(no subject)

[naath]

Continued Hugo ballot thoughts; everything that isn't a novel. Short answer - the short fiction is IMO much more interesting.

I guess there may be spoilers for the short fiction, I'm try not to. None for the Dramatic Presentation.



Best Novella (587 nominating ballots cast)

After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications)
The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)
On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats, Mira Grant (Orbit)
“The Stars Do Not Lie”, Jay Lake (Asimov’s, Oct-Nov 2012)

The Kress is unusual and interesting, I'm not sure I liked it though.
The Sanderson is a nice glimpse at a world, but I think I prefer his longer works.
The Bodard felt like a nice "slice of life", if a slightly weird slice, in what I understand is a world that has lots of works set in it (a format I like a lot); a lot left hanging (maybe I should read *the rest of the works* yes?)
The Grant fits into the Newsflesh world and probably makes no sense otherwise. I'm really looking forward to finding out what Seanan has planned for next year's SDCC...
The Lake is very interesting and I think I liked it best. It's got SCIENCE in it.

Best Novelette (616 nominating ballots cast)

“The Boy Who Cast No Shadow”, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts: Unfit For Eden, PS Publications)
“Fade To White”, Catherynne M. Valente ( Clarkesworld, August 2012)
“The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi”, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris)
“In Sea-Salt Tears”, Seanan McGuire (Self-published)
“Rat-Catcher”, Seanan McGuire ( A Fantasy Medley 2, Subterranean)

The Heuvelt was a very interesting idea; but not much story to it.
I liked the Valente a *whole lot*; really interesting idea.
The Cadigan was fun, but didn't really grip me.
In Sea-Salt Tears is lovely, again not much story, all character, but I loved it.
Rat-Catcher I didn't get on with so well, but it's a very fun premise.

Best Short Story (662 nominating ballots cast)

“Immersion”, Aliette de Bodard ( Clarkesworld, June 2012)
“Mantis Wives”, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, August 2012)
“Mono no Aware”, Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC)

I thought Immersion was a nice take on an old fear.
Mantis Wives I just... didn't understand.
Mono no Aware I liked really a lot.

Best Related Work (584 nominating ballots cast)

The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, Edited by Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (Cambridge University Press)
Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them, Edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Sigrid Ellis (Mad Norwegian Press)
Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who, Edited by Deborah Stanish & L.M. Myles (Mad Norwegian Press)
I Have an Idea for a Book … The Bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg, Compiled by Martin H. Greenberg, edited by John Helfers (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box)
Writing Excuses Season Seven, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson

I didn't read the Companion.
I've tried the "Chicks" books but not got into them; mostly I think because I'm not enough of a fan of the source material.
The Greenberg Bibliography I didn't read because it wouldn't play nice with my eReader.
I like Writing Excuses, it's short and fun. Even though I know NOTHING about writing and so get no benefit from all their (no doubt really handy) tips.

Best Graphic Story (427 nominating ballots cast)

nope, didn't read.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (787 nominating ballots cast)

The Avengers, Screenplay & Directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel Studios, Disney, Paramount)
The Cabin in the Woods, Screenplay by Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon; Directed by Drew Goddard (Mutant Enemy, Lionsgate)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, Directed by Peter Jackson (WingNut Films, New Line Cinema, MGM, Warner Bros)
The Hunger Games, Screenplay by Gary Ross & Suzanne Collins, Directed by Gary Ross (Lionsgate, Color Force)
Looper, Screenplay and Directed by Rian Johnson (FilmDistrict, EndGame Entertainment)

I don't think the Avengers is SF/F. Also really not my thing.
The Cabin in the Woods I saw and enjoyed and almost anything else would be a spoiler.
The Hobbit I thought was full of SHINY PRETTY THINGS but not really in the spirit of the book so that saddened me a bit
The Hunger Games I prefer as a novel (oh, who am I kidding, I always prefer the books) but I was impressed by the adaption.
Looper I just thought was a tedious pile of poo.


Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (597 nominating ballots cast)

Doctor Who, “The Angels Take Manhattan”, Written by Steven Moffat, Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who, “Asylum of the Daleks”, Written by Steven Moffat; Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who, “The Snowmen”, written by Steven Moffat; directed by Saul Metzstein (BBC Wales)
Fringe, “Letters of Transit”, Written by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Akiva Goldsman, J.H.Wyman, Jeff Pinkner. Directed by Joe Chappelle (Fox)
Game of Thrones, “Blackwater”, Written by George R.R. Martin, Directed by Neil Marshall. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (HBO)

I think it was better last year when "GoT season 1" was "long form" because I think GoT works more on a season level than an episode level. I like the things that HBO are doing with GoT.
I don't watch Fringe.
Of the Dr Who I think "Angels Take Manhattan" was best and scariest. I didn't like the Snowmen at all.

Best Editor, Short Form (526 nominating ballots cast)

Best Editor, Long Form (408 nominating ballots cast)

oh, who am I kidding I know nothing about Editors


Best Professional Artist (519 nominating ballots cast)

Or Artists either.

Best Semiprozine (404 nominating ballots cast)

I don't read any, and I'm not voting based on skimming the latest issues.

Best Fanzine (370 nominating ballots cast)

These too.

Best Fancast (346 nominating ballots cast)

The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
SF Signal Podcast, Patrick Hester, John DeNardo, and JP Frantz
SF Squeecast, Elizabeth Bear, Paul Cornell, Seanan McGuire, Lynne M. Thomas, Catherynne M. Valente (Presenters) and David McHone-Chase (Technical Producer)
StarShipSofa, Tony C. Smith

So I totally did listen to a bunch of stuff for this. I've decided I like the Squeecast a whole lot (they squee! it's so fun!), and the rest really not very much. But I am super picky about listening to things because I'm bad at it.

Best Fan Writer (485 nominating ballots cast)

Best Fan Artist (293 nominating ballots cast)
More people I know nothing about. I am out of touch clearly.

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (476 nominating ballots cast)
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2011 or 2012, sponsored by Dell Magazines. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)

Zen Cho*
Max Gladstone
Mur Lafferty*
Stina Leicht*
Chuck Wendig*

I read some Lafferty (wow, that was good!) and some Wendig (weird, interesting) and not the others. Out of time error.