Month: August 2018

2018 Hugo Awards: My Final Ballot

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The Hugo Awards Ceremony will take place tonight at 8 pm PDT (UTC−7).  Live streaming will be available at Worldcon 76’s YouTube channel.  Live text-based coverage will be available at the Hugo Awards website.  In the meantime, here’s how I ranked the finalists on my ballot.  Links go to posts on the individual categories.

Best Novel

  1. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
  2. Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee
  3. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
  4. Provenance by Ann Leckie
  5. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
  6. New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson

Best Novella

  1. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
  2. The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
  3. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
  4. “And Then There Were (N-One)” by Sarah Pinsker
  5. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
  6. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor

Best Novelette

  1. “Wind Will Rove” by Sarah Pinsker
  2. “The Secret Life of Bots” by Suzanne Palmer
  3. “A Series of Steaks” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  4. “Children of Thorns, Children of Water” by Aliette de Bodard
  5. “Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee
  6. “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” by K.M. Szpara

Best Short Story

  1. “Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon
  2. “Fandom for Robots” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  3. “Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim
  4. “The Martian Obelisk” by Linda Nagata
  5. “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM” by Rebecca Roanhorse
  6. “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand” by Fran Wilde

Best Series

  1. World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold
  2. The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett
  3. The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
  4. InCryptid by Seanan McGuire
  5. The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells
  6. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Best Related Work

  1. Sleeping with Monsters by Liz Bourke
  2. No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le Guin
  3. Iain M. Banks by Paul Kincaid
  4. Luminescent Threads edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal
  5. Crash Override by Zoë Quinn
  6. A Lit Fuse by Nat Segaloff

Best Graphic Story

  1. Monstress, Vol. 2 by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda
  2. My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris
  3. Saga, Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
  4. Paper Girls, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
  5. Bitch Planet, Vol. 2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, and Taki Soma
  6. Black Bolt, Vol. 1 by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

  1. The Shape of Water
  2. Get Out
  3. Blade Runner 2049
  4. Wonder Woman
  5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  6. Thor: Ragnarok

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

  1. Doctor Who, “Twice Upon a Time”
  2. Star Trek: Discovery, “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”
  3. Black Mirror, “USS Callister”
  4. The Good Place, “Michael’s Gambit”
  5. The Good Place, “The Trolley Problem”
  6. “The Deep” by clipping.

Best Editor, Long Form

  1. Navah Wolfe
  2. Miriam Weinberg
  3. Sheila E. Gilbert
  4. Diana M. Pho
  5. Joe Monti
  6. Devi Pillai

Best Editor, Short Form

  1. Lee Harris
  2. Sheila Williams
  3. Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
  4. John Joseph Adams
  5. Jonathan Strahan
  6. Neil Clarke

Best Professional Artist

  1. Sana Takeda
  2. Victo Ngai
  3. Galen Dara
  4. Kathleen Jennings
  5. Bastien Lecouffe Deharme
  6. John Picacio

Best Semiprozine

  1. Uncanny Magazine edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
  2. Beneath Ceaseless Skies edited by Scott H. Andrews
  3. Strange Horizons edited by Jane Crowley, Kate Dollarhyde, and Niall Harrison
  4. Escape Pod edited by Mur Lafferty, S.B. Divya, and Norm Sherman
  5. Fireside Magazine edited by Brian White and Julia Rios
  6.  The Book Smugglers edited by Ana Grilo and Thea James

Best Fanzine

  1. File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
  2. Rocket Stack Rank edited by Greg Hullender and Eric Wong
  3. nerds of a feather, flock together edited by The G, Vance Kotrla, and Joe Sherry
  4. SF Bluestocking edited by Bridget McKinney
  5. Galactic Journey edited by Gideon Marcus
  6. Journey Planet edited by Team Journey Planet

Best Fancast

  1. Fangirl Happy Hour hosted by Ana Grilo and Renay Williams
  2. Galactic Suburbia hosted by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts
  3. The Coode Street Podcast hosted by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
  4. Sword and Laser hosted by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt
  5. Verity! hosted by Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L.M. Myles, Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner Roberts
  6. Ditch Diggers hosted by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace

Best Fan Writer

  1. Camestros Felapton
  2. Charles Payseur
  3. Foz Meadows
  4. Mike Glyer
  5. Sarah Gailey
  6. Bogi Takács

Best Fan Artist

  1. Grace P. Fong
  2. Geneva Benton
  3. Maya Hahto
  4. Likhain (M. Sereno)
  5. Spring Schoenhuth
  6. Steve Stiles

WSFS Award for Best Young Adult Book

  1. Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher, illustrated by Lauren Henderson
  2. Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
  3. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
  4. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
  5. The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
  6. A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

  1. Katherine Arden
  2. Jeannette Ng
  3. Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  4. Rivers Solomon
  5. Sarah Kuhn
  6. Rebecca Roanhorse

There were so many great finalists this year.  I had a hard time ranking a lot of them.  For some, the award could go to anyone and it wouldn’t surprise or disappoint me.  Who are you rooting for?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Short Story

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Worldcon 76 announced the winners of the 1943 Retro Hugo Awards on August 16th.  I continue to look at the 2018 finalists.  Next up, Best Short Story.

