Hugo Award voting closes tonight and I’ve been doing some last minute filling out of my ballot.
That being said, there are still empty spots.
This is my first time filling out a nominating ballot and it’s been a learning curve. I definitely was concentrating on the Best Novel category, which where my expertise lies, but I’ve tried to fill out other areas as well.
The hardest part of the ballot is making sure you’ve put things in the right spot. Is this a novella? A novelette? What is a semiprozine?
If you notice any errors in my ballot, please let me know. I figure making an effort to nominate those I feel are worthy is better than ignoring all the categories except for Best Novel.
Best Novel
This was hard to decide on, but I did want to make sure I only nominated the books I’ve read. I mean, I bought Station Eleven, but it’s still on my to be read stack.
Sadly, The Martian is not eligible, but was one of the best books I read in 2014. City of Stairs nearly made it on my ballot before I ran out of room.
- My Real Children by Jo Walton (probably my top choice)
- World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (third in Last Policeman series)
- Lock In by John Scalzi
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
- The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
Other Categories
Novella
I need to read more shorter length fiction!
- Sleep Donation by Karen Russell
Short Story
I only occasionally read anthologies which is where I get my dose of short stories.
- “The Body as a Ship” by Mark Andre Edwards (Bless Your Mechanical Heart)
Best Related Work
This is another category I had fun with!
- What Makes this Book So Great by Jo Walton
- What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
- How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor
- Wonder Woman Unbound by Tim Hanley
Best Graphic Story
This is another category I struggled with, especially when it comes to eligibility. I don’t read many comics, so there was only one that stood out that I read recently (in trade paperback form).
- Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch
Best Dramatic Presentation
I go to the movies sometimes.
- Big Hero Six
- Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
I also get addicted to TV shows.
- “Listen” (Doctor Who)
- “Guilty” (Arrow)
- “Flash vs. Arrow” (Flash)
- “The Man in the Yellow Suit” (Flash)
- “Beginning of the End” (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Best Professional Editor
Editors are so important to books.
- Jennifer Brozek
- John Joseph Adams
Best Professional Artist
This is another category I just stared at for a long time.
- Todd Lockwood (cover artist for the amazing Natural History of Dragons series).
Best Fanzine
So I was stuck until I remembered that A Dribble of Ink won this category last year. Oh yeah, websites.
Best Fancast
Campbell Award
Eligibility is a little hard to suss out for each writer, but here are two I put down.
Kallen Kentner ·
What a wonderful surprise to wake up to! Thank you so much for the mention!
Of course! And I just love your post about comic book stores.
Thanks for the shoutout, Kallen!
No problem! You do great work.
Results: Seven of my personal nominations are 2015 Hugo Awards finalists. I’ve heard a lot of people are disappointed by the final list of nominees, but I’m excited to see some of my personal choices make the cut!
I’ll try to read all of the finalists before voting.