2009 Parsec Awards Nominations Open

: Image via Wikipedia

Dragon*Con is Atlanta’s own annual pop culture explosion. It is a celebration of tabletop gaming, fantasy literature, comic books, sci-fi, videogames, cosplay, anime and good, old fashioned fanboy lust. It’s like geek Christmas and nerd Mardi Gras rolled into one! Still, while Dragon*Con’s various merits are legion, one element that is often overlooked is its Parsec Awards.

First presented in 2006, the Parsecs recognize excellence in science fiction – or, more broadly, speculative fiction – podcasts. In addition to obvious categories like Best Short- and Long-form Story and Best Audio Drama, the awards also extend into parallel disciplines like Video, Writing-related and Gaming podcasts.

This year’s Parsecs expand further with a trio of new awards. The ever-popular Anime category has returned, while Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team and a special category for Music podcasts help round out the selection.

While Dragon*Con itself won’t commence until September 4th, the 2009 Parsec Awards are already accepting nominations. With previous nominees including such stand outs as the Pottercast and Calls for Cthulhu, it’s obvious that the Parsecs are a great way to show some love for your favorite flavors of fandom.

That being said, let us test the waters with an informal poll of our own. What are the GeekDad community’s picks for best speculative fiction podcasts?

Oh, and if you’re stumped as for a nominee in the Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast, I think Ken and I have a suggestion! /shameless plug

Link: 2009 Parsec Awards