Apr 26 2008
Going Sidewise
This is neat: A short story of mine has been nominated for the Sidewise Award, which annually honors the best alternate history stories and novels. Here are the full list of nominees for this year:
Best Short Form:
Elizabeth Bear, “Les Innocents/Lumiere” (in New Amsterdam, Subterranean Press)
Michael Flynn, “Quaestiones Super Caelo Et Mundo” (in Analog, 7/07)
Matthew Johnson, “Public Safety” (in Asimov’s, 3/07)
Jess Nevins, “An Alternate History of Chinese Science Fiction” (in No Fear of the Future, May 17, 2007)
Chris Roberson, “Metal Dragon Year” (in Interzone, 12/07)
Kristine Kathryn Rusch, “Recovering Apollo 8″ (in Asimov’s, 2/07)
John Scalzi, “Missives from Possible Futures #1: Alternate History Search Results” (in Subterranean Magazine, Winter 2007)
Best Long Form:
Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (HarperCollins)
Robert Conroy, 1945: A Novel (Ballantine Books)
Mary Gentle, Ilario (The Lion’s Eye and The Stone Golem) (Eos)
Jay Lake, Mainspring (Tor Books)
Sophia McDougall, Rome Burning (Orion)
Jo Walton, Ha’penny (Tor Books)
The winners will be announced at Denvention 3, in August.
Here’s a link to the story. I do believe this is the first time a short story of mine has been nominated for any sort of award, so I am pleased about that. I also believe it’s the first award nomination for a story that’s been in Subterranean’s online magazine, so I’m pleased in that regard, too (although if the world were fair, Rachel Swirsky would have had that honor before me, for this story, although probably not for this particular award).
My sincere congratulations to the other nominees!
I'm the Creative Consultant for this television show, appearing Fridays on Syfy. Miss a week? For US residents, 
That’s a tough slate of nominees to be in. Ah, well, the honor is to be nominated, right?
Indeed, Jess. Although to look at it the other way, it’s better to be nominated with an excellent slate of competitors than a weak one, because that says something about the quality of your work in context. which is why I’m happy to have my story nominated this year.
Good point, and I’m thrilled to be in there as well.
And congratulations to both John and Jess (and the other nominees).
From one of the judges.
Great work on the nomination. Congrats!
Out of curiosity, for the rate of $59.95 might you be contracted to provide “Detailed Historical Statements”? ‘Cause some of these would quite interesting!
Is there some place that you’d recommend looking online for other short form Sidewise nominees from this and previous years?
Steve@6
All the winners are listed at the Sidewise web site. However, I don’t believe any of the winners are on-line (I might be wrong).
Of this year’s nominees, Jess’s story can be found at No Fear of the Future and Kris’s story is at Asimov’s site.
I only just recently read a Sidewise winner from about 2000 or so- Ted Chiang’s Seventy-two Letters. It was fantastic and well worth looking up- it was in one of Hartwell’s year’s best sf anthologies.
Anyways good luck!
Congratulations!
(Totally distracted by your Kate Bush tagline.)
Mr. Scalzi:
That is a very silly story. Congratulations on getting it past the Sideways committee.
Best,
DB
Am I the only person who did not like the Yiddish Policemen’s Union? Although I have read other books by Michael Chabon and liked them very much, I found YPU unreadable and abandoned it about halfway through. Maybe I missed something?
Whip alllllllllllllllll their candy asses!