"Burn" is a 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...

 novella

Novella

A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...

 published in 2005 by James Patrick Kelly

James Patrick Kelly

James Patrick Kelly is an American science fiction author who began publishing in the 1970s and remains to this day an important figure in the science fiction field....

. It won the 2007 Nebula Award for Best Novella

Nebula Award for Best Novella

Winners 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:**...

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Plot summary

The story follows Prosper Gregory Leung, a farmer who has been recruited to help fight forest fires on his home planet of Walden. After being injured in the line of duty, he is sent to recover in a hospital where he ends up contacting the High Gregory, a young ruler on the planet Kenning. In the course of talking with the High Gregory, Spur unknowingly brings the young "luck maker" and several other young diplomats to Walden.

External links

• Burn – a free HTML version of the story.
• Burn by James Patrick Kelly at BestScienceFictionStories.com – A short review of the novella and resources for finding it.