Nebula Award

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Nebula Award, any of various annual awards presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Although the SFWA is open to writers, editors, illustrators, agents, and others, only “active members” (published writers) are eligible to vote for the awards, which are currently given for best novel, novella, novelette, short story, and script. The first Nebula Awards were given in 1965, and Frank Herbert’s Dune won the award for best novel. The Nebula Awards are generally considered more prestigious than the Hugo Awards, which are voted by science fiction fans.

Nebula Awards
year category* title author
*Modern category definitions: novel, 40,000 words or more; novella, 17,500 to 39,999 words; novelette, 7,500 to 17,499 words; short story, 7,499 words or fewer.
1965 novel Dune Frank Herbert
novella (tie) "The Saliva Tree" Brian W. Aldiss
"He Who Shapes" Roger Zelazny
novelette "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" Roger Zelazny
short story "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" Harlan Ellison
1966 novel (tie) Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
Babel-17 Samuel R. Delany
novella "The Last Castle" Jack Vance
novelette "Call Him Lord" Gordon R. Dickson
short story "The Secret Place" Richard McKenna
1967 novel The Einstein Intersection Samuel R. Delany
novella "Behold the Man" Michael Moorcock
novelette "Gonna Roll the Bones" Fritz Leiber
short story "Aye, and Gomorrah" Samuel R. Delany
1968 novel Rite of Passage Alexei Panshin
novella "Dragonrider" Anne McCaffrey
novelette "Mother to the World" Richard Wilson
short story "The Planners" Kate Wilhelm
1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin
novella "A Boy and His Dog" Harlan Ellison
novelette "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones" Samuel R. Delany
short story "Passengers" Robert Silverberg
1970 novel Ringworld Larry Niven
novella "Ill Met in Lankhmar" Fritz Leiber
novelette "Slow Sculpture" Theodore Sturgeon
short story no award
1971 novel A Time of Changes Robert Silverberg
novella "The Missing Man" Katherine MacLean
novelette "The Queen of Air and Darkness" Poul Anderson
short story "Good News from the Vatican" Robert Silverberg
1972 novel The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov
novella "A Meeting with Medusa" Arthur C. Clarke
novelette "Goat Song" Poul Anderson
short story "When It Changed" Joanna Russ
1973 novel Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke
novella "The Death of Doctor Island" Gene Wolfe
novelette "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand" Vonda N. McIntyre
short story "Love Is the Plan, the Plan Is Death" James Tiptree, Jr.
1974 novel The Dispossessed Ursula K. Le Guin
novella "Born with the Dead" Robert Silverberg
novelette "If the Stars Are Gods" Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford
short story "The Day Before the Revolution" Ursula K. Le Guin
1975 novel The Forever War Joe Haldeman
novella "Home Is the Hangman" Roger Zelazny
novelette "San Diego Lightfoot Sue" Tom Reamy
short story "Catch That Zeppelin!" Fritz Leiber
1976 novel Man Plus Frederik Pohl
novella "Houston, Houston, Do You Read?" James Tiptree, Jr.
