2021 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees

The six works nominated for the 2021 Philip K. Dick Award were announced by the judges and the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust on January 20.

  • Failed State by Christopher Brown (Harper Voyager)
  • The Book Of Koli by M. R. Carey (Orbit)
  • Dance On Saturday by Elwin Cotman (Small Beer Press)
  • Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds (Orbit)
  • Road Out Of Winter by Alison Stine (Mira)
  • The Doors Of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit)

First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 2, 2021 at Norwescon 44 which will be held virtually this year. The link to the ceremony will be posted here when it is available.

The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States during the previous calendar year.? ? The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the Northwest Science Fiction Society.? ?

Last year’s winner was Sooner Or Later Everything Falls Into The Sea: Stories by Sarah Pinsker (Small Beer Press) with a special citation to The Little Animals by Sarah Tolmie (Aqueduct Press).

The 2021 judges are F. Brett Cox, Brendan A. DuBois, Cynthia Felice, Tim Pratt, and Jessica Reisman (Chair).

7 thoughts on “2021 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees

  1. It’s both odd and refreshing to see a writer as established as Reynolds on a PKD nominee list. It’s a great way to acknowledge newer writers but I’ve never been a fan of hardcover publication for fiction, so…..

    Good luck to all the nominees. The PKD was my “favorite” award back in the day. A strong set of judges.

  2. Vaguely surprised to see the second book in a series on the PKD list. It’s not one I’ve followed religiously, but I thought it tended to only be stand alone works.

  3. nickpheas: Vaguely surprised to see the second book in a series on the PKD list. It’s not one I’ve followed religiously, but I thought it tended to only be stand alone works.

    Bone Silence is actually the third book in the Revenger trilogy (Shadow Captain was the second). And I have to say that I was a bit dubious going in, but I think that Reynolds absolutely nailed the landing on that series. So I’m not too surprised to see it on this list, and I’m glad that it’s gotten some recognition.

  4. Failed State is a second book in a series too isn’t it?

    But series books on the PKD Award aren’t unusual. Last year Rosewater Redemption was on the shortlist. The year before that The Body Library. The year before that The Book of Etta.

  5. Andy Leighton: Failed State is a second book in a series too isn’t it?

    Ah, yes, Amazon says it’s the middle of a trilogy. I haven’t read that one.

     
    Andy Leighton: But series books on the PKD Award aren’t unusual. Last year Rosewater Redemption was on the shortlist. The year before that The Body Library. The year before that The Book of Etta.

    Yes, looking back I see also Apex by Ramez Naam (book 3), Countdown City by Ben H. Winters (book 2), Deadline by Mira Grant (book 2), and a collection of stories set in Eleanor Arnason’s Hwarhath series which has a previous novel, so I don’t think it’s at all uncommon.

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