John Bowker

It’s about 8:30AM in London so there are a few hours before the Hugo Awards are announced for this year.   It’s closer to 3:30AM here on the East Coast so in the spirit of the Witching Hour here are my psychic projections for the first couple categories, posted without commentary.   Note, these aren’t my personal favorites, they’re just where I’d throw a sawbuck I could afford to lose if it came down to a bet.  Given how weird the nomination process turned out this year, it’s really anyone’s guess how it’ll all shake out.

Best Novel (1595 nominating ballots)

• Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie (Orbit US/Orbit UK)
• Neptune’s Brood, Charles Stross (Ace / Orbit UK)
• Parasite, Mira Grant (Orbit US/Orbit UK)
• Warbound, Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles, Larry Correia (Baen Books)
• The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books / Orbit UK)

 

Best Novella (847 nominating ballots)

• The Butcher of Khardov, Dan Wells (Privateer Press)
• “The Chaplain’s Legacy”, Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jul-Aug 2013)
• “Equoid”, Charles Stross (Tor.com, 09-2013)
• Six-Gun Snow White, Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean Press)
• “Wakulla Springs”, Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages (Tor.com, 10-2013)

Best Novelette (728 nominating ballots)

• “Opera Vita Aeterna”, Vox Day (The Last Witchking, Marcher Lord Hinterlands)
• “The Exchange Officers”, Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jan-Feb 2013)
• “The Lady Astronaut of Mars”, Mary Robinette Kowal (maryrobinettekowal.com/Tor.com, 09-2013)
• “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling”, Ted Chiang (Subterranean, Fall 2013)
• “The Waiting Stars”, Aliette de Bodard (The Other Half of the Sky, Candlemark & Gleam)

Best Short Story (865 nominating ballots)

• “If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love”, Rachel Swirsky (Apex Magazine, Mar-2013)
• “The Ink Readers of Doi Saket”, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Tor.com, 04-2013)
• “Selkie Stories Are for Losers”, Sofia Samatar (Strange Horizons, Jan-2013)
• “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere”, John Chu (Tor.com, 02-2013)

Best Related Work (752 nominating ballots)

• Queers Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the LGBTQ Fans Who Love It, Edited by Sigrid Ellis & Michael Damian Thomas (Mad Norwegian Press)
• Speculative Fiction 2012: The Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary, Justin Landon & Jared Shurin (Jurassic London)
• “We Have Always Fought: Challenging the Women, Cattle and Slaves Narrative”, Kameron Hurley (A Dribble of Ink)
• Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, Jeff VanderMeer, with Jeremy Zerfoss (Abrams Image)
• Writing Excuses Season 8, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story (552 nominating ballots)

• Girl Genius, Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne & The Sleeping City, written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
• “The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who”, written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Jimmy Broxton (Doctor Who Special 2013, IDW)
• The Meathouse Man, adapted from the story by George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Raya Golden (Jet City Comics)
• Saga, Volume 2, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics )
• “Time”, Randall Munroe (XKCD)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (995 nominating ballots)

• Frozen,screenplay by Jennifer Lee, directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios)
• Gravity, written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Esperanto Filmoj; Heyday Films; Warner Bros.)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, screenplay by Simon Beaufoy & Michael Arndt, directed by Francis Lawrence (Color Force; Lionsgate)
• Iron Man 3, screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black, directed by Shane Black (Marvel Studios; DMG Entertainment; Paramount Pictures)
• Pacific Rim, screenplay by Travis Beacham & Guillermo del Toro, directed by Guillermo del Toro (Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney Double Dare You)

 

(10:52pm: If you check the history you’ll see this post was edited multiple times, including after the ceremony.   The predictions were the same throughout; WordPress and I were wrestling over formatting.)