The four Runner up stories, in no particular order were:
The Tale of Pol Krage by John Garrison
Lois McMaster Bujold: Well written, and I like the way the back story emerges through indirection and the various viewpoints. Created a satisfying amount of suspense.
Growing Pains by Brendan Whelan
Peter F. Hamilton: I believed there wasn't much to be added to the generation ship genre. Glad to be proved wrong.
The Big Dave Special by Matthew Nelson
Michael Carroll: It's rare to find a time travel story that’s but this one manages to pull it off. Great title, too!
One Sick Vampire by Tim P. Keating
Michael Carroll: An unusual take on the vampire
myth that manages to reference the old stereotypes and avoid them
at the same time. I liked it a lot.
