Location: Unknown.
Comments: A trend in the science fiction and fantasy community is to nominate older, revered authors for awards late in their career. Sometimes, these authors even win late career awards. The problem is, the works that these authors are nominated for are almost never particularly good examples of their work, and some are so bad as to be embarrassing. The win for Isaac Asimov's
Foundation's Edge and the nominations for Arthur C. Clarke's
2010: Odyssey Two and Robert A. Heinlein's
Friday are all excellent examples of this phenomenon. Although
Foundation's Edge and
2010: Odyssey Two aren't bad books, they represent a level a mediocrity that is well below the books these two authors produced in their heyday. Heinlein's book
Friday, like most of Heinlein's late career output, is more problematic, but like the first two books is simply not as good as Heinlein's better books. To be brutally honest, but for the gravitas lent to them by the names of the authors on their covers, all three of these books would have been regarded as minor league fluff at best. The point here is that none of these books had any business being on the list of nominees for the award, let alone occupying the first three slots in the Best Science Fiction Novel category.
Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner:
1.
Foundation's Edge by
Isaac Asimov
Other Nominees:
2.
2010: Odyssey Two by
Arthur C. Clarke
3.
Friday by
Robert A. Heinlein
4.
The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh
5.
Courtship Rite by
Donald M. Kingsbury
6.
Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss
7.
The Crystal Singer by
Anne McCaffrey
8.
Starburst by
Frederik Pohl
9.
Merchanter's Luck by C.J. Cherryh
10.
Life, the Universe, and Everything by
Douglas Adams
11.
The Golden Torc by Julian May
12.
Hawkmistress! by Marion Zimmer Bradley
13.
Roderick by John Sladek
14.
No Enemy But Time by
Michael Bishop
15.
Eye of Cat by Roger Zelazny
16.
The Descent of Anansi by
Larry Niven and
Steven Barnes
17.
Mindkiller by
Spider Robinson
18.
A Rose for Armageddon by Hilbert Schenck
19.
The White Plague by
Frank Herbert
20.
Coils by Fred Saberhagen and Roger Zelazny
21.
Wintermind by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin
22.
Birthright: The Book of Man by
Mike Resnick
23.
Aurelia by
R.A. Lafferty
24.
Light on the Sound by Somtow Sucharitkul
25.
Nor Crystal Tears by Alan Dean Foster
26.
The Fall of the Shell by Paul O. Williams
Best Fantasy Novel
Winner:
1.
The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe
Other Nominees:
2.
The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe
3.
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
4.
The One Tree by Stephen R. Donaldson
5.
The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K. Dick
6.
Ogre, Ogre by Piers Anthony
7.
Tempting Fate by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
8.
Centaur Aisle by Piers Anthony
9.
Juxtaposition by Piers Anthony
10.
Oh Susannah! by
Kate Wilhelm
11.
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
12.
Elfstones of Shannara by
Terry Brooks
13.
The Black Beast by Nancy Springer
14.
The Swordbearer by Glen Cook
15.
In Winter's Shadow by Gillian Bradshaw
16.
In Viriconium by M. John Harrison
17.
The Delicate Dependency by Michael Talbot
18.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
19.
The Bloodwind by Charles L. Grant
Best First Novel
Winner:
1.
Courtship Rite by
Donald M. Kingsbury
Other Nominees:
2.
The Red Magician by Lisa Goldstein
3.
The Windhover Tapes: An Image of Voices by Warren Norwood
4.
Lady of Light by Diana L. Paxson
5.
Dreamrider by Sandra Miesel
6.
The Space Eater by David Langford
7.
God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
8.
Earthchild by Sharon Webb
9.
The Delicate Dependency by Michael Talbot
10.
Magician by Raymond E. Feist
11.
The Kalevide by Lou Goble
12.
Sorcerer's Legacy by Janny Wurts
13.
A Greater Infinity by Michael McCollum
14.
The Shadow Hunter by Pat Murphy
Best Novella
Winner:
1.
Souls by Joanna Russ
Other Nominees:
3.
Thesme and the Ghayrog by
Robert Silverberg
4.
The Postman by
David Brin
5.
Horrible Imaginings by
Fritz Leiber
6.
Another Orphan by John Kessel
7.
The Fishing of the Demon Sea by Michael Shea
8.
The Breathing Method by Stephen King
9.
The Devil of Malkirk by Charles Sheffield
10.
To Leave a Mark by
Kim Stanley Robinson
11.
Brainchild by Joseph H. Delaney
12.
Rats in the Moon by Pauline Ashwell
13.
Beyond Any Measure by Karl Edward Wagner
14.
Moon of Ice by Brad Linaweaver
15.
The Magi by Damien Broderick
Best Novelette
Winner:
1.
Djinn, No Chaser by
Harlan Ellison
Other Nominees:
2.
Willow by C.J. Cherryh
3.
Myths of the Near Future by J.G. Ballard
4.
Fire Watch by
Connie Willis
5.
High Steel by
Jack C. Haldeman II and Jack Dann
6.
Swarm by Bruce Sterling
7.
The Gorgon by
Tanith Lee
8.
Pawn's Gambit by
Timothy Zahn
9.
Flare Time by
Larry Niven
10.
Understanding Human Behavior by Thomas M. Disch
11.
Nightlife by Phyllis Eisenstein
12.
The Pope of the Chimps by
Robert Silverberg
13.
Aquila by Somtow Sucharitkul
14.
The Raft by Stephen King
15.
Come Then, Mortal, We Will Seek Her Soul by Michael Shea
16.
Farmer on the Dole by
Frederik Pohl
17.
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
18.
The Little Dirty Girl by Joanna Russ
19.
Relativistic Effects by Gregory Benford
20.
A Private Whale by Brian W. Aldiss
21.
Blind Windows by Garry Kilworth
22. Helen, Whose Face Launched Twenty-Eight Conestoga Hovercraft by Leigh Kennedy
Best Short Story
Winner:
Other Nominees:
3.
Spider Rose by Bruce Sterling
4.
God's Hooks! by Howard Waldrop
5.
Melancholy Elephants by
Spider Robinson
6.
Petra by
Greg Bear
7.
A Letter from the Clearys by
Connie Willis
8.
Dr. Bhumbo Singh by
Avram Davidson
9.
The Scourge by James White
10.
The Man Who Met Picasso by
Michael Swanwick
11.
It Grows On You by Stephen King
12. (tie)
The Sorceress in Spite of Herself by
Pat Cadigan
(tie)
The Theology of Water by Hilbert Schenck
14.
The Horror on the #33 by Michael Shea
15.
Blair House by
Barry N. Malzberg
16.
Ike at the Mike by Howard Waldrop
17.
Coexistence by
David Brin
18.
Gianni by
Robert Silverberg
19.
Written in Water by
Tanith Lee
20.
The Garden of the Cognoscenti by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
21.
Kitemaster by Keith Roberts
22.
Corridors by
Barry N. Malzberg
23.
The Broken Hoop by
Pamela Sargent
24.
The Comedian by Timothy R. Sullivan
25.
Poems to Play on the Piccolo by George Chesbro
26.
The River Styx Flows Upstream by Dan Simmons
27.
Meet Me At Apogee by
Bill Johnson
28.
What in Solemn Silence by Charles L. Grant
Best Single Author Collection
Winner:
Other Nominees:
2.
Majipoor Chronicles by
Robert Silverberg
3.
Stalking the Nightmare by
Harlan Ellison
4.
Different Seasons by Stephen King
5.
Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny
6.
Blooded on Arachne by
Michael Bishop
7.
The Complete Robot by
Isaac Asimov
8.
Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea
9.
The Best of Randall Garrett by Randall Garrett
10.
The Man Who Had No Idea by Thomas M. Disch
11.
