Tag: 2018 hugo awards

2018 Hugo Awards: Results!

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On August 19th, Worldcon 76 presented the 2018 Hugo Awards, the WSFS Award for Best Young Adult Book, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.  Here are the winners, the finalists in the order they placed, and the longlist of nominees.  The number in parentheses indicates the finalist’s place at the nomination stage.

Best Novel

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
  2. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
  3. Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
  4. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
  5. Artemis by Andy Weir
  6. Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
  7. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
  8. Persepolis Rising by James S. A. Corey
  9. The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

Best Novella

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Passing Strange by Ellen Klages
  2. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire
  3. The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch
  4. The Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold
  5. 17776 by Jon Bois
  6. The Red Threads of Fortune by JY Yang
  7. Mira’s Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
  8. The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente
  9. In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle

Best Novelette

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. “The Dark Birds” by Ursula Vernon
  2. “The Worshipful Society of Glovers” by Mary Robinette Kowal
  3. “Waiting on a Bright Moon” by JY Yang
  4. “A Human Stain” by Kelly Robson
  5. “The Hermit of Houston” by Samuel R. Delany
  6. “Uncanny Valley” by Greg Egan
  7. “Crispin’s Model” by Max Gladstone
  8. “The Fisher of Bones” by Sarah Gailey
  9. “Pan-Humanism: Hope and Pragmatics” by Jess Barber and Sara Saab
  10. “Angel of the Blockade” by Alex Wells

Best Short Story

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. “Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance” by Tobias S. Buckell
  2. “Don’t Press Charges and I Won’t Sue” by Charlie Jane Anders
  3. “The Scholast in the Low Waters Kingdom” by Max Gladstone
  4. “Waiting Out the End of the World in Patty’s Place Cafe” by Naomi Kritzer
  5. “Utopia, LOL?” by Jamie Wahls
  6. “Sidewalks” by Maureen F. McHugh
  7. “Paradox” by Naomi Kritzer
  8. “Confessions of a Con Girl” by Nick Wolven
  9. “Dear Sarah” by Nancy Kress

Best Series

Finalists

  1. World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold (6)
  2. InCryptid by Seanan McGuire (9)
  3. The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (4)
  4. The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells (8)
  5. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (10)
  6. The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett (3)

Longlist

  1. The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin (declined)
  2. The Expanse by James S.A. Corey (ineligible)
  3. The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone (ineligible)
  4. October Daye by Seanan McGuire (ineligible)
  5. Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh
  6. Peter Grant/Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
  7. Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer
  8. The Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
  9. Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin et al.

Best Related Work

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Archive of Our Own by the Organization for Transformative Works
  2. “The 2016 #BlackSpecFic Report” by Cecily Kane
  3. Invisible 3 edited by Jim C. Hines and Mary Anne Mohanraj
  4. Worldcon 75 Restaurant Guide edited by J. Robert Tupasela
  5. “Freshly Remember’d: Kirk Drift” by Erin Horáková
  6. “An Unexpected Honor” by Ursula Vernon
  7. Don’t Live For Your Obituary by John Scalzi
  8. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
  9. Star-Begotten by James Gunn

Best Graphic Story

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 7 by G. Willow Wilson, Mirka Andolfo, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Francesco Gaston
  2. Ladycastle by Delilah Dawson, Becca Farrow, and Ashley A. Woods
  3. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 5 by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
  4. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 8 by G. Willow Wilson, Marco Failla, and Diego Olortegui
  5. 17776 by Jon Bois
  6. Saga, Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
  7. Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred by Damian Duffy and John Jennings
  8. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 6 by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
  9. Above the Timberline by Gregory Manchess

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Logan
  2. Coco
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  4. The Good Place, Season 1
  5. The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 1
  6. The Expanse, Season 2
  7. your name.
  8. Stranger Things, Season 2
  9. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. The Expanse, “Caliban’s War”
  2. The Expanse, “Home”
  3. Doctor Who, “World Enough and Time”
  4. Star Trek Continues, “What Ships Are For”
  5. The Good Place, “Dance Dance Resolution”
  6. Orphan Black, “To Right the Wrongs of Many”
  7. Doctor Who, “Thin Ice”
  8. Game of Thrones, “The Dragon and the Wolf”
  9. Game of Thrones, “The Spoils of War”

Best Editor, Long Form

Finalists

  1. Sheila E. Gilbert (2)
  2. Navah Wolfe (1)
  3. Diana M. Pho (6)
  4. Devi Pillai (7)
  5. Miriam Weinberg (3)
  6. Joe Monti (5)

Longlist

  1. Liz Gorinsky (declined)
  2. Will Hinton
  3. Lee Harris
  4. Toni Weisskopf
  5. Patrick Nielsen Hayden
  6. Beth Meacham
  7. Betsy Wollheim
  8. Carl Engle-Laird
  9. Gillian Redfearn

