Hugo Short List

The full list

Novel
Michael F. Flynn, Eifelheim (Tor)
Naomi Novik, His Majesty’s Dragon (Del Rey; also, Voyager, 1/06, as Temeraire)
Charles Stross, Glasshouse (Ace)
Vernor Vinge, Rainbows End (Tor)
Peter Watts, Blindsight (Tor)

Novella
“The Walls of the Universe” by Paul Melko (Asimov’s, April/May 2006)
“A Billion Eyes” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s, October/November 2006)
“Inclination” by William Shunn (Asimov’s, April/May 2006)
“Lord Weary’s Empire” by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s, December 2006)
Julian: A Christmas Story by Robert Charles Wilson (PS Publishing)

Novelette“Yellow Card Man” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Asimov’s, December 2006)
“Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth” by Michael F. Flynn (Asimov’s, December 2006)
“The Djinn’s Wife” by Ian McDonald (Asimov’s, July 2006)
“All the Things You Are” by Mike Resnick (Jim Baen’s Universe, October 2006)
“Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter” by Geoff Ryman (F&SF, October/November 2006)

Short Story
“How to Talk to Girls at Parties” by Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things, William Morrow)
“Kin” by Bruce McAllister (Asimov’s, February 2006)
“Impossible Dreams” by Timothy Pratt (Asimov’s, July 2006)
“Eight Episodes” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s, June 2006)
“The House Beyond Your Sky” by Benjamin Rosenbaum (Strange Horizons, September 2006)

Related Book
Samuel R. Delany, About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews (Wesleyan University Press)
Joseph T. Major, Heinlein’s Children: The Juveniles (Advent: Publishing)
Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (St. Martin’s Press)
John Picacio, Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio (MonkeyBrain Books)
Mike Resnick & Joe Siclari, eds., Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches (ISFiC Press)

Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Children of Men. Screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. (Universal Pictures)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Directed by Gore Verbinski. (Disney)
The Prestige. Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan. Directed by Christopher Nolan. (Warner Brothers / Touchstone Pictures)
A Scanner Darkly. Screenplay by Richard Linklater. Directed by Richard Linklater. (Warner Independent Pictures)
V for Vendetta. Screenplay by David Lloyd. Directed by James McTeigue. (Warner Brothers)

Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Battlestar Galactica, “Downloaded.” Writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. Directed by Jeff Woolnough. (NBC Universal/British Sky)
Doctor Who, “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday.” Written by Russell T. Davies. Directed by Graeme Harper. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who, “Girl in the Fireplace.” Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Euros Lyn. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who, “School Reunion.” Written by Toby Whithouse. Directed by James Hawes. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Stargate SG-1, “200.” Written by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, Martin Gero, and Alan McCullough. Directed by Martin Wood. (Double Secret Productions/NBC Universal)

Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders (Pyr)
James Patrick Baen (Baen Books)
Ginjer Buchanan (Ace Books/Roc)
David G. Hartwell (Tor Books)
Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor Books)

Editor, Short Form
Gardner Dozois (The Year’s Best Science Fiction)
David G. Hartwell (Year’s Best SF / The New York Review of Science Fiction)
Stanley Schmidt (Analog)
Gordon Van Gelder (Fantasy and Science Fiction)
Sheila Williams (Asimov’s)


Professional Artist
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
Stephan Martiniere
John Jude Palencar
John Picacio

Semiprozine
Ansible, ed. Dave Langford
Interzone, ed. Andy Cox
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, ed. Gavin J. Grant & Kelly Link
Locus, ed. Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction, ed. Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney

Fanzine
Banana Wings ed. Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer
Challenger ed. Guy Lillian III
The Drink Tank ed. Christopher J. Garcia
Plokta ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, & Mike Scott
Science-Fiction Five-Yearly ed. Lee Hoffman, Geri Sullivan, & Randy Byers

Fan Writer
Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
John Scalzi
Steven H. Silver

Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster
Teddy Harvia
Sue Mason
Steve Stiles
Frank Wu

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Scott Lynch
Sarah Monette
Naomi Novik
Brandon Sanderson
Lawrence M. Schoen

Comments :

So No Lies of Locke Lamora. Outrageous! No R.Scott Bakker. Scandelous!
But other than that the Best Novel category has some quality names. Watts, is now my horse, and I pegged him for the win as soon as I read Blindsight. Vinge is always a Hugo Favorite. I'm a Charlie Stross Fan and Glasshouse makes it four years in a row for him as a best novel nominee. Its also nice to see the newcomer Novik here.

