The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association revealed the shortlists for its Nebula Awards, given annually to outstanding works of fiction in the genres.
R.F. Kuang was named a finalist in the novel category for Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution. The novel was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year award.
Joining Kuang in the novel category were Travis Baldree for Legends & Lattes, Nicola Griffith for Spear, T. Kingfisher for Nettle and Bone, Tamsyn Muir for Nona the Ninth, and Ray Nayler for The Mountain in the Sea.
The finalists for the Andre Norton Nebula Award, given to middle-grade and young adult books, were K. Tempest Bradford for Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion, H.A. Clarke for The Scratch Daughters, Deva Fagan for The Mirrorwood, Maya MacGregor for The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, and Jenn Reese for Every Bird a Prince.
Making the shortlist in the novella category were Becky Chambers for A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, R.S.A. Garcia for Bishop’s Opening, Jordan Kurella for I Never Liked You Anyway, C.L. Polk for Even Though I Knew the End, and Kelly Robson for High Times in the Low Parliament.
The Nebula Awards were first given out in 1966. Previous winners have included Frank Herbert for Dune, Isaac Asimov for The Gods Themselves, N.K. Jemisin for The Stone Sky, and P. Djèlí Clark for A Master of Djinn.
The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at a virtual ceremony on May 14. A full list of finalists is available at the Nebula Awards website.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
