Hugo Best Novelette

I don’t attend conventions and I don’t read SF magazines so usually my interest in this award category is quite low. However, in the last couple of years those responsible for publishing the nominated stories have increasingly made them available to the public at large. This year all the stories are available and Torque Control have been running a discussion so although I’m still not voting I do feel informed and involved for the first time. Here is my ranking with links to the commentary:

1) ‘The Gambler’ by Paolo Bacigalupi
2) ‘Pride and Prometheus’ by John Kessel
3) ‘Shoggoths in Bloom’ by Elizabeth Bear
4) ‘The Ray-Gun: A Love Story’ by James Alan Gardner
5) ‘Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders’ by Mike Resnick

It is nice to feel like part of the community and I’m hoping to take part in the follow up discussions as well. Of course, if Resnick wins I will feel a lot less like I am part of the community…

Reductio Ad Absurdum

Damien G Walter has a piece at the Guardian Book Blog asking why editors don’t get awards. Now, obviously editors make an extremely important contribution to literature. However, I’ve never been convinced of the need for a fan award for editors and, in particular, I think the Hugo catergories for best editor are pretty meaningless. In the comments to this I’m somehow tricked into progressively coming out against more and more other Hugo categories until I finally get to the stage where I can now present the shortlist for the 2009 Hugo Award:

• Anathem, Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
• “The Tear”, Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
• “True Names”, Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
• “The Gambler”, Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
• “Exhalation”, Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

Speaking of which Niall is discussing ‘The Gambler’ over at Torque Control, along with all the other novelletes (including the dreadful ‘Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders’ by Mike Resnick).