Hugo Nominees 2014

[ccstat]

Now that the Hugo Award nominees have been announced, 17S needs a place to discuss them! 

(Since Brandon is a nominated author, I've placed this thread here. If it fits better in the non-Brandon section of the site, I invite the mods to move it there.) The link above is to the official nominee list, which I've copied below. I am personally unfamiliar with the majority of these works. In addition, this year's voting includes a retro-Hugo award series for 1939, also copied below. I'm about equally familiar with those works as I am with the current nominees. I suspect this thread will suffice for both discussions.

 

2014 Award Nominees:

BEST NOVEL 

• Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
• Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross (Ace / Orbit UK)
• Parasite by Mira Grant (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
• Warbound, Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia (Baen Books)
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books / Orbit UK)

BEST NOVELLA 

• The Butcher of Khardov by Dan Wells (Privateer Press)
• “The Chaplain's Legacy” by Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jul-Aug 2013)
• “Equoid” by Charles Stross (Tor.com, 09-2013)
• Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean Press)
• “Wakulla Springs” by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages (Tor.com, 10-2013)

BEST NOVELETTE 

• “The Exchange Officers” by Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jan-Feb 2013)
• “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal (maryrobinettekowal.com / Tor.com, 09-2013)
• “Opera Vita Aeterna” by Vox Day (The Last Witchking, Marcher Lord Hinterlands)
• “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling” by Ted Chiang (Subterranean, Fall 2013)
• “The Waiting Stars” by Aliette de Bodard (The Other Half of the Sky, Candlemark & Gleam)

BEST SHORT STORY 

• “If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love” by Rachel Swirsky (Apex Magazine, Mar-2013)
• “The Ink Readers of Doi Saket” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Tor.com, 04-2013)
• “Selkie Stories Are for Losers” by Sofia Samatar (Strange Horizons, Jan-2013)
• “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” by John Chu (Tor.com, 02-2013)

Note: category has 4 nominees due to a 5% requirement under Section 3.8.5 of the WSFS constitution.

BEST RELATED WORK 

• Queers Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the LGBTQ Fans Who Love It Edited by Sigrid Ellis & Michael Damian Thomas (Mad Norwegian Press)
• Speculative Fiction 2012: The Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary by Justin Landon & Jared Shurin (Jurassic London)
• “We Have Always Fought: Challenging the Women, Cattle and Slaves Narrative” by Kameron Hurley (A Dribble of Ink)
• Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer, with Jeremy Zerfoss (Abrams Image)
• Writing Excuses Season 8 by Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Jordan Sanderson

BEST GRAPHIC STORY 

• Girl Genius, Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne & The Sleeping City written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
• "The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who" written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Jimmy Broxton (Doctor Who Special 2013, IDW)
• The Meathouse Man adapted from the story by George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Raya Golden (Jet City Comics)
• Saga, Volume 2 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics )
• “Time” by Randall Munroe (XKCD)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM) 

• Frozen screenplay by Jennifer Lee, directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios)
• Gravity written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Esperanto Filmoj; Heyday Films; Warner Bros.)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire screenplay by Simon Beaufoy & Michael Arndt, directed by Francis Lawrence (Color Force; Lionsgate)
• Iron Man 3 screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black, directed by Shane Black (Marvel Studios; DMG Entertainment; Paramount Pictures)
• Pacific Rim screenplay by Travis Beacham & Guillermo del Toro, directed by Guillermo del Toro (Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney Double Dare You)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM) 

• An Adventure in Space and Time written by Mark Gatiss, directed by Terry McDonough (BBC Television)
• Doctor Who: “The Day of the Doctor” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Television)
• Doctor Who: “The Name of the Doctor” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Saul Metzstein (BBC Televison)
• The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot written & directed by Peter Davison (BBC Television)
• Game of Thrones: “The Rains of Castamere” written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, directed by David Nutter (HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
• Orphan Black: “Variations under Domestication” written by Will Pascoe, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions; Space / BBC America)

Note: category has 6 nominees due to a tie for 5th place.

BEST EDITOR - SHORT FORM 

• John Joseph Adams
• Neil Clarke
• Ellen Datlow
• Jonathan Strahan
• Sheila Williams

BEST EDITOR - LONG FORM 

• Ginjer Buchanan
• Sheila Gilbert
• Liz Gorinsky
• Lee Harris
• Toni Weisskopf

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST 

• Galen Dara
• Julie Dillon
• Daniel Dos Santos
• John Harris
• John Picacio
• Fiona Staples

Note: category has 6 nominees due to a tie for 5th place.