“The Martian Obelisk” by Linda Nagata was also a finalist for the Sturgeon Award and won the Locus Award.  This is Nagata’s first Hugo nomination.

“Fandom for Robots” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad was also a nominee for the Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus awards.  Prasad’s “A Series of Steaks” is a finalist for Best Novelette.  She is one of this year’s nominees for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

“Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM” by Rebecca Roanhorse was the winner of the Nebula Award.  It was also a finalist for the World Fantasy, Sturgeon, and Locus awards.  She is one of this year’s nominees for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

“Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon is the author’s third Hugo nomination.  She’s won a Hugo for Best Graphic Story and another for Best Novelette.  She is also a finalist under her pseudonym T. Kingfisher for the WSFS Award for Best Young Adult Book.

“Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand” by Fran Wilde was also a finalist for the Nebula and World Fantasy awards.  Wilde has one previous Hugo nomination for Best Novelette.

“Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim was also a finalist for the Nebula, World Fantasy, and Locus awards.  This is Yoachim’s first Hugo nomination.

I had read all these before the announcement of the finalists, but none of them were my own nominees.  They were still impressive, making this one of the hardest categories to rank.

“The Martian Obelisk” and “Carnival Nine” were very touching, but didn’t move me as much as I expected.  Both Roanhorse and Wilde’s stories were intense, tough, and important reads.  Prasad’s “Fandom for Robots” was an absolute blast!  Vernon continues to be a favorite who makes ordinary people fascinating and inspiring.

We have two previous finalists, two first-time finalists, and two Campbell Award nominees.  Here’s how I ranked them on my final ballot:

  1. “Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon
  2. “Fandom for Robots” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  3. “Carnival Nine” by Caroline M. Yoachim
  4. “The Martian Obelisk” by Linda Nagata
  5. “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM” by Rebecca Roanhorse
  6. “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand” by Fran Wilde

Like the Best Novelette finalists, these are all online.  Go read them, if you haven’t, and tell me what you think!

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Novelette

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Today I’m looking at the Best Novelette finalists.  All six of them were also nominees for at least one other award this year.

“Children of Thorns, Children of Water” by Aliette de Bodard is part of The Domain of the Fallen series.  It was also a nominee for the Locus Award.  De Bodard has four previous Hugo nominations for short fiction.  She was a 2009 finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

“Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee is a prequel to The Machineries of Empire books.  Lee’s Raven Stratagem is also a finalist for Best Novel this year.  Both were nominees for the Locus Awards as well.  The first novel in the series was a Hugo finalist last year.

“The Secret Life of Bots” by Suzanne Palmer was also a finalist for the Sturgeon Award.  This is Palmer’s first Hugo nomination.

“Wind Will Rove” by Sarah Pinsker was also a nominee for the Nebula and the Locus Award.  Pinsker’s “And Then There Were (N-One)” is a finalist for Best Novella.

“A Series of Steaks” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad was also a nominee for the Nebula and the Sturgeon Award.  Prasad’s “Fandom for Robots” is a finalist for Best Short Story.  She is one of this year’s nominees for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

“Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” by K.M. Szpara was also a finalist for the Nebula Award.  This is Szpara’s first Hugo nomination.

I had read all these before the announcement of the finalists.  Pinsker and Palmer’s stories were my own nominees.  “Wind Will Rove” is a lovely story about stories and music.  “The Secret Life of Bots” was a cute and clever story about an outdated but innovative bot.

Although de Bodard and Lee’s stories are part of their respective series, they both stand on their own.  “Children of Thorns, Children of Water” makes me want to explore more of that world.  I was happy to see a familiar character in “Extracurricular Activities.”

I didn’t nominate “A Series of Steaks,” but it impressed me enough to nominate Prasad for the Campbell.  Szpara’s “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” was original and funny, but too dark and explicit for me.

We have one previous Best Novelette finalist, two first-time nominees, and three who made the ballot more than once.  Here’s how I ranked them on my final ballot:

  1. “Wind Will Rove” by Sarah Pinsker
  2. “The Secret Life of Bots” by Suzanne Palmer
  3. “A Series of Steaks” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  4. “Children of Thorns, Children of Water” by Aliette de Bodard
  5. “Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee
  6. “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” by K.M. Szpara

These are all available online.  So go read them if you haven’t!  Then tell me your thoughts.