novelette "The Bicentennial Man" Isaac Asimov
short story "A Crowd of Shadows" Charles L. Grant
1977 novel Gateway Frederik Pohl
novella "Stardance" Spider and Jeanne Robinson
novelette "The Screwfly Solution" Raccoona Sheldon
short story "Jeffty Is Five" Harlan Ellison
1978 novel Dreamsnake Vonda N. McIntyre
novella "The Persistence of Vision" John Varley
novelette "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye" Charles L. Grant
short story "Stone" Edward Bryant
1979 novel The Fountains of Paradise Arthur C. Clarke
novella "Enemy Mine" Barry Longyear
novelette "Sandkings" George R.R. Martin
short story "giANTS" Edward Bryant
1980 novel Timescape Gregory Benford
novella "The Unicorn Tapestry" Suzy McKee Charnas
novelette "The Ugly Chickens" Howard Waldrop
short story "Grotto of the Dancing Deer" Clifford D. Simak
1981 novel The Claw of the Conciliator Gene Wolfe
novella "The Saturn Game" Poul Anderson
novelette "The Quickening" Michael Bishop
short story "The Bone Flute" Lisa Tuttle (declined)
1982 novel No Enemy but Time Michael Bishop
novella "Another Orphan" John Kessel
novelette "Fire Watch" Connie Willis
short story "A Letter from the Clearys" Connie Willis
1983 novel Startide Rising David Brin
novella "Hardfought" Greg Bear
novelette "Blood Music" Greg Bear
short story "The Peacemaker" Gardner Dozois
1984 novel Neuromancer William Gibson
novella "Press Enter □" John Varley
novelette "Bloodchild" Octavia E. Butler
short story "Morning Child" Gardner Dozois
1985 novel Ender's Game Orson Scott Card
novella "Sailing to Byzantium" Robert Silverberg
novelette "Portraits of His Children" George R.R. Martin
short story "Out of All Them Bright Stars" Nancy Kress
1986 novel Speaker for the Dead Orson Scott Card
novella "R & R" Lucius Shepard
novelette "The Girl Who Fell into the Sky" Kate Wilhelm
short story "Tangents" Greg Bear
1987 novel The Falling Woman Pat Murphy
novella "The Blind Geometer" Kim Stanley Robinson
novelette "Rachel in Love" Pat Murphy
short story "Forever Yours, Anna" Kate Wilhelm
1988 novel Falling Free Lois McMaster Bujold
novella "The Last of the Winnebagos" Connie Willis
novelette "Schrödinger's Kitten" George Alec Effinger
short story "Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge" James Morrow
1989 novel The Healer's War Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
novella "The Mountains of Mourning" Lois McMaster Bujold
novelette "At the Rialto" Connie Willis
short story "Ripples in the Dirac Sea" Geoffrey A. Landis
1990 novel Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin
novella "The Hemingway Hoax" Joe Haldeman
novelette "Tower of Babylon" Ted Chiang
short story "Bears Discover Fire" Terry Bisson
1991 novel Stations of the Tide Michael Swanwick
novella "Beggars in Spain" Nancy Kress
novelette "Guide Dog" Mike Conner
short story "Ma Qui" Alan Brennert
1992 novel Doomsday Book Connie Willis
novella "City of Truth" James Morrow
novelette "Danny Goes to Mars" Pamela Sargent
short story "Even the Queen" Connie Willis
1993 novel Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson
novella "The Night We Buried Road Dog" Jack Cady
novelette "Georgia on My Mind" Charles Sheffield
short story "Graves" Joe Haldeman
1994 novel Moving Mars Greg Bear
novella "Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge" Mike Resnick
novelette "The Martian Child" David Gerrold
short story "A Defense of the Social Contracts" Martha Soukup
1995 novel The Terminal Experiment Robert J. Sawyer
novella "Last Summer at Mars Hill" Elizabeth Hand
novelette "Solitude" Ursula K. Le Guin
short story "Death and the Librarian" Esther M. Friesner
1996 novel Slow River Nicola Griffith
novella "Da Vinci Rising" Jack Dann
novelette "Lifeboat on a Burning Sea" Bruce Holland Rogers
short story "A Birthday" Esther M. Friesner
1997 novel The Moon and the Sun Vonda N. McIntyre
novella "Abandon in Place" Jerry Oltion
novelette "The Flowers of Aulit Prison" Nancy Kress
short story "Sister Emily's Lightship" Jane Yolen
1998 novel Forever Peace Joe Haldeman
novella "Reading the Bones" Sheila Finch
novelette "Lost Girls" Jane Yolen
short story "Thirteen Ways to Water" Bruce Holland Rogers
1999 novel Parable of the Talents Octavia E. Butler
novella "Story of Your Life" Ted Chiang
novelette "Mars Is No Place for Children" Mary A. Turzillo
