Nebula Awards 1987: Complete list of winners

Pat Murphy absolutely dominated the 1987 Nebula Awards, claiming both the Best Novel trophy for The Falling Woman and the Best Novelette award for Rachel in Love—a remarkable double win that cemented her status as one of science fiction’s most inventive storytellers. The Nebula Awards, often considered the most prestigious honor in speculative fiction because they’re voted on by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, have long championed work that pushes the genre’s imaginative and literary boundaries. Murphy’s back-to-back victories that year reflected the growing recognition of her distinctive voice and the way she brought psychological depth and experimental storytelling to her science fiction narratives.

The rest of the 1987 Nebula Awards winners further demonstrated the year’s remarkable range. Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Blind Geometer earned the Best Novella prize, while Kate Wilhelm’s touching story “Forever Yours, Anna” took home Best Short Story. This was a year that celebrated writers unafraid to blend genuine emotion with speculative concepts—whether exploring identity and memory, examining romantic connection across impossible circumstances, or reimagining how we might experience the world itself. The diversity of these winners reflected the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s commitment to recognizing excellence across multiple narrative lengths and approaches.

Below you’ll find the complete list of 1987 Nebula Awards winners across all categories:

Best Novel

• The Falling Woman by Pat Murphy

Best Novelette

• Rachel in Love by Pat Murphy

Best Novella

• The Blind Geometer by Kim Stanley Robinson

Best Short Story

• Forever Yours, Anna by Kate Wilhelm