Transfer Orbit

Here are the finalists for the 2021 Nebula Awards

Andrew Liptak -

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced its finalists for this year's Nebula Awards, its annual prize for the best works of science fiction and fantasy literature published in the last year.

The Nebula is one of the major awards within the SF/F field. Handed out annually since 1966, it's predominantly honored the broad literary categories that have traditionally published genre work: novels, novellas, novelettes, and short stories, and in recent years, has expanded to include young adult novels, game writing, and films.

Last year's winners included Martha Wells (for her novel Network Effect), P. Djèlí Clark (for his novella, Ring Shout), Sarah Pinsker (for her novelette “Two Truths and a Lie”), John Wiswell (for his short story “Open House on Haunted Hill”), T. Kingfisher (for her YA book A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking), Greg Kasavin (for his game Hades), and Michael Schur (For his script for The Good Place's episode "Whenever You’re Ready".) (Here's the list of the 2020 finalists)

The Nebula Awards ceremony is also a point where the organization typically announces its selection for its Lifetime achievement award, the Damon Knight Grand Master. That announcement has already come: SFWA named Mercedes Lackey with the honor, and will honor her with the award during this year's awards ceremony.

Nebula Award for Novel

  • The Unbroken, C.L. Clark (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • A Master of Djinn, P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom; Orbit UK)
  • Machinehood, S.B. Divya (Saga)
  • A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
  • Plague Birds, Jason Sanford (Apex)

Nebula Award for Novella

  • A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)
  • Fireheart Tiger, Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
  • And What Can We Offer You Tonight, Premee Mohamed (Neon Hemlock)
  • Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters, Aimee Ogden (Tordotcom)
  • Flowers for the Sea, Zin E. Rocklyn (Tordotcom)
  • The Necessity of Stars, E. Catherine Tobler (Neon Hemlock)
  • “The Giants of the Violet Sea”, Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 9–10/21)

Note: SFWA says that Martha Wells' novella Fugitive Telemetry was nominated, but that she declined, noting that her Murderbot series has already won numerous awards and wanted to honor other authors and their works. Wells followed up with a response on her blog.

Nebula Award for Novelette

  • “O2 Arena”, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge 11/21)
  • “Just Enough Rain”, PH Lee (Giganotosaurus 5/21)
  • “(emet)”, Lauren Ring (F&SF 7–8/21)
  • “That Story Isn’t the Story”, John Wiswell (Uncanny 11–12/21)
  • “Colors of the Immortal Palette”, Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny 3–4/21)

Nebula Award for Short Story

  • “Mr. Death”, Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/21)
  • “Proof by Induction”, José Pablo Iriarte (Uncanny 5–6/21)
  • “Let All the Children Boogie”, Sam J. Miller (Tor.com 1/6/21)
  • “Laughter Among the Trees”, Suzan Palumbo (The Dark 2/21)
  • “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3–4/21)
  • “For Lack of a Bed”, John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 4/21)

Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction

  • Victories Greater Than Death, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen; Titan)
  • Thornwood, Leah Cypess (Delacorte)
  • Redemptor, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet; Hot Key)
  • A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
  • Root Magic, Eden Royce (Walden Pond)
  • Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen; Rock the Boat)

Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

  • Encanto, Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures)
  • The Green Knight, David Lowery (Sailor Bear, BRON Studios, A24)
  • Loki: Season 1, Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron, Tom Kauffman, Jess Dweck (Marvel Studios)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham (Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios)
  • Space Sweepers, Jo Sung-hee 조성희 (Bidangil Pictures)
  • WandaVision: Season 1, Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer, Cameron Squires, Gretchen Enders, Chuck Hayward (Marvel Studios)
  • What We Do in the Shadows: Season 3, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Stefani Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Lauren Wells (FX Productions, Two Canoes Pictures, 343 Incorporated, FX Network)

Nebula Award for Game Writing

  • Coyote & Crow, Connor Alexander, William McKay, Weyodi Oldbear, Derek Pounds, Nico Albert, Riana Elliott, Diogo Nogueira, William Thompson (Coyote & Crow, LLC.)
  • Gramma’s Hand, Balogun Ojetade (Balogun Ojetade, Roaring Lion Productions)
  • Thirsty Sword Lesbians, April Kit Walsh, Whitney Delagio, Dominique Dickey, Jonaya Kemper, Alexis Sara, Rae Nedjadi (Evil Hat Games)
  • Wanderhome, Jay Dragon (Possum Creek Games)
  • Wildermyth, Nate Austin, Anne Austin (Worldwalker Games, LLC, Whisper Games)

SFWA members will now vote on the award winners, and those results will be announced during this year's 2022 Nebula Conference on May 21st. The conference will be held virtually between May 19–22.