Nebula Awards Showcase 2018

  * * *

  Arabella paced in her bedroom, sick with worry. Her hands worked at her handkerchief as she went, twisting and straining the delicate fabric until it threatened to tear asunder.

  A black-bordered letter. An express. No one would send such dire news by such an expensive means unless it concerned a member of the family. She forced herself to hope that it might be an error, or news of some distant relative of whose existence she had not even been aware . . . but as the silence went on and on, that hope diminished swiftly.

  Who was it who had passed? Father, or Michael? Which would be worse? She loved them both so dearly. Michael and she were practically twins, and he had many more years ahead of him, so his loss would surely be the greater tragedy. But Father . . . the man who had shared with her his love of automata, who had sat her on his knee and taught her the names of the stars, who had quietly encouraged her to dare, to try, to risk, despite Mother’s objections . . . to lose him would be terrible, terrible indeed.

  Every fiber of her being insisted that she run to her mother’s room, burst through the door, and demand an answer. But that would be unladylike, and, as Mother had repeatedly admonished, unladylike behavior was entirely unacceptable under even the most pressing circumstances. And so she paced, and pulled her handkerchief to shreds, and tried not to cry.

  And then, startling though not a surprise, a knock came on the door. It was Nellie, her mother’s handmaid. “Mrs. Ashby requests your presence, Miss Ashby.”

  “Thank you, Nellie.”

  Trembling, Arabella followed Nellie to her mother’s dressing-room, where Fanny and Chloë, already present, were gathered in a miserable huddle with their mother. The black-bordered letter lay open on her mother’s writing-desk, surrounded by the scattered fragments of the seal, which was of black wax.

  Arabella stood rooted, just inside the door, her eyes darting from the letter to her mother and sisters. It was as though it were a lukhosh, or some other dreadful poisonous creature, that had already struck them down and was now lying in wait for her. She wondered whether she was expected to pick it up and read it.

  She ached to know what the letter contained. She wanted nothing more than to flee the room.

  Nellie cleared her throat. “Ma’am?” Mother raised her head, her eyes flowing with tears. Noticing Arabella, she gently patted the settee by her side. The girls shifted to make room for her.

  Arabella sat. Each of her sisters clutched one of her hands, offering comfort despite their own misery.

  “The news is . . . it is . . . it is Mr. Ashby,” Mother said. She held her head up straight, though her chin trembled. “Your father has passed on.”

  “Father . . . ?” Arabella whispered.

  And even though the distance between planets was so unimaginably vast . . . even though the news must be months old . . . even though it had been over eight months since she had seen him with her own eyes . . . somehow, some intangible connection had still remained between her and her father, and at that moment she felt that connection part, tearing like rotted silk.

  And she too collapsed in sobs.

  PAST NEBULA AWARD WINNERS

  1965

  Novel: Dune by Frank Herbert

  Novella: “He Who Shapes” by Roger Zelazny and “The Saliva Tree” by Brian Aldiss (tie)

  Novelette: “The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth” by Roger Zelazny

  Short Story: “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” by Harlan Ellison

  1966

  Novel: Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (tie)

  Novella: “The Last Castle” by Jack Vance

  Novelette: “Call Him Lord” by Gordon R. Dickson

  Short Story: “The Secret Place” by Richard McKenna

  1967

  Novel: The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany

  Novella: “Behold the Man” by Michael Moorcock

  Novelette: “Gonna Roll the Bones” by Fritz Leiber

  Short Story: “Aye, and Gomorrah” by Samuel R. Delany

  1968

  Novel: Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

  Novella: “Dragonrider” by Anne McCaffrey

  Novelette: “Mother to the World” by Richard Wilson

  Short Story: “The Planners” by Kate Wilhelm

  1969

  Novel: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

  Novella: “A Boy and His Dog” by Harlan Ellison

  Novelette: “Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones” by Samuel R. Delany

  Short Story: “Passengers” by Robert Silverberg

  1970

  Novel: Ringworld by Larry Niven

  Novella: “Ill Met in Lankhmar” by Fritz Leiber

  Novelette: “Slow Sculpture” by Theodore Sturgeon

  Short Story: No Award

  1971

  Novel: A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg

  Novella: “The Missing Man” by Katherine MacLean

  Novelette: “The Queen of Air and Darkness” by Poul Anderson

  Short Story: “Good News from the Vatican” by Robert Silverberg

  1972

  Novel: The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

  Novella: “A Meeting with Medusa” by Arthur C. Clarke

  Novelette: “Goat Song” by Poul Anderson

  Short Story: “When It Changed” by Joanna Russ

  1973

  Novel: Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

  Novella: “The Death of Doctor Island” by Gene Wolfe

  Novelette: “Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand” by Vonda N. McIntyre

  Short Story: “Love Is the Plan, the Plan Is Death” by James Tiptree Jr.

