2024 Hugo Award Winners

[James Nicoll]

Best Novel: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)

Best Novella: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (Tor, Titan UK)

Best Novelette: The Year Without Sunshine by Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny
Magazine, November-December 2023)

Best Short Story: Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer
(Clarkesworld May 2023)

Best Series: Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie (Orbit US, Orbit UK)

Best Graphic Story Or Comic: Saga, Vol. 11 written by Brian K.
Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

Best Related Work: A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach
Weinersmith (Penguin Press; Particular Books)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor
Among Thieves, screenplay by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
and Michael Gilio, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan
Goldstein (Paramount Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: The Last of Us: Long, Long Time,
written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, directed by Peter Hoar
(Naughty Dog / Sony Pictures)

Best Game Or Interactive Work: Baldur's Gate 3, produced by Larian Studios

Best Editor Short Form: Neil Clarke

Best Editor Long Form: Ruoxi Chen

Best Professional Artist: Rovina Cai

Best Semiprozine: Strange Horizons, by the Strange Horizons Editorial
Collective

Best Fanzine: Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together, editors Roseanna
Pendlebury, Arturo Serrano, Paul Weimer; senior editors Joe Sherry,
Adri Joy, G. Brown, Vance Kotrla.

Best Fancast: Octothorpe, by John Coxon, Alison Scott, and Liz Batty

Best Fan Writer: Paul Weimer

Best Fan Artist: Laya Rose

Lodestar Award For Best Ya Book: To Shape a Dragon's Breath by
Moniquill Blackgoose (Del Rey)

Astounding Award For Best New Writer: Xiran Jay Zhao

[Robert Woodward]

Post by James Nicoll
Best Novella: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (Tor, Titan UK)

The only item in the list that I have read (or seen or even recognize).

[Garrett Wollman]

Post by James Nicoll
Best Short Story: Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer
(Clarkesworld May 2023)

I started reading this but bounced off. After hearing her acceptance
speech, maybe I'll give it another try.

Post by James Nicoll
Best Related Work: A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach
Weinersmith (Penguin Press; Particular Books)

I should read this. (I am woefully behind on reading anything, let
alone works eligible for nominations next year.)

-GAWollman

[Titus G]

Post by James Nicoll
Best Novel: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)

I enjoyed it initially with several complaints but might have thrown it
at the wall about half way through if it hadn't been a Hugo Award
winner. I have not read the other contenders but the standard of
writing, the lack of a science background evident in limited vocabulary
and frequent difficulty to suspend disbelief did not even hint at award
nomination.

Umpteen galaxies with several aliens are controlled by the "Wisdom", an
alien AI self-developed over thousands of years which destroyed Earth
and its fourteen billion remaining inhabitants. Our female white
protagonist is a fascist freedom fighter living outside the Wisdom's
influence with just thousands of other humans though there is a planet,
predominantly human in some other solar system.

Here is some science.
Irris is a scioactive substance vital to the construction of the
gigantic shadow engines. In its unprocessed form [it] is highly
volatile, particularly in the subreal dimensions which Wisdom systems
rely on.
"The Wisdom was a transtemporal and pandimensional intelligence capable
of shaping the fates of trillions."
“It would help if anyone, literally anyone in the entire universe,
understood how the Wisdom really works.”
[The Wisdom could be and was controlled by aliens and humans but the
handwavium was very strong there.]

Here is some political comment.
...self-described democracy. Outsiders, and some human dissidents,
consider this an empty label; although human government includes
democratic elements (indeed it is hard to find times when humans are not
voting for something) these are, by and large, window dressing.
Humans themselves will cynically point out that no popular vote is ever
taken unless those in power already know what the answer will be.
[Which all had little reference to the story - just background.]

The social comment is even worse. It began as several fantasies do, with
our youthful racist, homophobic, fascist protagonist being the fastest,
the most skilled fighter and the cleverest female trainee.
Co-incidentally her brother filled the same role for males. Both
characters were shallow with the abrupt change in Kyr ludicrous. A third
of the way through, page 150, we learn the brother is homosexual and 120
pages later, that the protagonist has lesbian inclinations. There is no
porn but this data was not necessary for the plot nor the characters and
there was little discussion of racism, sexism or anything much.
The "Wisdom" is literally a God in a machine, one that makes frequent
appearances. Even though the themes were treated simplistically and the
characters shallow and immature, I am generously giving it two stars.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Titus G

Post by James Nicoll
Best Novel: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)

I enjoyed it initially with several complaints but might have thrown it
at the wall about half way through if it hadn't been a Hugo Award
winner. I have not read the other contenders but the standard of
writing, the lack of a science background evident in limited vocabulary
and frequent difficulty to suspend disbelief did not even hint at award
nomination.

Read Translation State. It deserved the award in my opinion.
--scott

[Titus G]

Post by Scott Dorsey

Post by Titus G

Post by James Nicoll
Best Novel: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)

I enjoyed it initially with several complaints but might have thrown it
at the wall about half way through if it hadn't been a Hugo Award
winner. I have not read the other contenders but the standard of
writing, the lack of a science background evident in limited vocabulary
and frequent difficulty to suspend disbelief did not even hint at award
nomination.

Read Translation State. It deserved the award in my opinion.
--scott

Agreed. My apologies as I had forgotten that that novel was nominated.
Although not in the same category as her Ancillary series, it was a
solid four stars from me.

[Titus G]

Post by James Nicoll
Best Novel: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK)

A character describes the protagonist as a tank.
The cover lies.
Tamsym Muir says on the cover, "Masterful, audacious, no Emily, you
don't look fat in that."