5 ms·

2024's Hugo Award Winners Announced

41 points by m463 2y ago

crvdgc 2y ago
> The following nominees received enough votes to qualify for the final ballot, but were not eligible for specific reasons: I'm assuming the "specific reasons" are referring to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41039644 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41039644
- mikequinlan 2y ago
  No, it lists what the specific reasons were. * Best Novel – 天帆 (Cosmo Wings) by 江波 (Jiang Bo) – publication in 2024 * Best Fancast (1) – 雨果X访谈（Discover X）interviews by 王雅婷 Tina Wong – professional production; also qualified in the Best Related Work category. * Best Fancast (2) – 铥铥科幻电波 (Diu Diu Sci Fi Radio) – also a professional production. Cosmo Wings wasn't published in time, and Discover X and Diu Diu Sci Fi Radio were professional productions so not eligible for the Best Fancast category.
mr_world 2y ago
> Best Novel: Emily Tesh -- Some Desperate Glory (Tordotcom, Orbit UK) A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you > Best Novella: T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) -- Thornhedge (Tor, Titan UK) A retelling of sleeping beauty from the perspective of an atypical fairy godmother and knight. There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story. > Best Novelette: Naomi Kritzer -- “The Year Without Sunshine” (Uncanny Magazine, November-December 2023) One tiny community pulls together – and does it effectively – because one community member is suffering from COPD and will only live as long as her oxygen concentrator has power. > Best Short Story: Naomi Kritzer -- “Better Living Through Algorithms” (Clarkesworld May 2023) Linnea, a young woman working a boring office job, is told about a new productivity and wellness app called Abelique from a friend. When her boss encourages her to download it to increase her productivity, she is surprised when the app encourages her to prioritize her personal life to the neglect of her professional life. > Best Series: Ann Leckie -- Imperial Radch (Orbit US, Orbit UK) Ancillary Justice is a space opera set thousands of years in the future, where the principal power in human space is the expansionist Radch empire. The empire uses space ships controlled by AIs, who control human bodies ("ancillaries") to use as soldiers. The Radchaai do not distinguish people by gender, which Leckie conveys by using "she" pronouns for everybody, and by having the Radchaai main character guess, frequently incorrectly, when she has to use languages with gender-specific pronouns.
- noch 2y ago
  Thank you for this summary. It's too late for me to scream at clouds, about the politicization of literature awards. Should I lament the rise of the MFA and the institutionalization of writing fiction in the academy? That ship has sailed and many celebrate that, which is fine. And yet, I still find myself wanting to read sci-fi (not fantasy) that's about non-trivial ideas, written by authors who are obsessed with science and things, rather than relationships and identities and traumas and oppression. I especially want to read writing by authors who can hold conflicting ideas in their heads without imploding and are able to say to themselves, "there's a high probability that all my fundamental values and beliefs are wrong and it is instead 'they' — the spectral, despicable They! — who are ethically and philosophically correct." I imagine a sci-fi author who has seen further than other humans, and wants to share what they have seen. I'd also love beautiful sentences if possible. Then I'd love literary sci-fi prizes whose judges have a deep and principled understanding of human history, who aren't activists in spirit, but want contrarian ideas that set the imagination and intellect on fire about the possibilities of technology and science and human problem solving. Finally, I want a sci-fi prize that conveys optimism about humanity on the cusp of great accomplishments; humanity on the verge of even greater and more bewildering and challenging adventures.
  - surgical_fire 2y ago
    Speaking as someone who rolled his eyes at the synopsis of each entry in GP's list... I mean, you can just ignore the awards. Like, think of it like the Oscars. It has been a very long time that "winning an Oscar" was predictive of how much I would enjoy a movie. What would some book awards be any different? Just look for authors that write the sort of things you want to read, awards be damned.
    - noch 2y ago
      > I mean, you can just ignore the awards. > Just look for authors that write the sort of things you want to read, awards be damned. Indeed. We can simply ignore many things in life. I'm not complaining that I have no agency. I was making a different point.
matrix2596 2y ago
Is there an easy way to separate the fantasy from science fiction books in the awards list? I would like to read books which are more science fiction than fantasy.
- dbsights 2y ago
  While they're at it, seperate out the social justice books from the science fiction, because I'm absolutely sick of it all. Hugo awards used to be a great way to source new, high-quality books, now it's just more activist slop.
isaacfrond 2y ago
Best short story is available on-line here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/ https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/ includes an audio version.
- ZeroGravitas 2y ago
  Best Novelette too (same author): https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-year-without-sunshine/ https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-year-without-sun...
coumbaya 2y ago
Super excited for more Imperial Radch !
- Marsymars 2y ago
  Hey, funny coincidence, I just started on Ancillary Justice a few days ago.
Daub 2y ago
Of relevance: 'Hugo awards organisers reveal thousands spent on fraudulent votes to help one writer win' https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/23/hugo-awards-fraudulent-votes-paid-for-one-author-ntwnfb https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/23/hugo-a... edit: Ah... I see that user crvdgc has already mentioned this.
- verzali 2y ago
  Did we ever find out which writer it was?
  - Daub 2y ago
    Nope. The whisper network is going overdrive on speculation, but that is to be expected. I kinda trust that the writer themselves did not know this was being done, that it was organised by their publisher.
man4 2y ago
Let me guess, women, trans"""people""", black, and Chinese? Do I miss anything?
reedf1 2y ago
[flagged]
akimbostrawman 2y ago
honk honk awards
idamantium 2y ago
I didn't know they had a 'Related Works' category. I heard an interview with the authors of the winner, A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith. Trying to remember what podcast... They set out to explore the real requirements of creating such a colony. They were enthusiastic about colonizing space at the start of the project, but realized how terribly hard and unrealistic it is. They are torn about bring the bearers of bad news, as many folks they befriended and interviewed over the course of researching the book are pissed off at them now.
- idamantium 2y ago
  Found the podcast - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01158-6 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01158-6
self_awareness 2y ago
These awards are a good source of information on which novels to avoid if one isn’t interested in LGBT themes, as all of the "winners" are tagged with #LGBT.

