''Nebula Award Stories Sixteen'' is an anthology of award winning

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 uni ...

short works edited by

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s ...

and John F. Carr. It was first published in hardcover by

Holt, Rinehart and Winston Holt McDougal is an American publishing company, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, that specializes in textbooks for use in high schools. The Holt name is derived from that of U.S. publisher Henry Holt (1840–1926), co-founder of the e ...

in August 1982; a paperback edition was issued by Bantam Books in September 1983. British editions were issued by W. H. Allen (hardcover) and Star (paperback) in 1983; the latter under the variant title ''Nebula Winners Sixteen''.

Summary

The book collects pieces that won or were nominated for the Nebula Awards for novella, 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 1981 and a few other pieces related to the awards, together with an introduction by Pournelle and appendices. Not all nominees for the various awards are included.

*"Introduction" (

) *"

Grotto of the Dancing Deer "Grotto of the Dancing Deer" is a science fiction short story by American writer Clifford D. Simak, one of his last short works. It won the 1980 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the 1981 Hugo Award for Best Short Story and Locus Award for Best ...

" est Short Story winner, 1981(

Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak (; August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror W ...

) *"Why Is There So Little Science in Literature?" ssay(

Gregory Benford Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is professor emeritus at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a contributing editor of ''Reas ...

) *"Ginungagap" est Novelette nominee, 1981(

Michael Swanwick Michael Swanwick (born 18 November 1950) is an American fantasy and science fiction author who began publishing in the early 1980s. Writing career Swanwick's fiction writing began with short stories, starting in 1980 when he published "Ginungagap ...

) *"Unicorn Tapestry" est Novella winner, 1981(

Suzy McKee Charnas Suzy McKee Charnas (October 22, 1939 – January 2, 2023) was an American novelist and short story writer, writing primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. She won several awards for her fiction, including the Hugo Award, the Ne ...

) *"1980: Whatever Weirdness Lingers" ssay( Michael Glyer) *"

Rautavaara's Case "Rautavaara's Case" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in 1980 in '' Omni'' magazine and subsequently in the 1985 short story collection '' I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon''. The story was also in ...

" hort story( Philip K. Dick) *"1980: The Year in Fantastic Films" ssay( Bill Warren) *"The Ugly Chickens" est Novelette winner, 1981(

Howard Waldrop Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021. Personal life Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...

) *"What Did 1980 Mean?" ssay(

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), Jo ...

) *"Secrets of the Heart" est Short Story nominee, 1981( Charles L. Grant) *"Appendixes"

Reception

''Publishers Weekly'' calls the volume "a valuable as well as an enjoyable book," singling out the Charnas ("calmly realistic and riveting"), Waldrop ("delightful") and Simak pieces for comment, while assessing those of Grant, Swanwick and Dick as " od work." The nonfiction pieces are called "useful," providing " riety and balance."Review in ''Publishers Weekly'' v. 221, iss. 25, June 18, 1982, p. 65. ''School Library Journal'' found the quality of the anthology's stories and essays "uneven," but noted that " braries aiming for comprehensive science-fiction coverage will want tregardless." The films review and retrospective listings of Nebula and Hugo winners were rated " ong the assets" of the book.Review in ''School Library Journal'' v. 28, iss. 10, August 1982, p. 136. The anthology was also reviewed by Susan L. Nickerson in ''Library Journal'' v. 107, Aug. 1, 1982, and Steven Lehman in ''Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review'' no. 11, January/February 1983.

Awards

The book placed eleventh in the 1983 Locus Poll Award for Best Anthology.

Notes

{{Nebula Awards Showcase Nebula 16 1982 anthologies 1980s science fiction works Holt, Rinehart and Winston books

Summary

Contents

Reception

Awards

Notes