I feel honored to be a member of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association). One of the truly awesome perks of membership? Every year, I have the privilege of voting for the very best speculative fiction stories in an expanding universe of categories. This year, for the first time, this included Comics (a.k.a., graphic novels, although my sons tell me that label is pretentious ;-) and Poetry.

I am always amazed by the creativity and eloquence of the Nebula Award nominees. It's both inspiring and educational to review the finalists' entries; I learn invaluable lessons from the simple experience of consuming their works of literary art. No spoilers here. I won't reveal which nominees received my vote...because I don't want to prejudice any future readers, or presume to know which works shine brighter than the others.

It's a wide, wild multiverse of speculative fiction out there. Readers can undoubtedly find stories, poems, games, and comics that resonate with them in profound ways. But it's a joy to have the chance to review these wonderful works of art, free of charge, and cast a vote for my personal favorites. Spec-fic is alive and well, I'm happy and relieved to say, after gobbling up the entries included in this year's Nebula 2026 finalist packet. The future is bright!

For the record, here is the comprehensive list of finalists in all categories: Nebula Awards 2026 Finalists Announced