Blog in Exile: Locus Award Winners for 2007

Yesterday, at the posh Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Seattle, Locus announced the winners of its annual poll:

• Best Science Fiction Novel: Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge
• Best Fantasy Novel: The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
• Best First Novel: His Majesty's Dragon/Throne of Jade/Black Powder War, Naomi Novik (also published as Temeraire: In the Service of the King)
• Best Young Adult Book: Wintersmith, Terry Pratchett
• Best Novella: "Missile Gap," Charles Stross (One Million A.D., edited by Gardner Dozois)
• Best Novella: "When Sysadmins Rules the Earth," Cory Doctorow (Baen's Universe 8/06)
• Best Short Story: "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things)
• Best Magazine: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• Best Publisher: Tor
• Best Anthology: The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
• Best Collection: Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman
• Best Editor: Ellen Datlow
• Best Artist: John Picacio
• Best Non-Fiction: James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, Julie Phillips
• Best Art Book: Spectrum 13: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, edited by Cathy Fenner and Arnie Fenner

Congratulations to all of the winners, particularly to Charles Stross, whose story "Missile Gap" was one of the highlights of the very strong One Million A.D. and was my personal pick for the best story of last year. (Though, of course, I'm biased, having acquired that book.) I wonder who picked up the publisher's scroll for that one?

I wish I could have been there -- I had made plans to attend, before the recent unpleasantness. But there's always next year.