Just finished Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff and the sixth book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Both were great, but I've never seen an author write themselves in as a character before, like Stephen King did, and I found it pretentious as all get out. When I was just starting out, at 14 or so, I thought I'd always include a character in my book that was some scrambling of "Jennifer" or Guinevere. It was going to be an Easter Egg for my readers.
Then I grew up a little and realized that the author is in all her books anyway and decided it was a really dumb idea.
Stephen King's inclusion of himself seemed completely unnecessary. I didn't throw the book across the room, but I did close it, roll my eyes, and not finish reading it for a week.
I'm sad because I thought I had a potential agent but he changed his mind. Better now than later, after we'd started working together, but it makes me feel...less hopeful. Oh well, I'll find someone to take me on. Eventually.
Nebulas were announced while I was away at my workshop.
Novel: Powers - Le Guin, Ursula K. (Harcourt, Sep07) [She still writes?]
Novella: The Spacetime Pool - Asaro, Catherine (Analog, Mar08)
Novelette: Pride and Prometheus - Kessel, John (F&SF, Jan08)
Short Story: Trophy Wives - Hoffman, Nina Kiriki (Fellowship Fantastic, ed. Martin H. Greenburg and Kerrie Hughes, DAW Books Jan08)
Script: WALL-E - Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter (Walt Disney June 2008)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy: Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) - Wilce, Ysabeau S. (Harcourt, Sep08) [Great title.]
Also honored during the Nebula Award Weekend were:
A. J. Budrys — Solstice Award
M.J. Engh—Author Emerita
Marty Greenberg — Solstice Award
Harry Harrison —Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master
Joss Whedon — Ray Bradbury Award
Kate Wilhelm — Solstice Award
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It's a drag about the agent, but it's only a matter of time, Jenn. Your stuff rocks, and some brilliant agent is going to realize that soon.
I haven't read any Catherine Asaro in a while; I'll have to look for that one. Also must grab the Ysabeau Wilce. And yay for Algis and Joss!