Breaking News: Sidewise Awards Finalists Announced

On June 20th, the Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were announced at Tor.com. Here is the list of the finalists:

Short Form

•Eleanor Arnason, “Mammoths of the Great Plains”, PM Press
•Barry B. Longyear, “Alter Kameraden”, Asimov’s, 4/10
•Ken MacLeod, “Sidewinders”, The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories, edited by Ian Watson and Ian Whates, Robinson Publishing/Running Press
•Alan Smale, “A Clash of Eagles”, Panverse Two, edited by Dario Ciriello, Panverse Publishing
•William F. Wu, “Goin’ Down to Anglotown”, The Dragon and the Stars, edited by Derwin Mak and Eric Choi, DAW Books

Long Form

•Adam Chamberlain & Brian A. Dixon, Columbia & Britannia, Fourth Horseman Press
•Robert Conroy, Red Inferno: 1945, Ballantine Books
•Jay Lake, Pinion, Tor Books
•Eric Swedin, When Angels Wept, Potomac Books

The winners will be announced at Renovation, this year’s Worldcon, in Reno, Nevada during the weekend of August 17th. The awards ceremony has tentatively been scheduled for Thursday, August 18 at 9:00 PM. I would love to go, but sadly I cannot afford the trip. Luckily, Worldcon will be in Chicago next year, so expect me to report from the award ceremony live in 2012 (if man is still alive).

If I was a judge, however, I would choose "Sidewinders" for the Short Form winner and either Red Inferno: 1945 or Pinion for the Long Form. We will see whether I am right in a couple of months. Who do you think will win?

[EDIT 8/24/2011] - As of 8/19/2011 the Sidewise Award winners have been announced.