Books
Stars of science fiction align for Nebula Awards in Seattle

By Nisi Shawl
Special to The Seattle Times

	Speakers and authors at the Nebula Awards Weekend include Greg Bear.
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"Are you going to the Nebs?" The answer may be "Yes" if you're a reader of science fiction in the Northwest — or a science-fiction writer anywhere who's serious about your career.

The "Nebs," or Nebula Awards Weekend, is the science-fiction equivalent of the Oscars: a high-profile event complete with parties and a banquet. Seattle will host it Thursday through Sunday, for the first time since the award's inception in 1965.

Though only members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America can vote for award winners, anyone who wants to rub elbows with the genre's stars can take part in the festivities at the Westin Seattle Hotel.

Tickets cost $30 for an entire weekend's parties and panels (the discussions are usually a lot livelier than the droning heads the word "panels" leads you to expect), with the bonus of a speech by Microsoft Research's senior vice president for research Rick Rashid and a concert by the bookloving speed-metal band Bloodhag.

	Dr. Richard Rashid.

For another $90 you can attend the banquet. Ticket information, menus and a list of this year's nominees are at sfwa.org/awards/2004.

So who's coming? Connie Willis, author of the heart-wrenching voyage to the realm of near-death experiences, "Passage," has made her reservations. Willis has won six Nebula awards; twice, she's taken home two in one year.

Harlan Ellison, once an Angry Young Man and still a Formidable Force to be Reckoned With, plans to come, too. Known outside the field for his TV and film scripts, and inside it for devastatingly brilliant short stories, Ellison has a couple of Nebs under his belt and is up for another this year.

Robert Silverberg, author or co-author of 89 novels, 33 story collections and editor or co-editor of 86 anthologies, will be here to collect this year's Grand Master Award. And Joe Haldeman, who won Nebs with his classic novel "The Forever War" in 1975 and its 1998 follow-up, "Forever Peace," is attending, too.

	Harlan Ellison.

Then there are local luminaries like Neal Stephenson, author of "Cryptonomicon," "Quicksilver" and the latter's just-released sequel, "The Confusion." The normally rather reclusive Stephenson is the awards ceremony's toastmaster, so he'll not only be present, he'll be witty. Other confirmed appearances by area authors include Robin Hobb (aka Megan Lindholm), Greg Bear, Vonda N. McIntyre and Ray Vukcevich.

If you attend, leave the pointy ears at home. Organizer Astrid Bear says, "This is not a costuming convention." More suitable outfits run along the lines of the rose-taupe silk-and-linen pantsuit by Emmanuel Ungaro that Eileen Gunn plans to wear. Still, there's some overlap between the science-fiction community's eclectic elegance and the Northwest's funky/casual take on fashion. Oregonian Leslie What, 1999's short-story winner, concentrates on accessories: pointy-toed Wicked-Witch-green Fluevog shoes and a vintage brass peace sign.

	TOM REESE / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seattle writer Vonda N. McIntyre, who will appear at this weekend's Nebula Awards, works on one of her books.

Perhaps the higher standards of dress reflect the amount of business conducted at the Nebs. It's one of three conventions worldwide attended by most of the genre's editors.

These movers-and-shakers will be well-represented in Seattle by Stanley Schmidt of Analog, Gardner Dozois and Sheila Williams of Asimov's SF, Gordon Van Gelder of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Ellen Datlow of SciFiction (SciFi.com's onlinemagazine) and Gunn of The Infinite Matrix. There will also be book publishers on hand.

All the wheeling and dealing has no impact on the awards selection process; that's already taken place by mail. On Saturday evening, the 2004 winners will receive the traditional Lucite statue with a glittering galaxy embedded in its center, and the respect (and professional envy) of their peers. Then they'll head up to the book launch party for "Nebula Awards Showcase 2004" (edited by Vonda N. McIntyre, Roc, $14.95), a celebration of last year's nominees. Sunday, they and other Nebs-goers will take pre-opening tours of Paul Allen's latest project, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.

Nisi Shawl reviews science fiction for The Seattle Times.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company