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Novella

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Today I’m looking at the Best Novella finalists.  All six of them were also nominees for the Locus Award, and three of them were Nebula Award finalists.

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey was one of the Nebula Award nominees.  Gailey is a Best Fan Writer finalist this year as well.  Last year they were a finalist for Best Related Work and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire is the prequel to the 2017 Best Novella, Every Heart a Doorway.  McGuire’s InCryptid series is also a finalist this year.  She has a previous nomination for Best Series, two for Best Novelette, and one in Best Related Work.  She’s won two Best Fancast Hugos and was the 2010 winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.  Under her Mira Grant pseudonym, she has four nominations for Best Novel and two more for Best Novella.

Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor is the sequel to the 2016 Best Novella, Binti.  Okorafor’s Akata Warrior is a finalist for the WSFS Award for Best Young Adult Book.

“And Then There Were (N-One)” by Sarah Pinsker was also a nominee for the Nebula and the Sturgeon Award.  Pinsker’s “Wind Will Rove” is a finalist for Best Novelette.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells was the winner of the Locus and Nebula awards and a nominee for the Philip K. Dick Award.  Wells’ The Books of the Raskura series is a Hugo finalist this year too.

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang was a finalist for the Nebula and the World Fantasy Award. It also made the James Tiptree, Jr. Award Honor List.

I nominated the novellas from McGuire, Pinsker, and Wells myself.  I read Binti: Home as well, but it didn’t feel complete enough on its own to nominate.  I enjoyed Down Among the Sticks and Bones even more than its Hugo-winning predecessor.  “And Then There Were (N-One)” was clever and fun.  All Systems Red had excellent characterization and a very exciting plot.

The novellas from Gailey and Yang were both on my TBR list.  River of Teeth had a fun concept but didn’t live up to my expectations.  Yet The Black Tides of Heaven surprised me by exceeded them.

We have two past Best Novella winners, three first-time finalists, and one new to this category.  Here’s how I ranked them on my final ballot:

  1. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
  2. The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
  3. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
  4. “And Then There Were (N-One)” by Sarah Pinsker
  5. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
  6. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor

How many of these have you read?  How would you rank them?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Novel

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Hugo voting closed on July 31st, and we’ll find out the winners at the Hugo Award Ceremony on August 19.  Today let’s look at the finalists for Best Novel.

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin is the third book in The Broken Earth trilogy.  It has already won the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.  Each of the previous books won Best Novel over the past two years.  Jemisin has received four total nominations in Best Novel and two for Best Short Story.  I’ll be curious to see if the trilogy appears on the Best Series longlist.  Jemisin asked people not to nominate the series, but they may have done so regardless.  Of course, she might have declined a nomination for that category.

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty is the author’s first nomination for Best Novel.  It was also a finalist for the Nebula and the Philip K. Dick Award.  Lafferty is a finalist in Best Semiprozine for Escape Pod and in Best Fancast for Ditch Diggers as well.  She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2013.

Provenance by Ann Leckie takes place in the same universe as her Imperial Radch trilogy.  It was also a finalist for the BSFA Award and the Locus Award for Best SF Novel.  All three books in the related trilogy were Best Novel finalists with the first winning in 2014.  An appearance on the Best Series longlist wouldn’t surprise me here either.

Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee is the sequel to last year’s Best Novel finalist, Ninefox Gambit.  Lee’s “Extracurricular Activities” is also one of this year’s Best Novelette finalists.  Both were finalists for the Locus Awards as well.  The Machineries of Empire trilogy could be a contender for Best Series next year.

New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson is the author’s sixth nomination for Best Novel.  It was also a finalist for the Campbell Memorial Award and the Locus Award for Best SF Novel.  Robinson has won two Best Novel Hugos out of fifteen total Hugo nominations.

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi is the first book in The Interdependency series.  It has already won the Locus Award for Best SF Novel.  This is Scalzi’s fifth nomination for Best Novel which he won in 2013.  He’s had one nomination for Best Novella and another for Best Short Story as well.  He won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2006.  Writing from his blog has also earned him Hugos for Best Related Work and Best Fan Writer.

The first three above were my own nominees.  The Stone Sky brought a stellar trilogy to an incredible close.  Six Wakes combined thrilling murder mystery with space opera.  Provenance took a fresh view from a more relatable protagonist on a familiar setting.

The later three were already on my TBR list.  Raven Stratagem exceeded expectations without the steep learning curve of the first book.  The interesting premise of New York 2140 got me past its underdeveloped characters.  The Collapsing Empire sets up a fun series, but the humor started to grate on me.

We have four past Best Novel Hugo winners, a previous finalist, and one new to this category.  Here’s how I ranked them for my final ballot:

  1. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
  2. Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee
  3. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
  4. Provenance by Ann Leckie
  5. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
  6. New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson

How many of these have you read?  How would you rank them?