Month: April 2024

2024 Hugo Finalists: Editor, Pro Artist, and Semiprozine

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Voting opened yesterday for the Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding awards, and it will close at 20:17 GMT on 20 July, the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing to the exact minute.

Previously I took a look at this year’s finalists for novel, short fiction, and series.  Next I looked at graphic story, related work, dramatic presentation, and game finalists.  Today I’m looking at the editor, pro artist, and semiprozine finalists.

Best Editor Short Form

  • Scott H. Andrews
  • Neil Clarke
  • 刘维佳 (Liu Weijia)
  • Jonathan Strahan
  • Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
  • 杨枫 (Yang Feng)

Scott H. Andrews and Neil Clarke were both on my own ballot.  Scott H. Andrews is the editor of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  Neil Clarke is the editor of Clarkesworld including one of the Best Novelette finalists and one of the Best Short Story finalists.  Jonathan Strahan was the editor for a dozen Tor.com stories, two anthologies, and two Tordotcom novellas.  The Thomases’ are the editors of Uncanny including two Best Novelette finalists and two Best Short Story finalists.  Yang Feng is the editor of the Chinese edition of Galaxy’s Edge including one Best Short Story finalist and the declined Best Novelette finalist.  She is also a finalist in Best Related Work.  I believe Liu Weijia may be an editor at China’s Science Fiction World magazine.

Best Editor Long Form

  • Ruoxi Chen
  • Lindsey Hall
  • Lee Harris
  • Kelly Lonesome
  • David Thomas Moore
  • 姚海军 (Yao Haijun)

Ruoxi Chen and Lee Harris were on my ballot.  Ruoxi Chen is an editor at Tordotcom.  She edited Best Novel finalist Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh and Nebula finalist The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang.  Lindsey Hall is an editor at Tor and edited Nebula finalist The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.  Lee Harris is an editor at Tordotcom.  He edited Best Novel finalist Witch King by Marsha Wells as well as the novel for which she declined nomination, System Collapse.  Kelly Lonesome is an editor for Tor Nightfire.  David Thomas Moore is an editor for Solaris.  Yao Haijun is a returning Chinese finalist from this category last year.  Natasha Bardon received enough votes to make the final ballot but declined the nomination.

Best Professional Artist

  • Micaela Alcaino
  • Rovina Cai
  • Galen Dara
  • Dan Dos Santos
  • Tristan Elwell
  • Alyssa Winans

Micaela Alcaino is the cover artist for the UK edition of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty.  Rovina Cai did the interior art for Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.  Galen Dara is the cover artist for Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald.  Dan Dos Santos was on my own ballot, and he is the cover artist for Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa.  Tristan Elwell did the US cover art for Starter Villain by John Scalzi.  Alyssa Winans is the cover artist for Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo.

Best Semiprozine

  • Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and Valerie Valdes; assistant editors Benjamin C. Kinney, Premee Mohamed and Kevin Wabaunsee; hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart; producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht; and the entire Escape Pod team
  • FIYAH Literary Magazine, publisher and executive editor DaVaun Sanders, poetry editor B. Sharise Moore, special projects manager L. D. Lewis, art director Christian Ivey, acquiring editors Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Joshua Morley, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, sponsor coordinator Nelson Rolon
  • GigaNotoSaurus, editor LaShawn M. Wanak, associate editors Mia Tsai and Edgard Wentz, along with the GNS Slushreaders Team
  • khōréō, produced by Aleksandra Hill, Zhui Ning Chang, Kanika Agrawal, Isabella Kestermann, Rowan Morrison, Sachiko Ragosta, Lian Xia Rose, Jenelle DeCosta, Melissa Ren, Elaine Ho, Lilivette Domínguez, Jei D. Marcade, Jeané Ridges, Isaree Thatchaichawalit, Danai Christopoulou, M. L. Krishnan, Ysabella Maglanque, Aaron Voigt, Adil Mian, Alexandra Millatmal, E. Broderick, K. S. Walker, Katarzyna Nowacka, Katie McIvor, Kelsea Yu, Marie Croke, Osahon Ize-Iyamu, Phoebe Low, S. R. Westvik, Sara S. Messenger
  • Strange Horizons, by the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective
  • Uncanny Magazine, publishers and editors-in-chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; nonfiction editor Meg Elison; podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky.

