My Hugo votes

[mount_oregano]

Here are my votes for the Hugo Awards at Chicon, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention. I didn’t get to read all the novels, but I dutifully read all the shorter works of fiction, since Chicon was so kind as to give me electronic copies. Here are my votes and pitiless evaluations:

For Best Novella:

1. “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary,” Ken Liu - does what SF should do.
2. “The Man Who Bridged the Mist,” Kij Johnson - true emotional depth.
3. “The Ice Owl,” Carolyn Ives Gilman - good, but with standard-issue evil religionists.
4. “Kiss Me Twice,” Mary Robinette Kowal - fun but lightweight.
5. “Countdown,” Mira Grant Orbit - clumsy prose.
6. “Silently and Very Fast,” Catherynne M. Valente - repeatedly and very slow.

For Best Novelette:

1. “What We Found,” Geoff Ryman - touching, and science with consequences.
2. “Fields of Gold,” Rachel Swirsky - odd and personal.
3. “Ray of Light,” Brad R. Torgersen - good but not outstanding.
4. “The Copenhagen Interpretation,” Paul Cornell - clever but cliché.
5. “Six Months, Three Days,” Charlie Jane Anders - inconsequential.

For Best Short Story:

1. “Movement,” Nancy Fulda - pure poetry.
2. “The Paper Menagerie,” Ken Liu - limited magic, no societal effect.
3. “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees,” E. Lily Yu - a bit shallow.
4. “Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book One: The Dead City: Prologue,” John Scalzi - genuinely funny but not of Hugo stature.
5. “The Homecoming,” Mike Resnick - nattering stereotypes.

Feel free to tell me why I’m wrong, here or in Chicago.

— Sue Burke

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I too thought that "Movement" was brilliant; the ideas and imagery stuck with me. I loved the set-up of "The Cartographer Wasps and Anarchist Bees," and was enjoying it thoroughly, but then thought it devolved a little into a kind of standard critique at the end (but I did still love it for the set-up). Sadly, I haven't read any of the others, but I enjoyed your very concise opinions.

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

I agree. "The Cartographer Wasps" began with great originality, but the ending was a little less original.