Nebula Winners Fifteen

Nebula Awards Showcases #15

by Frank Patrick Herbert (Editor), Jack Dann (Contributor), George R.R. Martin (Contributor)

Contents

* ix • Introduction (Nebula Winners 15) • (1981) • essay by Frank Herbert
* 3 • Camps • (1979) • novelette by Jack Dann
* 32 • Sandkings • (1979) • novelette by George R. R. Martin
* 75 • The Straining Your Eyes Through the Viewscreen Blues (Nebula Winners 15) • (1981) • essay by Vonda N. McIntyre
* 90 • Enemy Mine • [Dracon] • (1979) • novella by Barry B. Longyear
* 154 • giANTS • (1979) • shortstory by Edward Bryant
* 174 • We Have Met the Mainstream... (Nebula Winners 15) • (1981) • essay by Ben Bova
* 184 • The Extraordinary Voyages of Amélie Bertrand • (1979) • shortstory by Joanna Russ
* 199 • Unaccompanied Sonata • (1979) • shortstory by Orson Scott Card
* 219 • Appendix A: Nebula Awards 1979 (Nebula Winners 15) • (1981) • essay by uncredited
* 221 • Appendix B: Fifteen Years of Nebula Winners (Nebula Winners 15) • (1981) • essay by uncredited

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Fantasy

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1981

About the author

Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.

The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a mournful essay included here which is worth mentioning. It moans and groans that by 1979 science fiction is now big. Big! For many years the sf community had been despised and ignored, and now sf is becoming mainstream.

Well, the dream is coming true. But in an unexpected way. Science fiction is not breaking into the mainstream, exactly. The mainstream is sort of coming over and engulfing science fiction.

(It was Star Wars which started the whole thing.)

I had a very confusing conversation with my daughter a couple of years ago which illustrates what happened to science fiction (and fantasy). I was talking about mainstream fiction as opposed to genre fiction, and she simply could not figure out what I meant by “mainstream”. What are you talking about? What’s this mainstream thing? I explained some more and she said “oh, you mean sort of dramas”. Well, er, yes, I guess – a novel that’s not a thriller, not sf, not fantasy, not horror, not YA, not romance…. You know, mainstream.

It turns out that “mainstream” is now a tiny genre and the formerly subsidiary genres are now the new mainstream. Science fiction and fantasy is mainstream now and has been for years. The old mainstream is now called “literary fiction” I guess.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this collection has two really good stories (Longyear’s “Enemy Mine,” and George R R Martin’s “Sandkings” – which I’m sure that I’ve read it before in some other collection whose name escapes me), I feel a bit cheated as the book includes two nonfiction essays on the state of the Science Fiction publishing industry – both, in many specifics, sadly out of date – e.g. Vonda McIntyre’s goes into detail about what typewriter ribbon you should use for your submissions. The other stories ranged from “meh” to OK. Without the “Enemy Mine” and “Sandkings” I’d barely give this two stars, but those bring it up to a 3.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1981, Nebula Winners 15 contains the winning novella, novelette and short stories for 1979, as well as some runners-up together with two essays on writing. The standard of writing is, of course very high. The only real sign of dating is in the essay by Vonda N Mcintyre which deals with the process of preparing and submitting a manuscript, much of it ancient history. The stories all stand up well after 38 years, with some real giants of SF represented here. Barry N Longyear's 'Enemy Mine' is especially good, and IMHO better than the movie version which dumbed the story down too much. Excellent.

[Joe B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essays by Herbert, McIntyre and Bova were informative.
„Enemy Mine“ was excellent. Reading it after having seen the film years ago, it was surprising to read a different ending.
Joanna Russ‘ tribute to Verne was nostalgic.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orson Scott Card's Unaccompanied Sonata is the best of the selections.

[Ogden Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to give one rating since it is an anthology. Enemy Mine is the most famous story and justifiably so. It is the best one in this collection. The one by G.R.R. Martin is creepy and good.

[Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very powerful stories, this is what SF should be about.

[Alex Slonimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A handful of great stories, especially enemy mine, and then some essays that I skipped past

[JCD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story speculative fiction must be read. And there are some anthologies that are must reads. This is one. You have "Sandkings" (1979) novelette by George R. R. Martin, always great, there is "Enemy Mine" which was not the Hollywood ending of the film by the same name (a bit darker and more cynical). There's, "The Straining Your Eyes Through the Viewscreen Blues", "Camps" and Orson Scott Card's "Unaccompanied Sonata" which is a chilling speculation on the cult of happiness. There is even an interesting essay on Science Fiction by Frank Herbert, where it's been and how Star Wars had much to do with it going more main stream. These are stories that can be read over and over. ;-)

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of award-winning science fiction stories. I picked it up for George R.R. Martin's "Sandkings", but found other stories to enjoy as well. Highlights were Barry B. Longyear's "Enemy Mine" (1979 Nebula Award for Best Novella), Orson Scott Card's "Unaccompanied Sonata", and the aforementioned "Sandkings" (1979 Nebula Award for Best Novelette). I might have to look into getting previous Nebula Winner collections.

[Timothy]

6 stories:

(2/6 read)

Camps (1979) • Jack Dann
***** Sandkings (1979) • George R. R. Martin
**** Enemy Mine (1979) • Barry B. Longyear
giANTS (1979) • Edward Bryant
The Extraordinary Voyages of Amélie Bertrand (1979) • Joanna Russ
Unaccompanied Sonata (1979) • Orson Scott Card

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story collection. I liked them all, but Unaccompanied Sonata was the standout story for me. If you like Science fiction I highly recommend it.