Of the shorter categories the Gaiman work is the only one I've read, so its hard for me to comment, buy judging by some of the nominee's other works I like Wilson, and McDonald.

Next to Lies not being up, the category that chaps my hide is Dranatic Short. I shouldn't be suprised, but the extremely mediocre Dr. Who gets three nominations while BSG gets only one. Even more shocking is the lone nomination wasnt for the wonderful Exodus' part 2 or even Lay Down your Burdens, but for Downloaded, a rather forgetable episdode.

I'm much more satisfied seeing Patrik Neilson Hayden and Lou Anders nominated for best editor, and for Picacio's Coverstory being up for related work. Picacio, Martineire, andGiancola are a hell of a group in the best artist category.

The group of writes up for the Campbell Award are very strong as well, My feelings were a bit molified in seeing Lynch nominted here at least. He's got strong competition from Sanderson, Monnette, and of course Novik here. I'd argue for the inclusion of one or two other's but that would be nitpicking.

The most intriguing name on the list is that of John Scalzi, last years winner of the Campbell Award, as well as a nominee for best novel. Scalzi, isn't up for any of his books however. He's up for Best Fan Writer! I'm pleased to see it as Whatever is a great site.

I'm still debating if I'm going to get a supporting membership to Nippon. I likely will if only so I have a right to bitch when Watts, Lynch, and BSG get hosed.

Gates of Fire

Publisher : Doubleday
400 pages
ISBN-10: 0385492510
Hardcover
$29.95
October 1998

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie."

I went to see the movie "300" on opening weekend. I thought it was very well done. I left craving more Spartan bad-assery, and seeing how Steven Pressfield's epic novel had been sitting in my to be read pile for awhile, I thought it was the perfect time to read Gates of Fire.

Both "300" and Gates of Fire are based on the Battle of Thermopylae, the now legendary battle where a force of 300 Spartans and their Greek allies are said to have held off the entire Persian army. Both are fiction. Gates of Fire is much less fantastical than "300" and hits much closer to the truth of the battle. Gates tells its tale from the viewpoint of the lone Greek survivor of the battle, a squire named Xeones.

Xeones is rescued from the rubble of the battlefield and taken before the Persian King Xerxes, who wishes to learn more of these Spartans, who numbering only 300 had managed to hold off his army of hundreds of thousands. Treated by the royal surgeons, Xeones says in order to truly understand the Spartans, he must start at the beginning. The narrative repeatedly jumps around in time, as new points in the tale are related to other events from Xeo's past. Xeo eventually becomes the squire to the Spartan officer Dienekes, who Heredotus credits with responding the the claim that the Persian arrows will blot out the sun replying "Then we shall have our battle in the shade."

Being historical fiction, we know how the story ends. The Spartans are killed to a man, but their courage inspired the rest of Greece to unite and defeat the Persian army.

Gates of Fire is a wonderful novel. Pressfield retells a well known tale with style and flair. I felt like I knew the characters. He gives us a knowing look into the workings of Spartan society, and the warrior psyche. Even though I knew they were all doomed, I kept hoping that Xeo, and Dienekes, and Alexandros, and Leonides, would achieve victory. By their sacrifice, they did indeed.

8.5 out of 10

Purchase this book thru Amazon

Coming Soon : Brasyl

I finished reading an advanced review copy of this book last week. I'm still digesting it. This one definitely calls for some reflection. I'll post a review closer to the May release from PYR

The Book Depository

From time to time there are books I hear about that are released in the UK, but not in the US. The expense to order them from amazon.co.uk is is pretty high due to the cost of shipping them across the Atlantic. I recently was introduced to The Book Depository. They offer free shipping to the US and many other places around the world.

Last week I ordered. The Blade Itself by Joe Abecrombie, Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley, and Dreamsongs by George R.R. Martin.

They showed up yesterday! One week after I ordered them. That is darn good service for an order within the US, much less all the way from England!

So if you are looking for a UK book give The Book Depository a shot.