Month: August 2025

The winners of the 2025 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer will be announced at the Hugo Award Ceremony in Seattle on Saturday, August 16th.  Here’s how I personally ranked the finalists:

Best Novel

1. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tordotcom)
2. Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit US, Tor UK)
3. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey, Hodderscape UK)
4. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press, Sceptre)
5. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
6. Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell (DAW)

Best Novella

1. The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (Tordotcom)
2. The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)
3. What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (Nightfire)
4. Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
5. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom)
6. The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar (Tordotcom)

Best Novelette

1. “Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 59)
2. “Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie in Lake of Souls (Orbit)
3. “The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s, September/October 2024)
4. “By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)
5. “Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
6. “The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld, May 2024)

Best Short Story

1. “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld, February 2024)
2. “We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed Magazine, May 2024 (Issue 168))
3. “Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)
4. “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny Magazine Issue 57)
5. “Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
6. “Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed Magazine, Jan 2024 (Issue 164))

Best Series

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books)
2. InCryptid by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
3. The Burning Kingdoms by Tasha Suri (Orbit)
4. Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga Press)
5. The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Ad Astra)
6. Southern Reach by Jeff VanderMeer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Best Graphic Story or Comic

1. The Hunger and the Dusk: Vol. 1, written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Chris Wildgoose (IDW Publishing)
2. Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way written by Ryan North, art by Chris Fenoglio (IDW Publishing)
3. My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book 2 by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
4. Monstress, Vol. 9: The Possessed written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
5. We Called Them Giants written by Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, lettering by Clayton Cowles (Image)
6. The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag (Graphix)

Best Related Work

1. Track Changes by Abigail Nussbaum (Briardene Books)
2. “Charting the Cliff: An Investigation into the 2023 Hugo Nomination Statistics” by Camestros Felapton and Heather Rose Jones (File 770, February 22, 2024)
3. “The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion” by Chris M. Barkley and Jason Sanford (Genre Grapevine and File770, February 14, 2024)
4. Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right by Jordan S. Carroll (University of Minnesota Press)
5. “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” by Jenny Nicholson (YouTube)
6. r/Fantasy’s 2024 Bingo Reading Challenge by the r/Fantasy Bingo Team (r/Fantasy on Reddit), presented by the r/Fantasy Bingo team: Alexandra Forrest (happy_book_bee), Lisa Richardson, Amanda E. (Lyrrael), Arka (RuinEleint), Ashley Rollins (oboist73), Christine Sandquist (eriophora), David H. (FarragutCircle), Diana Hufnagl, Pia Matei (Dianthaa), Dylan H. (RAAAImmaSunGod), Dylan Kilby (an_altar_of_plagues), Elsa (ullsi), Emma Surridge (PlantLady32), Gillian Gray (thequeensownfool), Kahlia (cubansombrero), Kevin James, Kopratic, Kristina (Cassandra_sanguine), Lauren Mulcahy (Valkhyrie), Megan, Megan Creemers (Megan_Dawn), Melissa S. (wishforagiraffe), Mike De Palatis (MikeOfThePalace), Para (improperly_paranoid), Sham, The_Real_JS, Abdellah L. (messi1045), AnnTickwittee, Chad Z. (shift_shaper), Emma Smiley (Merle), Rebecca (toughschmidt22), smartflutist661

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

1. Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Legendary Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures)
2. Wicked, screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, directed by Jon M.Chu (Universal Pictures)
3. The Wild Robot, screenplay by Chris Sanders and Peter Brown, directed by Chris Sanders (DreamWorks Animation)
4. Flow, screenplay by Gints Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža, directed by Gints Zilbalodis (Dream Well Studio)
5. I Saw the TV Glow, screenplay by Jane Schoenbrun, directed by Jane Schoenbrun (Fruit Tree / Smudge Films / A24)
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, screenplay by George Miller and Nick Lathouris, directed by George Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

1. Fallout: “The Beginning” written by Gursimran Sandhu, directed by Wayne Che Yip (Amazon Prime Video)
2. Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation” created and written by Mike McMahan, based on “Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Megan Lloyd (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
3. Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Fissure Quest” created by Mike McMahan and written by Lauren McGuire based on “Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Brandon Williams (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
4. Agatha All Along: “Death’s Hand in Mine” written by Gia King & Cameron Squires, directed by Jac Schaeffer (Marvel, Disney+)
5. Doctor Who: “73 Yards” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC, Disney+)
6. Doctor Who: “Dot and Bubble” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC, Disney+)

Best Game or Interactive Work

Unranked

• Caves of Qud, co-creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat; contributors Nick DeCapua, Corey Frang, Craig Hamilton, Autumn McDonell, Bastia Rosen, Caelyn Sandel, Samuel Wilson (Freehold Games); sound design A Shell in the Pit; publisher Kitfox Games
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard produced by BioWare
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom produced by Nintendo
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes produced by Simogo
• Tactical Breach Wizards developed by Suspicious Developments
• 1000xRESIST developed by sunset visitor 斜陽過客, published by Fellow Traveller

Best Editor, Short Form

1. Scott H. Andrews
2. Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
3. Neil Clarke
4. Jonathan Strahan
5. Sheila Williams
6. Jennifer Brozek

