Nebula Award
Encyclopedia
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
(SFWA), for the best science fiction
/fantasy
fiction published in the United States during the previous year. There is no cash prize associated with the award, instead the award itself being a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula
with gemstones cut to resemble planets.
.
The categories are defined by length in words, as follows:
SFWA members can recommend works as suggested reading during the year. From November 15 until February 15 of the following year, SFWA members may nominate up to five works per category. The top six nominations in each category appear on the final ballot, with accommodations for ties. Voting takes place between February 20 and March 30. Number of nominations is used as a tie-breaker if necessary: if still tied, the tie stands and both works receive the award.
's Dune
won as Best Novel.
Notable authors of winning works include: Isaac Asimov
(thrice),
William Gibson
,
Larry Niven
,
Theodore Sturgeon
,
Connie Willis
(six times),
Joe Haldeman
(five times),
Gene Wolfe
(twice),
Greg Bear
,
Lois McMaster Bujold
(twice),
Harlan Ellison
(four times),
Ursula K. Le Guin
(six times),
Roger Zelazny
(thrice),
Orson Scott Card
(twice),
Catherine Asaro
(twice),
Arthur C. Clarke
(thrice),
Samuel R. Delany
(twice),
Neil Gaiman
,
Vonda McIntyre
(twice),
Frederik Pohl
,
and Kim Stanley Robinson
(twice)
Prior to 2009, the Nebula Awards employed a rolling eligibility system. Each work was eligible to qualify for the ballot for one year following its date of publication. As a consequence of rolling eligibility, a work published one year could end up on the subsequent year's Nebula ballot, which is voted on in the year following that. For example, William Shunn
's novelette "Dance of the Yellow-Breasted Luddites
" was published in July 2000. It was eligible to be recommended for the preliminary ballot from its date of publication until the end of June 2001. As it happened, the work did not receive the needed tenth recommendation until 2001, so despite its 2000 publication date, it ended up on the 2001 preliminary ballot (and, subsequently, the final ballot). The 2001 final ballot was then voted upon by SFWA members in 2002. Special Nebula juries were permitted, but not required, to add one deserving but overlooked work to the final ballot in each category. SFWA members then voted on the final ballot.
The 2007 Nebula Awards were announced on April 26, 2008, in Austin, Texas
. The 2008 Nebula Awards were the last to use rolling eligibility.
for contributions to the field, the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
for lifetime achievement, the Bradbury Award
for excellence in a dramatic presentation, the Service to SFWA Award, and the Andre Norton Award
for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. Beginning in 2009, the SFWA has also presented the Solstice Award to honor individuals with a significant impact on the speculative fiction field, unlike the Grand Master award, the Solstice can be presented posthumously.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
(SFWA), for the best science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
fiction published in the United States during the previous year. There is no cash prize associated with the award, instead the award itself being a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
with gemstones cut to resemble planets.
Award categories
The fiction Nebulas are awarded in four different categories: novel, novella, novelette, and short story. From 1973 to 1977 and again from 1999 through 2008, a script award was also presented, but in 2009, that was replaced with the Bradbury AwardBradbury Award
The Ray Bradbury Award is presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to recognize excellence in screenwriting...
.
The categories are defined by length in words, as follows:
- Novel: a work of 40,000 words or more
- Novella: a work of at least 17,500 words but under 40,000 words
- Novelette: a work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words
- Short story: a work of under 7,500 words
Eligibility
Starting with the 2009 awards, the Nebula Awards will move to a standard calendar year eligibility system. Works first published in the US during the calendar year are eligible, even if they have previously been published elsewhere.SFWA members can recommend works as suggested reading during the year. From November 15 until February 15 of the following year, SFWA members may nominate up to five works per category. The top six nominations in each category appear on the final ballot, with accommodations for ties. Voting takes place between February 20 and March 30. Number of nominations is used as a tie-breaker if necessary: if still tied, the tie stands and both works receive the award.
History
The first Nebulas were given for 1965. Frank HerbertFrank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
won as Best Novel.
Notable authors of winning works include: Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
(thrice),
William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
,
Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
,
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
,
Connie Willis
Connie Willis
Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis is an American science fiction writer. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards. Willis most recently won a Hugo Award for Blackout/All Clear...
(six times),
Joe Haldeman
Joe Haldeman
Joe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.-Life :Haldeman was born June 9, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family traveled and he lived in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Maryland and Anchorage, Alaska as a child. Haldeman married Mary Gay Potter, known...
(five times),
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the...
