I've just gone and seen the nominations for this year, and the short fiction
category left me somewhat bemused. Between Mitch Marmel and E.O. Costello,
they've written (together or separately) five of the best seven stories of the
past year? Certainly it's possible, of course. But it reflects what I think is
a weakness in the current system, which is allowing popular opinion to drive
I mostly agree. The Ursa Major Awards have always been in rather a lose-lose
situation due to an overly small participation from Furry fandom. It has been
impossible to find fans willing to get involved in the work of administering
the awards, except for those whose interest in Furry literature has gotten them
so involved in producing it that they are in a conflict of interest situation.
Nominations for the 2005 Ursa Major Awards for the Best Anthropomorphic
Literature and Art of that year have been tabulated, and the final ballot has
been prepared. Voting closes May 6, and the Awards will be presented at Rocket
City Furmeet (May 26-28) in Alabama.