Best Editor, Short Form

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. C.C. Finlay
  2. Ellen Datlow
  3. Julia Rios
  4. Ann Vandermeer
  5. Scott H. Andrews
  6. Gardner Dozois
  7. Michi Trota
  8. Marguerite Kenner
  9. Trevor Quachri

Best Professional Artist

Finalists

  1. Sana Takeda (5)
  2. John Picacio (3)
  3. Galen Dara (2)
  4. Victo Ngai (1)
  5. Kathleen Jennings (6)
  6. Bastien Lecouffe Deharme (7)

Longlist

  1. Julie Dillon (declined)
  2. Yuko Shimizu
  3. Gregory Manchess
  4. Richard Anderson
  5. Tran Nguyen
  6. Jaime Jones
  7. Maurizio Manzieri
  8. Likhain
  9. Dan dos Santos

Best Semiprozine

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. FIYAH Literary Magazine edited by Justina Ireland and Troy L. Wiggins
  2. GigaNotoSaurus edited by Rashida J. Smith
  3. Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke
  4. Interzone edited by Andy Cox
  5. PodCastle edited by Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali and Jen R. Albert
  6. Shimmer Magazine edited by Beth Wodzinski
  7. Tähtivaeltaja edited by Toni Jerrman
  8. Lightspeed Magazine edited by John Joseph Adams
  9. Cast of Wonders edited by Marguerite Kenner

Best Fanzine

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Black Gate edited by John O’Neill
  2. The Rec Center edited by Elizabeth Minkel and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
  3. Lady Business edited by Clare, Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay, and Susan
  4. Women Write About Comics edited by Megan Purdy
  5. Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
  6. Camestros Felapton edited by Camestros Felapton
  7. Quick Sip Reviews edited by Charles Payseur
  8. Ansible edited by David Langford
  9. SF Commentary edited by Bruce Gillespie

Best Fancast

Finalists

  1. Ditch Diggers hosted by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace (1)
  2. Fangirl Happy Hour hosted by Ana Grilo and Renay Williams (4)
  3. The Coode Street Podcast hosted by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe (2)
  4. Galactic Suburbia hosted by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (3)
  5. Sword and Laser hosted by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt (7)
  6. Verity! hosted by Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L.M. Myles, Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (6)

Longlist

  1. Tea and Jeopardy hosted by Emma Newman and Peter Newman (declined)
  2. The Skiffy and Fanty Show hosted by by Shaun Duke, Julia Rios, Paul Weimer, Mike Underwood, David Annandale, Alex Acks, Trish Matson, and Jen Zink
  3. Storyological hosted by E.G. Cosh and Chris Kammerud
  4. Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men hosted by Jay Rachel Edidin and Miles Stokes
  5. Breaking the Glass Slipper hosted by Lucy Hounsom, Charlotte Bond, and Megan Leigh
  6. Kalanadi hosted by Rachel
  7. Fast Forward hosted by Tom Schaad and Mike Zipser
  8. Get to Work Hurley! hosted by Kameron Hurley
  9. Eating the Fantastic hosted by Scott Edelman

Best Fan Writer

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Natalie Luhrs
  2. Alasdair Stuart
  3. Liz Bourke
  4. Erin Horáková
  5. O. Westin
  6. Michi Trota
  7. Elsa Sjunneson-Henry
  8. James Nicoll
  9. Chuck Tingle

Best Fan Artist

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Stephanie Law
  2. Ariela Housman
  3. Meg Frank
  4. Leon Tukker
  5. Brad W. Foster
  6. Richard Man
  7. Kirbi Fagan
  8. Liv Rainey-Smith
  9. Laya Rose

WSFS Award for Best Young Adult Book

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. Buried Heart by Kate Elliott
  2. Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren
  3. Exo by Fonda Lee
  4. Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
  5. Dreadnought by April Daniels
  6. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
  7. Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
  8. Want by Cindy Pon
  9. Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Finalists

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

Longlist

  1. S.A. Chakraborty
  2. Sylvain Neuvel
  3. G.V. Anderson
  4. Brandon O’Brien
  5. K.B. Wagers
  6. Benjamin C. Kinney
  7. April Daniels
  8. Annalee Newitz
  9. Erin Roberts

You can find more details in the 2018 Hugo & Related Award Statistics (pdf).  Nicholas Whyte, a former Hugo Administrator, and Camestros Felapton, one of the Best Fan Writer Finalists, both made some observations about the results.

Six of my first choices and four of my second took home the trophy — just over half the ballot!  Several of my nominees turned up on the longlist as well.  I was especially happy for BookTuber Rachel (Kalanadi) in Best Fancast.  What are your thoughts on the outcome?