As I expected, Uncanny makes its ninth consecutive appearance on the ballot.  It has been nominated every year since it became eligible in 2016 and won seven times out of those eight previous nominations.  Editors-in-chief, Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, are also co-finalists for Best Editor Short Form.  Strange Horizons makes its twelfth consecutive appearance with zero wins.  It was the only thing on my ballot in this category, and I am really hoping this is their year.  Escape Pod returns for the sixth time.  FIYAH also makes its sixth appearance and is the only semiprozine to break Uncanny’s streak by winning in 2021.  GigaNotoSaurus was previously nominated in 2017, and khōréō also makes its second appearance returning from last year.

I’ll be back again soon with my initial thoughts on the remaining finalists.  What do you think of these finalists?  Did your favorites make the list?

2024 Hugo Finalists: Graphic Story, Related Work, Dramatic Presentation, and Game

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Previously I took a look at this year’s Hugo finalists for novel, short fiction, and series.  Now I’m finally back to look at graphic story, related work, dramatic presentation, and game finalists.

Best Graphic Story or Comic

  • Bea Wolf, written by Zach Weinersmith, art by Boulet (First Second)
  • Saga, Vol. 11 written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
  • Shubeik Lubeik, Deena Mohamed (Pantheon); as Your Wish Is My Command (Granta)
  • 三体漫画：第一部 / The Three Body Problem, Part One, adapted from the novels by 刘慈欣 (Liu Cixin), written by 蔡劲 (Cai Jin),戈闻頔 (Ge Wendi), and 薄暮 (Bo Mu), art by 草祭九日东 (Caojijiuridong) (Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House)
  • The Witches of World War II written by Paul Cornell, art by Valeria Burzo (TKO Studios LLC)
  • Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott (DC Comics)

Surprising that there is  only one repeat finalist from a series, although I do enjoy Saga and was planning to read the latest volume at some point.  I’m glad to see another Chinese finalist, an adaptation of Lin Cixin’s Hugo-winning novel, The Three Body Problem.  Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons was on my own ballot.  I look forward to reading the remaining three which all look good.

Best Related Work

  • All These Worlds: Reviews & Essays by Niall Harrison (Briardene Books)
  • 中国科幻口述史, 第二卷, 第三卷，(Chinese Science Fiction: An Oral History, vols 2 and 3) ed. 杨枫 / Yang Feng (8-Light Minutes Culture & Chengdu Time Press)
  • A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith (Penguin Press; Particular Books)
  • The Culture: The Drawings, by Iain M. Banks (Orbit)
  • 雨果X访谈 (Discover X), presented by 王雅婷 (Tina Wong)
  • A Traveller in Time: The Critical Practice of Maureen Kincaid Speller, by Maureen Kincaid Speller, edited by Nina Allan (Luna Press Publishing)

All These Worlds, A City on Mars, and A Traveller in Time were all my own nominees.  Zach Weinersmith, co-author of A City on Mars, is also a finalist (with artist Boulet) in Best Graphic Story.  Volume 1 of Chinese Science Fiction: An Oral History was a finalist last year.  The Culture: The Drawings is a collection of annotated illustrations from Iain M. Banks’ personal notebooks on his series of books in the Culture setting.  Discover X is a series of video interviews done for the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon.  It also received enough votes to make the ballot in Best Fancast but was declared ineligible in that category because it is a professional production.  Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood declined a finalist spot for their promotional tweets about This Is How You Lose the Time War.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

