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 ...
of
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 ...
and
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
short works edited by Canadian writer
Julie E. Czerneda
Julie E. Czerneda (born April 11, 1955) is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author. She has written many novels, including four Aurora Award for Best Novel winners (''In the Company of Others'', ''A Turn of Light'', ''A Play of Shadow'', an ...
. It was first published in trade paperback and ebook by Pyr in May 2017.''Publishers Weekly'' (review) 03/27/2017.
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 ...
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 ...
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 2015 (presented in 2016), as well as the novel that won the
Andre Norton Award
The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (formerly the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy) is an annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to the ...
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
and excerpts from representative early novels by her, nonfiction pieces related to the awards, and the three
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 ...
and
Dwarf Stars Award
The Dwarf Stars Award is an annual award presented by the Science Fiction Poetry Association to the author of the best horror, fantasy, or science fiction poem of ten lines or fewer published in the previous year. The award was established in 20 ...
-winning poems for 2015, together with an introduction by the editor. The novels are represented by excerpts; the non-winning pieces nominated for the Andre Norton Award, Best Novella and for Best Novelette are omitted.
Contents
*"Introduction" (
Julie E. Czerneda
Julie E. Czerneda (born April 11, 1955) is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author. She has written many novels, including four Aurora Award for Best Novel winners (''In the Company of Others'', ''A Turn of Light'', ''A Play of Shadow'', an ...
)
*"About the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America"
*"Kevin O'Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award Recipient: Lawrence M. Schoen"
*"About the Nebula Awards"
*"2015 Nebula Awards Ballot"
*"Madeleine" est short story nominee, 2016(
Amal El-Mohtar
Amal El-Mohtar (born 13 December 1984) is a Canadian poet and writer of speculative fiction. She has published short fiction, poetry, essays and reviews, and has edited the fantastic poetry quarterly magazine ''Goblin Fruit'' since 2006.
El-Moht ...
Naomi Kritzer
Naomi Kritzer is an American speculative fiction writer and blogger. Her 2015 short story " Cat Pictures Please" was a Locus Award and Hugo Award winner and was nominated for a Nebula Award. Her novel, ''Catfishing on CatNet'' won the 2020 Lod ...
Alyssa Wong
Alyssa Wong is an American writer of speculative fiction, comics, poetry, and games. Wong is a recipient of the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, and Locus Award.
Wong studied fiction at North Carolina State University, graduating in 2017 ...
Marge Simon
Marge Baliff Simon (born 1942) is an American artist and a writer of speculative poetry and fiction.
Biography
Early life
Marge Simon was born in Bethesda, Maryland, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado.
Education and career
She received her B ...
Sarah Pinsker
Sarah Pinsker is an American science fiction and fantasy author. A nine-time finalist for the Nebula Award, Pinsker's debut novel '' A Song for a New Day'' won the 2019 Nebula for Best NovelBinti" est novella winner, 2016(
Nnedi Okorafor
Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (formerly Okorafor-Mbachu; born April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian-American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her ''Binti Series'' and her novels ''Who Fears ...
Charles E. Gannon
Charles E. Gannon is a novelist and game designer who has worked primarily on hard science-fiction and role-playing games.
Career
Charles Gannon wrote '' Hard Times'' (1991), a '' MegaTraveller'' book which pushed the background metaplot up b ...
N. K. Jemisin
Nora Keita Jemisin (born September 19, 1972) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, better known as N. K. Jemisin. Her fiction includes a wide range of themes, notably cultural conflict and oppression. Her debut novel, ''The Hundre ...
)
*"Excerpt from ''
Ancillary Mercy
''Ancillary Mercy'' is a science fiction novel by the American writer Ann Leckie, published in October 2015. It is the final novel in Leckie's "Imperial Radch" space opera trilogy, which began with ''Ancillary Justice'' (2013) and was followed b ...
Ann Leckie
Ann Leckie (born 2 March 1966) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. Her 2013 debut novel ''Ancillary Justice'', in part about artificial consciousness and gender-blindness, won the 2014 Hugo Award for "Best Novel", as well as th ...
