Nebula Awards Weekend

Now that I am hugely successful (cough), yeah that doesn’t quite work does it? Let me rephrase that: now that I am an official member of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) I will be attending the Nebula Awards Weekend.

I suppose you can consider the Nebula (the writing award for Science Fiction and Fantasy) to be similar to the Academy Awards for Motion Pictures, in that the nominees are voted on by your peers, or at least other SFWA members, just as the Oscars are voted on by other members of the Academy.

I’m not up for any award, I’m not eligible because my books have not been published yet. For those of you who have enjoyed reading my novels for the last two and a half years, you have to understand that the SFWA does not recognize authors published through presses not on their accepted list. Short story writers require three submission acceptances, again to those publications on their approved list. Robin got me in by having them contact Orbit and verifying that they have offered a contract to publish me. It seems a novel publication through one of the big six, is an instant eligibility.

I must admit, I have issues with their system that excludes a large portion of very successful writers, and I expect they will as well if the eRevolution continues on its present course. Nevertheless, it is their system, their club, and their rules. I just feel it is unfortunate that many readers may not be aware that many successful stories are never even considered for these awards, but just assume they did not win a nomination based on their quality.

In time I suspect all this will change, as many things already are. At the present however, I and some forty colleagues will be autographing books in the Washington Hilton, here in DC on Friday May 20th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. as part of the Nebula Awards Weekend. This signing is open to the public. So if you are in the neighborhood, come down and say hi, just so I’m not the only author without a line in front of me.

Even if you don’t care about me, other expected participants will be:

• John Joseph Adams
• Christopher Barzak
• J. Kathleen Cheney
• Aliette de Bodard
• Tom Doyle
• Scott Edelman
• Timons Esaias
• Cynthia Felice
• Andrew Fox
• Kerry Frey
• Laura Anne Gilman
• Anne Groell
• Joe Haldeman
• Peter Heck
• Vylar Kaftan
• JohnKessel
• Alethea Kontis
• Mary Robinette Kowal
• Geoffrey A.Landis
• Allen Lewis
• Tom Lewis
• Lee Martindale
• James Morrow
• Catherine Petrini
• Stanley Schmidt
• Lawrence Schoen
• Lansing Sexton
• Bud Sparhawk
• Allen Steele
• Eric James Stone
• Robin Sullivan
• Michael Swanwick
• Brandie Tarvin
• Mary Turzillo
• Michael Whelan
• Alexander Whitaker
• Connie Willis