I will be in Virginia when the Hugo Awards are announced, but I actually voted this year for the first time. I'm not sure if I "should" share my votes, although it doesn't hurt anything since this is a popular vote. You can watch the live coverage
here, and see the entire list of nominees
here. I'm going to write brief comments on the item I voted #1 for in each category.
I should also note that when you vote, you vote from 1-5. That way if your top voted item gets discarded for low votes, your vote still somehow counts for something. For me, it was far easier to pick a winner than to differentiate between 3 and 4.
Did you vote in the Hugo Awards? Do you have a beef with my selections? Leave a comment!
Best Novel
- Embassytown, China Miéville (Macmillan / Del Rey)
In the end, the world building and very interesting aliens won me over. This was a slow read, and I really had to invest time as a reader. I suspect that will turn many readers off, and expect Martin or Walton to win.
Best Novella
- Silently and Very Fast, Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)
I'm afraid that when Valente is on the list, I don't see the others, but only because I think she is amazing. I did read them all.
"Inside, Neva is infinite. She peoples her Interior."
Best Novelette
- “Ray of Light”, Brad R. Torgersen (Analog)
This category was harder, but in the end I went with the underocean community.
Best Short Story
- “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees”, E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld)
This story was my favorite from the Nebula pool too!
Best Related Work
- The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of
Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange
Literature, Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers (Abrams Image)
- Writing Excuses, Season 6 (podcast series), Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Jordan Sanderson
I unfortunately can't find my ballot. I know I voted for one of these. I deliberated a long time because Writing Excuses is one of my favorite podcasts, and has been very entertaining and useful to me. The Steampunk Bible was a beautifully put together coffee table book about steampunk, and has its own share of the recent controversy. I discovered new music and new authors because of some of the entries.
Best Graphic Story
- Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys To The Kingdom, written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
- The Unwritten (Volume 4): Leviathan, created by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, written by Mike Carey, illustrated by Peter Gross (Vertigo)
I voted for Locke & Key, and will go back to read the entire run. The Unwritten had a story line that really appealed to me, and beautiful art. (See, voting was hard. I would have been happy to assign multiple first places.)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, screenplay by Steve Kloves; directed by David Yates (Warner Bros.)
Yeah yeah yeah, I know. But I loved this rendition of the triumphant end.
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
I recused myself from this category. Maybe by next year, I will have caught up with Doctor Who!
Best Semiprozine
- Locus, edited by Liza Groen Trombi, Kirsten Gong-Wong, et al.
This category was impossible because each of these zines has a different focus and a different audience. It was completely based on which I thought I'd go back to. And then last month Locus Online linked to my blog about Shared Worlds. It was fate.
Best Fanzine
- SF Signal, edited by John DeNardo
Another difficult choice.
Best Fancast
- SF Squeecast, Lynne M. Thomas, Seanan McGuire, Paul Cornell, Elizabeth Bear, and Catherynne M. Valente
Another completely impossible category, but I think this fancast is the best representation of the female perspective, of which I am one. :)
Best Editor, Long Form
Wow, Lou has brought a lot of important authors to print.
Best Editor, Short Form
I wanted to vote for Adams
and Strahan. Adams is one of the central forces that pulled me into being a more serious SF/F reader, and I will never forget.
I didn't vote on the art categories.
The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
I wanted to vote for both of these authors. In the end, I chose Karen Lord because I had voted for E. Lily Yu for her story. Both have great futures ahead of them, and I will continue reading their work!