Best Editor, Long Form

1. Lee Harris
2. Diana M. Pho
3. Carl Engle-Laird
4. David Thomas Moore
5. Stephanie Stein
6. Ali Fisher

Best Professional Artist

1. Alyssa Winans
2. Tran Nguyen
3. Audrey Benjaminsen
4. Maurizio Manzieri
5. Micaela Alcaino
6. Rovina Cai

Best Semiprozine

1. Strange Horizons, by the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective
2. Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and Valerie Valdes, assistant editors Premee Mohamed and Kevin Wabaunsee, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart, producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht; and the entire Escape Pod team
3. FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, publisher and executive editor DaVaun Sanders, poetry editor B. Sharise Moore, art director Christian Ivey, acquiring editors Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Egbiameje Omole, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, sponsor coordinator Nelson Rolon
4. khōréō – produced by Zhui Ning Chang, Aleksandra Hill, Danai Christopoulou, Isabella Kestermann, Kanika Agrawal, Sachiko Ragosta, Lian Xia Rose, Jenelle DeCosta, Melissa Ren, Elaine Ho, Ambi Sun, Cyrus Chin, Nivair H. Gabriel, Jeané Ridges, Lilivette Domínguez, Isaree Thatchaichawalit, Jei D. Marcade, M. L. Krishnan, Ysabella Maglanque, Aaron Voigt, Adialyz Del Valle Berríos, Adil Mian, Akilah White, Alexandra Millatmal, Anselma Widha Prihandita, E. Broderick, K. S. Walker, Katarzyna Nowacka, Katie McIvor, Kelsea Yu, Lynn D. Jung, Madeleine Vigneron, Marie Croke, Merulai Femi, Phoebe Low, S. R. Westvik, Sanjna Bhartiya, Sara Messenger, Sophia Uy, Tina Zhu, Yuvashri Harish, Zohar Jacobs
5. The Deadlands, publisher Sean Markey; editors E. Catherine Tobler, Nicasio Andres Reed, David Gilmore, Laura Blackwell, Annika Barranti Klein; proofreader Josephine Stewart; columnist Amanda Downum; art and design Cory Skerry, Christine M. Scott; social media Felicia Martínez; assistant Shana Du Bois.
6. Uncanny Magazine, publishers and editors-in-chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky.

Best Fanzine

1. Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, editors Olav Rokne and Amanda Wakaruk
2. Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice L. Newman, associate writers Cora Buhlert, Jessica Holmes, Kerrie Dougherty, Kris Vyas-Myall, Natalie Devitt, and the rest of the Journey team
3. Black Nerd Problems, editors William Evans and Omar Holmon
4. The Ancillary Review of Books, editors Jake Casella Brookins, Zachary Gillan, Lane Gillespie, Misha Grifka Wander, Gareth A. Reeves, Bianca Skrinyár, Cynthia Zhang
5. Journey Planet, edited by Allison Hartman Adams, Amanda Wakaruk, Ann Gry, Jean Martin, Sara Felix, Sarah Gulde, Chuck Serface, David Ferguson, Olav Rokne, Paul Weimer, Steven H Silver, Christopher J. Garcia and James Bacon
6. The Full Lid, written by Alasdair Stuart and edited by Marguerite Kenner

Best Fancast

1. The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe, producer Jonathan Strahan
2. Worldbuilding for Masochists, presented by Marshall Ryan Maresca, Cass Morris and Natania Barron
3. Hugos There, presented by Seth Heasley
4. Hugo, Girl!, presented by Haley Zapal, Amy Salley, Lori Anderson, and Kevin Anderson
5. A Meal of Thorns, presented by Jake Casella Brookins
6. Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones, presented by Emily Tesh and Rebecca Fraimow

Best Fan Writer

1. Camestros Felapton
2. Jason Sanford
3. Abigail Nussbaum
4. Roseanna Pendlebury
5. Örjan Westin
6. Alasdair Stuart

Best Fan Artist

1. Iain J. Clark
2. Sara Felix
3. Alison Scott
4. Michelle Morrell
5. España Sheriff
6. Meg Frank

Best Poem

1. “A War of Words” by Marie Brennan (Strange Horizons, September 2024)
2. “Your Visiting Dragon” by Devan Barlow (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)
3. “Ever Noir” by Mari Ness (Haven Spec Magazine, Issue 16, July 2024)
4. “there are no taxis for the dead” by Angela Liu (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
5. “We Drink Lava” by Ai Jiang (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)
6. Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead (Titan)

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book

1. Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao (Tundra Books)
2. Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
3. The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet)
4. (withdrawn) Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee (Delacorte Press)
5. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
6. The Feast Makers by H.A. Clarke (Erewhon)

Astounding Award for Best New Writer

1. Moniquill Blackgoose (2nd year of eligibility)
2. Hannah Kaner (2nd year of eligibility)
3. Tia Tashiro (2nd year of eligibility)
4. Angela Liu (2nd year of eligibility)
5. Bethany Jacobs (2nd year of eligibility)
6. Jared Pechaček (1st year of eligibility)

Who are you hoping to see take home shiny trophies?