BEST SEMIPROZINE 

• Apex Magazine edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Jason Sizemore, and Michael Damian Thomas
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies edited by Scott H. Andrews
• Interzone edited by Andy Cox
• Lightspeed Magazine edited by John Joseph Adams, Rich Horton, and Stefan Rudnicki
• Strange Horizons edited by Niall Harrison, Brit Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Sonya Taaffe, Abigail Nussbaum, Rebecca Cross, Anaea Lay, and Shane Gavin

BEST FANZINE

• The Book Smugglers edited by Ana Grilo and Thea James
• A Dribble of Ink edited by Aidan Moher
• Elitist Book Reviews edited by Steven Diamond
• Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Christopher J. Garcia, Lynda E. Rucker, Pete Young, Colin Harris, and Helen J. Montgomery
• Pornokitsch edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin

BEST FANCAST

• The Coode Street Podcast Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
• Galactic Suburbia Podcast Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
• SF Signal Podcast Patrick Hester
• The Skiffy and Fanty Show Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, Julia Rios, Paul Weimer, David Annandale, Mike Underwood, and Stina Leicht
• Tea and Jeopardy Emma Newman
• Verity! Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L.M. Myles, Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner Roberts
• The Writer and the Critic Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond

Note: category has 7 nominees due to a tie for 5th place.

BEST FAN WRITER

• Liz Bourke
• Kameron Hurley
• Foz Meadows
• Abigail Nussbaum
• Mark Oshiro

BEST FAN ARTIST 

• Brad W. Foster
• Mandie Manzano
• Spring Schoenhuth
• Steve Stiles
• Sarah Webb

JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER 

Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2012 or 2013, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).

• Wesley Chu
• Max Gladstone *
• Ramez Naam *
• Sofia Samatar *
• Benjanun Sriduangkaew

*Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility.

 

1939 Award Nominees:

BEST NOVEL 

• Carson of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Argosy, February 1938)
• Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith (Astounding Stories, February 1938)
• The Legion of Time by Jack Williamson (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)
• Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (The Bodley Head)
• The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (Collins)

BEST NOVELLA 

• Anthem by Ayn Rand (Cassell)
• “A Matter of Form” by H. L. Gold (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938)
• “Sleepers of Mars” by John Beynon [John Wyndham] (Tales of Wonder, March 1938)
• “The Time Trap” by Henry Kuttner (Marvel Science Stories, November 1938)
• “Who Goes There?” by Don A Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938)

BEST NOVELETTE 

• “Dead Knowledge” by Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Stories, January 1938)
• “Hollywood on the Moon” by Henry Kuttner (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1938)
• “Pigeons From Hell” by Robert E. Howard (Weird Tales, May 1938)
• “Rule 18” by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)
• “Werewoman” by C. L. Moore (Leaves #2, Winter 1938)

BEST SHORT STORY 

• “The Faithful” by Lester del Rey (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)
• “Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938)
• “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma” by Ray Bradbury (Imagination!, January 1938)
• “How We Went to Mars” by Arthur C. Clarke (Amateur Science Stories, March 1938)
• “Hyperpilosity” by L. Sprague de Camp (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM) 

• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Written & directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater on the Air, CBS)
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Written & directed by Orson Welles (The Campbell Playhouse, CBS)
• Dracula by Bram Stoker. Written by Orson Welles and John Houseman, directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater on the Air, CBS)
• R. U. R. by Karel Čapek. Produced by Jan Bussell (BBC)
• The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Written by Howard Koch & Anne Froelick, directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater on the Air, CBS)

BEST EDITOR - SHORT FORM 

• John W. Campbell
• Walter H. Gillings
• Raymond A. Palmer
• Mort Weisinger
• Farnsworth Wright

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST 

• Margaret Brundage
• Virgil Finlay
• Frank R. Paul
• Alex Schomburg
• H. W. Wesso

BEST FANZINE

• Fantascience Digest edited by Robert A. Madle
• Fantasy News edited by James V. Taurasi
• Imagination! edited by Forrest J Ackerman, Morojo, and T. Bruce Yerke
• Novae Terrae edited by Maurice K. Hanson
• Tomorrow edited by Douglas W. F. Mayer

BEST FAN WRITER 

• Forrest J Ackerman
• Ray Bradbury
• Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker
• Harry Warner, Jr.
• Donald A. Wollheim

 

I have participated in the Hugos once before, and enjoyed reading as many works as I could make it through before the voting deadline. I plan to do so again, and look forward to some of the best that SFF has to offer.

 

I am interested in your impressions of the nominees (so far the only category for which I have developed a strong opinion is Best Graphic Story, where I think Munroe's "Time" definitely deserves the top slot.)

 

I am also curious how you feel it is best to evaluate the non-text categories, such as Best Editor, Best Fan Artist, etc. As a reader, how do I 1) find out what a given person contributed to during the year, and 2) use my time well to survey and compare those contributions?

