British Science Fiction Association Awards Shortlist

The British Science Fiction Association has released the shortlist for the 1998 BSFA Awards. Winners will be announced at this year's Eastercon in Liverpool, April 2-5 1999.

novel

The Cassini Division, Ken MacLeod (Orbit)

The Extremes, Christopher Priest (Simon & Schuster UK)

Inversions, Iain M. Banks (Orbit)

Queen City Jazz, Kathleen Ann Goonan (HarperCollins Voyager)

To Hold Infinity, John Meaney (Bantam UK)

short fiction

"La Cenerentola", Gwyneth Jones (Interzone 136)

"The Day Before They Came", Mary Soon Lee (Interzone 133)

"The First Annual Performance Arts Festival at the Slaughter Rock Battlefield", Thomas M. Disch (Interzone 131)

"Shift Change", Timons Esaias (Interzone 137)

"Vulpheous", Eric Brown (Interzone 129)

artwork

Back Cover of Focus 34, Colin Odell

Cover of Interzone 135 (illustrating ''Jedella Ghost'' by Tanith Lee), Dominic Harman

Cover of Interzone 137 (illustrating ''The Gardens of Saturn'' by Paul J. McAuley), Dominic Harman

Cover of Interzone 138 (illustrating Lord Prestimion by Robert Silverberg), Jim Burns

Front Cover of Focus 34, Colin Odell

Best of 1998

The editors of SF Site have made their selections of the top SF and fantasy books of the year, with Jonathan Lethem's Girl in Landscape (Doubleday) ranked in first place. Also named are the top ten reprints of 1998, and a ''mainstream novel of the year'' -- Don DeLillo's Underworld. The full list is here.

Amazon.com asked authors in a host of categories for their favorite titles of 1998. The SF and Fantasy Authors' Picks include selections of non-genre works by Ben Bova and David Brin, among others, while John Cramer and Maureen F. McHugh choose SF novels by Paul Preuss and John Kessel from 1997. The only choice of a 1998 SF or fantasy book is by Gene Wolfe, whose ''favorite book of 1998--by far--is The Avram Davidson Treasury''.

SFWA Meets with FTC

A report on the meeting between representatives of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Federal Trade Commission concerning the proposed acquisition of Ingram by Barnes and Noble has been posted on the SF website.

(Thu 28 Jan 1999)

International Horror Guild Award Nominations

The International Horror Guild has announced the following nominations for achievements in the field of horror during 1998. The Awards will be presented at an as yet unscheduled event during the World Horror Convention, March 4 -7 at the Marriott North Central in Atlanta, Georgia. Nominations were derived from recommendations made by the public and the judges' knowledge of the field. Edward Bryant, Stefan Dziemianowicz, Hank Wagner, and Fiona Webster are judges for the awards.

novel
Darker Angels, S.P. Somtow (Tor)
Fog Heart, Thomas Tessier (St. Martin's)
The Halloween Man, Douglas Clegg (Leisure)
Irrational Fears, William Browning Spencer (White Wolf)
The Tooth Fairy, Graham Joyce (Tor)
Wildest Dreams, Norman Partridge (Subterranean)

first novel
Carmilla: The Return, Kyle Marffin (The Design Image Group)
Dawn Song, Michael Marano (Tor)
Queen of Darkness, Miguel Conner (Warner Aspect)
Silk, Caitlin Kiernan (Roc)
The Symbiotic Fascination, Charlee Jacob (Necro Publications)

collection
Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Dark Side, John Shirley (Mark V. Ziesing)
The Collector of Hearts: New Tales of the Grotesque, Joyce Carol Oates (NAL/Dutton)
Crypt Orchids, David Schow (Subterranean)
Extremities, Kathe Koja (Four Walls Eight Windows)
Falling Idols, Brian Hodge (Silver Salamander)

anthology
The Best of Cemetery Dance, Richard Chizmar (CD)
The Crow: Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams, J. O'Barr & Ed Kramer (Del Rey)
Dark Terrors 4, Stephen Jones & David Sutton (Gollancz)
Imagination Fully Dilated, Alan Clark & Elizabeth Engstrom (CD)
Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling (HarperPrism)

long form
"As Above, So Below", Brian Hodge (Falling Idols)
"Blackburn Bakes Cookies", Bradley Denton (One Day Closer to Death)
"Mr. Club and Mr. Cuff", Peter Straub (Murder for Revenge)
"The Sweet of Bitter Bark and Burning Clove", Doris Egan (Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers)
"What Would You Do For Love?", John Shirley (Black Butterflies)

short form
"Blackbirds", Norman Partridge (Imagination Fully Dilated)
"Dead Blue", Lucy Taylor (Imagination Fully Dilated)
"Four of a Kind", Bryn Kanar (Cemetery Dance Issue 29)
"Inside the Cackle Factory", Dennis Etchison (Dark Terrors 4)
"Lighting the Corpses", Del Stone Jr (Robert Bloch's Psychos)

nonfiction
Gothic Horror: A Reader's Guide from Poe to King and Beyond, Clive Bloom (St. Martin's)
Mondo Macabro: Weird and Wonderful Cinema Around the World, Pete Tombs (St. Martin's)
Screams of Reason: Mad Science and Popular Culture, David J. Skal (W.W. Norton)
The St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost, and Gothic Writers, David Pringle (St. James)
A Writer's Tale, Richard Laymon (Deadline Press)

graphic story/stories
Blood for the Muse: Agony, Ecstasy, Tragedy, by Terry M. West, art by Stew Noak, Glenn Chadbourne, and Ryan Dunlavey (Blind Wolf Studios)
Night City #1, written by Mort Castle, art by Don Kramer, Mark Nelson, and Jaewon (Thorby)
Preacher Ancient History, written by Garth Ennis, art by Richard Case (DC)
Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street, written by Warren Ellis, art by Darick Robertson (DC)

publication
Carpe Noctem
DarkEcho
Hellnotes
Talebones
The Urbanite

artist
Edward Gorey
Dave McKean
Lisa Snellings
Douglas Walters
Gahan Wilson

movie
Apt Pupil, Directed by Bryan Singer, Screenplay by Brandon Boyce, Story Stephen King
Dark City, Directed by Alex Proyas, Screenplay by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, Story Alex Proyas
Fallen, Directed by Gregory Hoblit, Screenplay by Nicholas Kazan
Gods and Monsters, Directed by Bill Condon, Screenplay by Bill Condon, Novel by Christopher Bram
John Carpenter's Vampires, Directed by John Carpenter, Screenplay by Don Jakoby, Novel by John Steakley

television
Brimstone
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Charmed
Millennium
The X-Files

(Monday 18 Jan 1999)

Last month: December 1998