Tag: 2024 hugo awards

Previously I looked at the Hugo finalists for novel, short fiction, and series.  Next I looked at graphic story, related work, dramatic presentation, and game finalists.  Then I looked at the finalists in the editor, pro artist, and semiprozine categories.  Finally, I’m wrapping up with a look at the fan, Lodestar, and the Astounding finalists.

Best Fanzine

• Black Nerd Problems, editors Omar Holmon and William Evans
• The Full Lid, written by Alasdair Stuart and edited by Marguerite Kenner
• Idea, editor Geri Sullivan
• Journey Planet, edited by Michael Carroll, Vincent Docherty, Sara Felix, Ann Gry, Sarah Gulde, Allison Hartman Adams, Arthur Liu, Jean Martin, Helena Nash, Pádraig Ó Méalóid, Yen Ooi, Chuck Serface, Alan Stewart, Regina Kanyu Wang, James Bacon and Christopher J. Garcia
• Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together, editors Roseanna Pendlebury, Arturo Serrano, Paul Weimer; senior editors Joe Sherry, Adri Joy, G. Brown, Vance Kotrla.
• Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, editors Olav Rokne and Amanda Wakaruk

Black Nerd Problems is a website making its first appearance on the ballot.  The Full Lid is a newsletter which returns for a third time.  Issue 13 of the fanzine Idea was published in December 2023 after a 23-year hiatus.  While this is Idea’s first appearance, editor Geri Sullivan was a co-editor of the 2007 Best Fanzine winner, Science-Fiction Five-Yearly.  Previous winner, the fanzine Journey Planet makes its twelfth appearance.  Another previous winner, the blog Nerds of a Feather makes its seventh appearance.  Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog returns to the ballot for the fourth time.  Nerds of a Feather and Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog were both on my own ballot.

Best Fancast

• The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
• Hugos There, presented by Seth Heasley
• Octothorpe, by John Coxon, Alison Scott, and Liz Batty
• Publishing Rodeo, presented by Sunyi Dean and Scott Drakeford
• 科幻Fans布玛 (Science Fiction Fans Buma), production team 布玛（Buma)，刘路（Liu Lu)，刘倡（Liu Chang)
• Worldbuilding for Masochists, presented by Marshall Ryan Maresca, Rowenna Miller, Cass Morris and Natania Barron

Previous winner, The Coode Street Podcast makes its eleventh appearance.  The Hugos There podcast returns for a second time.  The Octothorpe podcast is making its third appearance.  This is the first nomination for the Publishing Rodeo podcast.  Also appearing for the first time, Science Fiction Fans Buma is a Chinese videocast.  The Worldbuilding for Masochists podcast returns for the fourth time.  Coode Street was on my own ballot.  Best Related Work finalist Discover X received enough nominations to make the ballot here as well but was declared ineligible for this category due to being a professional production.  Another potential finalist, 铥铥科幻电波 (Diu Diu Sci Fi Radio), was also determined to be ineligible because it is a professional production.

Best Fan Writer

• Bitter Karella
• James Davis Nicoll
• Jason Sanford
• Alasdair Stuart
• Paul Weimer
• Örjan Westin

Bitter Karella writes The Midnight Pals microfiction and returns to the ballot for a third time.  James Davis Nicoll is a reviewer who makes a fifth appearance here.  Jason Sanford writes the Genre Grapevine column and returns for a fourth time.  Alasdair Stuart is also a finalist in Best Fanzine for The Full Lid newsletter and makes a fourth appearance in this category.  He is a host for Best Semiprozine finalist Escape Pod as well.  Paul Weimer returns for what should be the fifth time if he weren’t wrongfully excluded from last year’s ballot.  He is also one of the editors for Best Fanzine finalist Nerds of a Feather.  Örjan Westin writes microfiction on social media platforms as MicroSFF and makes a second appearance here.  Camestros Felapton, a previous finalist for Best Fan Writer and Best Related Work, declined a nomination this year.

