Calling all speculative fiction writers and readers:
The Nebula Award nomination period is now open! The rules have changed a lot this year, and I’m excited to see how those changes are reflected in the preliminary and final ballots.
Alas, I’ve read almost nothing but books assigned for my MFA degree and my own students’ stories in the last year, and am woefully behind on many of the current sf releases, wondering now to vote. So I’m calling on all of you (whoever’s out there reading this somewhat neglect blog) to please recommend your favorite short stories, novelettes, novellas, novels, sf films, and spec fic YA novels. It would be a great help to have somewhere to start, based on good recommendations.
One request:
Please limit your recommendations to three works across all categories. (I just want your absolute favorites!)
Thanks so much!
Oh, and a P.S. plug to those SFWA members who may be reading:
In terms of my own work that is viable for Nebula recommendations this year, they are:
In the novelette category, my story “The Ghost Hunter’s Beautiful Daughter” which appeared in this month’s Asimov’s issue.
In the novel category, my novel The Love We Share Without Knowing, which came out at the tail end of 2008 (which makes it a valid work for which to cast a vote).
Christopher Barzak 
You definitely should have a look at this wonderful short story: “And Her Lips Rang with the Sun” by Amal El-Mohtar.
For novels, I think you have to look at Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Wind-up Girl. It’s the kind of book that comes along maybe once a decade, and his profound re-imagining of ecological SF will probably end up being the most influential SF idea since the singularity. And his prose is downright purty.
Oh oh oh OH! I love that you’re doing this!
Novelette: “each thing i show you is a piece of my death,” by Gemma Files and Stephen J. Barringer, in Clockwork Phoenix 2. It’s AMAZING, and I desperately want it to win something — look at what Cat wrote about it, too!
Short story:
– “Notes on a Comparative Mythology,” by Nicole Kornher-Stace. Slanty Selkie tale.
– The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew, by Catherynne Valente
and a third to come when I’m not so sleepy. 🙂 Happy reading!
My favorite things so far this year are:
“Bridesicle” by Will McIntosh (January Asimovs)
“The Narrative of a Beast’s Life” by Cat Rambo (current RoF)
Well, like everyone else, I’ll admit that I want to “pop” my own short story, “Teddy Bears and Tea Parties”, especially since it’s my first sale, first pro sale, and it somehow it got a few nomination votes but still needs help.
But I won’t be that mercenary (or have I already been?).
One of the best things I remember reading all last year was Paul Jessup’s “Open Your Eyes”, with probably the best opening paragraph ever written in the English language. Okay. Maybe not THE best, but pretty darn close!
Thanks, all, for your suggested reading so far. Keep it coming! We’ve got until February, I think.
Oh, and check out “Fairyland” by Catherynne M. Valente, too. It’s up for the Andrea Norton Award. Good stuff. 🙂
Well, not up for it, yet, so much as eligible. But yeah!