Strange day, when the John W Campbell Memorial Award is the award I feel positive about. The winner is:
In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
This actually looks like a sane, solid choice; the reviews that I’ve seen have ranged from mixed to positively glowing (although see also). Anyway, I have a copy, and I’ve bumped it up the TBR stack, so there may be a review in the near-ish future.
UPDATE: Chris Mckitterick reports that Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union came second, and The Execution Channel came third.
Meanwhile, the Sturgeon Award choices are equally solid — choices because, for the first time, there are joint winners, and solid because those winners are:
“Tideline” by Elizabeth Bear
“Finisterra” by David Moles
See Abigail Nussbaum’s thoughts on the Bear here, and the Moles here; and congratulations to all three winners.
(While I’m here, have some links to other Locus Awards discussion.)
I must admit I am rather surprised you have this information some three days before the awards are to be given out (this Friday, in Lawrence, KS).
It’s not me that has it, it’s the Kansas City Infozine. And Elizabeth Bear, at least, has noted her win on her blog, which makes me trust that the information is correct. But yes, it is surprising that the news is out.
Elizabeth Bear’s “Tidelines” was favored for the Hugo by two out of three of us on a panel at Westercon. I enjoyed it as the feminine interpretation of the idea underlying Keith Laumer’s short story “Bolo.”