Two weeks ago, we reported that George R.R. Martin was being honored with a World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award, shared with British fantasy author Alan Garner. And now we’ve learned that on the final ballot has been released, and Martin’s A Dance with Dragons, fifth novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, is nominated in the Best Novel category!
The final nominees are decided by the World Fantasy Award panel of judges, plus two finalists are selected by ballots of attendees of the World Fantasy Convention. Other nominees in the category are Jo Walton’s Among Others (which I suspect has to be considered the favorite going into the convention), Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman, Stephen King’s 11/22/63, and Lavie Tidhar’s Osama.
Also of note: John Picacio, the artist responsible for the 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar, has been nominated in the artist category.
Congratulations to GRRM, Picacio, and all the other nominees! The award winners will be announced on November 4 at the World Fantasy Convention, which is hosted in Toronto this year.