2004 Hugo Awards Presented at Noreascon
Best Novel: Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
Novella: The Cookie Monster, Vernor Vinge
Novellette: Legions in Time, Michael Swanwick
Short Story: A Study in Emerald, Neil Gaiman
Related Book: The Chesley Awards for
Science
Fiction and Fantasy Art: A Retrospective, John Grant, Elizabeth L.
Humphrey,
and Pamela D. Scoville
Professional Editor: Gardner Dozois
Professional Artist: Bob Eggleton
and Pamela D. Scoville
Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Lord of the
Rings:
The Return of the King
Dramatic Presentation, Short Form:
Gollum's Acceptance Speech at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards
Semiprozine: Locus
Fanzine: Emerald City
Fan Writer: Dave Langford
Fan Artist: Frank Wu
Campbell Award: Jay Lake
Special Noreascon Four Committee Award: Erwin Strauss, aka Filthy Pierre
Who won the 1953 retroactive award? The nominees included The Caves of Steel, Fahrenheit 451, and Childhood's End. Yeesh - what a hard call.
To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
--E.C. Stanton
Last night some kid at the LAN party I was at came in at around 11 and was like: My dad won a Hugo!! And I asked him about it, and apparently his dad wrote Legions in Time, which is apparently about a man and woman who travel through the galaxy or alternate worlds or something. I guess good luck to that kids dad, and good luck to all those considered and those who won.
From FAQ of Hugo awards: ..."It's all fantasy," he proclaimed. "Science fiction is fantasy you can convince yourself might happen. ...."
"Aren't Hugos just for Science Fiction?
Have you ever tried to define science fiction?
I like, for example, LoTR as much as anyone else and find it one of the best trilogies ever (as novels). But, what has magic, dragons, castles etc. to do with science? If science or scientific methodology is not part of the story then why should it be eligible for this award? What happened to the heritage of Asimov, Lem, Dick, Heinlein, Clarke, and others?
Has popular themes of Star Wars and Star Trek reduced Sci-Fi to mere fantasy now?
As a scientist myself, I still believe that Sci-Fi is more than simple fantasy. It is -to me- exploration of possibilities for humanity's future (and past), scientific developments, and their effects. Believe me, in today's incredible speed of scientific progress we need Sci-Fi in this sense more than ever.
I am sure the winner is a wonderful novel but...