[FicusFan]

It is that time of year again when you can send in nominations of books (and other things) first published in 2004, to make up the final list of five books for the 2005 Hugo Awards. The award winner will eventually be chosen from the short-listed 5.

The Hugos are awarded annually at Worldcon. This year it is being held in Scotland. If you are a member of the Worldcon in Scotland or were a member of Boston's Worldcon last year you can submit books for the short list. The top five books become the finalists.

If you actually want to vote for the winner you need to be a member of the Scottish Worldcon. You don't have to pay hundreds to attend, you can buy a supporting membership and vote for the winner. You can join, and cast your votes on-line at their website:

Interaction (http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk)

The fiction books can be in the SF, Fantasy, or Horror genre. There is also an associational book given an award which can be art, or non-fiction. There are also awards for short stories of various sizes, artists, TV/movies (long & short form), editors, magazines, and this year Web Sites, and fan awards in various flavors.

They also collect names for the John W. Campbell award for best new writer (Not a Hugo).

Submitting real Hugo nominations must be completed before March 11, 2005 at Midnight GMT.

Besides joining and voting in the real thing, here on SFFWorld we can also do our own lists and eventually vote for the book we think should win the Hugo.

So in that spirit:

Books I would nominate so far are:

Trash Sex Magic by Jennifer Stevenson
The Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn
(this went into paperback this year - which I believe counts as a 2004 book)
Stagestruck Vampires and Other Phantasms by Suzy McKee Charnas

Not really interested in the other categories at the moment. I also have only 3 books and will have to find 2 more :D

So join in, here and/or for the real thing, and list what you think should be on the Hugo short-list.

[Archren]

I tend to read a couple years behind, of course, but my best for this year would have to include "Ilium" by Dan Simmons. Amazing stuff! And I have to agree with you about "Wreck of the River of Stars" also. I hope that gets a nod as well. I'll be going to Glasgow, so I'm really interested to see what ends up being nominated.

[FicusFan]

Well if you are going, then you can submit books now, as well as voting for the winner later. Check out the web site to register and/or vote.

I was thinking about going, because I was all jazzed about Boston in '04 - but I probably won't. Too expensive.

I agree that Ilium was fabulous. It was on the list last year, and lost out to Bujold's book :( It hasn't gone into paper yet, so there is no eligibility for the 2005 awards. Not sure what the delay is, but I checked Amazon and it is scheduled for paper in July 05. it will be in HC 2 years by July. Maybe it will get another chance next year. They may be waiting till the next book is ready to come out.

[emohawk]

Well if you are going, then you can submit books now, as well as voting for the winner later. Check out the web site to register and/or vote.

I was thinking about going, because I was all jazzed about Boston in '04 - but I probably won't. Too expensive.

I agree that Ilium was fabulous. It was on the list last year, and lost out to Bujold's book :( It hasn't gone into paper yet, so there is no eligibility for the 2005 awards. Not sure what the delay is, but I checked Amazon and it is scheduled for paper in July 05. it will be in HC 2 years by July. Maybe it will get another chance next year. They may be waiting till the next book is ready to come out.

My understanding is that it will come out in paperback when Olympos is released. Not sure of the validity of that logic though. It's been out in MMP in UK/Aus for close to 9 months now.

[FicusFan]

Bummer. I went to the 2004 Books recap panel at Boskone (for Hugo Voting) and found out that a book can't be nominated when it goes into paper, if it was published in hardcover first. I am sad because that means the The Wreck of the River of Stars isn't eligible. :(

Some of the suggestions from NESFA (New England SF Association)

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Survival by Julie Czerneda
Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton
Newton's Wake by Ken MacLeod
Iron Council by China Mieville
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
The Atrocity Archive by Charles Stross
The Family Trade by Charles Stross
Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross
The Knight by Gene Wolfe
The Wizard by Gene Wolfe

The only one I have read is The Knight, which I didn't think was great.