As some of you may or may not know, I decided to partake of this crazy reading challenge in which, I would read as many of the nominees of the largest book awards for speculative fiction I could by the time the winners were announced. Obviously, this was easier said than done, but I did read a lot of amazing books, and many of them did NOT win the awards. In addition, I learned of more awards that were given to these authors in different regions throughout the world—if anyone knows of an award given in Asia, then please let me know—and I learned more about authors I’ve read or haven’t read before.
I suggest that you go to the websites for these awards and take a look at all of the finalists because you might recognize the authors, their works and their other interested. Some of these authors only receive the recognition from these awards. And, I wouldn’t have known who Lauren C. Teffeau and Nick Clark Windo were without doing this project.
I did read a lot of the winners and the nominees, but only the winners of each award and category will be listed here. I haven’t written all of the reviews for some of the winners, yet; but, I hope to do so in the near future. Please read my reviews I’ve linked to the books, and let me know what you thought of the winners of these awards. And yes, I’m doing this again for 2020!
Winner: 84K by Claire North
Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award
Honors the Best 1st Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Novel of the Year
Winner: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award
Winners:
Novel: Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell
Shorter Fiction: Time Was by Ian McDonald
Non-Fiction: “On motherhood and erasure: people-shaped holes, hollow characters and the illusion of impossible adventures” by Aliette de Bodard
Artwork: Likhain’s “In the Vanishers’ Palace: Dragon I and II”
Winners:
Novel: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Novella: The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
Novelette: “The Only Harmless Great Thing” by Brooke Bolander
Short Story: “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” by Phenderson Djèlí Clark
Game Writing: “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” Charlie Brooker
The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Screenplay by Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman
The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Winners:
Novel: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Novella: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Novelette: “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” by Zen Cho
Short Story: “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” by Alix E. Harrow
Series: Wayfarers by Becky Chambers
Related Work: Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Graphic Story: Monstress, Volume 3: Haven, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
Dramatic Presentation:
Long Form: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Short Form: “The Good Place: Janet”
Editor:
Short Form: Gardner Dozois
Long Form: Navah Wolfe
Professional Artist: Charles Vess
Semiprozine: “Uncanny Magazine”
Fanzine: “Lady Business”
Fancast: “Our Opinions Are Correct”
Fan Writer: Foz Meadows
Fan Artist: Likhain (Mia Sereno)
Art Book: The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, illustrated by Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. LeGuin
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer: Jeannette Ng
Brave New Words Award
Given to an individual who produces break-out literature that is New and Bold.
Winner: Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Given for Science Fiction Literature
Winner: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Winners:
Science Fiction Novel: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Fantasy Novel: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Horror Novel: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Young Adult Book: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
First Novel: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Novella: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Novelette: “The Only Harmless Thing” by Brooke Bolander
Short Story: “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” by Phenderson Djèlí Clark
Anthology: The Book of Magic edited by Gardner Dozois
Collection: How Long ‘til Black Future Month? By N.K. Jemisin
Magazine: Tor.com
Publisher: Tor
Editor: Gardner Dozois
Artist: Charles Vess
Non-Fiction: Ursula K. LeGuin: Conversations on Writing by Ursula K. LeGuin & David Naimon
Art Book: Charles Vess, The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, Ursula K. LeGuin
Winners:
Fantasy Novel: The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams
Horror Novel: Little Eve by Catriona Ward
Newcomer: Tasha Suri for Empire of Sand
Novella: The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
Short Fiction: “Down Where Sound Comes Blunt” by GV Anderson
Anthology: Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5, edited by Robert Shearman & Michael Kelly
