Hugo Award Winners 2010

[Hobbit]

The 2010 Hugo Award Winners have been announced:

* BEST NOVEL (TIE)The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK) and The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)

* BEST NOVELLA: "Palimpsest", Charles Stross (Wireless)

* BEST NOVELETTE: "The Island", Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2)

* BEST SHORT STORY: "Bridesicle", Will McIntosh (Asimov's 1/09)

* BEST RELATED BOOK: This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Properly, This is "I"), Jack Vance (Subterranean)

* BEST GRAPHIC STORY: Girl Genius, Volume 9: Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm, written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colours by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

* BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM: Moon, screenplay by Nathan Parker; story by Duncan Jones; directed by Duncan Jones (Liberty Films)

* BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM: Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars", written by Russell T Davies & Phil Ford; directed by Graeme Harper (BBC Wales)

* BEST EDITOR, LONG FORM: Patrick Nielsen Hayden

* BEST EDITOR, SHORT FORM: Ellen Datlow

* BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Shaun Tan

* BEST SEMIPROZINE: Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace, & Cheryl Morgan

* BEST FAN WRITER: Frederik Pohl

* BEST FANZINE: StarShipSofa, edited by Tony C. Smith

* BEST FAN ARTIST: Brad W. Foster

* THE JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER [Not a Hugo]: Seanan McGuire


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Interesting that it's a tie: hasn't been one of those for best novel since, well, 1966. Dune and This Immortal, anyone? [Actually, I stand corrected - in 1993 Doomsday Book and A Fire Upon the Deep tied as well..]

Thoughts, comments, the usual.....

Me, I'm pleased for Moon, and Doctor Who (though I curmudgeonly still think it's not the best Dr Who ever). My money would have been on City and the City, but I did think Windup Girl might just get it.

Mark

[beniowa]

I had expected The City and the City to win, but had been hoping The Windup Girl might manage a challenge. For both of them to win is a pleasent surprise. Both of them are certainly worthy.

Like Hobbit, I was very happy about Moon, though I would also have been pleased with District 9.

[Roland 85]

I hated District 9's pretentiousness, but didn't like Moon too much either. Too bland, too derivative... And if "derivative" wasn't a problem for the voters, then there was a much better choice in the category.

Very happy about Bacigalupi. He really deserved it.

[Sparrow]

Looks like I'll have to finally pick up Moon and give it a whirl.

I'm actually glad District 9 didn't get anything... I really hated that movie.

[Roland 85]

I was expecting to like Moon. It was praised by the right people, and in the right way. But in the end, it was a lukewarm story build upon concepts that are already so cliched that it was entirely too predictable. Rockwell's performance is great though.

[Jebus]

I liked Moon a lot so am very glad that won, have not seen or read anything else of the list though I am happy for Shaun Tan, he seems like a great guy and I saw him give a speech at Aussiecon 4 on Friday.

I was gonna go to the ceremony last night but didn't bother, in retrospect it might have bee cool to go but at the same time I have never in my life bought a novel based on whether it or the author had won a Hugo. Also, since I bought my membership off another person who couldn't attend Aussiecon 4, I didn't even vote so, meh.

[mjolnir]

I was rooting for Valente's Palimpsest, but I liked both The City and the City and The Windup Girl a lot and both are good choices as far as I'm concerned. I didn't vote and so would have no right to complain even if I thought they were unworthy, but though they weren't my favourites both are great. A good year, I thought. Only novella I've read is McDonald's Vishnu at the Cat Circus which was most excellent [though not my favourite story in Cyberabad Days, which I found to be amazing both on a story-by-story basis and as a supplement to his novel River of Gods], but I'm sure Stross's story's awesome too.

Only other thing I've really sampled are the long dramatic presentation nominees, though I haven't seen Moon. Shall have to fix that, particularly if so many people think it's better than Up, which I enjoyed muchly. [I enjoyed Avatar but didn't find it to be brain-scramblingly good by any means.]

Oh, and I'm glad Seanan McGuire won the Campbell -- though I also would've been happy if N K Jemisin or Saladin Ahmed had won the Campbell. Good year for newer writers, as well. Later edit: Upon looking at the nominee list again turns out I'd forgotten that Jemisin wasn't nominated -- ineligible I assume. But Felix Gilman was; had forgotten that. Yep, very good year. Still happy about the result.
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TOYOTA CORONA T190

[Mithfânion]

Some strange winners, and of course, many nominees that would never have made my ballot. Nothing new there, year in year out. Same for the Nebula's. I'm not a con going type either, so unlikey to change the voting. So restricting myself to my picks from what they have as nominees:

Novels:

Didn't care for the Mieville, or the Priest and was bored by the overhyped Bacigalupi. Not interested in the Sawyer and found Palimpsest pretty much unreadable. Unbelievable that that sort of stuff makes this ballot. Julian Comstock would be my favorite here. I'm sure it came in last.

For novellas I expect I probably would have gone for God Engines, which I really liked. No comments on novelletes and short stories. Glad to see the Jack Vance win best related book, that would be my pick. They should have included the Charles Vess monumental art bool here.

Best graphic story, I would have gone with Fables or Batman. Don't like Girl Genius a bit.

Dramatic long form, I would have picked Avatar, District 9 or Moon, all 3 are fine films in their own right. Hard to say which should have won, such different approaches and all seem a succes to me.

Short form is pretty much always won by the dreaded children's series Dr. Who, no surprise there.

[Westsiyeed]

I thought District 9 was waaay better than Moon. District 9 was such a well-constructed, original story from a new director on a tight budget, it really is one of the best sci-fi movies for years. Moon was good, but was just too slow (and yes, Rockwell's performance was the highlight).

No surprise with the best novel; probably good to see a tie as both were great books in their own way (though personally would have tipped towards Wind-Up Girl for it's story and exotic imagery).

[Roland 85]

District 9 was screaming pretentiousness in my face the entire time. Also, least likeable protagonist of the century...

[ChrisW]

I just accidently saw Moon on the TV the other day. Was ok but District 9 imo was better but I would have gone with Avatar just for the visuals which made up for the script.

[MattNY]

District 9 was screaming pretentiousness in my face the entire time. Also, least likeable protagonist of the century...

I could not agree more. I understand that a lot of people really enjoyed the movie, so it obviously did some things right. But it just wasn't for me, and you nailed two of my larger issues with it right there.

I just accidently saw Moon on the TV the other day. Was ok but District 9 imo was better but I would have gone with Avatar just for the visuals which made up for the script.

It is easy to slam on Avatar, due to its overwhelming popularity, especially considering it wasn't a grand tale. However, it wasn't terrible either, just very simple. Like you said, the effects were still impressive and for that, it was worth seeing in the theater for myself.

[Mithfânion]

Re; District 9

Indeed, very dislikable main character, agreed on that. Pretentious? Not at all. Great film, quite heartwrenching.

Moon is indeed quite slow but that's simply what it is. You have to enjoy the setting and allow yourself to go with the flow of the film. I wasn't that keen on the whole doppelganger thing but in the end, it was quite good for an SF film.

[Andols]

can someone please explain how district 9 is pretentious? i had to go look up the literal defintion of the word to make sure i wasnt insane.

[Zeratul]

Can't speak for others, but the constant exagerated shaking of the camera in District 9 to get the documentary look felt pretentious to me.

Avatar is clearly the best science fiction movie of 2009. The other nominees were mostly good, but Avatar is a masterpiece. The story isn't that original, granted, but it's well told and the visuals are breathtaking, on a completely different level than any other nominee.