  Dramatic Presentation: Soylent Green

  1974

  Novel: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

  Novella: “Born with the Dead” by Robert Silverberg

  Novelette: “If the Stars Are Gods” by Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford

  Short Story: “The Day before the Revolution” by Ursula K. Le Guin

  Dramatic Presentation: Sleeper by Woody Allen

  Grand Master: Robert Heinlein

  1975

  Novel: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

  Novella: “Home Is the Hangman” by Roger Zelazny

  Novelette: “San Diego Lightfoot Sue” by Tom Reamy

  Short Story: “Catch That Zeppelin” by Fritz Leiber

  Dramatic Presentation: Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder

  Grand Master: Jack Williamson

  1976

  Novel: Man Plus by Frederik Pohl

  Novella: “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?” by James Tiptree Jr.

  Novelette: “The Bicentennial Man” by Isaac Asimov

  Short Story: “A Crowd of Shadows” by C. L. Grant

  Grand Master: Clifford D. Simak

  1977

  Novel: Gateway by Frederik Pohl

  Novella: “Stardance” by Spider and Jeanne Robinson

  Novelette: “The Screwfly Solution” by Racoona Sheldon

  Short Story: “Jeffty Is Five” by Harlan Ellison

  1978

  Novel: Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre

  Novella: “The Persistence of Vision” by John Varley

  Novelette: “A Glow of Candles, A Unicorn’s Eye” by C. L. Grant

  Short Story: “Stone” by Edward Bryant

  Grand Master: L. Sprague de Camp

  1979

  Novel: The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

  Novella: “Enemy Mine” by Barry B. Longyear

  Novelette: “Sandkings” by George R. R. Martin

  Short Story: “GiANTS” by Edward Bryant

  1980

  Novel: Timescape by Gregory Benford

  Novella: “Unicorn Tapestry” by Suzy McKee Charnas

  Novelette: “The Ugly Chickens” by Howard Waldrop

  Short Story: “Grotto of the Dancing Deer” by C
lifford D. Simak

  Grand Master: Fritz Leiber

  1981

  Novel: The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe

  Novella: “The Saturn Game” by Poul Anderson

  Novelette: “The Quickening” by Michael Bishop

  Short Story: “The Bone Flute” by Lisa Tuttle [declined by author]

  1982

  Novel: No Enemy but Time by Michael Bishop

  Novella: “Another Orphan” by John Kessel

  Novelette: “Fire Watch” by Connie Willis

  Short Story: “A Letter from the Clearys” by Connie Willis

  1983

  Novel: Startide Rising by David Brin

  Novella: “Hardfought” by Greg Bear

  Novelette: “Blood Music” by Greg Bear

  Short Story: “The Peacemaker” by Gardner Dozois

  Grand Master: Andre Norton

  1984

  Novel: Neuromancer by William Gibson

  Novella: “Press Enter []” by John Varley

  Novelette: “Blood Child” by Octavia Butler

  Short Story: “Morning Child” by Gardner Dozois

  1985

  Novel: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

  Novella: “Sailing to Byzantium” by Robert Silverberg

  Novelette: “Portraits of His Children” by George R. R. Martin

  Short Story: “Out of All Them Bright Stars” by Nancy Kress

  Grand Master: Arthur C. Clarke

  1986

  Novel: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

  Novella: “R&R” by Lucius Shepard

  Novelette: “The Girl Who Fell into the Sky” by Kate Wilhelm

  Short Story: “Tangents” by Greg Bear

  Grand Master: Isaac Asimov

  1987

  Novel: The Falling Woman by Pat Murphy

  Novella: “The Blind Geometer” by Kim Stanley Robinson

  Novelette: “Rachel in Love” by Pat Murphy

  Short Story: “Forever Yours, Anna” by Kate Wilhelm

  Grand Master: Alfred Bester

  1988

  Novel: Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

  Novella: “The Last of the Winnebagos” by Connie Willis

  Novelette: “Schrödinger’s Kitten” by George Alec Effinger

  Short Story: “Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge” by James Morrow

  Grand Master: Ray Bradbury

  1989

  Novel: The Healer’s War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

  Novella: “The Mountains of Mourning” by Lois McMaster Bujold

  Novelette: “At the Rialto” by Connie Willis

  Short Story: “Ripples in the Dirac Sea” by Geoffrey A. Landis

  1990

  Novel: Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

  Novella: “The Hemingway Hoax” by Joe Haldeman

  Novelette: “Tower of Babylon” by Ted Chiang

  Short Story: “Bears Discover Fire” by Terry Bisson

  Grand Master: Lester del Rey

  1991

  Novel: Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick

  Novella: “Beggars in Spain” by Nancy Kress

  Novelette: “Guide Dog” by Mike Conner

  Short Story: “Ma Qui” by Alan Brennert

  1992

  Novel: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

  Novella: “City Of Truth” by James Morrow

  Novelette: “Danny Goes to Mars” by Pamela Sargent

  Short Story: “Even the Queen” by Connie Willis

  Grand Master: Fred Pohl

  1993

  Novel: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

  Novella: “The Night We Buried Road Dog” by Jack Cady

  Novelette: “Georgia on My Mind” by Charles Sheffield

  Short Story: “Graves” by Joe Haldeman

  1994

  The 1994 Nebulas were awarded at a ceremony in New York City in late April 1995.

