2004 Prometheus Award Nominees

Location: Unknown.

Comments: Once again, the Libertarian Futurist Society seems to have stretched the definition of "libertarian fiction" well beyond any kind of recognizable limit by nominated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for its Best Novel award. Fundamentally, the only real "libertarian" element of J.K. Rowling's novel is the existence of a secret society dedicated to opposing the machinations of a would-be evil overlord. But if that's the criteria, then there are very few fantasy or science fiction novels that wouldn't qualify as "libertarian fiction", and once you've expanded your definition that far, exactly what is unique about your award?

Best Novel

Winner:

Sims by F. Paul Wilson

Other Nominees:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind
The Pixel Eye by Paul Levinson
Spin State by Chris Moriarty

Hall of Fame

Winner:

The Ungoverned by Vernor Vinge

Other Nominees:
The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. van Vogt

Go to previous year's nominees: 2003
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2005

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2004 Mythopoeic Award Nominees

Location: Unknown.

Comments: In many years the most interesting set of nominees for the Mythopoeic Award are the ones in the Myth and Fantasy Studies category, and 2004 was not exception to this. The element that stands out in the category is the sheer diversity of topics that the nominees cover. Despite all sharing the topic of "myth and fantasy", the nominated works could not be more different. The winner in the category was an analysis of the mythology of super-heroes and how that relates to American culture. One on the non-winning nominees is about spirituality in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Another is an analysis of the works of Beatrix Potter. A third is about vampires in American fiction. A fourth discusses the evolution of fairy tales in nineteenth century England. Quite simply, the eclectic nature of the topics covered by these books serves as a reminder as to why the Mythopoeic Awards are among the best genre awards out there.

Best Adult Fantasy Literature

Winner:
Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Other Nominees:

Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin

Fudoki by Kij Johnson
In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

Best Children's Fantasy Literature

Winner:
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

Other Nominees:

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies

Winner:

Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-Earth by John Garth

Other Nominees:
C.S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulse by Don W. King

Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings edited by Matthew Dickerson

Tolkien the Medievalist edited by Jane Chance

Myth and Fantasy Studies

Winner:

The Myth of the American Superhero by John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett

Other Nominees:

Algernon Blackwood: An Extraordinary Life by Mike Ashley

Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit: A Children's Classic at 100 edited by Margaret Mackey
A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld by Francis Bridger

National Dreams: The Remaking of Fairy Tales in Nineteenth-Century England by Jennifer Schacker

Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture: What Becomes a Legend Most by William Patrick Day

Go to previous year's nominees: 2003
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2005

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