The nominations for the 2009 Nebula Awards were announced this morning. It's the strongest slate in years:

Short Story

“Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela,” Saladin Ahmed (Clockwork Phoenix 2, Norilana Press, Jul09)
“I Remember the Future,” Michael A. Burstein (I Remember the Future, Apex Press, Nov08)
“Non-Zero Probabilities,” N. K. Jemisin (Clarkesworld, Nov09)
“Spar,” Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Oct09)
“Going Deep,” James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jun09)
"Bridesicle,” Will McIntosh (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jan09)

Novelette

“The Gambler,” Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2, Pyr Books, Oct08)
“Vinegar Peace, or the Wrong-Way Used-Adult Orphanage,” Michael Bishop (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Jul08)
“I Needs Must Part, The Policeman Said,” Richard Bowes (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Dec09)
“Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast,” Eugie Foster (Interzone, Feb09)
“Divining Light,” Ted Kosmatka (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Aug08)
“A Memory of Wind,” Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com, Nov09)

Novella

The Women of Nell Gwynne's, Kage Baker (Subterranean Press, Jun09)
“Arkfall,” Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sep09)
“Act One,” Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Mar09)
Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon, Feb09)
“Sublimation Angels,” Jason Sanford (Interzone, Oct09)
The God Engines, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press, Dec09)

Novel

The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Nightshade, Sep09)
The Love We Share Without Knowing, Christopher Barzak (Bantam, Nov08)
Flesh and Fire: Book One of The Vineart War, Laura Anne Gilman (Pocket, Oct09)
The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey, May09)
Boneshaker (Sci Fi Essential Books), Cherie Priest (Tor, Sep09)
Finch, Jeff VanderMeer (Underland Press, Oct09)

Bradbury Award

Star Trek, JJ Abrams (Paramount, May09)
District 9, Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Tri-Star, Aug09)
Avatar, James Cameron (Fox, Dec 09)
Moon, Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker (Sony, Jun09)
Up, Bob Peterson and Pete Docter (Disney/Pixar, May09)
Coraline, Henry Selick (Laika/Focus Feb09)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Hotel Under the Sand, Kage Baker (Tachyon, Jul09)
Ice, Sarah Beth Durst (Simon and Schuster, Oct09)
Ash, Malinda Lo (Little, Brown and Company, Sep09)
Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Act I, Lisa Mantchev (Feiwel and Friends, Jul09)
Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi (Tor Aug08)
When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, 2009)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making, Catherynne M. Valente (Catherynne M. Valente, Jun09)
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld (Simon, Oct09)

Of the six best novel nominees, I own four, but have read only one (Cherie Priest's wonderful Boneshaker (Sci Fi Essential Books), which I named one of the best novels I read in 2009, and which I'll review in full soon). I think I'll order the other two today, because I can't resist the notion of owning the full slate. Can you tell I'm getting tired of being sensible about book purchases? (Yes, yes, I know; compared to the vast majority of humankind, I am anything but sensible even when being sensible on this topic. What can I say? It's certainly a much less harmful addiction than alcohol or cocaine.)

It's worth noting that anyone -- yes, that includes you -- can read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland just by clicking on the link, as it was published in installments online (and is not yet available in book form). Please, though, if you do read it and like it, make a donation to the author, Catherynne Valente. She is a terrific writer (I named her novel Palimpsest as one of my best reads of 2009, and cannot recommend it highly enough, and I plan to read this new book as soon as possible), and should be encouraged to write more and more and more.

Many of the short stories, novellas and novelettes are also available online, and often those that aren't become so once they are announced as award nominees. Check 'em out. Actually, you should be subscribing to the magazines many of them came from already if you're at all serious about fantasy, science fiction and horror. It's hard to imagine a better value than Fantasy & Science Fiction or Asimovs Science Fiction, for instance -- a whole great big chunk of brand new fiction every other month (for F&SF) or every month (for Asimov's).

One final reminder: I am currently running a contest in which I'm giving away a copy of the Nebula-nominated Finch by Jeff Vandermeer. Go enter the contest and get yourself an ARC of this great book!

As is my wont, I am left wishing there were more hours in every day, so that I could read all this great stuff. Have you read any of the works listed here? What do you think of them?