Collection: All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma
Non-Fiction: Noise and Sparks by Ruth EJ Booth
Independent Press: Unsung Stories
Magazine/Periodical: “Uncanny Magazine”
Audio: Breaking the Glass Slipper (www.breakingtheglassslipper.com)
Comic/Graphic Novel: Widdershins, Vol. 7 by Kate Ashwin
Artist: Vince Haig
Film/Television Production: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
2019 World Fantasy Awards
Lifetime Achievement Awards: Hayao Miyazaki, Jack Zipes
Winners:
Novel: Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Novella: “The Privilege of the Happy Ending” by Kij Johnson
Short Fiction (tie): “Ten Deals with the Indigo Sky” by Mel Kassel
“Like a River Loves the Sky” by Emma Törzs
Collection: The Tangled Lands by Paolo Bacigalupi & Tobias S. Buckell
Artist: Rovina Cal
Special Award:
Professional: Huw Lewis-Jones for The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands
Non-Professional: Scott H. Andrews for Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Literary Adventure Fantasy
Anthology: Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo
Bram Stoker Awards (2018)
Superior Achievement in a Novel: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Superior Achievement in a First Novel: The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel: Victor LaValle’s Destroyer by Victor LaValle
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction: The Devil’s Throat (Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Terror)
Superior Achievement in Short Fiction: “Mutter” (Fantastic Tales of Terror) by Jess Landry
Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection: That Which Grows Wild by Eric J. Guignard
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay: The Haunting Hill House: The Bent-Neck Lady, Episode 01:05 by Meredith Averill
Superior Achievement in an Anthology: The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea by Ellen Datlow
Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction: It’s Alive: Bringing Your Nightmares to Life by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection: The Devil’s Dreamland by Sara Tantlinger
Aurealis Award (2018)
Recognizes the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.
Winners:
Young Adult Short Story: “The Sea-Maker of Darmid Bay” by Shauna O’Meara
Young Adult Novel: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Science Fiction Novel: Lifel1k3 by Jay Kristoff
Fantasy Novel (tie): City of Lies by Sam Hawke
The Witch Who Courted Death by Maria Lewis
Horror Novel: Tides of Stone by Kaaron Warren
Children’s Fiction: The Endsister by Penni Russon
Graphic Novel/Illustrated Work: Tales from The Inner City by Shaun Tan
Horror Novella: Crisis Apparition by Kaaron Warren
Horror Short Story: “Sub-Urban” by Alfie Simpson
Fantasy Novella: “The Staff in the Stone” by Garth Nix
Fantasy Short Story: “The Further Shore” by J. Ashley Smith
Science Fiction Novella: Icefall by Stephanie Gunn
Science Fiction Short Story: “The Astronaut” by Jen White
Collection: Tales from The Inner City, edited by Shaun Tan
Anthology: The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year, edited by Jonathan Strahan
The Sara Douglass Book Series Award: Blackthorn & Grim Trilogy by Juliet Mariller
Convenors’ Award for Excellence (tie):
Cat Sparks, The 21st Century Catastrophe: Hyper-capitalism and Severe Climate Change in Science Fiction (PhD exegesis Curtin University)
Kim Wilkins, Lisa Fletcher and Beth Driscoll, Genre Worlds: Australian Popular Fiction in the 21st Century (http://www.genreworlds.com)
Nommo Award (2018)
Recognizes the works of speculative fiction by Africans, defined as “science fiction, fantasy, stories of magic and traditional belief, alternative histories, horror and strange stuff that might not fit anywhere else,” awarded by the African Speculative Fiction Society.
Winners:
Novel (The Ilube Award): Freshwater by Akweake Emezi
Novella: The Fire Bird by Nerine Dorman
Short Story: “The Witching Hour” by Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald
Comic or Graphic Novel: Shuri by Nnedi Okorafor
SPFBO (Self-Publishing Fantasy Blog-Off) 2018 (4th)
Started by Mark Lawrence, yes THAT one, with the purpose to “shines a light on self-published fantasy. It exists to find excellent books that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.” The contest starts with 300 books and it gradually narrows down to 10 finalists! The judges are readers who are bloggers and vloggers. Note: some of these authors gain a following and some even earn a publishing contract, so don’t ignore these books!
Winner: Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike
Finalists:
The Gods of Men by Barbara Kloss
The Purification Era Book One: Sowing by Angie Gricaliunas
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
Symphony of the Wind by Steven McKinnon
The Anointed by Keith Ward
Conspiracy of Magic Book One: Ruthless Magic by Megan Crewe
Sworn to the Night by Craig Schaefer
Iconoclasts Book 1: Aching God by Mike Shel
Out of Nowhere by Patrick LeClerc
