My picks for the Nebulas

      The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the final nominees for the 2004 Nebula Awards. The winners will be announced April 29. In case you're not familar with the Nebulas, they're like the Oscars for science fiction and fantasy. The nominees in bold are the ones I hope will win.

Novels

•Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
•Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow
•Omega by Jack McDevitt
•Cloud Atlas: A Novel by David Mitchell
•Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart
•The Knight by Gene Wolfe

      Yes, I realize both can't win, but both are good books by good authors. A tie would be great.

Novellas

•"Walk in Silence" by Catherine Asaro
•"The Tangled Strings of the Marionettes" by Adam-Troy Castro
•"The Cookie Monster" by Vernor Vinge
•"The Green Leopard Plague" by Walter Jon Williams
•"Just Like the Ones We Used to Know," by Connie Willis

      Connie Willis is an excellent writer, adept at both comedy and serious writing.

Novelettes

•"Zora and the Zombie" by Andy Duncan
•"Basement Magic" by Ellen Klages
•"The Voluntary State" by Christopher Rowe
•"Dry Bones" by William Sanders
•"The Gladiator's War: A Dialogue" by Lois Tilton

      No choices here because I haven't read any of them.

Short Stories

•"Coming to Terms" by Eileen Gunn
•"The Strange Redemption of Sister Mary Anne" by Mike Moscoe
•"Travels With My Cats" by Mike Resnick
•"Embracing-The-New" by Benjamin Rosenbaum
•"In the Late December" by Greg van Eekhout
•"Aloha" by Ken Wharton

      Eileen Gunn can flat out write. Gunn needs to write more and write more often.

Scripts

•The Incredibles
•The Butterfly Effect
•Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
•The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

      I disliked Eternal Sunshine and The Butterfly Effect, both for taking a good idea and squandering it. The Incredibles was a great, fun movie, but the clear choice is The Return of the King.
      And there you have my picks. I'll let you know how it turns out.