Parsec Awards
The Parsec Awards are a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media. They were first presented in 2006 at DragonCon[1][2][3][4] and have since become "one of the most recognizable honors in science and fiction podcasting".[5]
Nominations are accepted from the listening public annually in each of the categories. The list is vetted for eligibility by the steering committee, before producers are invited to submit samples of work for consideration by a panel of judges. The panel reduces the list of nominees to five finalists in each category. The finalists' work is submitted for judging and the winner is selected by that panel of authors, podcasters, and others knowledgeable in the field of speculative fiction, podcasting, and/or publishing.[6] Past finalist judges have included Catherine Asaro, Charles de Lint, Cory Doctorow, and Evo Terra, among others.[7]
Award categories
Categories are modified from year to year. This is a list of some past categories:
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form)
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form)
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form)
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents)
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents)
- Best Speculative Fiction Video Podcast
- Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
- Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast
- Best Speculative Fiction Fan Podcast
- Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast
- Best Writing-related Podcast
- Best “Infotainment” Cast
- Best Gaming Podcast
- Best Anime Podcast
- Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team
- Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast
- The Joe Murphy Memorial Award[8]
Past winners
- Best Fiction (Short): Absolution Insured by Matt Wallace (from Variant Frequencies)
- Best Fiction (Long): How to Succeed in Evil by The Seanachai & Patrick McLean
- Best Audio Production: Virgin Falls by Jeff Folchinsky
- Best Writing Podcast: The Secrets by Michael A. Stackpole
- Best Audio Drama (Long): The Stargate Café by Planet Retcon
- Best Audio Drama (Short): The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco & Doug Price
- Best Fiction (Non-speculative): Death of A Dish Washer by The Seanachai & Patrick McLean
- Best Fan Podcast: The Scapecast by Kevin Bachelder, Lindy Rae, and crew
- Best News Podcast: The Future and You by Stephen Euin Cobb
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): "No World for Warriors" Variant Frequencies by Matt Wallace
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): The Arwen by Timothy P. Callahan
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novel Form): The Immortalsby Tracy Hickman
- Best Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents): The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco, Doug Price
- Best Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents):Prometheus Radio Theatre by Steven H. Wilson, Scott D. Farquhar
- Best Audio Production: The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd by Grant Baciocco, Doug Price
- Best Video Production: Missing Pages by Jerome Olivier
- Best Video Podcast: Missing Pages by Jerome Olivier
- Best Non-Speculative Fiction: Number One with a Bullet by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
- Best Fan Podcast: The Signal by Jill Arroway, Les Howard, Kari Haley, & crew
- Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast: Skepticality: The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine by Derek Colanduno & Robynn "Swoopy" McCarthy
- Best Anime Podcast: GeekNights Wednesdays: Anime Manga Comics by Rym and Scott
- Best Gaming Podcast: Pulp Gamer: Inside Track
- Best Graphic Literature Podcast: Comics Radar by JM Campbell and Matt Melnyk
- Best "Infotainment" Cast: Pulp Gamer: Out of Character
- Best Reality Podcast: Tag in the Seam by Leann
- Best Tech Podcast: The Command Line by Thomas Gideon
- Best Writing Related Podcast: I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Red Man by Scott Sigler
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Heaven - Season Four: Wasteland by Mur Lafferty
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form): Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form including Independents): Space Casey by Christiana Ellis
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form including Independents): Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword by Tee Morris
- Best Speculative Fiction Video Podcast: Stranger Things
- Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Variant Frequencies
- Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Short Cummings Audio
- Best Speculative Fiction Fan Podcast: Galactica Quorum
- Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast: Slice of SciFi
- Best Writing-related Podcast: Adventures in Scifi Publishing
- Best “Infotainment” Cast: The Weird Show
- Best Gaming Podcast: The Game Kennel
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form / Novel): FETIDUS: The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural by James Durham
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Eusocial Networking by Scott Sigler
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): Under The Bed by Michael Natale (from Variant Frequencies)
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): Metamor City: Making the Cut
- Best Speculative Fiction Infotainment Podcast: The 365 Days of Astronomy, the daily podcast of the International Year of Astronomy 2009
- Best Speculative Fiction Comedy /Parody Podcast: Bell's in the Batfry
- Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: Pseudopod
- Best Anime Podcast: Anime World Order
- Best Speculative Fiction Fan Podcast: The ScapeCast
- Best Speculative Fiction Video Podcast: Stranger Things
- Best Gaming Podcast: Brilliant Gameologists
- Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: The FuMP
- Best Writing Related Podcast: Writing Excuses
- Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast: (Cool) Shite on the Tube
- Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: FETIDUS: The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form): The Tank by Scott Sigler
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form): Personal Effects: Sword of Blood by J.C. Hutchins
- Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form): Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form): The Metamor City Podcast - "Whispers in the Wood" by Chris Lester
- Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form): Decoder Ring Theatre by Gregg Taylor
- Best Speculative Fiction Video Story: GOLD: Season 1 by David Nett & Andrew R. Deutsch
- Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast: The Drabblecast edited by Norm Sherman
- Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team: In The Gloaming by Nathaniel Tapley
- Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific): The Signal featuring Kari Haley, Kevin Bachelder, Kara Helgren, Les Howard, Jutta Jordans, Dave Tomasic, Andy King, Nick Edwards, Miranda Thomas, Helen Eaton, Anna Snyder, James Parkinson, & Jill Arroway
- Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General): Galactic Watercooler featuring Audra, Chuck, & Sean
- Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation: Writing Excuses featuring Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Eric James Stone, Howard Tayler, & Stacy Whitman
- Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast: Skeptoid featuring Brian Dunning
- Best Speculative Fiction Comedy/Parody Podcast: Teknikal Diffikulties featuring Cayenne Chris Conroy
- Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast: Radio Free Hipster featuring Z.
References
- ^ Silver, Steven H. (August 6, 2008). "Parsec Awards". SF Site. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/news0608.htm. "The nominations for the first Parsec Awards, given for science fiction podcasting, have been announced. The winner will be announced at Dragon*Con, held this year from September 1-4."
- ^ Sloan, Sam (September 6, 2006). "2006 Parsec Awards Winners". Slice of SciFi. http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2006/09/06/2006-parsec-awards-winners/.
- ^ Foster, Cymbre (December 28, 2007). "Podcasting with a purpose". Traverse City Record-Eagle. http://www.record-eagle.com/features/local_story_362093051.html. "The Parsec awards, which began in 2006, are dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction Podcasting. They are presented at Dragon*con, a popular culture convention with a focus that includes science fiction, fantasy and gaming that is held on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA."
- ^ "2009 Parsec Awards Nominations Open". Wired. April 29, 2009. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/04/2009_parsecs/.
- ^ "365 Days of Astronomy Podcast Wins Prestigious Parsec Award". September 9, 2009. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/454/. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ "Parsec Awards 2009 Award Determination Process". http://www.parsecawards.com/node/544.
- ^ "2009 Parsec Judge Biographies". http://parsecawards.com/node/863. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
- ^ Parsec Awards 2009 Nomination Categories
External links