Network Effect

You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you’re a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you’re Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.

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I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot’s human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Connie Willis

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2021 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award will be presented to Connie Willis at the 56th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards® for her outstanding work on behalf of the organization.

The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to their fellow members. Previous recipients of the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award include Victoria Strauss, Julia Rios, Bud Sparhawk, Lee Martindale, Vonda McIntyre, and Jim Fiscus. The award will be presented at the 56th Nebula Awards® Ceremony, the weekend of June 4–6, 2021.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal shared the following remarks, “Connie Willis is one of my favorite people. She’s been a tireless volunteer for SFWA for decades with clear, compassionate service. She makes every task lighter for those around her.”

Photo Credit: Kyle Cassidy

Connie Willis is the author of Doomsday Book, Crosstalk, and Passage, among many other fictional works. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards. In 2009, Willis was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. She was named a Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA in 2012. Even with that remarkable career, Willis has consistently made time to volunteer for SFWA in a variety of capacities, including mentorship and several committee roles.

Over the years, Willis’s volunteer efforts have particularly focused on the Emergency Medical Fund (EMF) and the Nebula Awards Rules committees. She has served as a committee member on the EMF since 2014, providing confidential evaluation of applications for medical fund assistance for SFWA members. Willis is also the longest serving member of the Nebula Awards Rules committee, which she joined on its formation in 1995. The Nebula Awards Rules committee works to adjudicate questions on the rules governing the various awards presented by SFWA. During her tenure on the committee, SFWA reimagined the Best Script Award as the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and created the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction and the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing. The committee also designated the Bradbury and Norton Awards as official Nebula Awards®.

Jarvis Sheffield

Jarvis Sheffield has a long history of working to help diversify the science fiction community, among authors and fans. He helped establish and manage the Diversity Track at DragonCon as the track’s director. He is also the founder of the Black Science Fiction Society and has also served as the editor for Genesis Science Fiction Magazine. Sheffield’s work has helped strengthen and expand the scope of science fiction by welcoming Black authors into the field and providing them venues to express their voices in the speculative fiction community.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal said, “The work that Jarvis Sheffield has been doing through the Black Science Fiction Society has created a dedicated home for promoting Black SF. The knowledge that he’s shared about independent publishing has created a path for many authors to do an end-run around the roadblocks created by systemic biases within traditional publishing. Many of the voices we celebrate today came into the field because of his efforts to create a safe space.”

Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine was the bestselling author of several fantasy, science fiction, and thriller series. She was dedicated to supporting newer authors, not only financially, but also mentoring them to successful careers. Caine was a champion of independent bookstores and classrooms, aiming to ensure that teachers had the tools needed to educate their students and that independent bookstores could remain in business in the face of corporate competition. Caine passed away in November 2020. Even after her passing, Caine’s dedication to supporting others continued, including directing donations in her memory toward SFWA’s Emergency Medical Fund and the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Institute.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal noted, “Rachel Caine was a prolific and wonderful writer, but also dedicated herself to using her platform to lift up others. From mentoring to fundraising efforts, Rachel was always there for the community.”

Ben Bova

A prolific and award-winning author, Ben Bova took over the editorial chair for Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact following the death of John W. Campbell and helmed the magazine for seven years. He established Omni Magazine in 1978, where he served as editorial director and provided a new market for short science fiction. Bova’s work ranged beyond the genre; he was the only SFWA president who also served as president of the National Space Society. Bova passed away in November 2020. He is a recipient of the Solstice Award for his long history of editorial work, including his efforts to nurture new authors and to advance the use of science in science fiction.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal remarked, “Ben Bova was so deeply immersed in science fiction that having his name on a project was a stamp of quality, be that as an editor or as a writer. More than that, Ben was kind. He knew how hard breaking into the field was and created new opportunities for early career writers.”