Libertarian Futurist Society
The Libertarian Futurist Society will present awards to the winners of the annual Prometheus Award in Denver, Colorado at Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention.
For the first time since the award was established in 1979 there was a tie in voting for the Best Novel award, so Jo Walton and Harry Turtledove will each receive a plaque and a one-ounce gold coin. The Co-winners are "Ha'penny", by Jo Walton (Tor Books), and "The Gladiator", by Harry Turtledove (Tor Books).
The Hall of Fame Award goes to "A Clockwork Orange", by Anthony Burgess.
At its award ceremony to be held at the WorldCon in Denver, the Libertarian Futurist Society will present its annual Prometheus Award for Best Novel to Jo Walton and Harry Turtledove and the award for Best Classic Fiction (the "Hall of Fame" award) to "A Clockwork Orange", a 1963 novel by Anthony Burgess.
Harry Turtledove received a previous Best Novel nomination in 1999 for "Between the Rivers" from TOR Books, but this is his first time to win the award. "The Gladiator" is part of Turtledove's Crosstime Traffic series, which is aimed at young adults. The story follows some teenagers in an alternate Italy with a communist government and a mostly compliant society. The youngsters discover a store selling role-playing games that promote entrepreneurial behavior and independent thinking and learn a lot about their society as they explore the games.
This was Jo Walton's first nomination for a Prometheus. "Ha'penny" is a follow-up to "Farthing", published in 2006. The novels are alternate histories that take place in a Britain that made peace with Hitler in 1941 and has slowly been turning more fascist itself. In "Ha'penny", Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael is assigned to investigate an explosion in a London Suburb that leads to evidence of a conspiracy. The story portrays the fall of a society into totalitarianism, emphasizing subtle moral corruption rather than overt brutality.
A Clockwork Orange" has been nominated several times in the past. Burgess's novel is a graphic depiction of a dystopian and authoritarian society. Alex is an unapologetic ultraviolent criminal who is eventually captured and sent to prison. The ultimate horror occurs when he is subjected to an experimental form of aversion therapy, and his love of music is taken away along with his taste for violence.
The other finalists for Best Novel were "Ragamuffin", by Tobias S. Buckell; "The Execution Channel", by Ken MacLeod; and "Fleet of Worlds", by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner. Seven novels published in 2007 were nominated for the 2008 award.
The other finalists for the Hall of Fame award were "As Easy as A.B.C.", a short story (1912) by Rudyard Kipling; "That Hideous Strength", a novel (1945) that completes C.S. Lewis's space trilogy; the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, a three-volume novel (1954) by J.R. R. Tolkien; and "The Once and Future King" and "The Book of Merlyn", a five-part novel (1938-1958) by T. H. White.
In the past, the LFS has followed conventional practice and attempted to keep our winners a surprise for attendees at the awards ceremony, while notifying the press earlier so they could publish announcements in their earliest issue after the event. Before the rise of the Internet this generally worked well; however news travels much faster these days. This year, the LFS decided to take advantage of the trend to give fans of the winners the opportunity to attend the awards ceremony and hear the authors' remarks. Both Walton and Turtledove are expected to attend the ceremony to accept their awards.
The Prometheus awards for Best Novel, Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) and (occasional) Special awards honor outstanding science fiction/fantasy that explores the possibilities of a free future, champions human rights (including personal and economic liberty), dramatizes the perennial conflict between individuals and coercive governments, or critiques the tragic consequences of abuse of power--especially by the State.
The Prometheus Award, sponsored by the Libertarian Futurist Society (lfs.org), was established in 1979, making it one of the most enduring awards after the Nebula and Hugo awards, and one of the oldest fan-based awards currently in sf. Presented annually since 1982 at the World Science Fiction Convention, the Prometheus Awards include a gold coin and plaque for each of the winners.
The Hall of Fame, established in 1983, focuses on older classic fiction, including novels, novellas, short stories, poems and plays. Past Hall of Fame award winners range from Robert Heinlein and Ayn Rand to Ray Bradbury and Ursula LeGuin.
Publishers who wish to submit novels published in 2008 for the 2009 Best Novel award should contact Michael Grossberg (BestNovelChair@lfs.org, 3164 Plymouth Place, Columbus OH 43213), Chair of the LFS Prometheus Awards Best Novel Finalist judging committee.
Founded in 1982, the Libertarian Futurist Society sponsors the annual Prometheus Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame; publishes reviews, news and columns in the quarterly "Prometheus"; arranges annual awards ceremonies at the WorldCon; debates libertarian futurist issues (such as private space exploration); and provides fun and fellowship for libertarian SF fans.
A list of past winners of LFS awards can be found on the LFS web site at www.lfs.org.
For more information, contact LFS President Chris Hibbert (publicity@lfs.org, 650-968-6319).
|
All trademarks and copyrights property of their owners. |