Niels Klim Award, the ceremony

Tags: Danish Science fiction

Denne artikel kan også læses på dansk.

As previously noted, the Niels Klim Award has been given out. The ceremony was a success. For those who couldn't be there, or don't understand Danish, below are some pictures. The words are also there, as a translation of the notes I followed.

Pictures taken by Niels Dalgaard

Intro

Last year Lise Andreasen talked to various fans and everyone liked the idea.

How could you not? This would present a chance for A. Silvestri and Lars Ahn Pedersen to both receive a price the same year.

The committee consists of Knud Larn, Joen juel Jensen and Lise.
Part of the prize is an offer of a translation done by Michael Pilgaard. It is an opportunity for the authors to have their stories placed in for example Asimov’s.
The physical Price has been designed by Manfred Christansen, and is sponsored by Science Fiction Cirklen.

Lise will go through them all, because they are all great.

Novella

4th place

Breve fra en udenjordisk skoledreng (Letters from an Alien Schoolboy), Ros Asquith
An extraterrestrial boy travels with his family to Great Britain and describes his experiences and observations in letters to his friend, living on another planet. (Source: jagoo.)

Two authors left. Please come up here.

Mutagen (Mutagenic), Jonas Wilmann
Something’s wrong in Denmark… and the rest of the world. The youngsters have run amok. It began as minor episodes of violence and vandalism, it has now escalated into a regular war in the streets of Denmark. The youngsters aren’t just angry, they are mad, borderline insane, they froth at the mouth and their veins are pulsing , and their muscles are almost exploding out of their bodies. (Source: apokalyptisk.)

"Skjul" ("Hideaway"), Alastair Reynolds, Vejen mellem stjernerne (The Road between The Stars)
Both humans and Huskers are space-faring species travelling long distances in sub-light ships. There is a faster way. A long gone alien species threaded the galaxy with a fast transit system, if you can gain access to it. In 'Hideaway', the humans have to decide whether to hide or run. (Source: sf crow's nest.)

"Minlas blomster" ("Minla's Flowers"), Alastair Reynolds, Vejen mellem stjernerne (The Road between The Stars)
Merlin lands on a planet beset by civil war and ends up helping one faction in bid to unite the planet in time for the population to escape an impending catastrophe. Merlin goes in to hibernation and only wakes up to check on progress every 20 years – so he, and we, witness repeatedly the unintended consequences of his attempts to help. There is a clear nod to Maggie Thatcher in the character of Minla, and the whole thing is thought-provoking and depressing in equal measure. (Source: book geeks.)

3rd place, Mutagen
Shared 1st place, Skjul, Minlas blomster

Novelette

"Glemmer du så husker jeg alt" ("If you forget I will remember everything"), A. Silvestri, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
A Grim and horrible story about suppression and violence. The totalitarian violence reflects itself in the story of a violent relationship. It is a profound character driven story. (Source: gravko.)
Withdrawn because of other novelettes by the same author.

"Det lille billede" ("The small picture"), A. Silvestri, Faderens sønner (The Sons of The Father)
The author likes the novellette ("Det lille billede") about cuteness and genetic manipulation. (Source: interview.)
Withdrawn because of other novelettes by the same author.

Two authors left. Please come up here.

"Merlins kanon" ("Merlin's Gun"), Alastair Reynolds, Vejen mellem stjernerne (The Road between The Stars)
In ‘Merlin’s Gun’, he is seeking a weapon of incalculable power to save humanity from the Huskers. (Source: bookgeeks.)

"Faderens sønner" ("The Sons of The Father"), A. Silvestri, Faderens sønner (The Sons of The Father)
The title novelette tells the story (through generations) of how earth one day receives an ultimatum from a foreign intelligence. In 250 years earth will be taken from us. The ultimate goal however is not to exterminate us, we will get another planet instead. But how to get there, is our problem. The novelette shows with cruel clarity how egotistic the human race is, and the ending isn’t exactly optimistic. (Source: litteratursiden.)

2nd place, Merlins kanon
1nd place, Faderens sønner

Short Story

"Snuppet i tolden" ("Apprehended in customs"), Lise Andreasen, Det sker igen (It Happens Again)
One of the architects behind the 100 % certain system to prevent immigration into Demark is himself stopped in customs. He is of course certain the system will correct its mistake soon, but what if it didn’t? (Source: gyseren.dk.)
Withdrawn from the nomination, to avoid a conflict of interest.
Dansk Horror Selskabs (Danish Horror Society’s) newly instituted price Årets danske horrorudgivelse (Horror Publication of The Year), Det sker igen is a nominee.

Shared 4th place

"Det danske tillæg" ("The Danish Addendum "), Manfred Christiansen, Science fiction no. 18
Is taking its beginning in Isack Asimovs Three laws of Robotics, but of course Denmark instates her own ten addendums, among others Robots are nothing, robots are never cleverer than humans and no robot is smarter than humans. The story takes its beginning with two robots trying to exchange jokes, without trespassing on the addendums. To such a degree that you are reminded about "Who’s on first?". (Source: Proxima 93.)

"Himmelflugt" ("Soaring"), Camilla Wandahl, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
After the earth's ecological collaps. Possibly more suiting in the category “The Digital life� (Source: gravko.)

"Den sidste markør" ("The Last marker"), Gudrun Østergaard, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
It becomes even more current, due to toe recent election (2011). (Source: litteratursiden.)

"Grimpeur", Glen Stihmøe, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
Considerations on aliens and bike races. (Source: litteratursiden.)

"Ingen vej tilbage" ("No Way Back"), Niels E. Nielsen, Klode til salg (Planet For Sale)
What is a time traveler to do? When the past comes to life, in the guise, of starving children, in danger of death.

"Mordet på Mads" ("The Murder of Mads"), Flemming Rasch, Det sker igen (It Happens Again)
... in a simple and almost vague language, this is a story of Mads, who isnt good enough in school, and therefore must be destroyed. At first he succeeds but he is turned in, by everyone. Later he comes back though. (Source: Horsens Bibliotek.)

"Sprækker" ("Rifts"), Gudrun østergaard, Det sker igen (It Happens Again)
... a terrible tale on the other side of the Milgram experiment. (Source: forfatteren.)

3rd place

"Delte Kroppe" ("Shared bodies"), Kristian Peter Sjøgren, Ti Noveller Fra Fantasiens Univers (en Short Stories from the Book of Fantasy)
akob shared his body with a smoker. He always made sure, he had an abundant surply of chewing gum, at the ready, to remove the foul stench of ash tray. Jacob went through the same routine every day. When he Took Over the body from the other user, he began his day by throwing tree pieces of gum in his mouth, before he went to the bathroom. (Source: quote.)

Two authors left. Please come up here.

"En helt almindelig død" ("A Completely Ordinary Death"), Lars Ahn Pedersen, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
Imagine a world where death is extinct. You just keep on living, and if you got seriously hurt in an accident, you would without further ado, be reloaded, and able to live on. To Piet life has become too lackluster, and he wishes to truly die. But it requires a special license and the aid of a specialized company. (Source: Den elektriske kanin.)

"Homo arachnida", Michael Kamp, Den nye koloni (The New Colony)
Earth has been occupied by aliens. Easily read, good horror story. (Source: gravko.)

Shared 1st place

Final words

Created: 25 June, 2012 - Last changed: 25 June, 2012 - Comments (0)