Comments: 1997 is a year that is interesting not because of who won, but rather because of who didn't win. Specifically, George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones lost in the Best Novel category to Rachel Pollack's Godmother Night. Given the popularity of Martin's series now, it seems almost inconceivable that it would not have won the Best Novel Award when it was published, but this reminds us that things that become heralded later are sometimes not regarded with quite as much adoration when they first hit the market. And the comparative current obscurity of Rachel Pollack's novel reminds us that sometimes things that are strong examples of a genre are not remembered as well as they should be.
On an entirely unrelated note, in 1997 the World Fantasy Awards dusted off the category of Special Convention Award and bestowed it upon Hugh. B. Cave. This award is in recognition of "peerless contributions to the fantasy genre", and had not been awarded since 1987, and has not been awarded since. Although Cave seems like a worthy recipient, it seems odd that the judges would pull this award out of mothballs to hand it to him rather than simply giving him a Lifetime Achievement Award, for which he also would have been well-qualified.
Best Novel
Godmother Night by Rachel Pollack
Other Nominees:
The 37th Mandala by Marc Laidlaw
The Bear Went Over the Mountain by William Kotzwinkle
Devil's Tower by Mark Sumner
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott
Shadow of Ashland by Terence M. Green
Best Novella
A City in Winter by Mark Helprin
Other Nominees:
Beauty and the Opéra or The Phantom Beast by Suzy McKee Charnas
Blood of the Dragon by George R.R. Martin
GI Jesus by Susan Palwick
Hell Hath Enlarged Herself by Michael Marshall Smith
Best Short Fiction
Thirteen Phantasms by James P. Blaylock
Other Nominees:
The Dead Cop by Dennis Etchison
Underbed by Graham Masterton
Best Anthology
Starlight 1 edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Other Nominees:
Dark Terrors 2 edited by Stephen Jones and David Sutton
The Shimmering Door edited by Katharine Kerr and Martin H. Greenberg
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Ninth Annual Collection edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
Best Collection
The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye by Jonathan Lethem
Other Nominees:
Bad Intentions by Norman Partridge
Bible Stories for Adults by James Morrow
Conference with the Dead by Terry Lamsley
Midnight Promises by Richard T. Chizmar
The Nightmare Factory by Thomas Ligotti
The Pavilion of Frozen Women by S.P. Somtow
Lifetime Achievement
Madeleine L'Engle
Other Nominees:
None
Best Artist
Moebius (aka Jean Girard)
Other Nominees:
Thomas Canty
H.R. Giger
J.K. Potter
Special Award, Professional
Michael J. Weldon
Other Nominees:
Diana Wynne Jones
Stephen Jones
David Pringle
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Special Award, Non-Professional
Barbara Roden and Christopher Roden
Other Nominees:
Fedogan & Bremer
Paula Guran
Special Convention Award
Hugh B. Cave
Other Nominees:
None
Go to previous year's nominees: 1996
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1998
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