  Novel: Moving Mars by Greg Bear

  Novella: “Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge” by Mike Resnick

  Novelette: “The Martian Child” by David Gerrold

  Short Story: “A Defense of the Social Contracts” by Martha Soukup

  Grand Master: Damon Knight

  Author Emeritus: Emil Petaja

  1995

  Novel: The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer

  Novella: “Last Summer at Mars Hill” by Elizabeth Hand

  Novelette: “Solitude” by Ursula K. Le Guin

  Short Story: “Death and the Librarian” by Esther M. Friesner

  Grand Master: A. E. van Vogt

  Author Emeritus: Wilson “Bob” Tucker

  1996

  Novel: Slow River by Nicola Griffith

  Novella: “Da Vinci Rising” by Jack Dann

  Novelette: “Lifeboat on a Burning Sea” by Bruce Holland Rogers

  Short Story: “A Birthday” by Esther M. Friesner

  Grand Master: Jack Vance

  Author Emeritus: Judith Merril

  1997

  Novel: The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

  Novella: “Abandon in Place” by Jerry Oltion

  Novelette: “Flowers of Aulit Prison” by Nancy Kress

  Short Story: “Sister Emily’s Lightship” by Jane Yolen

  Grand Master: Poul Anderson

  Author Emeritus: Nelson Slade Bond

  1998

  Novel: Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman

  Novella: “Reading the Bones” by Sheila Finch

  Novelette: “Lost Girls” by Jane Yolen

  Short Story: “Thirteen Ways to Water” by Bruce Holland Rogers

  Grand Master: Hal Clement (Harry Stubbs)

  Author Emeritus: William Tenn (Philip Klass)

  1999

  Novel: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

  Novella: “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang

  Novelette: “Mars Is No Place for Children” by Mary A. Turzillo

  Short Story: “The Cost of Doing Business” by Leslie What

  Script: The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan

  Grand Master: Brian W. Aldiss

  Author Emeritus: Daniel Keyes

  2000

  Novel: Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear

  Novella: “Goddesses” by Linda Nagata

  Novelette: “Daddy’s World” by Walter Jon Williams

  Short Story: “macs” by Terry Bisson

  Script: Galaxy Quest by Robert Gordon and David Howard

  Ray Bradbury Award: Yuri Rasovsky and Harlan Ellison

  Grand Master: Philip José Farmer

  Author Emeritus: Robert Sheckley

  2001

  Novel: The Quantum Rose by Catherine Asaro

  Novella: “The Ultimate Earth” by Jack Williamson

  Novelette: “Louise’s Ghost” by Kelly Link

  Short Story: “The Cure for Everything” by Severna Park

  Script: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai, and Hui-Ling Wang

  President’s Award: Betty Ballantine

  2002

  Novel: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

  Novella: “Bronte’s Egg” by Richard Chwedyk

  Novelette: “Hell Is the Absence of God” by Ted Chiang

  Short Story: “Creature” by Carol Emshwiller

  Script: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by Frances Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, and Peter Jackson

  Grand Master: Ursula K. Le Guin

  Author Emeritus: Katherine MacLean

  2003

  Novel: Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

  Novella: “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman

  Novelette: “The Empire of Ice Cream” by Jeffrey Ford

  Short Story: “What I Didn’t See” by Karen Joy Fowler

  Script: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by Frances Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson

  Grand Master: Robert Silverberg

  Author
Emeritus: Charles L. Harness

  2004

  Novel: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

  Novella: “The Green Leopard Plague” by Walter Jon Williams

  Novelette: “Basement Magic” by Ellen Klages

  Short Story: “Coming to Terms” by Eileen Gunn

  Script: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King by Frances Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, and Peter Jackson

  Grand Master: Anne McCaffrey

  2005

  Novel: Camouflage by Joe Haldeman

  Novella: “Magic for Beginners” by Kelly Link

  Novelette: “The Faery Handbag” by Kelly Link

  Short Story: “I Live with You” by Carol Emshwiller

  Script: Serenity by Joss Whedon

  Grand Master: Harlan Ellison

  Author Emeritus: William F. Nolan

  2006

  Novel: Seeker by Jack McDevitt

  Novella: “Burn” by James Patrick Kelly

  Novelette: “Two Hearts” by Peter S. Beagle

  Short Story: “Echo” by Elizabeth Hand

  Script: Howl’s Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Davis Hewitt, and Donald H. Hewitt

  Andre Norton Award: Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier

  Grand Master: James Gunn

  Author Emeritus: D. G. Compton

  2007

  Novel: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

  Novella: “Fountain of Age” by Nancy Kress

  Novelette: “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” by Ted Chiang

  Short Story: “Always” by Karen Joy Fowler

  Script: Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro