Comments: 2003 was the year that Neil Gaiman laid down the Nebula gauntlet with his book American Gods. Even though the year's Nebula ballot was very strong, with many brilliant science fiction novels, there was still no doubt that American Gods was head and shoulders above its competition. And even though I love both Ursula K. Le Guin and Kelley Eskridge, I have to concede that Gaiman's work was simply better than theirs.
2003 was also the year that the Lord of the Rings juggernaut got rolling, with a win for The Fellowship of the Ring. Given the steamroller like nature of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings phenomenon, it was almost inevitable that the movie would win, but it seems a shame that it happened in the same year that the brilliantly subversive anti-fairy tale Shrek was released.
Best Novel
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Other Nominees:
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Picoverse by Robert A. Metzger
Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge
Best Novella
Bronte's Egg by Richard Chwedyk
Other Nominees:
The Chief Designer by Andy Duncan
Magic's Price by Bud Sparhawk
The Political Officer by Charles Coleman Finlay
Sunday Night Yams at Minnie and Earl's by Adam-Troy Castro
Best Novelette
Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
Other Nominees:
The Days Between by Allen M. Steele
The Ferryman's Wife by Richard Bowes
Lobsters by Charles Stross
Madonna of the Maquiladora by Gregory Frost
The Pagodas of Ciboure by M. Shayne Bell
Best Short Story
Creature by Carol Emshwiller
Other Nominees:
Creation by Jeffrey Ford
Cut by Megan Lindholm
The Dog Said Bow-Wow by Michael Swanwick
Little Gods by Tim Pratt
Nothing Ever Happens in Rock City by Jack McDevitt
Best Script
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson
Other Nominees:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling by Joss Whedon
The Dead Zone: Unreasonable Doubt by Michael Taylor
Shrek by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Go to previous year's nominees: 2002
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2004
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