The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced the 1999 Nebula Awards for outstanding works of science fiction over the weekend.

Octavia E. Butler took home her second Nebula, this one in the Best Novel category, for the second installment in her dystopian Earthseed series, Parable of the Talents. Butler had previously won a Nebula for her 1984 novelette "Blood Child".

The Nebula for Best Novella went to Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life" and the Best Novelette went to Mary A. Turzillo's "Mars Is No Place for Children".

Leslie What won the Best Short Story award for her "The Cost of Doing Business".

The Nebula is the highest professional accolade the science fiction community can bestow, representing the esteem of one's fellow SF writers. This year's statuettes were awarded Saturday night at a banquet at the Crown Plaza Hotel in New York.