Edited May 1, 2014 by ccstat

[guess]

When does the hugo packet come out? This is the first year I am voting? there are alot of good reads in it. 

[ccstat]

Last year the voter packet was made available on May 19, giving three months until the voting deadline. I expect similar timing this year, so it should be released sometime in the next two weeks. When it is, this link should get you there.

[ccstat]

The voter packet is now available, and anyone eligible to vote can download at this link.

Happy Reading!

 

EDIT: As Peter mentions below, some works were omitted from the voter packet in full or part. Of those, some (such as Writing Excuses) are available online, while others can be found in library collections. I will update the list below of alternate locations to access works not in the voter packet. If you know of any, please post and I will add it.

 

Omitted Works

BEST NOVEL (These 3 works include only a sample, not the full novel. Link is to a library search so you can hopefully check out a copy near you.)

• Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Library)
• Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross (Library)
• Parasite by Mira Grant (Library)

BEST NOVELLA  (all included)

 

BEST NOVELETTE (all included)

 

BEST SHORT STORY

• “If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love” by Rachel Swirsky (online at Link to Season 8)

BEST GRAPHIC STORY

• Saga, Volume 2 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Links to buy ($15) are here. May be the complete story, and a comment by the author)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM) (In the US, Redbox is a good way to find these titles for rent near you. Any link suggestions for international sharders?)

• Frozen (redbox)
• Gravity (redbox)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (redbox)
• Iron Man 3 (redbox)
• Pacific Rim (redbox)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM) (I don't know where to view these. Link suggestions?)

• An Adventure in Space and Time written by Mark Gatiss, directed by Terry McDonough (BBC Television)
• Doctor Who: “The Day of the Doctor” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Television)
• Doctor Who: “The Name of the Doctor” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Saul Metzstein (BBC Televison)
• The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot written & directed by Peter Davison (BBC Television)
• Game of Thrones: “The Rains of Castamere” written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, directed by David Nutter (HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
• Orphan Black: “Variations under Domestication” written by Will Pascoe, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions; Space / BBC America)

BEST EDITOR - SHORT FORM (All included to some degree. Additional links welcome.)

 

BEST EDITOR - LONG FORM (All but Weisskopf represented. Additional links welcome.)

• Toni Weisskopf

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST (All but Staples represented. Additional links welcome.)

• Fiona Staples (presence on tumblr and her link)
• Galactic Suburbia Podcast (link)
• SF Signal Podcast (link)
• The Skiffy and Fanty Show (link)
• Tea and Jeopardy (link)
• Verity! (link)
• The Writer and the Critic (link)

BEST FAN WRITER 

• Mark Oshiro (link)

BEST FAN ARTIST (Only samples from Foster and Webb included. Additional links welcome.)

• Brad W. Foster
• Mandie Manzano (etsy)
• Steve Stiles (official site)
• Sarah Webb

JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER (All included)

 

Edited June 2, 2014 by ccstat

[PeterAhlstrom]

They left out Writing Excuses, and I sent them the file 9 days ago. Sigh.

[ccstat]

First, I now have links to find almost everything that isn't included in the voter packet. (See the post above Peter's). If you have any to add, let me know.

 

And now, the first content discussion: Best Novella category.

As you probably know, in hugo award voting we are asked to rank the works, not just pick the best out of 5. Having read through the novella nominees, my own opinion on the rankings is nearly set, but the top two works are dancing for the coveted #1 position. I really can't decide. Whichever one I'm thinking about at the moment seems best. I will probably need to reread them both, but it will also be helpful to talk it through and get other perspectives on the writing. So tell me, what did you think of Wakulla Springs and Six-Gun Snow White? 

(I won't be surprised at all if your rankings differ drastically from mine. Please post your own reactions of the other three works as well, especially if you disagree with my run-down.)

Here are my reactions to all 5 works, in order of preference:

1. Wakulla Springs - 5 stars A great depiction of real people living interesting, everyday lives. Amazing generation of suspense simply by leveraging reader expectations. Doesn't really fit in the SFF genre except as an examination of what we find wondrous, but in that meta context is head-and-shoulders above the other nominees.
2. Six-Gun Snow White - 5 stars A touching, imaginative retelling, with a brilliantly unique voice and oh-so-much truth. The ending is tricky, but Valente sticks the landing.
3. The Butcher of Khardov - 4 stars Fascinating portrayal of madness, of a broken man. A worthy entry but the first two outshine it. The ending also confused me a bit.
4. Equoid - 3 stars Fun, if a bit slow. I really loved the mocking tribute of H.P. Lovecraft. I haven't read any other Laundry stories, so any extras or easter eggs will have been missed.
5. The Chaplain's Legacy - 2 stars Predictable, poorly edited, with plodding text. Not bad but certainly not excellent. I plan to vote for "No Award" ahead of this one.