Tag Archives: A. E. van Vogt Award

2013 Van Vogt Award
Submissions Sought

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The Winnepeg Science Fiction Association is accepting submissions for the 2013 A. E. van Vogt Book Award through August 31.

The Award is given to for a first-edition science fiction novel or full-length science fiction short story anthology, written by an author linked to Western Canada by birth or residency. The nominated work must have been published during the period 2007 to 2012.

The complete rules and detailed submission requirements are here.

This is the award’s second year — Alphanauts by Brian J. Clarke (Edge) won the inaugural A.E. Van Vogt Award in 2012. It consists of a $1200 cash prize and a presentation piece.

A. E. Van Vogt was born in Manitoba, Canada. He wrote a major story, “Slan,” while still living in Winnipeg. The pinnacle of his career was being designated a SFWA Grandmaster. He is the only Canadian to have won the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award.

The stated goals of the van Vogt Award are:

  • Draw attention to Canadian Science Fiction
  • Demonstrate that Canada has been producing World class writers for some time.
  • Cause more people to talk about Science Fiction .
  • Promote better writing.
  • Discover more writers.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the story.]

Clarke Wins Van Vogt Award

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Alphanauts by Brian J. Clarke (Edge) has won the inaugural A.E. Van Vogt Award.

Presented by the Winnipeg Science Fiction Association, the award comes with a $1200 honorarium, the largest in Canadian sf.

The Van Vogt Award is given in recognition of a first-edition, full-length sf novel or full-length sf short story anthology written by an author linked to Western Canada by birth or residency.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the story.]

Shortlist for 2012 A.E. Van Vogt Award

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The finalists for the 2012 A. E. Van Vogt Award are:

  • Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder (Tor Science Fiction)
  • Alphanauts by Brian J. Clarke (Edge)
  • The Other by Matthew Hughes (Underland Press)

The award is named after Canada’s only Grand Master Science Fiction author, who was born in Manitoba. It includes a $1200 cash award and certificate. The award’s sponsors are the Winnipeg Science Fiction Association (WINSFA), Conadian, the 1994 World SF Con, and Science Fiction Winnipeg (SFW).

The winner will be named by the end of the year.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the story.]

Van Vogt Award Created

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A. E. Van Vogt

The Winnipeg Science Fiction Association has created the A. E. Van Vogt Award to spotlight the best Canadian science fiction in past years. The club wants the award to (1) draw attention to Canadian Science Fiction, (2) demonstrate that Canada has been producing World class writers for some time, (3), cause more people to talk about Science Fiction, (4) promote better writing and (5) help discover more writers.

Van Vogt was born a century ago in Canada. While living in Winnipeg, he launched his pro sf career with the short story “Black Destroyer,” published in Astounding in 1939. There he also wrote the iconic “Slan.” He relocated from Winnipeg to Hollywood in 1944.

His career honors include SFWA’s Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (1995) – the only Canadian-born recipient to date. It’s an ironic coincidence that the award’s namesake once panned Van Vogt’s novel The World of Null-A in a critical essay, and a testament to the power of his writing that Philip K. Dick came to his defense —

Damon feels that it’s bad artistry when you build those funky universes where people fall through the floor. It’s like he’s viewing a story the way a building inspector would when he’s building your house. But reality really is a mess, and yet it’s exciting. The basic thing is, how frightened are you of chaos? And how happy are you with order? Van Vogt influenced me so much because he made me appreciate a mysterious chaotic quality in the universe which is not to be feared.

The Winnipeg Science Fiction Association is creating the award with the permission of Van Vogt’s family. The award will consist of a presentation piece and monetary prize. It will be given for the first time in September 2012.

The full press release follows the jump.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the story.]

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