Geffen award nominations

Ok, this is a much belated report, as the nominees have been known for over a week. But it's still noteworthy.

This year's list of nominees was completely and utterly dominated by Opus SF&F Editor Assaf Asheri, who had four out of five books in each of the novel categories, and two stories in the original short fiction category. That's beyond impressive, imo. And the nominees are:

Best Translated Fantasy Book:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (Yediot Achronot books)
The Sarantine Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay (Opus Press)
The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials 2) By Philip Pullman (Opus Press)
The Monarchies of God 2-4: The Heretic Kings, The Iron Wars, The Second Empire By Paul Kearney (Opus Press)
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (Opus Press)

A terrific list, but I will play favorites. Much as I like Gaiman, his collection is woefully uneven, and the rest is clearly a rung beneath the Kay series, which I absolutely love. Still, a very nice list.

Best Translated SF Book
Dangerous Vision edited by Harlan Ellison (Opus Press)
Warchild by Karin Lowachee (Opus Press)
Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang (Opus Press)
Book of the New Sun 1-2: The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe (Opus Press)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (Modan Publishing)

Assaf Asheri took three huge risks this year, with a massive anthology that's decades old, the first half of a massively difficult to translate epic series, and a collection of stories by a virtual unknown. The success of these three in amazingly pleasing, as the anthology is the super-classic Dangerous Visions, which may well be the single most significant original anthology in the history of SF; the collection is by the young genius Chiang, and the epic series is the absolutely awesome Book of the New Sun. These were ambitious choices, dangerous choices. Each presented its own difficulties. And all three gambles paid off. I love The Eyre Affair, and think it is one of the most enjoyable novels, well, ever. But the courage and brilliance embodied in these three choices NEED to be rewarded. I urge everyone attending Icon, in three short weeks, to get a hold of them and read them. After you read them, I won't HAVE to tell you to vote for them.

Best Original Short Story:
Fast Internet by Nir Yaniv and Yael Sivan
Dragon Review by Rami Shalhevet
The Soul of the Mountain by Assaf Asheri
Letitbe by Assaf Asheri
kanekshein astableished, please enteir nevowk passvord by Shachar Or

I haven't read all of the nominated stories, and several of the nominees are friends, so I won't play favorites and recommend anything here. I will note the fact that Assaf Asheri published two new stories this year, and both received nominations. This truly is Assaf's year, and for the talent and courage he displayed this year, I truly hope he comes to the podium twice, and get to watch con GoH Guy Gavriel Kay (who will be presenting the Best Original Short Story winner) step up to receive the third award.

Next year, I fully expect and hope to kick Assaf's ass in the Geffen, but this was his year, and he deserves recognition for it.