So the Philip K. Dick Award finalists have been announced (for best science fiction paperback original):

Air, Geoff Ryman (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Apocalypse Array, Lyda Morehouse (Roc)
Banner of Souls, Liz Williams (Bantam Spectra)
City of Pearl, Karen Traviss (Eos)
The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad, Minister Faust (Del Rey)
Life, Gwyneth Jones (Aqueduct Press)
Stable Strategies and Others, Eileen Gunn (Tachyon Publications)

Yeah, so, The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust is on the list. This, the same book that I rated a D- in my Science Fiction Weekly review last year. This is starting to bug me. Not only did I see a ton of positive reviews of this book, but now it’s up for a major award. Yet I do not waver in my conviction; I truly dislike that book, and I’ll defend my opinion of it. Still. Plus, it’s not even science fiction–it’s fantasy, and so shouldn’t even be eligible for this award. But the judges have some leeway apparently as to what they consider “science fiction”; apparently their definition differs greatly from mine (as does their definition of “quality”).

Which is not to dis any of the other titles. The only other one I read was Air by Geoff Ryman, which is brilliant, so I hope that wins. The others might all be equally deserving (though I note that Apocalypse Array also appears to be fantasy…it’s got angels in it).