Two for the Edgar

January 20, 2012 at 11:20 am

VERY cool…

The finalists for this year’s Edgar Awards have just been announced, and I was thrilled to learn that two of the stories from DOWN THESE STRANGE STREETS, the fantasy/ mystery anthology that Gardner Dozois and I edited for Penguin, have been nominated for Best Short Story.

The nominees are:
“Lord John and the Plague of Zombies,” by Diana Gabaldon,
and
“The Adakian Eagle,” by Bradley Denton.

The Edgar Awards, named after Edgar Allen Poe (that famous Baltimore Ravens fan), are the mystery equivalent of the Nebula, awarded annually by the members of the Mystery Writers of America. It’s quite a coup for a fantasy story to be nominated.

A full list of this year’s Edgar nominees can be found here:
http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html

Congratulations to Brad and Diana. If you’d like to check out their stories, you can find DOWN THESE STRANGE STREETS on Amazon, or (I hope) at your favorite local bookshop. Lots of other good stuff in the book as well.

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Tags: anthologies, awards

Nominations, Nominations

January 20, 2012 at 12:19 am

If it’s an honor just to be nominated — and it is, it is — the cast and crew of HBO’s GAME OF THRONES is being honored all over the world.

CONGRATULATIONS to our wonderful costume designer, Michele Clapton, nominated by the Costume Designer’s Guild for outstanding achievement in the category of Period/ Fantasy Television.

CONGRATULATIONS to Aiden Gillen, Michele Fairley, Brian Kirk, Mark Huffam, and Ronan Hill and his sound post production team, who earned nominations in this year’s Irish Film & Television Awards as (respectively) best supporting actor (TV), best lead actress (TV), best director (TV), television drama, and sound (film/ tv drama).

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0110/ifta.html

And CONGRATULATIONS to our crack visual effects team, nominated by the Visual Effects Society for awards in three categories.

All our nominees face formidable competition, but win or lose, it is great to get this kind of recognition from peers in the industry. And it’s proof positive of what a great team Dan and David and HBO have assembled to bring GAME OF THRONES to you.

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0110/ifta.html

Break a leg, guys and gals. Hell, break a whole bunch o’ legs.

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo

Win One, Lose One

January 19, 2012 at 4:47 pm

So I’m back from LA, once more catching up and digging out.

If you watched the Golden Globe telecast on Sunday, you already know that GAME OF THRONES lost out to HOMELAND in the Best TV Drama category. Ah, well. It IS an honor just to be nominated, of course, and HOMELAND is an excellent series and a very worthy winner. My congrats to their cast and crew… especially to my old friends (scary to realize just how old) Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, the showrunners. Back in the dawn of time, when Vincent ruled the underworld and dinosaurs roamed the earth, Alex and Howard and I all worked together on the writing staff of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. If we had to lose, I’m glad it was to “the Lads” and their show.

And GOT had its taste of victory too: Peter Dinklage won for Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. A well deserved win over a stellar group of actors.

So… one win, one loss, but a great day, even for those of us who were “differently victorious” (to steal a line from Michael Cassutt). I got to walk the red carpet with my lady Parris, meet Paul Giamatti and Steve Buscemi, visit with Amy Poehler, party with David and Dan and Peter and Emilia and Bryan, not to mention lovely Lisa Bonet and sensational Stana Katic. And Jason Momoa almost twisted my head off. ((I really need to find some way to bring Khal Drogo back from the dead, I do, I do)) That doesn’t happen every day.

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo

Hugo Nominations

January 18, 2012 at 12:50 pm

Chicon 8, this year’s World Science Fiction Convention, has opened nominations for 2011.

The nominating ballot can be found here:

https://chicon.org/hugo/nominate.php

You do need to be a member to nominate. A member (attending or supporting) of Chicon, the 2012 worldcon, OR Renovation, the 2011 worldcon in Reno, OR LoneStarCon, the 2013 worldcon in San Antonio. Any one of the three will do. If you’re not a member, and want to nominate, you can join. Even if you cannot attend. Supporting memberships are cheap, and get you all the publications as well as the right to nominate and vote.

All works first published or broadcast in 2011 are eligible.

The Hugo is the oldest award in our genre, the most prestigious, and the most important. It is a fan award. No juries. The readers choose the finalists, and the readers pick the winners. There will be five (sometimes six, in the event of a tie) nominees in each category.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again here: nominations are the most important part of the Hugo process. Hundreds of people cast Hugo ballots, but far fewer ever bother to nominate. You cannot win unless you are on the ballot, and sometimes the difference between being a finalist and an also-ran is a single nomination. Yes, even in the big categories, like Best Novel and Best Dramatic Presentation. And in the less popular categories, hell, people have been known to make the Hugo ballot with twenty votes.

So NOMINATE.

As to what you should nominate… well, that’s your choice, of course. Right now, all over Ye Olde InterWeb, people are making their recommendations and writers are reminding the world about their own eligible works. I’ll do the same, as I have in past years. But not in this post. Watch this space for my own favorites.

