World Fantasy Nomination

[ellenkushner]

Thanks for the reality check in yesterday's Comments, folks! I am one lucky babe. Must be Evil Blood Chemistry (lack of a jelly donut?) or Jet Lag or Low Batteries or something that makes me forget sometimes.

I was attempting to sleep in this morning when Delia walked into the room (dammit! I told her never to do that!) and murmured, "Teapots." "Huh?" (thinking: Yeah, I did leave all that water in the teapot but I meant to brew something and I forgot and anyway - ) "TPOTS. World Fantasy Award nominee." "Huh??"

And how did she find that out?

From reading my LJ, of course - in the Comments section of yesterday's post, from some of today's Early Birds.

You sly dogs.

The complete list of nominees is up here. I'm getting a big kick out of telling my family that I'm up against Stephen King: they know who he is, even if they're not always so sure about me. And a fine list it is, too - congrats to some mighty, mighty pens out there. I'm glad Ysabeau Wilce's new Califa novella is on there - now, if you haven't read Flora Segunda yet, do yourself a huge favor and go out and get it right now! It is guaranteed to practically cure the common cold. I've been trying to think of something smart to say about it for months, but I gratefully bow to Gwenda Bond's vastly superior and utterly perfect summary: "Wilce creates the delightful world of Califa out of spit, shine, Will and language. ...No plot synopsis could capture the energy and sheer joy of this novel." She also did a great interview with YW.

Comments

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

King schming. Cripes, you're up against Gene Wolfe!

[rosefox]

I'm delighted for you and your lovely book. *) Congratulations!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

And you think my parents know who he is?

Well, this is why I will *not* be sitting at the banquet table nervously biting my nails. I am overjoyed to be nominated, and now I don't have to worry about giving some scarey acceptance speech.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

Mme. Wilce is delicious. Well, her books are, anyway, and I'm glad to see that she's writing another one.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

Argh, hit post too soon - congratulations to you as well.

[aurenfaie.livejournal.com]

Good on you! I'm very excited for you, and if the... whoever decides the winner... has any brains, they better know who to pick. A speech can't be that scary!!

[ellen-denham.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'd definitely put you in first place. I haven't read the King or Valente (and am not likely to) but have read the others.

It was great to chat with you and Delia at Mythcon!

[lynn-maudlin.livejournal.com]

there you go-- so you think it's skipping a jelly donut, eh? I hardly ever eat jelly donuts (fewer than 10 in my life, I'll warrant)... but no delightful nominations for me, no sir! Hmmm, could have something to do with you being a brilliant writer and me being, well, me. {big grin} - congratulations and enjoy the rubber chicken (I suspect it will *not* be rubber chicken, but will it be as yummy as our banquet? those delicious butternut squash ravioli...).

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Oh that's brilliant. Congratulations!

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Brava. _Wonderful_ book. :)

[yaoi-in-exile.livejournal.com]

PHWOAHS!! Congratulations, Ellen!! :D (Stephen King doesn't stand a CHANCE against the awesomeness that is you and Riverside!!)

Whoooooooo! XD *confetti*

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

You have exactly summed up how I feel about Flora Segunda--want to tell everyone to read it, but what to say?

And congratulations on the nomination for your own very stylish piece!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Lovely to see you, too - looking forward to next time!

Why are you not likely to read the Valente? I can understand no King - to give a little context, the WFC was founded back when Horror was the Bastard Child of the publishing world, just before King, essentially, turned it into a megagenre (much as Tolkien's work did for heroic/mythic fantasy) - and so the two have sat uneasily side-by-side at the panels & awards of WFC ever since. But Valente is definitely Our Tribe.

[yswilce.livejournal.com]

*blush*--Thank you, Madama, for such kind words!

And I'll put Tremontaine up against anything that King might throw at him--one raised eyebrow and an elegantly cutting murmur and the Horror from Maine would go slinking back where it came from!

[ellen-denham.livejournal.com]

I suppose I should have said "am not likely to read any time in the near future." My "to read" pile has gotten quite tall!

I tend to read based on recommendations or author's I've previously enjoyed when not reading long lists for a certain award. Though the Valente sounds interesting, I have yet to have anyone scream in my face that I have to read it. I suppose it's only a matter of time. ;)

[handworn.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[alethea-eastrid.livejournal.com]

I won't scream, though I'd reccomend picking it up and taking a look at it, just to get an idea of what it is (becuase this is Not Your Average Everyday Novel, boys and girls). That I did not like it more than I did was do to a bad fit between book, reader, and life...but it is one of the more "fantastic" (in the literary, not the supreletive sense) books I've read in a while, and one that I'd reccomend everyone at least look at...because if you like it, you're going to Really Really LOVE It.