Thursday, July 10, 2014

2014 World Fantasy Award Nominees

Location: World Fantasy Convention, Washington, D.C.

Comments: I really should try to go to the World Fantasy Convention this year. After all, it is going to be held in Washington D.C., less than twenty-five miles away from where I live, so I wouldn't have to incur travel or hotel costs to attend. And yet, even though the convention is basically being held in my backyard, it is still too expensive for me to be able to justify the cost as it would still set me back $400 just to get me and the redhead in the door. Further, the convention is at its "maximum" membership of 950 attendees, and will only be accepting applications to be placed on the wait list starting in about a week or two. I have to wonder how healthy it is to have one of the flagship conventions of the genre be both so very overpriced and limited in attendance. Obviously, as they have all the attendees they want, the World Fantasy Convention is not hurting for money, and are obviously under no obligation to listen to me, but by comparison the 2013 CapClave had nearly 800 attendees, cost about a quarter as much to attend, and managed to have George R.R. Martin as their guest of honor. If the only thing your convention really has going for it over a local con is an inflated price tag, then maybe you need to rethink whether you actually are worthy of being called a "World" convention.

Best Novel

Winner:
A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

Other Nominees:
Dust Devil on a Quiet Street by Richard Bowes
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
The Land Across by Gene Wolfe
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Best Novella

Winner:
Wakulla Springs by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages

Other Nominees:
Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes
Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
The Sun and I by K.J. Parker

Best Short Fiction

Winner:
The Prayer of Ninety Cats by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Other Nominees:
Effigy Nights by Yoon Ha Lee
If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love by Rachel Swirsky (reviewed in 2014 Hugo Voting - Best Short Story)
The Ink Readers of Doi Saket by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (reviewed in 2014 Hugo Voting - Best Short Story)
Selkie Stories Are for Losers by Sofia Samatar (reviewed in 2014 Hugo Voting - Best Short Story)

Best Anthology

Winner:
Dangerous Women edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

Other Nominees:
End of the Road: An Anthology of Original Short Stories edited by Jonathan Oliver
Fearsome Journeys: The New Solaris Book of Fantasy edited by Jonathan Strahan
Flotsam Fantastique: The Souvenir Book of World Fantasy Convention 2013 edited by Stephen Jones
Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths edited by Kate Bernheimer

Best Collection

Winner:
The Ape's Wife and Other Stories by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Other Nominees:
The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All and Other Stories by Laird Barron
Flowers of the Sea by Reggie Oliver
How the World Became Quiet: Myths of the Past, Present, and Future by Rachel Swirsky
North American Lake Monsters: Stories by Nathan Ballingrud

Lifetime Achievement

Winner:
Ellen Datlow
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Other Nominees:
None

Best Artist

Winner:
Charles Vess

Other Nominees:
Galen Dara
Zelda Devon
Julie Dillon
John Picacio

Special Award, Professional

Winner:
(tie) Irene Gallo
(tie) William K. Schafer

Other Nominees:
John Joseph Adams
Ginjer Buchanan
Jeff VanderMeer and Jeremy Zerfoss

Special Award, Non-Professional

Winner:
Kate Baker, Neil Clarke, and Sean Wallace

Other Nominees:
Scott H. Andrews
Marc Aplin
Leslie Howle
Jerad Walters

Go to previous year's nominees: 2013
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2015

Book Award Reviews     Home

2 comments:

  1. Yikes! It's shocking how few of these I've read, but for best anthology I'd have to give Fearsome Journeys the edge over End of the Road - Strahan, as always, put together an amazing collection.

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    Replies
    1. @Bob R. Milne: I haven't read any of these either. I'm in the middle of reading all of the Hugo nominees to prepare for voting later this month, but once I'm done I may turn my attention to the books on this list.

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