Best Fan Artist

• ​​Iain J. Clark
• Sara Felix
• Dante Luiz
• Laya Rose
• Alison Scott
• España Sheriff

Iain J. Clark did cover art for Best Fanzine finalist Journey Planet and returns to the ballot for the fifth time.  Previous winner Sara Felix created art for the Glasgow Worldcon and returns for the fifth time as well.  She was also one of the editors for Best Fanzine finalist Journey Planet.  Dante Luiz is a first time finalist in this category with art in Interzone and Best Semiprozine finalist Strange Horizons.  Laya Rose creates fan art for various sff works and returns for the third time.  Alison Scott does episode art for Best Fancast Octothorpe which she co-hosts and returns to this category for the second time.  España Sheriff has also done episode art for Octothorpe and is making a second appearance here as well.  Iain J. Clark, Sara Felix, Laya Rose, and Alison Scott were all on my own ballot.

Lodestar Award for Best YA Book

• Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark (Starscape)
• Liberty’s Daughter by Naomi Kritzer (Fairwood Press)
• Promises Stronger than Darkness by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen)
• The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix (Katherine Tegen Books, Gollancz and Allen & Unwin)
• To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (Del Rey)
• Unraveller by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children’s Books; eligible due to 2023 U.S. publication by Amulet)

Abeni’s Song is the first in a middle grade series.  P. Djèlí Clark is also a finalist for Best Short Story.  Liberty’s Daughter was created from a series of stories.  I read at least one or two of these when they originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.  Naomi Kritzer is also a finalist in Best Novelette and Best Short Story.  Naomi Kritzer previously won the Lodestar for Catfishing on CatNet, and its sequel was a Lodestar finalist too.  Promises Stronger than Darkness is the final book in the Unstoppable trilogy.  The previous two books were Lodestar finalists as well.  The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is a sequel to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London.  To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is the first book in the Nampeshiweisit series.  Unraveller is the third Lodestar nominated book for Frances Hardinge.  Both To Shape a Dragon’s Breath and Unraveller were my own nominees.

Astounding Award for Best New Writer (sponsored by Dell Magazines)

• Moniquill Blackgoose (1st year of eligibility)
• Sunyi Dean (2nd year of eligibility)
• Ai Jiang (2nd year of eligibility)
• Hannah Kaner (1st year of eligibility)
• Em X. Liu (1st year of eligibility)
• Xiran Jay Zhao (eligibility extended at request of Dell Magazines)

Moniquill Blackgoose’s To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a finalist for the Lodestar Award.  Sunyi Dean is the author of The Book Eaters as well as some short fiction.  She is also a co-host of the Best Fancast finalist Publishing Rodeo.  Ai Jiang has written a lot of short fiction including last year’s Nebula short story finalist “Give Me English”, this year’s Nebula novella finalist “Linghun”, and this year’s Nebula and Hugo novelette finalist I Am AI.  Hannah Kaner is the author of Godkiller, first in the Fallen Gods series.  Em X. Liu is the author of The Death I Gave Him and a couple of short fiction pieces.  Xiran Jay Zhao is the author of previous Lodestar finalist Iron Widow and Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor.  They are the only returning Astounding finalist this year.  I was very pleased to see their eligibility extended since they were wrongfully excluded last year and they were one of my own nominees in 2023.  However, I think it is unfair that the ballot wasn’t also expanded to seven finalists.  I will be looking at the seventh place nominee and considering them for next year.  Hopefully they are in their first year of eligibility this year.

What do you think of the finalists?  How far have you gotten in your reading, viewing, listening, or playing?

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?

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 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

• I AM AI by Ai Jiang (Shortwave)
• “Introduction to 2181 Overture, Second Edition”, Gu Shi /〈2181序曲〉再版导言, 顾适 translated by Emily Jin (Clarkesworld, February 2023)
• “Ivy, Angelica, Bay” by C.L. Polk (Tor.com 8 December 2023)
• “On the Fox Roads” by Nghi Vo (Tor.com 31 October 2023)
• “One Man’s Treasure” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, January-February 2023)
• “The Year Without Sunshine” by Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny Magazine, November-December 2023)

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?