The Hugo Awards were announced earlier today. The winners can be found here and the all important stats can be found here.
In no particular order here are my thoughts on the results:
- Apparently I’m not allowed to blame Ustream for the shitty video coverage. It had something to do with the Hotel’s WiFi… I think. Whatever the case, if the Hugo organisers can’t guarantee a stable feed maybe it would be best for all us and our collective sanity if they don’t broadcast the event. Because having some really touching moments ruined by Ustream dropping out was more than just a nuisance. Yes, first world problems, I know… but Neil Clarke’s emotional acceptance speech deserved to be shown uninterrupted.
- On a much happier note – TANSY RAYNER ROBERTS YOU ARE MADE OF AWESOME AND ALL THAT IS WONDERFUL AND GREAT IN THE WORLD. I nominated Tansy. I voted for Tansy. And not just because she’s someone I know. But because she is an extraordinarily good writer who has changed the way I personally look at genre, gender and race. I know it will piss off some that a pro writer has won this award, but fuck them. Tansy won not because she’s a published author but because what she writes gets to the heart of what it is to be a female fan in the 21st century.
- What’s also amazing about Tansy’s win – other than the fact that she might be the first female Australian to win a Hugo – is that according to the stats she just snuck in on the ballot. Which goes to show that getting the smallest amount of noms doesn’t kill your chances of taking home the rocket ship.
- It was also heartening to see that Abigail Nussbaum fell one nomination short of featuring in the best Fan Writer category. Hopefully next year she’ll make the ballot. And let’s not forget A Cracked Moon with 37 nominations and Charles Tan with the same and Liz Bourke with 35 noms. Those guys with Tansy would make one cracking ballot.
- I really thought Immersion would take home the short story Hugo. But Mono No Aware won by over 230 votes. I loved both stories so for me it was a win / win.
- Thank God the Doctor Who winning streak is now over.
- While I’m not entirely surprised that Red Shirts won, I am surprised that 2312, which has received accolades here there and everywhere, came third.
- And as for the Scalzi win, well obviously the Hugo votership is populated by pink rabbits.
- I was really disappointed with the fourth place finish for Aliette de Bodard’s On A Red Station, Drifting. It’s a wonderful novella and for me easily the best thing on the ballot (even though I liked the Kress). I was also sad that Cat Valente didn’t win novelette because I adore that story. I haven’t read the Pat Cadigan story, but taking into account all the praise it’s received this is something I should probably redress.
- Even if I haven’t read the winning novelette, I am proud for Jonathan that a story he edited took home the rocketship category. Now can we please all get our acts together an award this magnificent editor his own Hugo. Seriously, Jonathan does not need to wait until he retires before he’s recognised.
- I was pleased to see Saga win Best Graphic Novel. Though Hawkeye only getting 12 nomination is a crime against humanity.
- Also, isn’t a bit controversial that The Unwritten didn’t get on the ballot? It received 36 nominations under two different titles. (Some nominated the specific trade paper others nominated the entire series). It seems a flimsy excuse to say that it couldn’t be determined from the ballots if the nominators meant the entire series or the trade. One is a subset of the other, so wouldn’t common sense dictate that you count the votes together?
- As for Best Fancast, I don’t support winners recusing themselves from a category to give others a chance to be nominated or win. But then I saw the podcast that just finished – by one vote – outside the ballot and I’ve decided to have a change of mind. Ha. Ha. Actually there are so many fantastic podcasts out there. Outer Alliance is one that needs to be on the ballot next year.
- And thank you so very much for all of you who nominated Writer and The Critic. It was Alex who suggested I look at the stats. I thought we’d feature on the long list – we did last year – but to fall short by only one vote on the ballot… well I was genuinely stunned. And so very, very proud. I don’t want to consider the possibility that Writer and The Critic might appear next year. But whether it does or not my ego has been well and truly stroked. So thank you. And thank you to Kirstyn who really is the brains of the podcast. Not just in the things she says – which are often brilliant – but also in her amazing editing talents. The podcast sounds as good as it does entirely due to her efforts. The same goes with Shooting the Poo which I doubt will every feature on a Hugo ballot but… you never know.
Congrats on your place on the longlist, it makes me wish I could have afforded to be involved.
The thing I actually like most of the fancast category is the quality of the people that did not make the ballot.
on 12. I would think they could have just split the unspecified votes between 5 and 6, getting The Unwritten on the ballot.
In general they seem to need to work on communicating eligibility requirements and information voters should supply. See the audiobook in the novellette category (what is their problem there anyway?), Escape pod (a pro-rate paying market) in fancast (splitting their votes), writing excuses (as a source of income) in fancast.
Thank you, Mondy! This was lovely to read. xx