His ears are covered by headphones, and he’s bopping along as he searches (He doesn’t look anything like Jodie Foster) He’s not listening to the telescope — his headphones are blasting Queen The telescope sends to him nothing but a string of numbers His fingertips are doing the search Writing a new algorithm to implement frequency-domain filtering Sorting out a tiny signal of intelligence (hypothetical intelligence) from the thousand thousand thousand sources of noise from the sky It’s four a.m., his favorite time of night No distractions Outside, the stars are bright Inside, the stars sing to him alone. Nine hundred light years away In the direction of Perseus Intelligent creatures are wondering why they hear nothing from the skies They are sending out messages, Have been sending out messages for hundreds of years One of their number, renowned for his clear thinking, Has an electromagnetic pickup on his head (or, what would pass for a head) He is thinking clear, simple thoughts 1 + 1 = 2 1 + 2 = 3 1 + 3 = 4 And the electromagnetic signals of his brain (or, what would pass for a brain) Are being amplified and beamed into the sky In the direction of Earth It is the simplest signal they know A brain thinking 1 + 1 = 2 2 + 2 = 4 Jeremiah has been searching for years He has a beard like Moses Glasses like Jerry Garcia A bald head like Jesse Ventura Patience like Job They are out there If only the telescope arrays were larger… if only they could search deeper… If only his filtering algorithms were more incisive. Nine hundred light years away In the direction of Perseus The aliens are patient They are sending their thoughts to the stars Clear, simple thoughts We are here We are here We are here Where are you? FIREFLIES
Geoffrey A. Landis
flashing in a summer field against twilight sky-dark. Drifting shifting sparkle flashes, ever-changing patterns of writing in some unknowable language of streaks and flashes, constellations blinking on and off. Fireflies dance below us, fireflies behind us, fireflies above us; their silent mating calls a symphony of light. A million flashes a minute, we are immersed in a sea of flickering light.
Just so, the immortals look out across the universe, as stars and galaxies flick into life fade into dark.
OTHER AWARDS
NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL THE WINDUP GIRL PAOLO BACIGALUPI FROM THE AUTHOR: The Windup Girl was an experiment in risk for me. I bit off more than I could chew, with its many characters and cultures, its distorted world, and a plot structure that always felt one notch too complicated for me to keep in my head. That it’s on the Nebula ballot with so much other very fine work, by writers who I respect so much… It’s a gift. I’d like to thank my editor Juliet Ulman for guiding me across thin ice, the crew at Charles Coleman Finlay’s Blue Heaven for their help, and Jeremy Lassen, my publisher at Night Shade, who was willing to take a risk on a book that had such uncertain potential. I’d also like to thank Maureen McHugh for giving me the shove I needed to start on something that scared me. I doubt she remembers the conversation, but it made all the difference.
ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY This literary award recognizes outstanding science fiction and fantasy novels that are written for the young adult market. The award has been named in honor of the late Andre Norton, a SFWA Grand Master and author of more than one hundred novels, including the acclaimed Witch World series, many of them for young adult readers. Ms. Norton’s work has influenced generations of young people, creating new fans of the fantasy and science fiction genres and setting the standard for excellence in fantasy writing.
2009 Winner:
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne
