Hugo Awards Extravaganza 2019 – Introduction

For a primer on the hugo awards and where I fit in, see my 2017 Introduction.

My Hugos

This might be the best I’ve been prepared for evaluating the Hugos since I started doing this a few years ago.  I had read or seen all but one entry in the Best Series,1 Best New Writer,2 and Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form; four from six of the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; and two of the Best Novel entries.  With a bit of effort, I might actually be able to get through all of the fiction categories.

Slate Preview

Obviously the side effect of having read a lot of the entries is that there is less to look forward to, but it looks like a pretty stacked slate this year.  While I usually favour the shorter categories, the novel category looks fascinating, with a selection of novels with either crackerjack premises (Space Opera, Spinning Silver), or by authors that I have liked before (Chambers and Kowal).3  About my only disappointment is with the Campbell Award slate, not only are five of the nominees in their second year of eligibility, but a scan of the packet indicates that most of them are relying on substantially the same body of work as in their previous entry.4

Going Forward

I’ll probably stick with my standard order – work through the three shorter fiction categories (I’ve already finished the short stories, and will have them up shortly), flip to the Campbell and Graphic Novel categories, and then attack the other categories piecemeal.  About the only thing I might skip in a category I intend to vote in is The Expanse episode, as I’m not sure I have the time to watch 36 episodes to get to it, but I’ll consider my options once I’ve watched Dirty Computer.

Good luck fellow travelers, and I hope you will join me.

  1. And read 2 books from the outstanding entry in preparation for the best novel category.
  2. Yes, I know it’s not technically a Hugo category.
  3. Though to be fair I only read Chambers in prep for the Hugos, and I’ve bounced off other Valente books that I thought I would love (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making).
  4. Which given how much I liked Arden’s books, may make this category a bit of an anti-climax.

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