Bram Stoker Award

The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA. They are named after influential horror writer Bram Stoker, author of the novel "Dracula", among others.

Several members of the HWA—including Dean Koontz—were reluctant to endorse such writing awards, fearing it would incite competitiveness rather than friendly admiration. The HWA therefore went to lengths to avoid mean-spirited competition: They agreed to specifically seek out new and neglected writers and works, and officially issue awards not based on "best of the year" criteria, but "for superior achievement", which allows for frequent ties.

Works can be recommended by any member of the HWA. Members with Active status then vote works onto a preliminary ballot. From there the field is narrowed to the final ballot and Active members choose the winners from that.

Categories

Current categories

Currently, the Stoker award is presented for superior achievement in the following categories:

* Novel (1987—)
* First Novel (1987—)
* Long Fiction (1998—)
* Short Fiction (1998—)
* Fiction Collection (1998—)
* Anthology (1998—)
* Non-Fiction (1987—)
* Poetry Collection (2000—)
* Lifetime Achievement (1987—)

Discontinued categories

Discontinued categories include:

* Novelette (1987–1997)
* Short Story (1987–1997)
* Collection (1987–1997)
* Other Media (1993, 1998–2000)
* Illustrated Narrative (1998—2004)
* Screenplay (1998—2004)
* Work for Young Readers (1998—2004)
* Alternative Forms (2001—2004)

Past winners

Past award winners include:

* Clive Barker
* Charles Beaumont
* Robert Bloch
* Bruce Boston
* Ray Bradbury
* Ramsey Campbell
* Douglas Clegg
* Don Coscarelli
* Harlan Ellison
* Neil Gaiman
* Jeff Gelb
* Owl Goingback
* Christopher Golden
* Nancy Holder
* Del Howison
* Charlee Jacob
* Steven A. Katz
* Jack Ketchum
* Stephen King
* Dean Koontz
* Thomas Ligotti
* George R. R. Martin
* Joe R. Lansdale
* Richard Laymon
* Brian Keene
* Bentley Little
* Richard Matheson
* Robert McCammon
* Michael Moorcock
* David Morrell
* Lisa Morton
* Joyce Carol Oates
* Chuck Palahniuk
* Alex Proyas
* J. K. Rowling
* Al Sarrantonio
* John Shirley
* Dan Simmons
* Peter Straub
* Steve and Melanie Tem

2007 Bram Stoker Award winners

Deborah LeBlanc, HWA president, said, “We saw a lot of great work published in 2007. Whether the reader was after long fiction, short fiction, poetry or non-fiction, he had a wealth of good material to choose from. Narrowing the field down and finally choosing the work that is superior in its category is a year long process that our members take very seriously.”

LeBlanc added, “The Horror Writers Association is very proud to award the Bram Stoker Awards to this year’s winners. In some cases we recognized established professionals, while in others we applauded the work of lesser known authors. We hope winning this award will tell them their hard work is appreciated, and encourage them to keep producing great literature in the horror genre.”

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL: "The Missing" by Sarah Langan

*Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL: "Heart-shaped Box" by Joe Hill (writer)
*Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION: “Afterward, There Will be a Hallway” by Gary A. Braunbeck
*Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION: “The Gentle Brush of Wings” by David Niall Wilson
*Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY: "Five Strokes to Midnight" by Gary A. Braunbeck and Hank Schwaeble
*Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION (tie): "Proverbs for Monsters" by Michael A. Arnzen and 5 Stories by Peter Straub
*Superior Achievement in NONFICTION: "The Cryptopedia" by Jonathan Maberry and David F. Kramer
*Superior Achievement in POETRY (tie): ""Being Full of Light, Insubstantial" by Linda Addison and ""Vectors: A Week in the Death of a Planet" by Charlee Jacob and Marge Simon

HWA also presented its annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Two winners were named this year. They are legendary film director John Carpenter and author Robert Weinberg.

External links

* [http://www.horror.org/stokers.htm Official website]
* [http://www.awardannals.com/wiki/Honor_roll:Bram_Stoker_Award_for_Novel List of the most honored Stoker Award nominees]