1986 Nebula Awards®
Presented at Halloran House Hotel, New York, New York on May 2, 1987
Friday evening saw sponsored parties by Berkley Books (in Greenwich Village) and Tor Books. In addition to the banquet, there was a two-day program, although the final items on Sunday were cancelled due to low attendance. Charles Sheffield served as emcee. Woodcarver and artist Barry Moser was the guest speaker. Davis Publications sponsored an after-banquet party.
Best Novel
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, published by Houghton Mifflin
- Winner: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, published by Tor
- Count Zero by William Gibson, published by Asimov’s Magazine and Arbor House
- This Is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow, published by Henry Holt
- The Journal of Nicholas the American by Leigh Kennedy, published by Atlantic Monthly Press
- Free Live Free by Gene Wolfe, published by Tor and Mark V. Ziesing
Best Novella
- “Newton Sleep” by Gregory Benford, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
- “Escape from Kathmandu” by Kim Stanley Robinson, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- Winner: “R&R” by Lucius Shepard, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- “Gilgamesh in the Outback” by Robert Silverberg, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- “Dydeetown Girl” by F. Paul Wilson
Best Novelette
- “Hatrack River” by Orson Scott Card, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- “Listening to Brahms” by Suzy McKee Charnas, published by Omni
- “The Winter Market” by William Gibson, published by Interzone and Stardate
- “Surviving” by Judith Moffett, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
- “Aymara” by Lucius Shepard, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- Winner: “The Girl Who Fell into the Sky” by Kate Wilhelm, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- “Permafrost” by Roger Zelazny, published by Omni
Best Short Story
- “Robot Dreams” by Isaac Asimov, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- Winner: “Tangents” by Greg Bear, published by Omni
- “Pretty Boy Crossover” by Pat Cadigan, published by Asimov’s Magazine
- “Rat” by James Patrick Kelly, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
- “The Boy Who Plaited Manes” by Nancy Springer, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
- “The Lions Are Asleep This Night” by Howard Waldrop, published by Omni