Asians up for prestigious sci-fi awards
TWO Singaporean women writers have made the shortlist of the Nebula awards.
J.Y. Yang and Vina Jie-Min Prasad are the first Singaporean finalists of the annual awards presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Along with the Hugo awards, the Nebula is considered one of the highest honours in the science fiction/fantasy genres.
Yang, 35, was shortlisted for Best Novella for The Black Tides Of Heaven, published last year by sci-fi and fantasy site Tor.com as part of her Tensorate series.
The novellas take place in a “silkpunk” world, an Asian-influenced riff on Victorian steampunk, which draws on 19th-century steam-powered technology. They follow twins Mokoya and Akeha, who are born to the powerful Protector of the kingdom. Mokoya has visions of the future, while Akeha has the gift, or “slackcraft”, to manipulate elements in the natural world.
A third novella, the epistolary thriller The Descent Of Monsters, will be out in July.
Yang, a science communications officer, recalls: “When I was growing up, I would print out a list of the works that had won the Hugo and Nebula and try to make my way through them. But I never imagined that one day I would be a finalist.
“I’m so proud to be one of the Singaporeans on the list, it’s just fantastic.”
Prasad, 27, a full-time writer, started submitting work to science-fiction magazines only last year but has already been shortlisted twice. “I’m overwhelmed and really honoured,” she says.
She is up for Best Novelette for A Series Of Steaks, about two women in Nanjing who forge quality beef – inspired by real-life counterfeit food scams in China – and Best Short Story for Fandom For Robots ,in which a sentient robot discovers Japanese anime and starts writing fan fiction.
Yang is up against the likes of Nebula Best Novelette winner Ellen Klages and previous finalists Lawrence M. Schoen and Martha Wells. Prasad’s competition includes previous finalists Kelly Robson and Fran Wilde.
The awards, which began in 1966 and are now in their 52nd edition, will be announced in Pittsburgh, the United States, on May 19.
Previous winners include literary legends such as the late Brian Aldiss and Ursula K. Le Guin, as well as huge names like Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin and William Gibson.
To be eligible for the Nebula, works must be published in English in the United States, or released on either a website or in an electronic edition. They are voted on by members of the SFWA.
Best Novella is awarded to stories of between 17,500 and 40,000 words; Best Novelette, between 7,500 and 17,500 words; and Best Short Story, less than 7,500 words. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network