Back in 1988 the Horror Writers of America (Dean Koontz was president) announced the nominations for the first Bram Stoker Awards. Among those nominated were Robert McCammon – Swan Song; Ray Garton – Live Girls; Stephen King – Misery; Clive Barker – The Damnation Game and Ramsey Campbell – Scared Stiff. In the non-fiction category Joe Bob Briggs Goes to the Drive In and The Zombies That Ate Pittsburg were also nominated. What follows are the ballots for 1990's batch. The awards ceremony was held 22-24 June 1990. Hopefully in a future issue I'll try listing the winners for you...

Best Novel
Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons
Greek Love, Katherine Dunn
In a Dark Dream, Charles L. Grant
Midnight, Dean R. Koontz
The Wolf's Hour, Robert R. McCammon

First Novel
The Dwelling by Tom Elliot
Goat Danse, Douglas Clegg
Laying the Music to Rest, Dean Wesley Smith
The Lilith Factor, Jean Paiva
Sunglasses After Dark, Nancy Collins

Novella/Novelette
'At First Just Ghostly', Karl Edward Wagner
(Weird Tales – Fall 1989)
'The Confessions of St. James', Chet Williamson
(Night Visions 7)
'On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks', Joe R. Lansdale
(Book of the Dead)
'Phantom', Kristine Katherine Rusch
(Magazine of Fantasy and Sci-Fi – June 1989)

Short Story
'A Last Sad Love at the Diner of the Damned', Edward Bryant
(Book of the Dead)
'Bodies and Head', Steve Rasnic Tem
(Book of the Dead)
'Each Night, Each Year', Kathryn Ptacek
(Post Mortem)
'Eat Me', Robert R. McCammon
(Book of the Dead!!!)
'Yore Skin's Jess Soft'n'Purty...He Said', Chet Williamson
(Razored Saddles)

Collection
Blue World, Robert R. McCammon
By Bizarre Hands, Joe R. Lansdale
Collected Stories, Richard Matheson
Patterns, Pat Cadigan
Soft and Others, F. Paul Wilson

Non-Fiction
American Vampire, Norine Dresser
Harlan Ellison's Watching, Harlan Ellison
Horror: A Connoisseur's Guide to Literature and Film, Leonard Wolf
Horror: The 100 Best Books, Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Cannon