  • Barbie, screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, directed by Greta Gerwig (Warner Bros. Studios)
  • Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, screenplay by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein and Michael Gilio, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Paramount Pictures)
  • Nimona, screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Annapurna Animations)
  • Poor Things, screenplay by Tony McNamara, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Element Pictures)
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson (Columbia Pictures / Marvel Entertainment / Avi Arad Productions / Lord Miller / Pascal Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation)
  • 流浪地球2 / The Wandering Earth II, based on the novel by 刘慈欣 Liu Cixin, screenplay by 杨治学 Yang Zhixue, 郭帆 / Frant Gwo, 龚格尔 Gong Geer, and 叶濡畅 Ye Ruchang, script consultant 王红卫 Wang Hongwei, directed by 郭帆 / Frant Gwo (中影创意（北京）电影有限公司 / CFC Pictures Ltd, 郭帆（北京）影业有限公司 / G!Film (Beijing) Studio Co. Ltd, 北京登峰国际文化传播有限公司 / Beijing Dengfeng International Culture Communication Co, Ltd, 中国电影股份有限公司 / China Film Co. Ltd)

Barbie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were on my ballot.  Nimona and Poor Things were both already on my watch list.  The Wandering Earth II, another adaptation of Liu Cixin’s work, is available through my library on hoopla with English sub-titles.  I understand that it is a prequel so watching the first one isn’t necessary.  Barbie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Nimona, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are all also finalists for the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

  • Doctor Who: “The Giggle”, written by Russell T. Davies, directed by Chanya Button (Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for The BBC and Disney Branded Television)
  • Loki: “Glorious Purpose”, screenplay by Eric Martin, Michael Waldron and Katharyn Blair, directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Marvel / Disney+)
  • The Last of Us: “Long, Long Time”, written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, directed by Peter Hoar (Naughty Dog / Sony Pictures)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “Those Old Scientists”, written by Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkoff, directed by Jonathan Frakes (CBS / Paramount+)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “Subspace Rhapsody”, written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, directed by Dermott Downs (CBS / Paramount+)
  • Doctor Who: “Wild Blue Yonder”, written by Russell T. Davies, directed by Tom Kingsley (Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for The BBC and Disney Branded Television)

This category looks like old times with two episodes of Doctor Who and two episodes of a Star Trek show.  An episode of Loki was previously nominated back in 2022.  “Long, Long Time” from The Last of Us is also a finalist for the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation.  I haven’t seen any of these yet although I was already planning to watch season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.  Therefore, obviously, nothing here was on my ballot.

Best Game or Interactive Work

  • Alan Wake 2, developed by Remedy Entertainment, published by Epic Games
  • Baldur’s Gate 3, produced by Larian Studios
  • Chants of Sennaar, developed by Rundisc, published by Focus Entertainment
  • DREDGE, developed by Black Salt Games, published by Team17
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, produced by Nintendo
  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, developed by Respawn Entertainment, published by Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm Games

I’m happy for those that have been working to get this category on the Hugo ballot.  I am a tiny bit disappointed that there isn’t anything here besides video games since the category was intentionally left open to any type of game.  But I can hardly complain since I didn’t nominate anything myself.  Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Chants of Sennaar, and DREDGE are all also finalists for the Nebula Award for Game Writing.

I’ll be back again with more of my initial thoughts on the finalists as I go through them.  What do you think of these finalists?  Did your favorites make the list?

 

The Universe of Xuya by Aliette de Bodard

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This is an update to a post I did when The Universe of Xuya was previously a finalist for the Best Series Hugo in 2019.

The Universe of Xuya by Aliette de Bodard is one of the Best Series finalists for the 2024 Hugo Awards.  As this point, there are two novels and 33 pieces of short fiction (4 novellas, 13 novelettes, and 16 short stories).  Since the main connection between them is the setting, they can pretty much be read independently and in any order.  Take a look at the author’s webpage about the series for suggestions on where to start and background information.

