So, awards? What's that about? A whole load of overblown hoo-ha, a popularity contest for the terminally insecure? Well, for those who need to justify their advertising budgets anyway. Or is it the well-deserved approbation of your peers? The justification of a good job well done.

I'll tell you if we win one.

Yup, we've been nominated for an Origins Award, the highest accolade in gaming history with a hall of fame including such luminaries as Gary Gygax, Richard Garfield and John Hill. John Hill? Heard of company called Avalon Hill? That's him.

And now they've noticed us. The little guys, the real grass roots of gaming. The ones who spend money.

So I'd like to thank many people for this great honour. Steve Darlington, our founder who in 1998 dared to dream that . uh-hum, I think I'd better stop. I'm making myself nauseous. I'll keep that for the acceptance speech.

Actually, the guy I really want to thank is Nicholas Caldwell. Nicholas runs Guild Companion. It's a damn good zine that started in the same year as we did, you should go have a look. Our nomination is mainly down to Nicholas because he's the one who submitted our name to the committee. We hadn't even realised that the awards were open yet. Cheers Nick!

See Phil Masters piece or Greg Costikyan's both from Interactive Fantasy #2, 1994.

So, on with the "Origins Award nominated" show. We start off with the confessions of a classic gamer who has loved, and lost, and learned to love again. Next in this, and stop me if you've heard this one before, "Origins Award nominated" issue we have the start of a new series of articles by M.J. Young. Mark wrote a three-parter on law in roleplaying worlds that started back in issue 9. This time he's looking at the developing field of roleplaying theory.

Do you know your GNS from your Lumpley Principle? Would you know what to do with a SIS? To pretend that this is primer in the vocabulary of theory does not do this series justice. It's a great introduction to the theory project from someone with a real grasp of the issues.

And this sad day will come all too soon.

So, what is in this issue? Well, just in case you thought Places to Go was looking to replace the Forge when it closes down, we have an article by Max Cairnduff in a semi-serious vein that attacks some of what he sees as the excesses of narrativism in "Narrativists - A new breed of Munchkin?".

Moving on, Mica Goldstone's looks at how to sustain unbelievable Science Fiction.

Wrapping up the fine articles that make up this "Origins Award nominated" issue (last time, I swear), is Alex Loke's seether about how to ensure that your roleplaying children grow up as members of the world wide family that is gaming. Here's to the next generationa!