Hugos and Campbells

The Hugo and Campbell nominations are out, and it appears that Old Man’s War has been nominated for Best Novel, and I’ve been nominated for the Campbell. Here’s the entire slate of nominees:

Best Novel
Learning the World, Ken MacLeod (Orbit; Tor)
A Feast for Crows, George R.R. Martin (Voyager; Bantam Spectra)
Old Man’s War, John Scalzi (Tor)
Accelerando, Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit)
Spin, Robert Charles Wilson (Tor)

Best Novella
Burn, James Patrick Kelly (Tachyon)
“Magic for Beginners”, Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners, Small Beer Press; F&SF September 2005)
“The Little Goddess”, Ian McDonald (Asimov’s June 2005)
“Identity Theft”, Robert J. Sawyer (Down These Dark Spaceways, SFBC)
“Inside Job”, Connie Willis (Asimov’s January 2005)

Best Novelette
“The Calorie Man”, Paolo Bacigalupi (F&SF October/November 2005)
“Two Hearts”, Peter S. Beagle (F&SF October/November 2005)
“TelePresence”, Michael A. Burstein (Analog July/August 2005)
“I, Robot”, Cory Doctorow (The Infinite Matrix February 15, 2005)
“The King of Where-I-Go”, Howard Waldrop (SCI FICTION December 7, 2005)

Best Short Story
“Seventy-Five Years”, Michael A. Burstein (Analog January/February 2005)
“The Clockwork Atom Bomb”, Dominic Green (Interzone May/June 2005)
“Singing My Sister Down”, Margo Lanagan (Black Juice, Allen & Unwin; Eos)
“Tk’tk’tk”, David D. Levine (Asimov’s March 2005)
“Down Memory Lane”, Mike Resnick (Asimov’s April/May 2005)

Best RelatedBook
Transformations: The Story of the Science Fiction Magazines from 1950 to 1970, Mike Ashley (Liverpool)
The SEX Column and Other Misprints, David Langford (Cosmos)
Science Fiction Quotations edited, Gary Westfahl (Yale)
Storyteller: Writing Lessons and More from 27 Years of the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, Kate Wilhelm (Small Beer Press)
Soundings: Reviews 1992_1996, Gary K. Wolfe (Beccon)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Batman Begins Story, David S. Goyer. Screenplay, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Based on the character created, Bob Kane. Directed, Christopher Nolan. (Warner Bros.)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Screenplay, Ann Peacock and Andrew Adamson and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Based on the novel, C.S. Lewis. Directed, Andrew Adamson. (Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Screenplay, Steven Kloves. Based on the novel, J.K. Rowling. Directed, Mike Newell. (Warner Bros.)
Serenity Written & Directed, Joss Whedon. (Universal Pictures/Mutant Enemy, Inc.)
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were_Rabbit Screenplay, Steve Box & Nick Park and Bob Baker and Mark Burton. Directed, Nick Park & Steve Box. (Dreamworks Animation/Aardman Animation).

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Battlestar Galactica “Pegasus” Written, Anne Cofell Saunders. Directed, Michael Rymer. (NBC Universal/British Sky Broadcasting)
Doctor Who “Dalek” Written, Robert Shearman. Directed, Joe Ahearne. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who “The Empty Child” & “The Doctor Dances” Written, Steven Moffat. Directed, James Hawes. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who “Father’s Day” Written, Paul Cornell. Directed, Joe Ahearne. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Jack-Jack Attack Written & Directed, Brad Bird. (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation)
Lucas Back in Anger Written, Phil Raines and Ian Sorensen. Directed, Phil Raines. (Reductio Ad Absurdum Productions)
Prix Victor Hugo Awards Ceremony (Opening Speech and Framing Sequences). Written and performed, Paul McAuley and Kim Newman. Directed, Mike & Debby Moir. (Interaction Events)
(There are seven nominees due to a tie for fifth place)

Best Professional Editor
Ellen Datlow (SCI FICTION and anthologies)
David G. Hartwell (Tor Books; Year’s Best SF)
Stanley Schmidt (Analog)
Gordon Van Gelder (F&SF)
Sheila Williams (Asimov’s)

Best Professional Artist
Jim Burns
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
Stephan Martiniere
John Picacio
Michael Whelan
(There are six nominees due to a tie for fifth place)

