Hugo Nominations

[coalescent]

Right. The deadline is tomorrow, so it's about time for me (and every other Interaction or LACon IV member who hasn't done so) to be nominating for the Hugo Awards. I think I've decided on most of my Best Novel ballot:

The Summer Isles, Ian R. Macleod
Counting Heads, David Marusek
Living Next-Door to the God of Love, Justina Robson
Accelerando, Charles Stross

Given its limited print run, The Summer Isles presumably has little chance of actually making the ballot, but it's the best 2005 novel I've read. I haven't quite finished Counting Heads, but unless Marusek fluffs up the ending spectacularly it deserves a nomination. Living Next-Door to the God of Love and Accelerando both have flaws, but as far as I'm concerned those are outweighed by their considerable strengths. I regret that I haven't managed to get to Robert Charles Wilson's Spin, but don't think it's going to need my help to get nominated. (If it does miss out by one vote, you can all lynch me later.) The last nomination will go to ... er ... well, could be Learning the World, could be Transcendent, could be Double Vision. It'll probably depend on how I feel this evening.

In novella the three shoo-ins are Kelly Link's 'Magic for Beginners', Ian McDonald's 'The Little Goddess', and Paolo Bacigalupi's 'The Calorie Man'. The other two will likely be Yume No Hon by Catherynne M. Valente and 'The Emperor' by Lucius Shepard. Novellettes: Darryl Gregory's 'Second Person, Present Tense', Geoff Ryman's 'The Last Ten Years in the Life of the Hero Kai', possibly Vandana Singh's 'The Tetrahedron', possibly Cory Doctorow's 'I, Robot', possibly Link's 'Some Zombie Contingency Plans', possibly Chris Beckett's 'Piccadilly Circus', plus something from Strange Horizons. Short stories: 'Anyway' by M. Rickert, 'Heads Down, Thumbs Up' by Gavin J. Grant, 'Singing My Sister Down' by Margo Lanagan, and a couple of things from Strange Horizons. Given that I'm a judge for the BSFA's non-fiction award, I probably shouldn't say anything about my thoughts on related book (except to say that The Complete Calvin & Hobbes counts, right?)

And then we start to get to the categories where I have much less fixed opinions. Dramatic Presentation, for instance. I know I didn't get to the cinema much last year, but--other than Serenity--which films really deserve a nomination? Similarly for short form: if I'm going to go for a single episode of Battlestar Galactica, which one should it be? And what else was there to nominate? (Note: don't even bother mentioning Doctor Who.) Was 2005 just a bad year?

I haven't made a full survey of the Campbell Award website yet, but I'm thinking some of KJ Bishop, Karen Fishler, David Moles, Frances Hardinge, Holly Phillips, Steph Swainston, and Sonya Taafe. Who am I missing?

Artists and editors (aside from the magazine editors) I'm always underinformed about: if you want to pimp your choices to me, now's the time. I have firmer ideas about fanzine and fan writer (Claire Brialey for the latter, plus don't forget that bloggers count), but I'd still be interested to hear everyone else's thoughts. So: bring 'em on.

Comments

[secritcrush.livejournal.com]

Who am I missing?

Hannah Wolf Bowen. Also, is Holly Phillips eligible? (Do not go by the list on the page, many many people do not add themselves to the page.)

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

(Note: don't even bother mentioning Doctor Who.)

Name 5 episodes of anything from 2005 that were better than The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.

As for films, Howl's Moving Castle and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. And don't forget to pimp Star Wars Lego for best interactive video game.

[ianmcdonald.livejournal.com]

thanks man. And I agree re Summer Isles --far and away the best novel I read in the slot.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Artists and editors (aside from the magazine editors) I'm always underinformed about: if you want to pimp your choices to me, now's the time.

Well, I do have one but in your particular case, I think she would be inappropriate: Ellen Asher (who I don't work for, although I freelance for someone who does), who has been doing a pretty good job at the SFBC since the 1970s. Since the SFBC is confined to the US, though, I can't see that her choices would ever have affected you.

It seems to me that magazine editors and anthologists enjoy a significant edge over the editors who work behind the scenes in the book trade. In fact, I will go farther: unless an editor plants his or her name on the masthead or on the spine of a book, there is no chance that they can will the Hugo. None.

[sulkyblue.livejournal.com]

Films: Batman Begins?

Short Form:
Battlestar: Downloaded, Pegasus, Ressurection Ship and probably the final episode once it airs tomorrow ;0)
Stargate Atlantis: Coup d'Etat, Inferno
Stargate SG1: Ripple Effect

Um... there must have been some other 1/2 decent sf last year surely?

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

((((Lucas Back In Anger Short Form Dramatic)))) Sorry, but I promised Phil and Ian I'd pimp it.
Kim Newman and Paul McCauley's Hugo Awards script was superb, but not exactly "dramatic" and I don't think you can nominate partnerships for best fan writer.
Nice to know that Lego Star Wars is eligible, I couldn't remember if it was 2004.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

> single episode of Battlestar Galactica,

S02e18

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

Probably outside the date range though.

[peake.livejournal.com]

Let's be brutally honest, up until probably the late 70s, when most of the Worldcon attendees could be reasonably expected to have read most of the year's sf, the Hugos were a reasonable if far from infallible record of what was good in the genre. But since then they seem to have progressively less to do with anything that might be considered good or interesting in the field. The few occasions over the last 20 years when a worthwhile book has won, or even been shortlisted, seem abberations. Nowadays I suspect most of the voters are voting for friends, for past favourites, or for reputation rather than because they have actually read the work (I have a feeling that is probably also true for nominations). So it is a very long time since I have been able to muster anything more than a vague, cursory interest in the Hugos.

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

fan writer ... don't forget that bloggers count

If I were a cooler person I'd know how to graciously say thank you, but instead you'll just have to imagine me blushing and sputtering. In order to draw attention away from that embarrassing sight, I'll second the mention of Matt Cheney, and also point out Andrew Rilstone. He's been disappointingly silent these last few months, but in the earlier half of this year he was the blogger I wanted to be when I grew up.

if I'm going to go for a single episode of Battlestar Galactica, which one should it be?

In ascending order of awesomeness, "Kobol's Last Gleaming 1 & 2", "Fragged" (Crashdown takes a bullet in the back), "Pegasus". I think "Downloaded" has next year's Hugo all sewn up.

Note: don't even bother mentioning Doctor Who

I'm going to assume that this means something other than the unthinkable, i.e. that you don't actually like DW.

Oh, and you're tragically wrong about there being five episodes of Carnivale that were better than "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances". I'll say this again: second season = rancid.

[ethereal-lad.livejournal.com]

The Summer Isle is a brilliant novel. I do hope it wins.

Pedantry

[oursin.livejournal.com]

Shoo-in, not shoe-in, unless this is some kind of order-of-the-boot, only in reverse.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, the eligibility criteria for Dramatic Presentation are based on date of first broadcast, which because of the way that BSG Season 1 debuted in the UK means that the 2005 eligibility covers from S1E08 to S2E09. Within that range, I'd probably pick 'Fragged' and 'Pegasus' as the standouts. Honorable Mentions would go to 'Colonial Day' (although it is rather blatantly 'West Wing' In Space) and 'Home, Part II', one of those episodes where BSG belatedly recalls that it's meant to be sf.