Nebula Awards Showcase 2005

Nebula Awards Showcase 2005 is an anthology of award-winning science fiction short works edited by American writer Jack Dann. It was first published in trade paperback by Roc/New American Library in March 2005.[1]

Nebula Awards Showcase 2005
Cover of first edition
EditorJack Dann
Cover artistRay Lundgren
LanguageEnglish
SeriesNebula Awards Showcase
GenreScience fiction
PublisherRoc/New American Library
Publication date
2005
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages328
ISBN0-451-46015-4
OCLC58045829
Preceded byNebula Awards Showcase 2004 
Followed byNebula Awards Showcase 2006 

Summary

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The book collects pieces that won or were nominated for the Nebula Awards for best novel, novella, novelette and short story for the year 2004, profiles of 2004 grand master winner Robert Silverberg and 2004 Author Emeritus Charles L. Harness, with representative early stories by both, various other nonfiction pieces related to the awards, and the two Rhysling Award-winning poems for 2003, together with an introduction by the editor. Not all nominees for the various awards are included, and the best novella and best novel are represented by excerpts.

Contents

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Reception

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Kirkus Reviews calls the book "another for the fan's bookshelf." After surveying the contents it notes that it "attempts to give a broader picture of the current state of SF" through its conclusion of the film summary, the Rhysling winners and "provocative essays by participants in several current movements in the field." The editor's introduction and story notes are called "knowledgable (sic), graceful and to the point."[2]

Publishers Weekly Notes that the anthology "presents the usual quality mix of literary SF and fantasy with critical essays," briefly noting the contributors and highlighting Shepard's "provocative, witty movie survey."[3]

Carl Hays, writing in Booklist, notes that "[a]ny collection of Nebula winners can be counted on to present the genre's finest literary artisans," and "[t]he 2005 Showcase is no exception." He lists as "[s]tandouts among these standouts" the pieces by Fowler and Doctorow, and also calls attention to the "quintet of insightful essays" and the editor's introductory comments, that "add depth to a superior collection."[4]

Don D'Ammassa in Chronicle feels the anthology is "[n]ot really a best of the year, but contains many of the best stories of the year," stating that with it "[t]he venerable Nebula Awards collection [series] adds another fine book to its resume, mixing some of the best fiction of the past year with several good essays relevant to the field.[5]

The anthology was also reviewed by Sandra Lindow in SFRA Review #263-4, Gary K. Wolfe in Locus, #507, April 2003, and Patrick J. Swenson in Talebones #26, Summer 2003.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Nebula Awards Showcase 2005 title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
  2. ^ Review in Kirkus Reviews, v. 73, iss. 3, February 1, 2005, pp. 154-155.
  3. ^ Review in Publishers Weekly, v. 252, iss. 7, February 14, 2005, p. 58.
  4. ^ Hays, Carl. Review in Booklist, v. 101, iss. 12, February 15, 2005, pp. 2069-2070.
  5. ^ D'Ammassa, Don. Review in Chronicle: SF, Fantasy & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal, v. 27, iss. 3, March 2005, p. 20