Kurd-Laßwitz-Award: The Nominations 2018

The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis is an annual German science-fiction award. (“Preis” is the German word for “award”.) It is named after the author Kurd Laßwitz, who is also known as “the father of German science-fiction”. The award has a tradition back until 1980. In two ballots persons who are specialists on science-fiction like authors, editors, publishers and journalists vote for the best works that have been published in the previous year. Nominations are for works in German language only or for translations into German.

Here are the nominations:

Best German Science-Fiction Novel (published for the first time in 2017):
 Dirk van den Boom, Die Welten der Skiir (CROSS CULT)
 Andreas Brandhorst, Das Erwachen (PIPER)
 Uwe Hermann, Versuchsreihe 13 – Die Epidemie (ATLANTIS)
 Claudia Kern, Divided States of America (CROSS CULT)
 Marc-Uwe Kling, QualityLand (ULLSTEIN)
 Jens Lubbadeh, Neanderthal (HEYNE)
 Michael Marrak, Der Kanon mechanischer Seelen (AMRÛN)
 Kai Meyer, Die Krone der Sterne (FISCHER TOR)
 Matthias Oden, Junktown (HEYNE)
 Uwe Post, Walpar Tonnraffir und die Ursuppe mit extra Chili (ATLANTIS)
 Doron Rabinovici, Die Außerirdischen (SUHRKAMP)
[The name of the publishing houses are in bracklets and written in capitals.]

Best German Short Prosa:
 Uwe Hermann, Das Internet der Dinge in: Carsten Könneker : Spektrum der Wissenschaft 6/2017, (SPEKTRUM DER WISSENSCHAFT VERLAGSGESELLSCHAFT)
 Uwe Hermann, Der Raum zwischen den Worten in: René Moreau / Olaf Kemmler / Fabian To-maschek : Exodus 36, (EXODUS VERLAG)
 Oliver Koch, Ans Tageslicht in: Peggy Weber-Gehrke : Meuterei auf Titan, (MODERN PHANTASTIK)
 Nikolaj Kohler, Protoplasma mit Hut in: Ellen Norten : Das Alien tanzt Kasatschok, (P.MACHINERY)
 Frank Lauenroth, Omega 4 in: Peggy Weber-Gehrke : Meuterei auf Titan, (MODERN PHANTASTIK)
 Jacqueline Montemurri, Störfallin: Peggy Weber-Gehrke : Meuterei auf Titan, (MODERN PHANTASTIK)
 Monika Niehaus, Ein halbes Dutzend Eier in: Ellen Norten : Das Alien tanzt Kasatschok, (P.MACHINERY)
 Melanie Vogltanz, PET in: Nadine Muriel / Stefan Cernohuby : Das Dimensionstor, (AMRÛN)
 Ernst Wegbreiter [= Angela & Karlheinz Steinmüller + Erik Simon], Die größte Reise in: Angela Steinmüller / Karlheinz Steinmüller / Erik Simon, Leichter als Vakuum, (MEMORAN-DA)

Best Foreign Science-Fiction Book (translated into German):
 Pierre Bordage, Die Sphären (Les dames blanches) (HEYNE)
 Omar El Akkad, American War (American War) (S. FISCHER)
 Maja Lunde, Die Geschichte der Bienen (Bienes historie) ( BTB)
 Ian McDonald, Luna (Luna) (Luna + Wolfsmond) (HEYNE)
 Nnedi Okorafor, Das Buch des Phönix (The Book of Phoenix) (CROSS CULT)
 Jeff VanderMeer, Borne (Borne) (ANTJE KUNSTMANN)
 Connie Willis, Dunkelheit / Licht (Blackout / All Clear) (CROSS CULT)

Best Translation:
 Frank Böhmert for the translation of Daryl Gregory, Afterparty (Afterparty) (FISCHER TOR)
 Michael Kellner for the translation of Jeff VanderMeer, Borne (Borne) (ANTJE KUNSTMANN)
 Bernhard Kempen for the translation of Ann Leckie, Imperial Radch Trilogie (Imperial Radch Trilogy) (HEYNE)
 Bernhard Kempen for the translation of von John Scalzi, Kollaps (The Collapsing Empire) (FISCHER TOR)
 Claudia Kern für die Übersetzung von Connie Willis, Dunkelheit / Licht (Blackout / All Clear), (CROSS CULT)
 Pia Oberacker-Pilick for the translation of Vlad Hernández, Krieg der Schrecken (La guerra contra los Langostas) (SAPHIR IM STAHL)
 Helga Parmiter for the translation o fPeter Newman, Vagant (The Vagrant) (CROSS CULT)
 Helga Parmiter for the translation of Linda Nagata, Funkstille (Going Dark) (CROSS CULT)
 Gerd Rottenecker & Susanne Gerold for the translation of Anthony O’Neill, Dark Side (The Dark Side) (KNAUR)
 Peter Torberg for the translation of China Miéville, Dieser Volkszähler (This Census-Taker) (LIEBESKIND)

Best Radioplay:
 Die Prometheus-Protokolle by Thomas Feuerstein
(Director: Nehle Dick; Composition: Peter Szely), ORF 12.11.17
 Der Wald by Martin Heindel
(Director: Martin Heindel), WDR 30.3.17
 Paradise Revisited by Bodo Traber
(Director: Bodo Traber; Composition: André Abshagen), WDR 2.11.17

Best Cover Art or Illustration:
 Lothar Bauer for the cover of Axel Kruse, Luna Incognita (ATLANTIS)
 Dirk Berger for the cover of Klaus Bollhöfener , phantastisch! 67 (ATLANTIS)
 Thomas Hofmann for the cover of Angela Steinmüller / Karlheinz Steinmüller / Erik Simon, Die Wurmloch-Odyssee (MEMORANDA)
 Michael Marrak für das Titelbild und die Illustrationen zu Michael Marrak, Der Kanon mechanischer Seelen (AMRÛN)
 Greg Ruth for the cover of Nnedi Okorafor, Das Buch des Phönix (CROSS CULT)
 Meike Schultchen for the cover of René Moreau / Olaf Kemmler / Fabian Tomaschek , Exodus 36 (EXODUS VERLAG)
 Andreas Schwietzke for the cover of Michael Haitel , Andromeda Nachrichten 257 (SFCD)
 Andreas Schwietzke for the cover of Michael Haitel , Andromeda Nach-richten 259 (SFCD)
 Julian Tapprich for the cover of Sebastian Guhr, Die Verbesserung unserer Träume (LUFTSCHACHT)
 Jens Maria Weber for the cover and the illustrations of Kai Meyer, Die Krone der Sterne (FISCHER TOR)

Special Award for Extraordinary Achievements:
 Bernd Behr for being the editor of the SF-stories in the c’t-Magazine
 The DortCon Team (Arno and Gabriele Behrend, Torsten Frantz, Utz Benscheid, Irma Leu, Michael and Astrid Ehrt, Lars Adler and Thomas Recktenwald) for organizing the DortCons with the Eurocon 2017 as highlight.
 Mike Hillenbrand and his team for planning and organizing the Phantastika (a convention) in Oberhausen
 Thomas Le Blanc for founding and maintaining the Phantastische Bibliothek Wetzlar. (This is a library on speculative fiction.)
 Uschi Zietsch and Gerald Jambor for 30 years of the the publishing house Fabylon.

(Please note that the official announcement comes in German language. As far as reasonable it had been translated by me, Nina Horvath. (Nearly???) All of the German books and stories are not available in English, so there is no translation of the titles.)