short story "The Cost of Doing Business" Leslie What
2000 novel Darwin's Radio Greg Bear
novella "Goddesses" Linda Nagata
novelette "Daddy's World" Walter Jon Williams
short story "macs" Terry Bisson
2001 novel The Quantum Rose Catherine Asaro
novella "The Ultimate Earth" Jack Williamson
novelette "Louise's Ghost" Kelly Link
short story "The Cure for Everything" Severna Park
2002 novel American Gods Neil Gaiman
novella "Bronte's Egg" Richard Chwedyk
novelette "Hell Is the Absence of God" Ted Chiang
short story "Creature" Carol Emshwiller
2003 novel The Speed of Dark Elizabeth Moon
novella "Coraline" Neil Gaiman
novelette "The Empire of Ice Cream" Jeffrey Ford
short story "What I Didn't See" Karen Joy Fowler
2004 novel Paladin of Souls Lois McMaster Bujold
novella "The Green Leopard Plague" Walter Jon Williams
novelette "Basement Magic" Ellen Klages
short story "Coming to Terms" Eileen Gunn
2005 novel Camouflage Joe Haldeman
novella "Magic for Beginners" Kelly Link
novelette "The Faery Handbag" Kelly Link
short story "I Live with You" Carol Emshwiller
2006 novel Seeker Jack McDevitt
novella "Burn" James Patrick Kelly
novelette "Two Hearts" Peter S. Beagle
short story "Echo" Elizabeth Hand
2007 novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union Michael Chabon
novella "Fountain of Age" Nancy Kress
novelette "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" Ted Chiang
short story "Always" Karen Joy Fowler
2008 novel Powers Ursula K. Le Guin
novella "The Spacetime Pool" Catherine Asaro
novelette "Pride and Prometheus" John Kessel
short story "Trophy Wives" Nina Kiriki Hoffman
2009 novel The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi
novella "The Women of Nell Gwynne's" Kage Baker
novelette "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast" Eugie Foster
short story "Spar" Kij Johnson
2010 novel Blackout and All Clear Connie Willis
novella "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen's Window" Rachel Swirsky
novelette "That Leviathan Whom Thou Hast Made" Eric James Stone
short story (tie) "Ponies" Kij Johnson
"How Interesting: A Tiny Man" Harlan Ellison
2011 novel Among Others Jo Walton
novella "The Man Who Bridged the Mist" Kij Johnson
novelette "What We Found" Geoff Ryman
short story "The Paper Menagerie" Ken Liu
2012 novel 2312 Kim Stanley Robinson
novella "After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall" Nancy Kress
novelette "Close Encounters" Andy Duncan
short story "Immersion" Aliette de Bodard
2013 novel Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie
novella "The Weight of the Sunrise" Vylar Kaftan
novelette "The Waiting Stars" Aliette de Bodard
short story "If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love" Rachel Swirsky
2014 novel Annihilation Jeff VanderMeer
novella "Yesterday's Kin" Nancy Kress
novelette "A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai'i" Alaya Dawn Johnson
short story "Jackalope Wives" Ursula Vernon
2015 novel Uprooted Naomi Novik
novella "Binti" Nnedi Okorafor
novelette "Our Lady of the Open Road" Sarah Pinsker
short story "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" Alyssa Wong
2016 novel All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders
novella "Every Heart a Doorway" Seanan McGuire
novelette "The Long Fall Up" William Ledbetter
short story "Seasons of Glass and Iron" Amal El-Mohtar
2017 novel The Stone Sky N.K. Jemisin
novella "All Systems Red" Martha Wells
novelette "A Human Stain" Kelly Robson
short story "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM" Rebecca Roanhorse
2018 novel The Calculating Stars Mary Robinette Kowal
novella "The Tea Master and the Detective" Aliette de Bodard
novelette "The Only Harmless Great Thing" Brooke Bolander
short story "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" P. Djèlí Clark
2019 novel A Song for a New Day Sarah Pinsker
novella "This Is How You Lose the Time War" Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
novelette "Carpe Glitter" Cat Rambo
short story "Give the Family My Love" A.T. Greenblatt
2020 novel Network Effect Martha Wells
novella "Ring Shout" P. Djèlí Clark
novelette "Two Truths and a Lie" Sarah Pinsker
short story "Open House on Haunted Hill" John Wiswell
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.