In a special public ceremony held on Thursday June 18, 1998, at Borders Books & Music Cafe, the 1998 Darrell Awards were presented to former West Tennessean (now a Michigander) Steven Lee Climer for Best MidSouth Short Story and to Georgian Jack McDevitt for Best MidSouth Novel.
Honorable Mentions were presented to local authors Allan Gilbreath, H. David Blalock, Vassar Smith, and Corey Messler in the short story category, as well as Allan Gilbreath (again) in the novel category. Additional Honorable Mentions went to novel writer Kathleen Ann Goonan, who lives in Florida but happened to be in Knoxville and flew into Memphis as a surprise guest for the ceremony; and short story writers Tom Piccirilli, Trey Barker, Don Webb and Richard Parks.
The Darrell Awards are given annually by the Memphis Science Fiction Association to promote local literacy by recognizing the best published science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
The complete list of Winners and Honorable Mentions includes:
1998 Darrell Award Winner
for Best MidSouth Novel (Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror):
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt (HarperPrism, 1998)
1998 Darrell Award Winner
for Best MidSouth Short Story (Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror):
By Any Name A Devil by Steven Lee Climer (Monsters from Memphis,
ed. By Beecher Smith, Zapizdat Press, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, 1998)
1998 Honorable Mentions:
NovelsAll of the Short Story Honorable Mentions (as well as the Short Story Winner) appeared in Monsters from Memphis, which was edited and produced by local writer, attorney, and 1996-97 Darrell Award short story Winner, D. Beecher Smith, II, and published by Zapizdat Press, Inc., of Palo Alto, CA. Each of the Winners received a plaque and the Honorable Mentions received gold-leaf certificates. Also, the Winners and the Honorable Mentions will receive a free one-year subscription to Memphen, the newsletter of the Memphis Science Fiction Association.Short Stories --Mississippi Blues by Kathleen Ann Goonan (TOR, 1998) Galen by Allan Gilbreath (Ronin Enterprises, Inc., Memphis TN, 1998).
- Swift Peter, the Beast of Cooper-Young by Corey Mesler
- Eucharist by Richard Parks
- The Heart of the Matter by Don Webb
- Inner Enemies by H. David Blalock
- Dance in Crimson by Trey R. Barker
- Tokhtamysh by Vassar Smith
- My House by Allan Gilbreath ; and
- Bridge of Brothers by Tom Piccirilli.
The Memphis Science Fiction Association congratulates and salutes each of the Winners and Honorable Mentions and encourages all Memphians to read these works. Nominations for the 1999 Darrell Awards are closed in 2000. However, if you know of a qualified work that was published in 1999, contact us -- we may consider it for our Hall of Fame category once we launch that addition to the categories down the road. See the addresses (email and snail mail) on the home page for where to contact us. Nominated works must be set in the MidSouth and/or be by a MidSouth writer to qualify for consideration.
The Memphis Science Fiction Association is a 25 year old group of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans that met for over 20 years on the second Monday of each month at the main library (corner of Peabody and McLean). Currently, due to construction of a new Main library, MSFA is meeting at other places & other times -- contact us for details.
MSFA Meetings are free and open to the public and membership is open to
all sentient beings. For more information about the Memphis Science Fiction
Association, write to MSFA, PO Box 820534, Memphis TN 38182-0534; or see
the MSFA website.