Nominees for the 2008 Marooned Awards

After reading some impressive lists compiled by fans, critics, authors, editors, and publishers about this year's best Science Fiction works, I have decided to honor the best of my niche readings by presenting the newly-created Marooned Awards.

Here's how it works: If I were unfortunate enough to be marooned on the planet Mars for the next year, what works of Martian Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction published this year and which I read would I want marooned with me?

The Marooned Award is given to the best Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction work that is predominately about Mars or Martians in the each of the following categories: novel, novella or novelette, short story, flash fiction, and poem.

Without further ado, here are the nominees for the 2008 Marooned Awards:

Best Novel

• Mars Life by Ben Bova

• Marsbound by Joe Haldeman

• Rolling Thunder by John Varley


Best Novella or Novelette

• “Tenbrook of Mars” by Dean McLaughlin

• “The Last Temptation of Katerina Savitskaya” by H. G. Stratmann


Best Short Story

• “Weird Fruits” by Camille Alexa

• “The Full Story of the Firstborn Assault on Mars” by Stephen Baxter and Arthur C. Clarke

• “Catherine Drewe” by Paul Cornell

• "Noah's Ark" by Narendra Desirazu

• “The Eventful Career of Dr. Kevin Pearson, Astronomer” by Edward Laag

• "The Ambassador" by Mark Lawrence

• “The Wolves that Haunt the Rock” by Patrick Lynch

• “Tricks of Light and Shadow” by Barry Napier

• “The Film-makers of Mars” by Geoff Ryman

• "Mars's Gift" by Jonathan Schlosser

• “Willpower” by Jason Stoddard


Best Flash Fiction

• "The Elcano Syndrome" by Gustavo Bondoni

• "Life from Mars" by Penelope Friday

• “Live from Times Square” by Jeff Garrity

• “The Button-Pushers of Mars” by Martin Green

• “Survivor of Olympus Mons” by Neil Griffith

• "Mars Ascent" by Andrew Males

• "Fast Living" by Hank Quense

• “Blood and Ozone” by Steven Rockoff

• “The Manumitters” by Phred Serenissima

• “You Might Be A Green-neck If ...” by Patricia Stewart


Best Poem

• “Preparing to Sleep ...” by Stuart Atkinson

• “The Last Man on Mars” by John Nichols

• “Why She Canceled Her Online Dating Membership: A Martian Female Responds (a triolet)” by Terrie Leigh Relf


The winners of the 2008 Marooned Awards will be announced on December 30, 2008.