Ken Liu
Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short fic ...
Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik (born April 30, 1973) is an American author of speculative fiction. She is known for the ''Temeraire'' series (2006–2016), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars involving dragons, and her ''Scholomance'' fantasy series (2020 ...
F. J. Bergmann
F. J. Bergmann (born 1954) is the pen name of Jeannie Bergmann, an American editor and writer of speculative poetry and prose fiction.
Biography
Early life
F. J. Bergmann was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Her father was a German immigrant who m ...
)
*"About the Ray Bradbury Award"
*"A Remarkable Win" ssay_on_Ray_Bradbury_Award_winner_''Mad_Max:_Fury_Road''.html" ;"title="Mad_Max:_Fury_Road.html" ;"title="ssay on Ray Bradbury Award winner ''Mad Max: Fury Road">ssay on Ray Bradbury Award winner ''Mad Max: Fury Road''">Mad_Max:_Fury_Road.html" ;"title="ssay on Ray Bradbury Award winner ''Mad Max: Fury Road">ssay on Ray Bradbury Award winner ''Mad Max: Fury Road''(Mark Askwith)
*"About the Andre Norton Award"
*"Excerpt from ''Updraft''" [Andre Norton Award winner] (Fran Wilde (author), Fran Wilde)
*"About the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award"
*"I Have Read Them All, Now" [tribute to Kate Wilhelm Award winner Sir
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels.
Pratchett's first nov ...
] (
Michelle Sagara
Michelle Michiko Sagara (born May 5, 1963) is a Japanese-Canadian author of fantasy literature, active since the early 1990s. She has published as Michelle Sagara, as Michelle West (using her husband's surname) and as Michelle Sagara West. Sagara ...
)
*"About the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award"
*"Damon Knight Grand Master: C. J. Cherryh" ribute(
Betsy Wollheim
Elizabeth Rosalind "Betsy" Wollheim (born 5 December 1951, New York) is the President, co-Publisher and co-Editor-in-Chief of science fiction and fantasy publisher DAW Books, "a small private company, owned exclusively by its publishers." The la ...
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
)
*"Past Nebula Award Winners"
*"About the Editor"
*"About the Cover Artist"
Reception
''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' states that "Czerneda has curated a sterling collection of outstanding work" and called the anthology "indispensable reading for anyone interested in fantastic fiction," with " e three short-fiction winners show ngthe breadth of themes and ideas and the sheer creativity of the genre’s leading writers."
Samantha Holloway in the ''New York Journal of Books'' calls "this year's collection ... a very good example of the breadth and depth of current scifi and fantasy. As it should be, being the best of the best nominated for the awards." She discusses most of the pieces favorably, summing up with " e characters and cultures depicted are also wonderfully diverse, and that's still a new enough thing to see that it's exciting and fresh." Noting that " st of this collection comes from women," she take the fact as a signal "that the boy's club idea of scifi and fantasy may finally have cracked." She concludes " this book doesn't make a reader want to go find the full novels and collections these stories and excerpts come from, maybe speculative fiction isn't for them, because this year's collection is top notch and compulsively readable."
Kristi Chadwick in the ''
Library Journal
''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' writes " is collection will speak to anyone who has a passion for diverse, imaginative speculative fiction" and "the tales showcased here push the boundaries of sexuality, diversity, and genre, reflecting the ability of sf/fantasy always to surprise and reward."
Glenn Dallas in the '' San Francisco Book Review'' describes the series "hard to top" as "a home for outstanding short stories that show the incredible inventiveness that typifies science fiction," with the current volume representing "one of the more accessible years for Nebula nominees," as it "skewed more toward the emotional than the dry and scientific. ... is is the breadth and depth of speculative fiction writ large: the crossroads of imagination, heart, and insight." He rates the book 4 stars out of 5.Dallas, Glenn Review in the ''San Francisco Book Review'', June 2017.