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?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Fancast

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Today I’m looking at the six finalists for Best Fancast in the 2018 Hugo Awards.  Below I’ve linked the podcast’s website (noting which episodes aired in 2017), the hosts’ websites, and the episodes which were featured in their Hugo Voter Packet submissions.

 

The Coode Street Podcast (episodes 295-319) is hosted by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe.  They are five-time finalists in this category.

  • Episode #305: Kim Stanley Robinson and the Drowning of New York
  • Episode #308: Paul Kincaid, Ken Macleod, and the works of Iain (M) Banks
  • Episode #316: Nnedi Okorafor, Akata Warrior, Binti, and Beyond

 

Ditch Diggers (episodes 35-51) is hosted by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace.  They are two-time finalists in this category.

  • Episode #36: Cassandra Khaw and Lack of Self Preservation
  • Episode #38: Tobias Buckell and The Power of No
  • Episode #39: Lexi Alexander and Punching Hollywood. Metaphorically.

 

Fangirl Happy Hour (episodes 68-105) is hosted by Ana Grilo and Renay Williams.  They are two-time finalists in this category.

 

Galactic Suburbia (episodes 159-179) is hosted by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (who is a co-host for fellow finalist Verity! as well).  They are six-time finalists in this category (which has only been around for seven years), and they won in 2015.

  • Episode #167: In which we launch new projects and Discover a new/old love for Star Trek.
  • Episode #168: In which we Continuum all the Continuum!

 

Sword and Laser (episodes 277-313) is hosted by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt.  They are first-time finalists in this category.

 

Verity! (episodes 127-154, plus frequent Extra! mini-episodes) is hosted by Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L.M. Myles, Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (who is also a co-host for fellow finalist Galactic Suburbia).  They are two-time finalists in this category.

 

We have five returning finalists with four repeats from last year and one first-time finalist.  Fangirl Happy Hour was my favorite last year.  (I love that they have transcripts because I have a hard time keeping focused when listening to audio only.)  I enjoyed Galactic Suburbia and Coode Street too.  Ditch Diggers is funny, but I find it a little too writer-centric for me.  I haven’t listened to either Sword and Laser or Verity! before.  Since I’m not normally a podcast listener (my three nominees were all YouTube channels) and I still need to listen to some of this year’s eligible content, I haven’t made any final ballot decisions here yet.  What are your thoughts on these finalists?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Professional Artist

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Today I’m looking at the six finalists for Best Professional Artist in the 2018 Hugo Awards.  I’ve linked their websites and some examples of their work.

 

Galen Dara has been a finalist in this category three times.  She was also the winner of Best Fan Artist in 2013.  I nominated Dara in this category last year, but this year the work I liked best from her appeared in semiprozines which is actually considered fan art under Hugo rules.

 

Bastien Lecouffe Deharme undoubtedly came to many people’s attention due to some controversial remarks made by Terry Goodkind.  This is his first time as a Hugo Finalist.

 

Kathleen Jennings has won several Ditmar Awards, but this is her first time as a Hugo Finalist.  She often does cut-paper silhouettes as well as pen and ink drawings.

 

Victo Ngai was my only nominee who made the final ballot in this category.  This is her second time as a Hugo Finalist.

 

John Picacio has twelve nominations and two previous wins in this category.   He was also a finalist for Best Related Book in 2007.  He is the Artist Guest of Honor at Worldcon 76 and will host the 2018 Hugo Awards Ceremony.

 

Sana Takeda is the artist for last year’s Hugo Award winning Monstress comic.  The second volume is a finalist for Best Graphic Story this year.  This is her second time as a finalist in this category as well.  I nominated her for pro artist last year, but this year I stuck with just nominating Monstress.

 

We have four repeat artists from last year and two first-time finalists.  Ranking them is extremely difficult due to their wonderfully unique styles.  My favorites are the ones I’ve nominated previously.  Followed by Kathleen Jennings whose classic work I find fascinating.  Bastien Lecouffe Deharme’s pieces are stunning, but they’re not really my taste.  Finally, as impressive as John Picacio’s art always is, I feel like he’s had enough Hugo recognition already.  So here’s how my ballot looks:

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

What are your thoughts on the pro artist finalists?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Editor, Long Form

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Here is a guide to some of the work from this year’s six Hugo Finalists for Best Editor, Long Form.  Generally speaking, it is not easy to figure out who has done what in this category.  For each of the following editors, I’ve done my best to determine the novel-length works they edited which appeared during 2017 with links to excerpts where available.  Please leave any corrections or additions in the comments.

Update June 8, 2018:  Now that the Hugo Voter Packet is available, I’ve revised the following lists to reflect the information provided by the finalists themselves.

Update July 28, 2018:  Devi Pillai’s Hugo Voter Packet information has been corrected, and I’ve revised this post accordingly.

