The Endeavour Award, given out annually at OryCon in Portland, OR, is for “a distinguished science-fiction or fantasy novel written by a Pacific Northwest author.” The 2017 award was announced over the weekend, and it’s a tie—Lovecraft Country shares the honor with Patricia A. McKillip’s Dreams of Distant Shores. (The three runners-up were Curtis Chen’s Waypoint Kangaroo, Dave Duncan’s Eocene Station, and David D. Levine’s Arabella of Mars.)
Ms. McKillip and I will split a $1000 grant. We also each get an engraved glass plaque which, in photos at least, looks large enough to re-enact the David Warner death scene from The Omen. Can’t wait to play with mine! In the meantime, thank you very much to the award judges: This is a wonderful addition to what has already been a very good year for me, career-wise. Woot!
(P.S., submissions for the 2018 Endeavour Award are open. The eligibility requirements and entry rules are here, and the deadline for applying is February 15.)
Indeed, Matt is deserving, as is Ms McKillap. Most writers are, just for the simple act of writing. I would give them all a reward. Some rise above and expose us to truths we either ignore or forget, or they entertain in such a way that feels so good, like a drug. Suspense, surprise, thrill, fear, intelligence, they run the gamut with a combination of skill, education, and having the ability to not go quietly into that good night or day. They make it happen and we pay attention with our minds, with our imaginations, they make us think and be vulnerable to new ideas, new cadences, new voices. They keep building their skills, adding tools, nuances, and above all, the magic! We are humbled by their skills,