Locus Awards finalists include N.K. Jemisin, John Scalzi and George Saunders

The finalists for the 2018 Locus Awards, considered some of the most prestigious prizes in science fiction, fantasy and horror, include Cory Doctorow, N.K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor and Times Critic at Large John Scalzi.

The awards, announced Monday, include authors known to science fiction fans, as well as a few surprises, such as George Saunders.

There are 10 finalists in each novel category. Science fiction novel includes Doctorow’s “Walkaway,” Scalzi’s “The Collapsing Empire,” Jeff VanderMeer’s “Borne” and Ann Leckie’s “Provenance.” Fantasy novel finalists include Jemisin’s “The Stone Sky,” Robert Jackson Bennett’s “City of Miracles” and John Crowley’s “Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr.”

Best horror novel finalists include several authors whose work has also been categorized as literary fiction: John Darnielle for “Universal Harvester,” Victor LaValle for “The Changeling,” Dan Chaon for “Ill Will” and Paul La Farge for “The Night Ocean.” The acclaimed literary short story writer and Man Booker Prize winner George Saunders was named a finalist in the first novel category for “Lincoln in the Bardo.”

The collection category contains several notable names, including Carmen Maria Machado for her well-received debut “Her Body and Other Parties,” Neil Gaiman for “Norse Mythology” and the late Ursula K. LeGuin for “The Hainish Novels and Stories.”

John Scalzi was also nominated in the nonfiction category for his book “Don’t Live for Your Obituary,” along with authors Samuel R. Delany (“In Search of Silence: The Journals of Samuel R. Delany”) and Edmund Gordon (“The Invention of Angela Carter”).

The Locus Awards were first given out in 1971. They’re awarded by Oakland-based Locus magazine, and the finalists and winners are chosen by an online poll of readers.

Winners of the awards will be announced at the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle, which runs from June 22 to 24. The award ceremony will be emceed by science fiction author Connie Willis.

The complete list of this year’s finalists can be found on the Locus website.