 

Sheila E. Gilbert is with DAW Books and has won one out of six nominations in this category.  As Seanan McGuire’s editor, she worked on Magic for Nothing, book six of the InCrypted series (one of this year’s Best Series finalists), and The Brightest Fell, book eleven of the October Daye series (one of last year’s Best Series finalists).  For those of us not caught up on series, here are the stand-alone or first-in-series books that Gilbert published in 2017:

 

Joe Monti is with Saga Press, and this is his first Hugo nomination.  Here are the 2017 novels which Monti edited:

 

Diana M. Pho is with Tor Books, and this is her first Hugo nomination.  I know exactly what 2017 books she edited because she did an eligibility post!  Here are the stand-alone or first-in-series books mentioned:

 

Devi Pillai moved from Orbit Books to Tor Books in 2016, and this is her second nomination in this category.  At Tor she co-edited Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, the third book in The Stormlight Archive (one of this year’s Best Series Finalists), along with Moshe Feder.  Pillai also edited the following 2017 novels from Orbit:

 

Miriam Weinberg is with Tor Books, and this is her second nomination in this category.  Among the 2017 books that she edited was Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan, the fifth and final book in one of this year’s Best Series Finalists, The Memoirs of Lady Trent.  With the exception of The Tiger’s Daughter by K Arsenault Rivera, the remaining books edited by Weinberg are also later books in series:

 

Navah Wolfe is with Saga Press, and this is her second nomination in this category.  Here are the 2017 stand-alone or first-in-series books Wolfe edited:

 

Four out of six here are repeat finalists from last year along with two first-time finalists.  Devi Pillai was my one nominee who made the final ballot in this category.  I will definitely need to find out more and at least read some excerpts before making any decisions here.  What are your thoughts on these finalists?

2018 Hugo Finalists: Best Editor, Short Form

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Here is a guide to the work of this year’s six Hugo Finalists for Best Editor, Short Form.  Wherever possible, I’ve added links to full text, excerpts, or more details on the short fiction they edited during 2017.  Please let me know if you have any additional information or corrections.

 

John Joseph Adams has been a finalist in this category seven times.  As editor of Lightspeed Magazine, he has won two out of five nominations for Best Semiprozine.  (Lightspeed is now a professional magazine and no longer qualifies as a semiprozine.)  Adams edited the following magazines and anthologies last year:

 

Neil Clarke has been a finalist in this category six times.  As editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, he has won three out of four nominations for Best Semiprozine.  (Clarkesworld has also graduated from semi-pro to pro and no longer qualifies in that category.)  Two novelettes from Clarkesworld, “The Secret Life of Bots” by Suzanne Palmer and “A Series of Steaks” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad, are Hugo finalists this year.  Clarke edited the following magazines and anthologies last year:

 

Lee Harris was a 2014 finalist for Best Editor, Long Form.  This is his first time as finalist in this category.  He edited three of the Best Novella finalists:  All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #1), Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (Binti #2), and Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children #2).  Harris also edited the following short fiction from Tor.com last year:

 

Jonathan Strahan has been a finalist in this category nine times.  As co-host of The Coode Street Podcast, he has also been nominated five times for Best Fancast.  One of the novelettes he edited for Tor.com, “Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee (The Machineries of Empire), is a Hugo finalist this year.  Strahan also edited the following anthologies from Solaris and short fiction from Tor.com last year:

 

Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas are two-time finalists in this category.  As co-editors of Uncanny Magazine, they are also finalists for Best Semiprozine this year and the winners of that category for the previous two years.  As former editors of Apex Magazine, Lynne has three additional nominations for Best Semiprozine, and Michael has two.  Lynne has also won one of two nominations for co-editing Best Related Work finalists, won twice in Best Fancast as a moderator of SF Squeecast, and additionally been a finalist in Best Fancast both this year and in 2014 as a contributor to the Verity! Podcast.  Michael was also a co-editor of another Best Related Work finalist.  The following six stories from Uncanny Magazine are Hugo finalists this year:

 

Sheila Williams became the editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in 2004 and has won two of eleven nominations in this category.  She was also a one-time finalist for Best Professional Editor just before the category was split into Long Form and Short Form.  One of Asimov’s novelettes, “Wind Will Rove” by Sarah Pinsker, is a Hugo Finalist this year.  Some of Asimov’s other notable stories from last year are currently available at the following links:

 

I imagine I will probably rank Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas first since they were my only nominees which made the finalist list in this category.  I’m a regular reader of both Lightspeed and Clarkesworld so John Joseph Adams and Neil Clark will probably be second and third.  I nominated stories edited by Lee Harris and Sheila Williams and enjoyed most of the online Tor.com stories edited by Jonathan Strahan, but I really need to read more before making my final decisions.  What are your thoughts on these finalists?