Monday, June 26, 2006

Possible Embarrassment, Pt. 3: The World Fantasy Awards

I wasn't reading other blogs much over the weekend, so I was surprised to find myself a major meme vector this morning. Well, if it's in the service of reading good books, then I'm happy with it. But I need to post this one to get back out ahead of the wave.

Part one was the Hugo Awards (where I went 36-for-53, or 68%); part two was the Nebulas (where I went 23-of-42, or 55%). Now I'll see how many of the World Fantasy Award-winning novels I've read in my checkered reading career:

  • 2005 Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
    Yes
  • 2004 Walton, Jo: Tooth and Claw
    Yes -- how could I not, since I'm an Anthony Trollope fan? (And something of a Jo Walton fan, come to think of it.)
  • 2003 (tie) Joyce, Graham: The Facts of Life
    No -- though, reading his most recent book for WFA this year, I might want to go back.
  • 2003 (tie) McKillip, Patricia A.: Ombria in Shadow
    No -- though reading her 2005 books for WFA makes me interested.
  • 2002 Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Other Wind
    Yes
  • 2001 (tie) Powers, Tim: Declare
    Oh, yes. A wonderful, wonderful book -- impressive even for Powers.
  • 2001 (tie) Stewart, Sean: Galveston
    Yes. Not one of my favorites of his, though.
  • 2000 Scott, Martin: Thraxas
    No. On the other hand, hardly anyone else has, either...
  • 1999 Erdrich, Louise: The Antelope Wife
    No
  • 1998 Ford, Jeffrey : The Physiognomy
    Yes
  • 1997 Pollack, Rachel: Godmother Night
    I read about the first third of it, and was very disappointed -- I'd loved her novels Unquenchable Fire and Temporary Agency for the way they had a very grounded, realistic, matter-of-fact contemporary world with magic added to it, but Godmother was far too woo-woo and "goddessy" for me to enjoy.
  • 1996 Priest, Christopher: The Prestige
    Not yet, but I do have a copy of it.
  • 1995 Morrow, James: Towing Jehovah
    Yes
  • 1994 Shiner, Lewis : Glimpses
    No
  • 1993 Powers, Tim : Last Call
    Of course.
  • 1992 McCammon, Robert R.: Boy's Life
    No
  • 1991 (tie )Morrow, James: Only Begotten Daughter
    Of course.
  • 1991 (tie) Kushner, Ellen: Thomas the Rhymer
    Not yet. It's short, so I probably will get to it.
  • 1990 Vance, Jack: Lyonese: Madouc
    Absolutely.
  • 1989 Straub, Peter: Koko
    No
  • 1988 Grimwood, Ken: Replay
    Strangely, no. I don't think I even have a copy of it, though it's a book I've intended to read for nearly twenty years now.
  • 1987 Suskind, Patrick: Perfume
    Yes
  • 1986 Simmons, Dan: Song of Kali
    No
  • 1985 (tie) Holdstock, Robert: Mythago Wood
    Yes
  • 1985 (tie) Hughart, Barry: Bridge of Birds
    Yes
  • 1984 Ford, John M.: Dragon Waiting
    Yes
  • 1983 Shea, Michael: Nifft the Lean
    Yes
  • 1982 Crowley, John: Little, Big
    Yes
  • 1981 Wolfe, Gene: The Shadow of the Torturer
    Yes
  • 1980 Lynn, Elizabeth A.: Watchtower
    No
  • 1979 Moorcock, Michael: Gloriana
    Yes
  • 1978 Leiber, Fritz: Our Lady of Darkness
    Yes
  • 1977 Kotzwinkle, William: Dr. Rat
    No. However, I have read his The Fan Man and The Bear Went Over the Mountain, so I think I should get partial credit. Actually, I don't think I've ever even seen a copy of this book.
  • 1976 Matheson, Richard: Bid Time Return (Somewhere in Time)
    No
  • 1975 McKillip, Patricia A.: Forgotten Beasts of Eld
    No. Though I hope to, someday.

So I've read 19 of 35 (plus part of Godmother Night): not bad at 55%. It's exactly the same as I did on the Nebulas, which is a mixed message: I'm not a member of SFWA (not being a writer) but I am a WFA judge this year...

Side note: It's interesting that a panel of five judges has produced so many ties. I'm not sure what that means; perhaps that WFA judges prefer to share the wealth, or that they get hopelessly deadlocked far too often.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Replay was excellent, IMHO - if you ever break your 20-year (and growing) streak . . . I hope you enjoy it.

Andrew Wheeler said...

What 20-year streak? I seem to have read more or less every other WFA-winning novel, though the pattern isn't as obvious as it was with the Nebulas...

Andrew Wheeler said...

I hate realizing what a person was saying just after I post a reply showing how dim-witted I am.

So let me say officially, for the record -- oh, that 20-year streak!

(Some days I'm so thick I'm surprised people can walk around me...)

Anonymous said...

;-) Sorry, I wasn't very clear.

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