41 points by m463 2y ago

> The following nominees received enough votes to qualify for the final ballot, but were not eligible for specific reasons: I'm assuming the "specific reasons" are referring to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41039644 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41039644

mikequinlan 2y ago
No, it lists what the specific reasons were. * Best Novel – 天帆 (Cosmo Wings) by 江波 (Jiang Bo) – publication in 2024 * Best Fancast (1) – 雨果X访谈（Discover X）interviews by 王雅婷 Tina Wong – professional production; also qualified in the Best Related Work category. * Best Fancast (2) – 铥铥科幻电波 (Diu Diu Sci Fi Radio) – also a professional production. Cosmo Wings wasn't published in time, and Discover X and Diu Diu Sci Fi Radio were professional productions so not eligible for the Best Fancast category.

mr_world 2y ago

> Best Novel: Emily Tesh -- Some Desperate Glory (Tordotcom, Orbit UK) A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you > Best Novella: T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) -- Thornhedge (Tor, Titan UK) A retelling of sleeping beauty from the perspective of an atypical fairy godmother and knight. There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story. > Best Novelette: Naomi Kritzer -- “The Year Without Sunshine” (Uncanny Magazine, November-December 2023) One tiny community pulls together – and does it effectively – because one community member is suffering from COPD and will only live as long as her oxygen concentrator has power. > Best Short Story: Naomi Kritzer -- “Better Living Through Algorithms” (Clarkesworld May 2023) Linnea, a young woman working a boring office job, is told about a new productivity and wellness app called Abelique from a friend. When her boss encourages her to download it to increase her productivity, she is surprised when the app encourages her to prioritize her personal life to the neglect of her professional life. > Best Series: Ann Leckie -- Imperial Radch (Orbit US, Orbit UK) Ancillary Justice is a space opera set thousands of years in the future, where the principal power in human space is the expansionist Radch empire. The empire uses space ships controlled by AIs, who control human bodies ("ancillaries") to use as soldiers. The Radchaai do not distinguish people by gender, which Leckie conveys by using "she" pronouns for everybody, and by having the Radchaai main character guess, frequently incorrectly, when she has to use languages with gender-specific pronouns.

