April 29, 2008 — The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design (AAGAD) and the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) have announced the nominees in all categories for the 34th Origins Awards. Two books James Lowder edited last year are included on the final ballot: Astounding Hero Tales, published by Hero Games, in the fiction category and Hobby Games: The 100 Best, published by Green Ronin, in the non-fiction category. While the ballots only list the editor for these projects, the nominations are a recognition of the excellent work from all the writers included in their pages and the publishers that made the projects possible.

The Origins Awards are given each year to recognize excellence in the hobby game publishing industry. A list of semi-finalists is generated in each category by a small jury of experts. Those semi-finalists are then reviewed and voted upon by game retailers attending the GAMA Trade Show in Las Vegas, resulting in the list of finalists in each award category. From those finalists, attendees of the Origins Game Fair and members of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design will select the ultimate winners of the 34th Origins Awards.

This year’s winners will be announced during a ceremony at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, June 28, at 8:00 p.m.

Both the fiction and non-fiction categories include a number of excellent works this year. A complete list of nominees can be found here.

James has previously won Origins Awards in the fiction category for The Book of Final Flesh (2003) and Path of the Bold (2004). He's been a finalists for other projects, including the short story "The Night Chicago Died" (2003).