Catherine Asaro's novel "The Quantum Rose" was chosen as winner of the 2001 Nebula Award, given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) at its annual awards banquet at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City.

SFWA Grand Master Jack Williamson took home a Nebula in the Novella category for his story "The Ultimate Earth." The Nebula Award for novelette went to "Louise's Ghost" by Kelly Link, while the short story, "The Cure for Everything" took home a trophy for Severna Park.

The Nebula Award for script went to James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai, and Hui-Ling Wang for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

A special President's Award was presented to publisher Betty Ballantine for her service in the field of science fiction. Betty and her husband Ian Ballantine brought mass market paperback publishing to the United States, and later founded Ballantine Books, which was one of the earliest houses to publish a line of paperback science fiction novels, and was thus instrumental in introducing science fiction in novel length as a viable commercial mode.

Asaro, from Columbia, MD, was a Nebula finalist in 1999 for her novel, "The Last Hawk."

Williamson, of Portales, NM, was named SFWA's second Grand Master (after Robert A. Heinlein) in 1974, honoring his career, which began with the publication of "The Metal Men" in 1928. "The Ultimate Earth," originally appearing in Analog Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award last September.

Kelly Link, of Brooklyn, NY, won a World Fantasy Award in 1999 for her story "The Specialist's Hat." "Louise's Ghost" appeared in the anthology "Stranger Things Happen."

Park's "The Cure for Everything," appeared online at SCIFICTION (http://www.sci-fi.com/scifiction). Her story, "The Golem," was a finalist for the Nebula Award last year. She lives in Frederick, MD.

The Nebula Awards are voted on, and presented by, active members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. Founded as the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1965 by Damon Knight, the organization has over 1,400 members, among them most of the leading writers of science fiction and fantasy.

Back row: Catherine Asaro, Robin Wayne Bailey (accepted for
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
Front row: Jim Frenkel (accepted for Jack Williamson), Betty Ballantine,
Ellen Datlow (accepted for Kelly Link &  Severna Park)

Many more pictures from the Nebula Awards® weekend are available at Midamerican Fan Photo Archive.