noch 2y ago
Thank you for this summary. It's too late for me to scream at clouds, about the politicization of literature awards. Should I lament the rise of the MFA and the institutionalization of writing fiction in the academy? That ship has sailed and many celebrate that, which is fine. And yet, I still find myself wanting to read sci-fi (not fantasy) that's about non-trivial ideas, written by authors who are obsessed with science and things, rather than relationships and identities and traumas and oppression. I especially want to read writing by authors who can hold conflicting ideas in their heads without imploding and are able to say to themselves, "there's a high probability that all my fundamental values and beliefs are wrong and it is instead 'they' — the spectral, despicable They! — who are ethically and philosophically correct." I imagine a sci-fi author who has seen further than other humans, and wants to share what they have seen. I'd also love beautiful sentences if possible. Then I'd love literary sci-fi prizes whose judges have a deep and principled understanding of human history, who aren't activists in spirit, but want contrarian ideas that set the imagination and intellect on fire about the possibilities of technology and science and human problem solving. Finally, I want a sci-fi prize that conveys optimism about humanity on the cusp of great accomplishments; humanity on the verge of even greater and more bewildering and challenging adventures.
- surgical_fire 2y ago
  Speaking as someone who rolled his eyes at the synopsis of each entry in GP's list... I mean, you can just ignore the awards. Like, think of it like the Oscars. It has been a very long time that "winning an Oscar" was predictive of how much I would enjoy a movie. What would some book awards be any different? Just look for authors that write the sort of things you want to read, awards be damned.
  - noch 2y ago
    > I mean, you can just ignore the awards. > Just look for authors that write the sort of things you want to read, awards be damned. Indeed. We can simply ignore many things in life. I'm not complaining that I have no agency. I was making a different point.

matrix2596 2y ago

Is there an easy way to separate the fantasy from science fiction books in the awards list? I would like to read books which are more science fiction than fantasy.

dbsights 2y ago
While they're at it, seperate out the social justice books from the science fiction, because I'm absolutely sick of it all. Hugo awards used to be a great way to source new, high-quality books, now it's just more activist slop.

isaacfrond 2y ago

Best short story is available on-line here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/ https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/ includes an audio version.

ZeroGravitas 2y ago
Best Novelette too (same author): https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-year-without-sunshine/ https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-year-without-sun...

coumbaya 2y ago

Super excited for more Imperial Radch !

Marsymars 2y ago
Hey, funny coincidence, I just started on Ancillary Justice a few days ago.

Daub 2y ago

Of relevance: 'Hugo awards organisers reveal thousands spent on fraudulent votes to help one writer win' https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/23/hugo-awards-fraudulent-votes-paid-for-one-author-ntwnfb https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/23/hugo-a... edit: Ah... I see that user crvdgc has already mentioned this.

verzali 2y ago
Did we ever find out which writer it was?
- Daub 2y ago
  Nope. The whisper network is going overdrive on speculation, but that is to be expected. I kinda trust that the writer themselves did not know this was being done, that it was organised by their publisher.

man4 2y ago

Let me guess, women, trans"""people""", black, and Chinese? Do I miss anything?

reedf1 2y ago

[flagged]

akimbostrawman 2y ago

honk honk awards

idamantium 2y ago

I didn't know they had a 'Related Works' category. I heard an interview with the authors of the winner, A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith. Trying to remember what podcast... They set out to explore the real requirements of creating such a colony. They were enthusiastic about colonizing space at the start of the project, but realized how terribly hard and unrealistic it is. They are torn about bring the bearers of bad news, as many folks they befriended and interviewed over the course of researching the book are pissed off at them now.

idamantium 2y ago
Found the podcast - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01158-6 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01158-6

self_awareness 2y ago

These awards are a good source of information on which novels to avoid if one isn’t interested in LGBT themes, as all of the "winners" are tagged with #LGBT.