The winners have been announced in the 2015 Planetary Awards.
The winner for best short story was “Something in the Water” by C. S. Boyack. I wrote a little about the story when I nominated it, and I also reviewed the collection which contains the story.
I ‘ve read the winner for best novel, Torchship, but haven’t had time to write a review. There’s a brief review at Cirsova. The book has a following among fans of the television series Firefly, and I can see the similarities. Torchship is even structured like a TV series: broken into several sections which aren’t really separate enough to be standalone short stories, but aren’t tied together enough to be a single plot like you’d expect in a novel. If you don’t mind that structure, it’s an entertaining read, and I noticed it has just been released as an audiobook as well.
I wish we’d had a few more book bloggers join in to vote during the awards, and I welcome any comments which could explain the low turnout or suggest improvements for the future. I know getting the word out wasn’t the problem — you guys did a fantastic job re-blogging, re-tweeting, and facebooking about the awards. I suspect that all the ugliness regarding the Hugo Awards in recent years made bloggers reluctant to post their votes publicly. If that’s why people stayed away, I don’t mind. I want book bloggers to have fun, not stress.
There’s another set of awards starting up this year. It’s free to vote, and all you need is an email address: The Dragon Awards. The categories are different from most other sci-fi/fantasy book awards, being by subgenre rather than length. There are also categories for movies, TV shows, and various types of games.
It’s a little more trouble to figure out if something is eligible for a Dragon Award, because they aren’t using a calendar year, they’re going from July to July. Also, since only an email address is required to vote, I’m afraid Kim Jong Un may sweep every category with a flurry of last-minute ebooks.
I’ve signed up and made Dragon Awards nominations, including Rath’s Deception, Son of the Black Sword, and Renegade. Feel free to comment about your favorites below.
Planetary Defense Command 
Thanks again.
Reblogged this on Cirsova and commented:
Karl Gallagher wins the Planetary Award for best novel 2015!
Hmm, sounds interesting. I’m a little disappointed with the Hugo.
Everything starts somewhere. I’m in favor of the Planetary Awards. (Obviously)
Torchship just went on my Audible wishlist. Thanks!
[…] I’m honored to announce that I won the first Planetary Award for Best Novel. This is their first year. I’m honored that the voters thought Torchship was the best new book they’d read all year. https://planetarydefensecommand.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/planetary-awards-and-dragon-awards/ […]
I advise waiting to nominate for the Dragon Awards. They’ve moved the eligibility window, and it currently goes past the end of the nominating window. And so far they’ve shown no willingness to allow for a voided and refilled ballot after the fact.
Reblogged this on Amid The Imaginary and commented:
The award winners have been announced for the Planetary Awards! Check it out!