Best Semiprozine
Ansible edited, Dave Langford
Emerald City edited, Cheryl Morgan
Interzone edited, Andy Cox
Locus edited, Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong_Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction edited, Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell & Kevin J. Maroney

Best Fanzine
Banana Wings edited, Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer
Challenger edited, Guy H. Lillian III
Chunga edited, Andy Hooper, Randy Byers & carl juarez
File 770 edited, Mike Glyer
Plokta edited, Alison Scott, Steve Davies & Mike Scott

Best Fan Writer
Claire Brialey
John Hertz
Dave Langford
Cheryl Morgan
Steven H Silver

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

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer of 2004 or 2005
[Not a Hugo, Sponsored by Dell Magazines]
K.J. Bishop (2nd year of eligibility)
Sarah Monette (2nd year of eligibility)
Chris Roberson (2nd year of eligibility)
Brandon Sanderson (1st year of eligibility)
John Scalzi (1st year of eligibility)
Steph Swainston (2nd year of eligibility)
(There are six nominees due to a tie for fifth place)

Naturally, I’m very happy about my nominations, and it’s neat to be nominated for both the Campbell and Best Novel in the same year. I figured that was not the usual thing, so I went back to see how many times it’s happened before. The answer: once, legitimately, in 1984, when R.A. MacAvoy did it with her novel Tea With the Black Dragon. It also happened in 1989 but as I understand it there was some issue with ballot stuffing, and the book in question was withdrawn from consideration. I didn’t stuff any ballots. I swear. Anyway, it’s a fun bit of trivia. I’m the Buzz Aldrin of Hugo/Campbell whammies!

I’m also chuffed about the company I’m keeping, both with the Campbell and with the Hugo. In the Campbells, I know Chris and Sarah personally and couldn’t be happier for them, and will now hie myself to the bookstore to catch up with Bishop, Swainston and Sanderson. As for the Hugos — well, you know. I’ve been pushing Accelerando on people all year, so I can’t say I’m surprised to see Charlie there. He’s earned this, and so has Accelerando. GRRM and I had an autographing session together at Boskone which was a lot of fun (it’ll be no surprise for y’all to learn he signed more books than I). And both Ken MacLeod and Robert Charles Wilson did me a mitzvah by providing wonderful quotes for Old Man’s War which went on the cover; I’m delighted and genuinely humbled to be in their company.

(The third SF writer who provided a quote for OMW, Cory Doctorow, is also nominated for a Hugo, in the Novelette category; Donato Giancola, who gave OMW its hardcover art, is up for the Hugo in the Professional Artist category. Coincidence?!???!???!? Well, yes. But a lovely coincidence it is.)

Aside from the nominees mentioned above I’m chuffed to see other friends and acquaintances up for awards this year, particularly James Patrick Kelly, Kelly Link, David Hartwell and Bob Eggleton. I’m disappointed to see that Patrick Nielsen Hayden is not nominated for Best Professional Editor; he only edited two of this year’s Best Novel nominees, after all. But what are you going to do.

Again, I’m delighted and humbled, and I thank those of you who nominated me for these awards. I’m going to have fun with this. And, of course, congratulations to all the other nominees. I hope you guys have fun with this, too.

73 Comments on “Hugos and Campbells”

  1. I can’t speak to GRMM’s character, but I certainly felt that OMW was better than A Feast for Crows. At any rate, congraulations. If you’re the Buzz Aldrin of Campbell/Hugo awards, what is the Tang of Campbell/Hugo awards?

  2. So far it appears to be only up on Usenet, in a post to rec.arts.sf.fandom by awards administrator John Lorentz. I imagine it’ll show up on Locus and on the LACon website once people on the West Coast wake up.

  3. So far it appears to be only up on Usenet, in a post to rec.arts.sf.fandom by awards administrator John Lorentz. I imagine it’ll show up on Locus and on the LACon website once people on the West Coast wake up.

  4. As a regular reader who also happens to work for Dell magazines*, I say: Congratulations!

    *No, I don’t work for the fiction mags and had nothing to do with getting him the nomination. Haven’t even read OMW yet myself.

  5. As a regular reader who also happens to work for Dell magazines*, I say: Congratulations!

    *No, I don’t work for the fiction mags and had nothing to do with getting him the nomination. Haven’t even read OMW yet myself.

  6. Well, let me be the eighth person (on this comment thread, at least) to say congratulations on your double whammy. Here’s hoping that you “two-peat” at the awards ceremony as well!