First, here are the stories included on that page (in the order listed there) with publication info and award recognition received:

  • “The Jaguar House, in Shadow”, novelette, originally published in Asimov’s, Jul 2010; podcast available at StarShipSofa, No. 200 (audio only); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards
  • “Fleeing Tezcatlipoca”, novelette, in Space and Time, issue 111 (Summer 2010)
  • “The Lost Xuya Bride”, novelette, originally published in Interzone, issue 213 (Nov/Dec 2007); available online at the author’s website
  • “Butterfly, Falling at Dawn” (pdf), novelette, originally published in Interzone, issue 219 (Nov/Dec 2008); available online at International Speculative Fiction, 12 May 2015; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
  • “Starsong”, short story, originally published in Asimov’s, Aug 2012; available online at Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, issue 48 (Nov 2015)
  • “Shipbirth”, short story, in Asimov’s, Feb 2011; Nebula Award finalist
  • “The Shipmaker”, short story, originally published in Interzone, issue 231 (Nov/Dec 2010); available online at Clarkesworld, issue 124 (Jan 2017); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Eighth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois; BSFA Award winner
  • “Ship’s Brother”, short story, originally published in Interzone, issue 241 (Jul/Aug 2012); available online at Clarkesworld, issue 88 (Jan 2014); included in The Dragon that Flew out of the Sun: Stories of the Xuya Universe collection (free ebook publicly available from the author’s Patreon); included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirtieth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
  • “Two Sisters in Exile”, short story, originally published in Solaris Rising 1.5, edited by  Ian Whates (Solaris 2012); available online at Clarkesworld, issue 153 (Jun 2019); included in Year’s Best SF 18, edited by David G. Hartwell
  • “Three Cups of Grief, by Starlight”, short story, originally published in Clarkesworld, issue 100 (Jan 2015); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection and The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of The Year’s Best Science Fiction, both edited by Gardner Dozois; BSFA Award winner, finalist for the Eugie and Locus awards
  • “In Blue Lily’s Wake”, novelette, originally published in Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Solaris 2015); available online at Uncanny, issue 22 (May/Jun 2018); included in The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 1, edited by Neil Clarke
  • “Crossing the Midday Gate”, novelette, originally published in To Shape the Dark, edited by Athena Andreadis (Candlemark & Gleam 2016); available online at Lightspeed, issue 89 (Oct 2017)
  • “A Salvaging of Ghosts”, short story, originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, issue 195 (Mar 17, 2016); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Eleven, edited by Jonathan Strahan; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fourth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois; finalist for the Locus and WSFA Small Press awards
  • “Pearl”, novelette, originally published in The Starlit Wood, edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe (Saga 2016); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 2, edited by Neil Clarke; Locus Award finalist
  • “The Dragon that Flew out of the Sun”, short story, originally published in Cosmic Powers, edited by John Joseph Adams (Saga 2017); available online at Uncanny, issue 27 (Mar/Apr 2019); included in The Dragon that Flew out of the Sun: Stories of the Xuya Universe collection (free ebook publicly available from the author’s Patreon); included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
  • The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, novella, originally published in Asimov’s, Oct/Nov 2015; reprinted as a standalone book (JABberwocky Literary Agency 2017); included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois; Locus Award finalist
  • “Scattered Along the River of Heaven”, short story, originally published in Clarkesworld, issue 64 (Jan 2012); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy: 2013 Edition, edited by Rich Horton; finalist for the Sturgeon and Locus awards
  • “Immersion”, short story, originally published in Clarkesworld, issue 69 (Jun 2012); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Seven, edited by Jonathan Strahan; winner of the Nebula and Locus awards; finalist for the BSFA, Hugo, and Sturgeon awards
  • On a Red Station, Drifting, novella, originally published as a limited edition hardcover (Immersion Press 2012), now available in ebook and paperback (self-published); finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards
  • “The Days of the War, as Red as Blood, as Dark as Bile”, short story, originally published in Subterranean Press Magazine, Spring 2014; included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Second Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
  • “The Weight of a Blessing”, short story, in Clarkesworld, issue 78 (Mar 2013)
  • “Memorials”, novelette, originally published in Asimov’s, Jan 2014; reprinted in Apex, issue 85 (Jun 2016); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; Locus Award finalist
  • “The Waiting Stars”, novelette, originally published in The Other Half of the Sky, edited by Athena Andreadis and Kay Holt (Candlemark & Gleam 2013); available online at the author’s website (also in epub and mobi); available online at Lightspeed, issue 70 (Mar 2016); available online at Clarkesworld, issue 129 (Jun 2017); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois; Nebula Award winner, finalist for the Hugo and Locus awards
  • “A Slow Unfurling of Truth”, novelette, originally published in Carbide Tipped Pens, edited by Ben Bova and Eric Choi (Tor 2014); reprinted in Shoreline of Infinity, issue 11 (Spring 2018)
  • “The Frost on Jade Buds”, novelette, originally published in Solaris Rising 3, edited by Ian Whates (Solaris 2014); included in The Dragon that Flew out of the Sun: Stories of the Xuya Universe collection (free ebook publicly available from the author’s Patreon)
  • “A Hundred and Seventy Storms”, short story, in Uncanny, issue 11 (Jul/Aug 2016)
  • The Tea Master and the Detective, novella, originally published as a limited edition hardcover (Subterranean Press 2018), now available in ebook (Subterranean Press / JABberwocky Literary Agency 2018) and paperback (JABberwocky Literary Agency 2019); winner of  the Nebula and British Fantasy awards; finalist for the Hugo, Locus, and World Fantasy awards
  • Seven of Infinities, novella, originally published as a limited edition hardcover (Subterranean Press 2020), also available in ebook (Subterranean Press / JABberwocky Literary Agency 2020) and paperback (JABberwocky Literary Agency 2021); Locus Award finalist
  • “Rescue Party”, novelette, originally published in Mission Critical, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Solaris 2019); included in The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 5, edited by Neil Clarke
  • “The Breath of War”, short story, originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, issue 142 (Mar 6, 2014); included in the Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight collection; Nebula Award finalist

