Officially the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame.: seanan

Officially the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame.

You guys.

This is so hard to write. I've literally started this post eight times, and deleted it every time, and started over, trying to find the words I want. Words are usually something that I find pretty easy—sometimes too easy, as my tendency to never shut the hell up can testify. Not right now. Right now, the words are very hard. So very hard.

I spent most of this year's WorldCon in a cheerful fugue state, throwing myself into things as hard as I could in order to keep from thinking about the Hugo Awards. Jeanne, Cat, Rob, Liz, Paul, Mondy, Jay, Shannon, John, seriously, thank you so much, because if you hadn't been there, I would probably have spontaneously combusted. As it was, it was occasionally difficult not to ask how people could be so damn calm when the votes were in and there was nothing we could do and why couldn't we just know already?

Sunday, Jeanne, Gretchen, and I descended on Cat's hotel room to get ready for the Hugos. Cat met us at the door, and ordered me to close my eyes. I am a trusting blonde; I closed my eyes. She led me into the main room, and let me open my eyes, to find myself facing a bed covered in tiaras. Covered in tiaras. "Because," she said, "your friends wanted to be sure that no matter what, you went home with a tiara."

You guys.

I love you so much.

Susan came to do our hair. We put on dresses and makeup and nail polish and smiles, like nothing about the night mattered...and to a degree, right then, it didn't. We sang along to "Firebird's Child" and "Ship Full of Monsters," and the Night Kitchen in Seattle filled with people watching the live feed and sending all their love across the sea. We were together, and the world was full of magic, and we went to the reception and drank free champagne and had people tell us how amazing we looked, and it was amazing. (Cat and I managed, totally accidentally, to acquire dresses in basically the same colors. I felt like I should have brought her a corsage.)

Then we went to the actual award ceremony. Cat and I sat in the second row; Gretchen and Jeanne sat right behind us. The order of the evening was "opening speech, video presentation, First Fandom Award, Big Heart Award, Campbell Award." Jay Lake and John Scalzi presented the Campbell. They took the stage together, and explained the tiara, and read the nominees, and I clutched Cat's hand like the audience was an ocean and I was going to go under. Kathryn Daugherty came out, holding the award, name turned toward her so no one could see it. John opened the envelope.

"And the winner of this year's John W. Campbell Award for best new writer is..."

And they said my name.

And I sat there, because the room was spinning and I could taste sounds and they couldn't mean me. And Cat pushed me to my feet, and everyone was clapping, and I walked to the stage while the Buffy: the Vampire Slayer theme played and the room spun and tears made everything blurry, and I just said "Oh my God" over and over again, because there was nothing else in the whole world that I could say. And Kathryn gave me the plaque, and John and Jay gave me hugs, and they put the tiara on my head, and you guys...oh, you guys...

I am the Princess of the Kingdom of Poison and Flame. I am the 2010 Campbell Award winner. I am the first urban fantasist to win the Campbell Award. Because they said my name.

I will be more coherent soon. I will write about my acceptance speech soon. I will stop gasping a little every time I see the tiara soon. But oh, you guys.

I won.

jenjen4280

September 9 2010, 20:06:17 UTC 6 years ago

New comment

Congrats! That's awesome news.

Do you think that your work as Mira Grant also played a role?

dormouse_in_tea

September 10 2010, 01:50:46 UTC 6 years ago

I have to admit that it played a large part in my own decision-making process. Technically, it was published in 2010, and Seanan's first year of eligibility was 2009. . . but they're eligible for 2 years SO.

Admittedly I would have voted for her on the basis of the October Daye books and her Sparrow Hill stories (plus all the others), so I didn't stress too much.

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

thoughtsdriftby

September 9 2010, 20:11:13 UTC 6 years ago

Very spiff, seeing new cover art and bookplates in the making :-)
Congratulations!

September 11 2010, 00:56:39 UTC 6 years ago

It's going to be on the cover of book four!

deire

September 9 2010, 20:12:22 UTC 6 years ago

:ECSTATIC YAY!!!:

September 11 2010, 18:42:22 UTC 6 years ago

Glee. :)

tigertoy

September 9 2010, 20:12:41 UTC 6 years ago

I've had the privilege of knowing you're awesome for years, but it is wonderful to see the wider world starting to notice too.

I made time to drop into my local Borders and get my copy of An Artificial Night yesterday. I showed it to the person in my gaming group who's the librarian for one of the small towns near me, and she said that she already has it on order for her library.