  7. Dude, congrats on your nomination glory!

    So the question is, did MacAvoy win the Campbell and or Hugo? Becuase, as you know, past performance guarantees future results.

  8. Dude, congrats on your nomination glory!

    So the question is, did MacAvoy win the Campbell and or Hugo? Becuase, as you know, past performance guarantees future results.

  9. Thank you, Sandra. You rock.

    Scott: MacAvoy did win the Campbell. But remember there was the 1989 thing, and they got nothin’. So the record is, shall we say, mixed.

  10. Thank you, Sandra. You rock.

    Scott: MacAvoy did win the Campbell. But remember there was the 1989 thing, and they got nothin’. So the record is, shall we say, mixed.

  11. Yes, now I have an interest in checking it out. I think it’s available in e-book form now.

  12. Congratulations, John! Woo-hoo! Good thing I’ve got the blinds closed so the neighbours can’t see me doing the Snoopy dance.

    (Bet John did the dance. Bet his windows were unblocked because there’s no one around his palatial estate for miles and miles. And I bet he’s got it on video.)

  13. I’d like to add that “semiprozine” is a really cool word which sounds like something truckers take for depression.

  14. I’d like to add that “semiprozine” is a really cool word which sounds like something truckers take for depression.

  15. Who now?

    One of the nice thing about SF awards is that there’s not all that much fame that comes with them; when you wake up the next morning you’re still you. I expect my memory vis-a-vis people, little or otherwise, will remain constant. And if it isn’t then someone should beat me senseless.

  16. Who now?

    One of the nice thing about SF awards is that there’s not all that much fame that comes with them; when you wake up the next morning you’re still you. I expect my memory vis-a-vis people, little or otherwise, will remain constant. And if it isn’t then someone should beat me senseless.

  17. Locus Headlines:
    Hugo-winner John Scalzi Beaten Senseless

    John Scalzi, this year’s Hugo winner for Old Man’s War, was “totally dogpiled” by angry fans, according to a witness, the morning after the Hugo ceremonies. One fan, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us, “I’ve loved reading [Scalzi’s blog] the Whatever for years, and we were all really excited when he got his Hugo nom. But when he showed up the next day in the hotel lobby surrounded by big guys in black suits and dark glasses, demanding the hotel restaurant be cleared just so he could eat the goddamn continental breakfast, we knew something was, you know, not right.”

    Further suspicions were aroused by the fact that Scalzi’s ordinarily outgoing daughter, Athena, was to be seen wandering the convention with a marked look of embarrassment on her face, and at one point could be heard to mutter, “Why is daddy acting like, so stupid? I mean, he doesn’t even have enough hair to wear that much gel!” Some Worldcon pundits have suggested that, in addition to winning the award, Scalzi’s bizarre sudden narcissism may be a form of “acting out,” in response to reported feelings of frustration that, prior to his win, more fans at Worldcon were asking for Athena’s autograph than his.

    Feelings came to a boil when Scalzi rudely snubbed a wheelchair-bound fan who had “hitchhiked all the way to LA” just to get Scalzi to sign his first printing of Old Man’s War, reported selling some of his blood plasma to secure funding for the trip. “There was suddenly this huge scrum, with Scalzi at the bottom,” said one convention staffer.

    Scalzi is reported in stable condition at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

  18. Locus Headlines:
    Hugo-winner John Scalzi Beaten Senseless

    John Scalzi, this year’s Hugo winner for Old Man’s War, was “totally dogpiled” by angry fans, according to a witness, the morning after the Hugo ceremonies. One fan, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us, “I’ve loved reading [Scalzi’s blog] the Whatever for years, and we were all really excited when he got his Hugo nom. But when he showed up the next day in the hotel lobby surrounded by big guys in black suits and dark glasses, demanding the hotel restaurant be cleared just so he could eat the goddamn continental breakfast, we knew something was, you know, not right.”

    Further suspicions were aroused by the fact that Scalzi’s ordinarily outgoing daughter, Athena, was to be seen wandering the convention with a marked look of embarrassment on her face, and at one point could be heard to mutter, “Why is daddy acting like, so stupid? I mean, he doesn’t even have enough hair to wear that much gel!” Some Worldcon pundits have suggested that, in addition to winning the award, Scalzi’s bizarre sudden narcissism may be a form of “acting out,” in response to reported feelings of frustration that, prior to his win, more fans at Worldcon were asking for Athena’s autograph than his.