The following works (in order of publication) are not included on her series page but are labeled as part of the Xuya Universe elsewhere on her website:

  • “First Presentation”, short story, in Chasing Shadows, edited by David Brin and Stephen W. Potts (Tor 2017)
  • “A Game of Three Generals”, short story, in Extrasolar, edited by Nick Gevers (PS Publishing 2017), also available as an ebook
  • “Mulberry and Owl”, novelette, originally published in Uncanny, issue 42 (Sep/Oct 2021); included in The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 7, edited by Neil Clarke; Locus Awards finalist
  • The Red Scholar’s Wake, novel, available in hardcover (Gollancz 2022), ebook (Gollancz / JABberwocky Literary Agency 2022), and paperback (JABberwocky Literary Agency 2022 / Gollancz 2023); finalist for the BSFA, Clarke, and Locus awards
  • A Fire Born of Exile, novel, available in hardcover (Gollancz 2023), ebook (Gollancz / JABberwocky Literary Agency 2023), and paperback (JABberwocky Literary Agency 2023 / Gollancz 2024)

With many of the stories online, there’s quite a bit of available reading even without anything that may be included in the voters packet.  Have you read any of these?  Which ones do you recommend?

2024 Hugo Finalists: Novel, Short Fiction, and Series

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The finalists for the 2024 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer were announced on Friday, March 29.  The winners will be presented on Sunday, August 11, at Glasgow 2024, a Worldcon for Our Futures.  Today I’m looking at the novel, short fiction, and series finalists.

Best Novel

  • The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager UK)
  • The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom)
  • Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)
  • Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Tor, Tor UK)
  • Translation State by Ann Leckie (Orbit US, Orbit UK)
  • Witch King by Martha Wells (Tordotcom)

Some Desperate Glory, Translation State, and Witch King were my own nominees.  I was pretty certain Translation State would be a finalist.  The Saint of Bright Doors, Translation State, and Witch King are Nebula finalists.  The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was the only one which did not make the Locus Recommended Reading List, but I’ve heard others recommend it.  I was already planning to read the three that weren’t on my ballot.  Martha Wells declined the nomination for System Collapse just as she did for its Nebula nomination.  天帆 (Cosmo Wings) by 江波 (Jiang Bo) was ruled ineligible because it was published in 2024.

