The Mark Time Award is given each year to honor the
Year's Best Science Fiction Audio Production on the Planet.
The Ogle Award is for Best Fantasy/Horror Audio Production of the Year.

The American Society for Science Fiction Audio announces the Society's awards for the 2001 production year. The "Mark Time Award" is given to the best science fiction audio production of the year, and the "Ogle Award" for best Horror/Fantasy audio production. (The "Ogle" is named after Charles Ogle, who played the role of Frankenstein's Monster in Thomas Edison's 1910 film version of the classic tale.) This year's winners really are an international array.

• The Gold Mark Time is a tie. We received two entries that were equally outstanding, but very different in their production and style. One Gold Award goes to "Who's Afraid of Rotwang Krell", one of a six-episode series - Big Big Space - performed live for RTE, Irish National Radio. It is an hilarious take-off on Star Trek Voyager, with the crew running into very outlandish characters in suitably silly places. "The Zombies of Dr. Krell" episodes are about Dr. Krell and his wife, Gubnait, and the Doctor's research to build a teenage fractal son. Find out more at the website of Crazy Dog Audio Theatre.
  
  
• The other Gold Mark Time is awarded to "Kindred", from Seeing Ear Theatre, an on-line audio theater service of the SciFi Channel. Based on the original story by Octavia Butler, it is produced by Brian Smith, with sound design by John Colluci, and featuring the voices of Alfre Woodard, Ruby Dee and Lynn Whitfield.
  
  
• The Silver Mark Time goes to "This Pointless Thing Called Life", from Alan Marshall and Sylvia Lozeva, of Access Radio in Wellington, New Zealand. This four-part series follows the lives and times of two young philosophers as they explore the universe, talking to aliens about "The Meaning of Life". The narrator is constantly interrupted by robo-actors bent on telling the story themselves. The program has also been nominated for five New Zealand radio and science fiction awards.
  
  

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• The Gold Ogle Award this year goes to "Snow Glass Apples", produced by Brian Smith for Seeing Ear Theatre, a service of the Sci-Fi Channel. The script by Neil Gaiman, is a very different take on the Snow White tale. It features the voice of Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers").
  
  
• The Silver Ogle Award is given to "The Dante Experience". Written by Scott Southard, and produced by Joel Pierson for Mind's Ear Audio Productions. The complete tale is ten 20-minute episodes telling a considerably modern version of Dante's visit to Hell. (The judging was based on the first three episodes.)
  

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The Awards ceremony took place July 5, 2002 at CONvergence 2002, a Minnesota Science Fiction Convention sponsored by MISFITS, the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy. ASFSFA wishes to thank MISFITS and CONvergence for their support of the Mark Time Awards.

Judges for the 2001 Mark Time and Ogle Awards were:

• Tom Fuller - Head writer, Atlanta Radio Theater Company
• Kris Markman - University of Texas
• Brian Price - National Audio Theatre Festivals
• Philip Proctor - The Firesign Theatre
• Jerry Stearns - Great Northern Audio Theatre

Questions & Comments to Jerry Stearns at jerry@greatnorthernaudio.com.
Updated July 8, 2002.