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Nebula Award



 
 
The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA , was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight. The organization has since changed its name to Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., but continues with the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the acronym SFFWA....
 (SFWA), for the best science fiction
Science fiction

Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theatre, and other media....
/fantasy
Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of Plot , Theme , and/or Setting . Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of technological and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three ....
 fiction published in the United States during the two previous years (see rolling eligibility below). There is no cash prize associated with the award, the award itself being a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula
Nebula

A nebula is an interstellar cloud of cosmic dust, hydrogen gas and Plasma . Originally nebula was a general name for any extended astronomy astronomical object, including galaxy beyond the Milky Way ....
. The 2007 Nebula Awards were announced on April 26, 2008, in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County, Texas. Situated in Central Texas and part of the Southwestern United States, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States....
.

fiction Nebulas are awarded in five different categories: novel, novella, novelette, short story, and script. The categories are defined by length in words, as follows:

pposed to the Hugo Award
Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards are given every year 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....
 ballot, which is limited to works published during a specific calendar year, the Nebula Awards employ a rolling eligibility system.






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Encyclopedia


The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA , was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight. The organization has since changed its name to Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., but continues with the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the acronym SFFWA....
 (SFWA), for the best science fiction
Science fiction

Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theatre, and other media....
/fantasy
Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of Plot , Theme , and/or Setting . Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of technological and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three ....
 fiction published in the United States during the two previous years (see rolling eligibility below). There is no cash prize associated with the award, the award itself being a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula
Nebula

A nebula is an interstellar cloud of cosmic dust, hydrogen gas and Plasma . Originally nebula was a general name for any extended astronomy astronomical object, including galaxy beyond the Milky Way ....
. The 2007 Nebula Awards were announced on April 26, 2008, in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County, Texas. Situated in Central Texas and part of the Southwestern United States, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States....
.

Award categories

The fiction Nebulas are awarded in five different categories: novel, novella, novelette, short story, and script. 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
  • Script: a script for a movie, TV or radio show, or a play


Rolling eligibility

As opposed to the Hugo Award
Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards are given every year 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....
 ballot, which is limited to works published during a specific calendar year, the Nebula Awards employ a rolling eligibility system. Each work is eligible to qualify for the ballot for one year following its date of publication. During this one-year window, SFWA members can "recommend" the work for the Nebula ballot. When a work has received ten recommendations, it immediately qualifies for the current year's preliminary Nebula ballot. Early the following year, SFWA members vote on the works on the preliminary ballot, narrowing the field down to a final ballot of around five works in each category. Special Nebula juries are permitted, but not required, to add one deserving but overlooked work to the final ballot in each category. SFWA members then vote on the final ballot.

As a consequence of rolling eligibility, a work published one year can 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....
'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....
" 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.

The 2008 Nebula Awards will be the last to use rolling eligibility. Starting with the 2009 awards, the Nebula Awards will move to a standard calendar year eligibility system.

History

The first Nebulas were given for the year 1965. Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert

Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American list of science fiction authors. Although also 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 in literature. It was the winner of the 1966 Hugo Award and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel, and is considered by some to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time....
 won as Best Novel.

Subsequent notable winners have included: Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov , was a Russian-born United States author and professor of biochemistry, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books....
, William Gibson
William Gibson

William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:*William Gibson , English Catholic martyr...
, Larry Niven
Larry Niven

Laurence van Cott Niven is a US science fiction author. Perhaps his best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo Award for Best Novel, Locus Award, Ditmar Award, and Nebula Award for Best Novel awards....
, Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon

Theodore Sturgeon was an United States science fiction author.Though his mainstream success was relatively limited, Sturgeon is now widely recognized as one of the most important and influential science fiction writers of his era....
, Connie Willis
Connie Willis

Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis is an United Statesn science fiction writer.She has won, among other awards, ten Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards....
 (six times), Joe Haldeman
Joe Haldeman

Joe William Haldeman is an United States science fiction author.Life and workHaldeman was born 09. June 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma....
 (five times), 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 United States 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....
, Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison

Harlan Jay Ellison is a prolific United States writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism. His literary and television work has received many awards....
, Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an United States author. She has written novels, poetry, children's literature books, essays, and short story, most notably in the fantasy and science fiction genres....
, Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny

Roger Joseph Zelazny was an United States writer of fantasy and science fiction short story and novels. He won the Nebula award three times and the Hugo award six times , including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad and the novel Lord of Light ....
 (thrice), Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is an United States author, critic and public speaking. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction....
, Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke

Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, Order of the British Empire was a British people science fiction author, inventor, and Futurology, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey , written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, a collaboration which also produced the 2001: A Space Odyssey ; and as a host and comment...
, Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany

Samuel Ray Delany, Jr. is an award-winning United States science fiction author. He has written works that have garnered substantial critical acclaim, including the novels Babel-17, The Einstein Intersection , Nova , Hogg , Dhalgren, and the Return to Nev?r?on series....
, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman

Neil Richard Gaiman is an England author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic series, Stardust , American Gods and Coraline....
, Vonda McIntyre
Vonda McIntyre

Vonda Neel McIntyre is an USA science fiction author....
, Frederik Pohl
Frederik Pohl

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an United States science fiction science fiction writer, editor and science fiction fandom, with a career spanning over seventy years....
, and Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson is an United States science fiction writer, probably best 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 15 years of research and lifelong fascination with M...
 (twice)

Lists of Nebula Award winners

  • Nebula Award for Best Novel
    Nebula Award for Best Novel

    Winners 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....
  • 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. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below....
  • Nebula Award for Best Novelette
    Nebula Award for Best Novelette

    Winners 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....
  • Nebula Award for Best Short Story
    Nebula Award for Best Short Story

    Winners 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....
  • Nebula Award for Best Script
    Nebula Award for Best Script

    Winners 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....


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 Emeritus
Author Emeritus

Author Emeritus award is an honorary title bestowed by SFWA 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 active or whose excellent work may no longer be as widely known as it once was." The Author Emer...
 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....
 for lifetime achievement, the Bradbury
Ray Bradbury

Ray Douglas Bradbury is an United States literature, fantasy, Horror fiction, science fiction, and mystery writer.Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury is widely considered one of the greatest and most popular American writers of speculative fiction of the twentieth century....
 Award for excellence in screenwriting, 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 fantasy book published in the previous year....
 for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Related awards

There are other science fiction awards
List of science fiction awards

The science fiction genre has a number of recognition awards for authors, editors and illustrators. Awards are usually granted annually....
. The Hugo award
Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards are given every year 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....
 is voted on by science fiction fans, and the awards are presented at the annual World Science Fiction Convention ("Worldcon"). The World Science Fiction Convention also awards the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (in Science Fiction). This award is sponsored by the publishers of Analog, the magazine Campbell
John W. Campbell

John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction....
 edited. There is also the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Campbell award (best novel)

This page describes the award for best science fiction novel; for other awards, see Campbell Award .The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel has been awarded every year since 1973, except in 1994....
, a jury-selected prize not associated with the Worldcon.

See also

  • Hugo Award
    Hugo Award

    The Hugo Awards are given every year 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....
  • List of joint winners of the Hugo and Nebula awards
    List of joint winners of the Hugo and Nebula awards

    This is a list of the works that have won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, awarded annually to works of science fiction literature....


External links