragments and start the restart of the cosmic device to stop the alien attack.
Tess of the Road, by Rachel Hartman, published by Random House.
In medieval Europe, women were required to be ladies and protected by men, but Tess did not accept such social discipline. Her family had to send her to a monastery. Tess cut off her hair, put on her boots and chose to run away. She had to decide her own path.
Dreamnation, by Justina Ireland, published by Balzer+Bray.
The dead came back to life on the battlefield in Gettysburg. They walked on the battlefield and changed the outcome of the American Civil War. In the new United States, children are forced to learn combat skills, fight the wandering undead and protect the safety of most people in the country. The little girl Jane refused to accept this unfair abuse and began an adventure story of resistance.
Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword, Henry Lien (Henry Holt)
Welcome to the Institute of Skating and Fencing, where children are eager to become masters of skating and fencing. When the competition between students is becoming more and more fierce, a huge conspiracy hanging over the college is slowly emerging …
Author Li Yongbo
Editor Zhang Jin proofreads Wu Xingfa.