Collected Fantasies of Avram Davidson by
Avram Davidson
12.
The Best of Beaumont by Charles Beaumont
13.
Myths of the Near Future by J.G. Ballard
14.
The Robot Who Looked Like Me by
Robert Sheckley
15.
Erasmus Magister by Charles Sheffield
16.
Maurai & Kith by
Poul Anderson
17.
Worlds of George O. Smith by George O. Smith
18.
Soldier Boy by
Michael Shaara
Best Anthology
Winner:
1. The Best Science Fiction of the Year #11 edited by Terry Carr
Other Nominees:
2.
Storm Season edited by Robert Lynn Asprin
3.
Perpetual Light edited by Alan Ryan
4.
Universe 12 edited by Terry Carr
5.
Fantasy Annual V edited by Terry Carr
6. The 1982 Annual World's Best SF edited by Donald A. Wollheim with Arthur W. Saha
7.
The Road to Science Fiction #4: From Here to Forever edited by
James E. Gunn
8.
Elsewhere, Vol. II edited by Terri Windling and Mark Alan Arnold
9.
The Eureka Years edited by Annette Peltz McComas
10.
Shadows 5 edited by Charles L. Grant
11.
Nebula Award Stories Sixteen edited by
Jerry Pournelle
12.
The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series X edited by Karl Edward Wagner
15. The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: 24th Edition edited by Edward L. Ferman
16.
Yesterday's Tomorrows edited by
Frederik Pohl
17.
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories: 8 edited by Arthur W. Saha
18.
The Berkley Showcase Vol. 5 edited by Victoria Schochet and Melissa Singer
19.
Amazons II edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Book
Winner:
Other Nominees:
2.
A Reader's Guide to Fantasy by Baird Searles,
Beth Meacham, and Michael Franklin
3. Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King edited by Tim Underwood and Chuck Miller
4.
Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction by
James E. Gunn
5.
The World of the Dark Crystal by J.J. Llewellyn, illustrated by Brian Froud
6. Science Fiction Writers: Critical Studies of the Major Authors from the Early 19th Century to the Present Day edited by E.F. Bleiler
7. Index to the Science Fiction Magazines: 1926-1950, Revised Edition by Donald B. Day
8.
Mirage by Boris Vallejo and Doris Vallejo
9. Brackett, Bradley, McCaffrey: A Primary & Secondary Bibliography by Rosemarie Arbur
10. The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies: 1981 by NESFA
11. Critical Encounters II: Writers and Themes in Science Fiction edited by Tom Staicar
Best Magazine
Winner:
1.
Locus
Other Nominees:
2.
Fantasy & Science Fiction
3.
Analog
4.
Asimov's
5.
Science Fiction Review
6.
Omni
7.
Twilight Zone
8.
Amazing Stories
9.
Science Fiction Chronicle
10.
Shayol
11.
Fantasy Newsletter
12.
Whispers
13.
Starlog
14.
File 770
15.
Patchin Review
16.
Interzone
Best Publisher
Winner:
1. Pocket/Timescape
Other Nominees:
2. Ballantine/Del Rey
3. DAW
4. Ace
5. Science Fiction Book Club
6. Berkley
7. Tor
8. Underwood-Miller
9. Doubleday
10. Bantam
11. Donald M. Grant
12. Phantasia
13. Donning/Starblaze
14. Atheneum
Best Artist
Winner:
1. Michael Whelan
Other Nominees:
2. Rowena Morrill
3. Don Maitz
4. Boris Vallejo
5. Val Lakey
6. Brian Froud
7. Victoria Poyser
8. Frank Kelly Freas
9. Alicia Austin
10. Barclay Shaw
11. Stephen Fabian
12. David Mattingly
13. Vincent Di Fate
14. Darrell Sweet
15. Rick Sternbach
16. George Barr
17. Carl Lundgren
18. Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon
Go to previous year's nominees: 1982
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1984
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