Edgar Award Winners

They were announced at a gala banquet last night. The complete list of nominees is also available online.

This is outside my usual area, but I'm jumping in for two reasons: first, the MC for the second year was none other than my colleague (and next-door neighbor) Jane Dentinger, the Woman Who Knows Where All The Bodies Are Buried. And, second, well...just look at that winner for Best Paperback Original. Congratulations to all of the winners, but particularly to those who also write the grubby SFF stuff.

• Best Novel: Citizen Vince by Jess Walter (Regan Books)
  
• Best First Novel by an American Author: Officer Down by Theresa Schwegel (St. Martin's Minotaur)
  
• Best Paperback Original: Girl in the Glass by Jeffrey Ford (Dark Alley)
  
• Best Fact Crime: Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece by Edward Dolnick (HarperCollins)
  
• Best Critical/Biographical: Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak (Harcourt)
  
• Best Short Story: "The Catch," Greatest Hits by James W. Hall (Carroll & Graf)
  
• Best Juvenile: The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)
  
• Best Young Adult: Last Shot by John Feinstein (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
  
• Best Play: Matter of Intent by Gary Earl Ross (Theater Loft)
  
• Best Television Episode Teleplay: Sea of Souls -- "Amulet", Teleplay by Ed Whitmore
  
• Best Motion Picture Screenplay: Syriana - Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan, based on the book by Robert Baer (Warner Brothers)

And once again I note that literary awards in other genre areas have many more categories than we do. I think the Hugos should think seriously about such awards as Best First Novel by an American Author and Best Juvenile. Maybe Best First Novel by a Robot, as well. Or even Best Second Novel. Or how about Best Last Novel?