Best Novella

  • “Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet”, He Xi / 人生不相见, 何夕, translated by Alex Woodend (Adventures in Space: New Short stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers)
  • Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)
  • The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older (Tordotcom)
  • Rose/House by Arkady Martine (Subterranean)
  • “Seeds of Mercury”, Wang Jinkang / 水星播种, 王晋康, translated by Alex Woodend (Adventures in Space: New Short stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers)
  • Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (Tor, Titan UK)

The Mimicking of Known Successes and Rose/House were on my ballot, and I was already planning to read Mammoths at the Gates and Thornhedge.  Mammoths at the Gates, The Mimicking of Known Successes, and Thornhedge are also Nebula finalists.  All four of the original English language works were on the Locus Recommended Reading List.  I’m happy to see some Chinese finalists.  I didn’t know if the Chinese fans who were eligible to nominate as members of last year’s Chengdu Worldcon would do so.  I will wait to see if the Adventures in Space anthology is included in the Hugo voter packet.  If not, the ebook is only five dollars.

Best Novelette

All of these except I AM AI are available online.  I AM AI is available at hoopla which I have access to through my library.  “Ivy, Angelica, Bay” and “The Year Without Sunshine” were on my ballot.  I have already read “Introduction to 2181 Overture, Second Edition” and “One Man’s Treasure” as well.  Nghi Vo is also on the ballot for Best Novella.  I AM AI and “The Year Without Sunshine” are Nebula finalists.  Everything except for “Introduction to 2181 Overture, Second Edition” appeared on the Locus Recommended Reading List.  极北之地 (“The Far North”) by 海漄 (Hai Ya) received enough votes to be on the ballot, but the author declined the nomination.  Hai Ya was the winner of the 2023 Best Novelette Hugo.  They were also a potential finalist in the 2023 Best Short Story category, but the story was marked as ineligible with no explanation.

Best Short Story

  • “Answerless Journey”, Han Song / 没有答案的航程, 韩松, translated by Alex Woodend (Adventures in Space: New Short stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers)
  • “Better Living Through Algorithms” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld May 2023)
  • “How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub” by P. Djèlí Clark (Uncanny Magazine, January-February 2023)
  • “The Mausoleum’s Children” by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny Magazine, May-June 2023)
  • “The Sound of Children Screaming” by Rachael K. Jones (Nightmare Magazine, October 2023)
  • 美食三品 (“Tasting the Future Delicacy Three Times”), 宝树 / Baoshu (银河边缘013：黑域密室 / Galaxy’s Edge Vol. 13: Secret Room in the Black Domain)

“Answerless Journey” is from the same Adventures in Space anthology that two of the novellas are from.  I hope that an English translation will be provided for the other Chinese story.  The four original English language stories are available online.  I have read all of them except for “The Sound of Children Screaming”.  I enjoyed all three, especially Naomi Kritzer’s story, but they didn’t make my personal ballot.  Naomi Kritzer is also on the ballot for Best Novelette.  “Better Living Through Algorithms” and “The Sound of Children Screaming” are both Nebula finalists.  The only one of these four that was not on the Locus Recommended Reading List was “Better Living Through Algorithms”.

Best Series

  • The Final Architecture by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)
  • Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie (Orbit US, Orbit UK)
  • The Last Binding by Freya Marske (Tordotcom, Tor UK)
  • The Laundry Files by Charles Stross (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)
  • October Daye by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
  • The Universe of Xuya by Aliette de Bodard (Gollancz; JABberwocky Literary Agency; Subterranean Press; Uncanny Magazine; et al.)

The Laundry Files and The Universe of Xuya were previously finalists in 2019.  This is the fifth time that October Daye has been a finalist.  The Last Binding, October Daye, and The Universe of Xuya were on my ballot.  Imperial Radch should have been on my ballot, but somehow I didn’t think of it even though Best Novel finalist Translation State was one of my own nominees.  I’m glad other people picked up my slack.  Aliette de Bodard is also a finalist for Best Short Story although that story isn’t part of this series.  I’ve read some of The Laundry Files from the last time it was a finalist.  I look forward to The Final Architecture because I’ve really liked the other works I’ve read by Adrian Tchaikovsky.  I’m also glad to see him get another chance at a Hugo that is untainted by the circumstances which affected his 2023 win.

I’ll be back with more of my initial thoughts on the finalists as I go through them.  What do you think of these finalists?  Did your favorites make the list?