Tuesday, November 5, 2013

G. Willow Wilson's 'Alif the Unseen' wins Best Novel World Fantasy Award

The winners of this year’s slate of World Fantasy Awards were announced Sunday during the final day of the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, U.K.

For those of you unfamiliar with the World Fantasy Awards, they are given annually for outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy. Along with the Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Awards are generally considered among the most prestigious awards in the fantasy and science fiction genres.

This year, awards were presented in nine categories – Lifetime Achievement, Best Novel, Best Novella, Best Short Story, Best Anthology, Best Collection, Best Artist, Special Award – Professional and Special Award – Non-Professional.

This year’s slate of winners in each category included:

Best Novel – “Alif the Unseen” by G. Willow Wilson

Best Novella – “Let Maps to Others” by K.J. Parker

Best Short Story – “The Telling” by Gregory Norman Bossert

Best Anthology – “Postscripts #28/#29: Exotic Gothic 4,” edited by Daniel Olson

Best Collection – “Where Furnaces Burn” by Joel Lane

Best Artist – Vincent Chong

Special Award (Professional) – Lucia Graves for the translation of “The Prisoner of Heaven” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Special Award (Non-Professional) – S.T. Joshi for “Unutterable Horror: A History of Supernatural Fiction, Volumes 1 & 2”

The Lifetime Achievement Awards are “presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to the fantasy field.” This year’s lifetime achievement awards went to Susan Cooper and Tanith Lee.

The Best Novel Award is arguably the most prestigious of all the World Fantasy Awards. As you might have imagined a number of outstanding novels have won World Fantasy Awards over the years. What follows is a complete list of the all-time winners in the Best Novel category:

1975 – The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
1976 – Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson
1977 – Doctor Rat by William Kotzwinkle
1978 – Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber
1979 – Gloriana by Michael Moorcock

1980 – Watchtower by Elizabeth A. Lynn
1981 – The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
1982 – Little, Big by John Crowley
1983 – Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea
1984 – The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford

1985 – Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock and Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
1986 – Song of Kali by Dan Simmons
1987 – Perfume by Patrick Susking
1988 – Replay by Ken Grimwood
1989 – Koko by Peter Straub

1990 – Lyonesse: Madouc by Jack Vance
1991 – Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow and Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner
1992 – Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon
1993 – Last Call by Tim Powers
1994 – Glimpses by Lewis Shiner

1995 – Towing Jehovah by James Morrow
1996 – The Prestige by Christopher Priest
1997 – Godmother Night by Rachel Pollack
1998 – The Physiognomy by Jeffrey Ford
1999 – The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdich

2000 – Thraxas by Martin Scott
2001 – Declare by Tim Powers and Galveston by Sean Stewart
2002 – The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin
2003 – The Facts of Life by Graham Joyce and Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip
2004 – Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

2005 – Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2006 – Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
2007 – Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe
2008 – Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
2009 – The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

2010 – The City & the City by China Mieville
2011 – Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
2012 – Osama by Lavie Tidhar
2013 – Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

For more information about the World Fantasy Awards and this year's slate of winners as well as past winners, visit www.worldfantasy.org/awards.

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