September 11 2010, 18:43:01 UTC 6 years ago

Fantastic! Thank you, sweetie.

markbernstein

September 9 2010, 20:13:07 UTC 6 years ago

Once again, you got the words exactly right. <3 Enjoy every moment, Princess.

September 11 2010, 18:43:16 UTC 6 years ago

I am, I promise.

filkertom

September 9 2010, 20:14:24 UTC 6 years ago

I repeat something you once wrote in reply to me.

I LOVE YOU SO BIG.

September 11 2010, 18:43:29 UTC 6 years ago

YAY!

keristor

September 9 2010, 20:15:11 UTC 6 years ago

Yay tiara Princess! I just wish we could all have magically been there as well. *hugs*

September 11 2010, 18:43:39 UTC 6 years ago

Me, too.

shadowkitty

September 9 2010, 20:16:47 UTC 6 years ago

I am so happy for you :D you deserve it.

September 11 2010, 18:43:51 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you so much.

sylk

September 9 2010, 20:22:03 UTC 6 years ago

This entry made me cry because I was so happy for you.

I am reminded that I need to get my next Toby book tonight!

September 11 2010, 18:44:05 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

katyhh

September 9 2010, 20:23:22 UTC 6 years ago

It was indescribably cool to sit there and follow the live feed and read your name as the winner's.
I think "OMG" was all I could type in that moment :))
Congratulations, sweets. You rock.

September 11 2010, 18:44:25 UTC 6 years ago

la_marquise_de_

September 9 2010, 20:34:06 UTC 6 years ago

And we are very proud of you. Congratulations!

September 11 2010, 18:44:34 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

purrplexitty

September 9 2010, 20:34:57 UTC 6 years ago

A name is a powerful thing.

Congrats, Seanan!

September 11 2010, 18:45:40 UTC 6 years ago

Dancing Rats

darcy807

September 9 2010, 20:40:24 UTC 6 years ago

I managed to keep from yelling "Call your mother!" as you headed offstage, but only just. But we thought we saw the glow of texting from your vicinity when you made it back to your seat. And the gown WAS gorgeous.

I was reading AAN while waiting for the rites to start. The couple next to us asked what I was reading, and Melissa and I began raving about your books. As we were leaving the con Monday, we ran into them again. She held up her new copy of Feed, told us how much she liked it already, and thanked us for the recommendation.

Re: Dancing Rats

September 11 2010, 18:46:23 UTC 6 years ago

I did not, actually, text or call my mother. She met me at the airport with balloons and hugged me hard enough to injure me, so I suppose I've been repaid.

Thank you for the pimpage!

The Crowned Princess of Pumpkin, Poison and Flame!

judifilksign

September 9 2010, 20:46:15 UTC 6 years ago

After reading your post, I am crying happy princess pumpkin tears for you! I'm so glad you won, because you so deserve it! Congratulations!

Re: The Crowned Princess of Pumpkin, Poison and Flame!

September 11 2010, 18:47:56 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you so much, sweetie. I was actually signing my prayers to the Great Pumpkin while I waited. Made me think of you.

all_ephemera

September 9 2010, 20:48:13 UTC 6 years ago

I saw that through Twitter and squealed. You could go back through my Twitter feed if you followed me and see that Retween with the giant "SEANAN!" before it. I'm SO excited for you. This was well & truly deserved.

September 11 2010, 18:51:40 UTC 6 years ago

Hee! Yay. :)

Thank you.

herefox

September 9 2010, 20:50:15 UTC 6 years ago

I've SO been waiting for you to post this so I could squee in your general direction! Congratulations! You deserve it!

September 11 2010, 18:51:51 UTC 6 years ago

tereshkova2001

September 9 2010, 20:52:51 UTC 6 years ago

So many congratulations!

September 11 2010, 18:52:00 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

admnaismith

September 9 2010, 20:55:37 UTC 6 years ago

You EARNED it.

Wear that tiara when you're out slaying zombies. It'll distract them.

September 11 2010, 18:52:14 UTC 6 years ago

So true!

ohari

September 9 2010, 20:59:55 UTC 6 years ago

:D
This is a fabulous post. We love you, out here in Internet-land.
*huggle*

September 11 2010, 18:52:26 UTC 6 years ago

And I love you, too.

druidspell

September 9 2010, 21:04:35 UTC 6 years ago

I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! All I could think when

phoenixsansfyr texted me that you had won was, "I wonder how many people gave candy corn to the Great Pumpkin to make Seanan's dream come true."
Congratulations, your Highness, Princess of Poison and Flame.