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Tags: awards, hugo awards, worldcon

Golden Globes

January 15, 2012 at 1:01 pm

It’s awards season in Hollywood, and I’m out in Los Angeles in the thick of it.

On Friday I attended the American Film Institute luncheon with David (Benioff), Dan (Weiss), Emilia (Clarke), Jason (Momoa) and other stalwarts from HBO, where GAME OF THRONES was honored as one of the ten outstanding television shows of 2011.

This afternoon it’s the Golden Globes, given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The AFI luncheon was a relaxed affair, since we already knew that we were getting the award before turning up. The Globes are an altogether different proposition; like the Emmys (and the Hugos), they’re nail biters, where all the nominees sweat it out until the envelope is torn open. (And the bigger celebrities also need to worry about what host Ricky Gervais might say about them). GAME OF THRONES is up for best drama against some pretty tough competition. BOARDWALK EMPIRE and HOMELAND are the two favorites going in… but GOT is very popular overseas, so maybe we have a shot at an upset. Peter Dinklage is also nominated, for supporting actor… he’s a strong contender, I think.

So… tune in tonight, and keep your fingers (and toes) crossed.

((And yeah, the Giants are playing the Packers at the same time. Very annoying of them to schedule it like that. Go G-Men!! Go Eli! Cruz, Cruz, Cruuuuz!))

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo, nfl

Author of the Year

December 28, 2011 at 5:01 pm

Who, me?

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2011-12-29/george-r-r-martin-is-author-of-the-year-2011/52256412/1

Hot damn.

What fine intelligent gentlefolk they are at USA TODAY.

Forgive me, whilst I blush prettily.

If I had a football to hand, I would gladly spike it.

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Tags: a dance with dragons, awards, game of thrones, honors

Stud of the Year

December 14, 2011 at 12:16 pm

And speaking of awards and honors and such, Peter Dinklage has another laurel to go with his Emmy and Scream Awards. GQ has named him “Stud of the Year.”

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Congratulations to Peter. For more details, check out the GQ website:

http://www.gq.com/moty/2011/peter-dinklage-gq-men-of-the-year-issue

I am sure Tyrion would be delighted for him.

((As magazine awards go, GQ clearly beats the Locus Awards, I must say))

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo, honors

Democracy in Action

November 20, 2011 at 1:59 pm

Everybody and his mother-in-law are running polls these days, as year’s end edges near.

So for those who enjoy casting ballots and voicing your opinion, here’s a few places to make your voice heard.

GOODREADS is now on to the semifinals in its balloting for the best books of 2011. (A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is still contending, both in the fantasy category, and for book of the year).

http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2011

Meanwhile, the PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS has opened balloting for their 2012 awards. HBO’s series GAME OF THRONES is contending in Best Cable Drama.

http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/vote/votenow.jsp

People’s Choice has a zillion categories, so you can also vote for your favorite network shows, movies, music, etc.

And over at ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, they’re picking the Entertainers of the Year, and it seems I am one of the candidates. (No one is more suprised at this than I am).

http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/11/17/entertainers-of-the-year-2011-vote/3/

Vote early and often.

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Tags: awards

Vote Early and Often

November 4, 2011 at 2:54 pm

The Goodreads Choice Awards:

http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2011

Cast your votes for your favorite books of 2011.

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Tags: awards

Awards, Awards!

September 8, 2011 at 1:16 am

Hey, cool. GAME OF THRONES has just been nominated in eight categories for this year’s SCREAM Awards. We’re a finalist for:

BEST TV SHOW

BEST FANTASY ACTOR- Sean Bean

BEST FANTASY ACTRESS- Lena Heady

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- Peter Dinklage

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: FEMALE- Emilia Clarke

BEST ENSEMBLE

MOST MEMORABLE MUTILATION – Head Covered in Molten Gold

and finally, the “big one,” the category called THE ULTIMATE SCREAM.

The nominees were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges whose numbers included Tim Burton, Darren Aronofsky, Edgar Wright, George Romero, Matthew Vaughn, Damon Lindelof, Neil Gaiman, Wes Craven, Robert Rodriguez, and others.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in LA on October 15, to be telecast on SPIKE.
And while the judges picked the nominees, it’s the fans, viewers, and public who decide the victors. To cast your vote, check out the Scream website at http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/

Congratulations to HBO, to David and Dan, and to all our nominees. It’s not every day you can contend for “Most Memorable Mutilation.”

Meanwhile, over at Airlock Alpha, GAME OF THRONES took home three PORTAL AWARDS:

BEST ACTOR: Sean Bean
BEST SERIES
BEST EPISODE: Winter Is Coming

For the rest of the winners, go to http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/08/2011-portal-award-winners-game-of.html

Congratulations to the Portal winners as well. And to the “differently victorious.” It’s an honor just to be nominated….

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo

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Two for the Edgar

Nominations, Nominations

Win One, Lose One

Hugo Nominations

Golden Globes

Author of the Year

Stud of the Year

Democracy in Action

Vote Early and Often

Awards, Awards!

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