''Nebula Awards 26'' is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short works edited by

James Morrow James Morrow (born March 17, 1947) is an American novelist and short-story writer known for filtering large philosophical and theological questions through his satiric sensibility. Most of Morrow's oeuvre has been published as science fiction ...

, the first of three successive volumes published under his editorship. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Harcourt () was an American publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. The company was last based in San Diego, California, with editorial/sales/marketing/rights offices in New York City an ...

in May 1992.

Summary

The book collects pieces that won or were nominated for the

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

s for

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

, novelette and

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

for the year 1991, various nonfiction pieces related to the awards, and tributes to recently deceased editor

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pearso ...

and 1991 Grand Master award winner

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science ...

, together with the two

Rhysling Award __NOTOC__ The Rhysling Awards are an annual award given for the best science fiction, fantasy, or horror poem of the year. Unlike most literary awards, which are named for the creator of the award, the subject of the award, or a noted member of t ...

-winning poems for 1990 and an introduction by the editor. Not all nominees for the various awards are included.

*"Introduction" (

) *"'Democrazy,' the Marketplace, and the American Way: Remarks on the Year 1990 in Science Fiction" ssay(

Kathryn Cramer Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer (born April 16, 1962) is an American science fiction writer, editor, and literary critic. Early years Kathryn Cramer is the daughter of physicist John G. Cramer. She grew up in Seattle and graduated from Columbia Univ ...

) *"The Shobies' Story" est Novelette nominee, 1991(

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

) *"Bears Discover Fire" est Short Story winner, 1991(

Terry Bisson Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...

) *"

Tower of Babylon The Tower of Babel ( he, , ''Mīgdal Bāḇel'') narrative in Genesis 11:1–9 is an origin myth meant to explain why the world's peoples speak different languages. According to the story, a united human race speaking a single language and mi ...

" est Novelette winner, 1991(

Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus awards. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the ...

) *"In Memoriam: Donald A. Wollheim" ssay(

George Zebrowski George Zebrowski (born December 28, 1945) is an American science fiction writer and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives with author Pamela ...

) *"A Tribute to Lester del Rey" ssay(

Terry Brooks Terence Dean Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two film novelizations. He has written 23 ''New York Times'' bestsellers during his writing career, and has ...

) *"Love and Sex Among the Invertebrates" est Short Story nominee, 1991( Pat Murphy) *"1/72nd Scale" est Novelette nominee, 1991( Ian R. MacLeod) *"Lieserl" est Short Story nominee, 1991(

Karen Joy Fowler Karen Joy Fowler is an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. Her work often centers on the nineteenth century, the lives of women, and alienation. She is best known as the author of the best-selling novel ''The Jan ...

) *"Epitaph for Dreams" hysling Award, Best Short Poem winner, 1990( G. Sutton Breiding) *"Dear Spacemen" hysling Award, Best Long Poem winner, 1990( Patrick McKinnon) *"Science Fiction Movies of 1990: Spiders, Scissors, and Schwarzenegger" ssay( Bill Warren) *"Over the Long Haul" est Novelette nominee, 1991(

Martha Soukup Martha Soukup (born 20 July 1959 in Aurora, Illinois) is a science fiction author and playwright for thMonday Night PlayGroundemerging playwrights group. In 2003, she won their annuaJune Anne Baker Prizecommission. The 1994 short film Override, ...

) *"The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, A Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skunk" est Novelette nominee, 1991(

Dafydd ab Hugh Dafydd ab Hugh is an author whose novelette, "The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, A Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skunk" in ''Asimov's Science Fiction'', was nominated for a Nebula Award in 1990. Simon & Schuster has published eleven ab Hugh ...

) *"

The Hemingway Hoax ''The Hemingway Hoax'' is a short novel by science fiction writer Joe Haldeman. It weaves together a story of an attempt to produce a fake Ernest Hemingway manuscript with themes concerning time travel and parallel worlds. A shorter version of t ...

" est Novella winner, 1991(

Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...

) *"About the Nebula Awards" *"Selected Titles from the 1990 Preliminary Nebula Ballot" *"Past Nebula Award Winners"

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' noted that " evious high standards remaintained" in this volume, with "plenty of varied, absorbing fiction," with " st of talready quite famous"–citing the contributions of Le Guin, Bisson, Chiang, Murphy and Haldeman. Cramer's overview of 1990 SF was called "useful" and Warren's piece on the year's films "best of all, ... splendid, cleareyed ... the nonfictional benchmark."Review
in ''Kirkus Reviews'', Feb. 15, 1992. The anthology was also reviewed by

Gary K. Wolfe Gary K. Wolfe (born Gary Kent Wolfe in 1946) is an American science fiction editor, critic and biographer. He is an emeritus Professor of Humanities in Roosevelt University's Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies. Life Wolfe was ...

in ''

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

'' no. 376, May 1992, and

Tom Easton Thomas A. Easton (born 17 July 1944) is a teacher and well-known science fiction critic and author. He retired as a professor from Thomas College of Maine in 2014 and now teaches part-time at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA. Easton holds a Bachelo ...

in ''

Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'', December 1992.

Awards

The book placed ninth in the 1993 Locus Poll Award for Best Anthology.

Notes

{{Nebula Awards Showcase Nebula 26 1992 anthologies 1990s science fiction works Harcourt (publisher) books

Summary

Contents

Reception

Awards

Notes