(twice),
Greg Bear
Greg Bear
Gregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
,
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. Bujold is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella The Mountains of Mourning won both the Hugo...
(twice),
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
(four times),
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
(six times),
Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
(thrice),
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
(twice),
Catherine Asaro
Catherine Asaro
Catherine Asaro is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is best known for her books about the Ruby Dynasty, called the Saga of the Skolian Empire.- Biography :...
(twice),
Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
(thrice),
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
(twice),
Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
,
Vonda McIntyre
Vonda McIntyre
Vonda Neel McIntyre is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Vonda N. McIntyre, daughter of H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre, earned a degree in biology from the University of Washington in 1970. That same year, she attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, founded at the Clarion...
(twice),
Frederik Pohl
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
,
and Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
(twice)
Prior to 2009, the Nebula Awards employed a rolling eligibility system. Each work was eligible to qualify for the ballot for one year following its date of publication. As a consequence of rolling eligibility, a work published one year could end up on the subsequent year's Nebula ballot, which is voted on in the year following that. For example, William Shunn
William Shunn
William Shunn is a science fiction writer and computer programmer. He was raised in a Latter-day Saint household, the oldest of eight children. He attended the Clarion Workshop in 1985...
's novelette "Dance of the Yellow-Breasted Luddites
Dance of the Yellow-Breasted Luddites
"Dance of the Yellow-Breasted Luddites" is a science fiction novelette by William Shunn. It appeared in the original anthology Vanishing Acts, edited by Ellen Datlow and published by Tor Books in 2000. It was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.-Plot:The story takes place in a...
" was published in July 2000. It was eligible to be recommended for the preliminary ballot from its date of publication until the end of June 2001. As it happened, the work did not receive the needed tenth recommendation until 2001, so despite its 2000 publication date, it ended up on the 2001 preliminary ballot (and, subsequently, the final ballot). The 2001 final ballot was then voted upon by SFWA members in 2002. Special Nebula juries were permitted, but not required, to add one deserving but overlooked work to the final ballot in each category. SFWA members then voted on the final ballot.
The 2007 Nebula Awards were announced on April 26, 2008, in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The 2008 Nebula Awards were the last to use rolling eligibility.
Lists of Nebula Award winners
- Nebula Award for Best NovelNebula Award for Best NovelWinners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
- Nebula Award for Best NovellaNebula Award for Best NovellaWinners of the Nebula Award for Best Novella. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.-Winners and other nominees:-External links:**...
- Nebula Award for Best NoveletteNebula Award for Best NoveletteWinners of the Nebula Award for best Novelette. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-External links:* * *...
- Nebula Award for Best Short StoryNebula Award for Best Short StoryWinners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
- Nebula Award for Best ScriptNebula Award for Best ScriptWinners of the Nebula Award for Best Script. The stated year is that of release; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below. In 1974, 1975, and 1977 the award was for "Best Dramatic Presentation"...
Other awards presented at the Nebula ceremony
Though not officially Nebula Awards, a number of other honors and awards are presented at the Nebula ceremony, though not necessarily every year. They are the Author EmeritusAuthor Emeritus
Author Emeritus award is an honorary title bestowed by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. It was created "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made significant contributions to our field but who are no longer...
for contributions to the field, the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It is awarded to a living author for lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. Officially, it is not a Nebula Award though it is awarded at the Nebula ceremony...
for lifetime achievement, the Bradbury Award
Bradbury Award
The Ray Bradbury Award is presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to recognize excellence in screenwriting...
for excellence in a dramatic presentation, the Service to SFWA Award, and the Andre Norton Award
Andre Norton Award
The Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, named to honor prolific science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton , is a yearly juried award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to the author of an outstanding young adult science fiction or...
for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. Beginning in 2009, the SFWA has also presented the Solstice Award to honor individuals with a significant impact on the speculative fiction field, unlike the Grand Master award, the Solstice can be presented posthumously.
See also
- Hugo AwardHugo AwardThe Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
- List of joint winners of the Hugo and Nebula awards
- Nebula Winners TwelveNebula Winners TwelveNebula Winners Twelve is a 1978 anthology of short stories edited by Gordon R. Dickson. The included works that had won the Nebula Award and were originally published in 1975 and 1976...
- Nebula Winners ThirteenNebula Winners ThirteenNebula Winners Thirteen is a 1980 anthology of short stories edited by Samuel R. Delany. The included works had won the Nebula Award and were originally published in 1977...
- The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One and Volume TwoThe Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume TwoThe Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time is an anthology edited by Ben Bova. It honors works published prior to the institution of the Nebula Awards in 1965...