Free The World's Finest Mystery... by Ed Gorman Page B

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    The Year 2000 in Mystery Fandom
    George A. Easter
The American public buys and reads millions of mysteries every week. Most lovers of the mystery genre are content simply with the enjoyment of reading good crime novels. But there are several thousand who are so interested in the genre that they require more. These are the mystery fans who make up mystery fandom.
     
     
Mystery fans form and attend local mystery reading groups; they collect paperback and/or hardcover first editions; they go online and contribute to such sites as Dorothy L; they haunt their local mystery bookstores and attend author signings; they subscribe to mystery publications; and finally, they attend mystery conventions.
     
     
    MYSTERY CONVENTIONS 2000
The Big Kahuna of annual mystery conventions is Bouchercon, the international mystery convention named for Anthony Boucher, noted deceased mystery critic, which was held in Denver in September, 2000. (Bouchercon 2001 will be in Washington, D.C. in November, 2001.) The guest of honor was the venerable Elmore Leonard who entertained us with his crusty sense of humor. Also honored was Jane Langton, the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award, who mesmerized us with her wit, charm and gentility.
     
     
Earlier in the year a wonderful regional convention called Left Coast Crime (situated each year somewhere in the Western United States in February or March) was held in Tucson, Arizona. Sue Grafton was the guest of honor and Harlan Coben acted as toastmaster for the banquet. These smaller regional conventions (500–600 attendees) are more relaxed than a Bouchercon. The authors in attendance are not meeting with their agents, publishers, or publicists and so have more time to chat with the fans. Each convention has a book dealers room with lots and lots of new and used books for sale. If you plan on attending a convention, be prepared to exceed any mental budget you may set for book purchases.
     
     
Another very popular mystery convention is Malice Domestic, which is held each year in Arlington, Virginia. The purpose of this convention is to celebrate the "traditional" mystery, sometimes referred to as the "cozy" mystery (containing little or no violence, profanity or sex).
     
     
The guest of honor was the highly-entertaining Simon Brett and the toastmaster was Eileen Dryer. The fans who attended the convention voted on the Agatha Awards (see below).
     
     
    MYSTERY FAN AWARDS 2000
The major fan awards in mystery fiction are the Anthony Awards, the Agatha Awards, the Macavity Awards, and the Barry Awards. Following are the awards that were won in the year 2000, for works published in 1999.
     
     
    ANTHONY AWARDS 2000
Voted on by attendees of Bouchercon, 2000
     
     
Best Novel: Peter Robinson, In a Dry Season
     
     
Best First Novel: Donna Andrews, Murder With Peacocks
     
     
Best Paperback Original: Laura Lippman, In Big Trouble
     
     
Best Short Story: Margaret Chittenden, "Noir Life," EQMM 1/99
     
     
Best Critical Nonfiction: Willetta Heising, Detecting Women , 3rd edition
     
     
Best Series of the Century: Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot
     
     
Best Writer of the Century: Agatha Christie
     
     
Best Novel of the Century: Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca
     
     
    AGATHA AWARDS 2000
Voted on by attendees of the Malice Domestic XII Convention
     
     
Best Novel: Earlene Fowler, Mariner's Compass
     
     
Best First Novel: Donna Andrews, Murder with Peacocks .
     
     
Best Nonfiction: Daniel Stashower, Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle
     
     
Best Short Story: Nancy Pickard, "Out of Africa" in Mom, Apple Pie, and Murder
     
     
    MACAVITY AWARDS 2000
Voted on by subscribers to Mystery Readers International Journal
     
     
Best Novel: Sujata Massey, The Flower Master
     
     
Best First Novel: Paula L. Woods, Inner City Blues
     
     
Best Nonfiction: Tom Nolan, Ross Macdonald
     
     
Best Short Story: Kate Grilley, "Maubi and the Jumbies" in Murderous Intent ,