Cast Your Vote for the 2010 Clive Staples Award

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The Clive Staples Award (named in honor of C.S. Lewis) was created to bring attention to Christian speculative fiction and the wonderful books in this genre that never get recognized. The first award was granted in 2009 to Donita K. Paul. Now it’s time to vote for the 2010 nominees. Because this is a reader’s choice award, we need you!

Readers or authors may make nominations provided the books contain overt Christian content or a Christian worldview and are published in English by a royalty paying publisher between January 2009 and December 2009. Sub-genres included are: science fiction, fantasy, allegory, futuristic, supernatural, and supernatural suspense. Voters will be eligible if they have read two or more of the books nominated.

For more details, to cast your vote, or to nominate an author, click here:
Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction

Clive Staples Award for Christian Spec Fic

As some of you might know, the market for Christian speculative fiction has been, well, shall we say limited. It’s a tough sale. However, the authors in this genre are a pretty tight-knit group. In an effort to increase visibility of Christian speculative fiction and to recognize those authors in this genre who have recently been published, Rebecca Miller (bless her heart) has headed up the effort to create an awards competition. Who else would be best to memorialize with this award than C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis?

Here’s the good part. The award is reader’s choice. To be eligible to vote, you need to have read at least one of the nominated books and you need to leave an email address to validate your vote. We’re going on the honor system, so let’s keep this honest, folks. No ballot box stuffing, ok? You have until the end of November to vote.

To see a list of the nominees and to place your vote, visit the web site: http://clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com

And if you look over the list of nominees and haven’t read any of the books there, why don’t you pick out one or more and get busy?

Book-of-the-Year Award for The Restorer’s Journey

I’m so excited to report that The Restorer’s Journey won 2009 Book of the Year for Speculative Fiction at the annual conference of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s annual conference last week. The Restorer’s Journey is Book 3  in the Sword of Lyric trilogy written by Sharon Hinck.

Book 1, The Restorer, starts with a depressed soccer mom, Susan, who somehow is pulled into a parallel world (Lyric) where she is identified as a Restorer tasked with bringing heathens and warring territories “back to the Verses.” The universe Sharon built relies on some forms of advanced technology while weapons of war are deliberately kept simple by the inhabitants in order to not break their religious ethics.

Book 2, The Restorer’s Son, finds Susan and her husband (Mark) desperately searching for their son, Jake, who has somehow found his way into Lyric and Hazor and become embroiled in a maze of assassins and political intrigue. Meanwhile, Kieran flees from the One and the calling placed on him, only to find that he can’t hide. He journeys to Sidian, a nation torn by darkness, where he learns the One demands all, maybe even his life.

In Book 3, The Restorer’s Journey, Susan and Jake once again find themselves drawn through a portal back into the land of the People of the Verses, where Susan struggles to love her captors and Jake tries to endure a vicious betrayal and find his own destiny.

The Sword of Lyric series has become one of my favorites of all time. I can only hope that more Christian book publishers will be willing to step further into the world of speculative fiction.

Meanwhile, I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Sharon Hinck. I have met Sharon and I must say that the award couldn’t have gone to a nicer person. Good job, Sharon!

For more information on the author, visit her website: http://www.sharonhinck.com

2009 Hugo Award Winners Announced

Anticipation is pleased to announce the Hugo winners for 2009.

The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953, celebrate the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Recipients are chosen by members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The Hugos are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention.

The winner of the Big Heart Award for service to fandom is Andrew Porter.

The winner of the Hugo logo design competition is Jeremy Kratz.

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
David Anthony Durham (Second year of eligibility)

Best Novel
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

Best Novella
‘‘The Erdmann Nexus’’ by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette
‘‘Shoggoths in Bloom’’ by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story
‘‘Exhalation’’ by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

Best Related Book
Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story
Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

Best Editor, Short Form
Ellen Datlow

Best Editor, Long Form
David G. Hartwell

Best Professional Artist
Donato Giancola

Best Semiprozine
Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fan Writer
Cheryl Morgan

Best Fanzine
Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima

Best Fan Artist
Frank Wu

The 67th World Science Fiction Convention, known as Anticipation, was held in Montréal, Québec, Canada from Thursday, August 6th through Monday, August 10th, 2009.

Hugo Awards Website: http://www.thehugoawards.org