As reported by Julia Rios of the Outer Alliance, the winner and shortlist for the 2012 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Novel were announced over this past weekend at Gaylaxicon in Minneapolis, MN. This year’s judges were Carl Cipra, Rob Gates, Nancy Berman and Warren Rochelle; they judged a set of eligible novels published in 2011 based on open nominations to determine their winner and recommended reading. (The 2012 Best Short Fiction Award will be presented at the 2013 Gaylaxicon.)
According to the Spectrum Awards’ website, their mission is “to honor works in science fiction, fantasy and horror which include positive explorations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered characters, themes, or issues. In 2002, the Awards were handed over to a newly formed, independent organization – the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards Foundation.”
Where relevant, I’ve included links to reviews for the various shortlisted books, some of which appeared here over the past year or two.
The Shortlist:
The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski
The Cold Commands by Richard Morgan (reviewed)
Grail by Elizabeth Bear (reviewed)
Rule 34 by Charles Stross
The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff
A Rope of Thorns by Gemma Files
Static by L. A. Witt
Huntress by Malinda Lo (reviewed)
God’s War and Infidel by Kameron Hurley
The Winner:
Honeyed Words by J. A. Pitts
Congrats to the winner, and to all of the shortlisted novels!
Lee Mandelo is a writer, critic, and editor whose primary fields of interest are speculative fiction and queer literature, especially when the two coincide. She can be found on Twitter and her website.