    Feelings came to a boil when Scalzi rudely snubbed a wheelchair-bound fan who had “hitchhiked all the way to LA” just to get Scalzi to sign his first printing of Old Man’s War, reported selling some of his blood plasma to secure funding for the trip. “There was suddenly this huge scrum, with Scalzi at the bottom,” said one convention staffer.

    Scalzi is reported in stable condition at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

  19. Big congratulations John!

    I’ll be root’n and a toot’n for ya.

    (Thanks for the mention on the cover of tGB by the way… I’m famous)

  20. Big congratulations John!

    I’ll be root’n and a toot’n for ya.

    (Thanks for the mention on the cover of tGB by the way… I’m famous)

  21. 1. Congrats, of course. Gaiman’s line is “itsanhonorjustotbenominated” but still, good luck/good work on getting the actual prize.

    2. A Feast for Crows is the worst A Song of Ice and Fire book so far. The next ones could be worse, I dunno. But AFfC was kind of… blah. If I hadn’t sworn dark pledges and blood-oaths to that series about half way through A Clash of Kings… I probably would call it “the most disappointing book I read in 2005,” with the side note that I don’t read nearly as much in the last few years as I did in my liberavenous youth, and I had exceptionally high expectations for it, which I had thought were earned on the power of the previous 3 books…

  22. 1. Congrats, of course. Gaiman’s line is “itsanhonorjustotbenominated” but still, good luck/good work on getting the actual prize.

    2. A Feast for Crows is the worst A Song of Ice and Fire book so far. The next ones could be worse, I dunno. But AFfC was kind of… blah. If I hadn’t sworn dark pledges and blood-oaths to that series about half way through A Clash of Kings… I probably would call it “the most disappointing book I read in 2005,” with the side note that I don’t read nearly as much in the last few years as I did in my liberavenous youth, and I had exceptionally high expectations for it, which I had thought were earned on the power of the previous 3 books…

  23. Congrats, John!

    And if Doctorow doesn’t win the novelette award I’m just going to have to…well, you better believe I’ll be unhappy.

  24. Congrats, John!

    And if Doctorow doesn’t win the novelette award I’m just going to have to…well, you better believe I’ll be unhappy.

  25. That was hilarious, Mr. Wagner. And congrats with the nomination, John.

    If it’s an honor just to be nominated, you should hang on to the letters informing you of those nominations. Each letter is imbued with honor, obviously, and hoarding them would surely transfer that to you, making you an increasingly honorable man. Eventually you’ll have so much honor you can cash it in for something cool, like a mountain bike.

  26. Yes Martin… I am well aware… after months and months of periodically checking G.R.R.M.’s website for word on A Feast for Crows… I know it.

    I also read 800+ pages for a little bit of “board resetting” without narrative drive, following about 2000 pages of eyeball murdering reading-stoppage-forbidding tumult. And even following that reset, it’s not as if we’re even on the brink of conflict OR resolution.
    AGoT carried us through a lot of setup with a mystery-story that I found pretty interesting

    (it also had the advantage of being the story where I get to play “What’s this world like”, whereas now we get new little places (Dorne, Braavos) but it’s definitely not as exciting (I don’t get to play “What’s this world like” when reading real-world travel books either)).

    It’s possible that in “original vision” this board-resetting I sat through was supposed to be carried along by the things that are going to happen in A Dance with Dragons, but it doesn’t change the RELATIVE joylessness of AFfC (I mean… I did get a malicious kick out of how self-satisfied and incapable Cersei Lannister is).

    So, I still have high hopes for A Dance with Dragons… but that goes back to blood-pacts and unholy oaths.

  27. Yes Martin… I am well aware… after months and months of periodically checking G.R.R.M.’s website for word on A Feast for Crows… I know it.

    I also read 800+ pages for a little bit of “board resetting” without narrative drive, following about 2000 pages of eyeball murdering reading-stoppage-forbidding tumult. And even following that reset, it’s not as if we’re even on the brink of conflict OR resolution.
    AGoT carried us through a lot of setup with a mystery-story that I found pretty interesting

    (it also had the advantage of being the story where I get to play “What’s this world like”, whereas now we get new little places (Dorne, Braavos) but it’s definitely not as exciting (I don’t get to play “What’s this world like” when reading real-world travel books either)).

    It’s possible that in “original vision” this board-resetting I sat through was supposed to be carried along by the things that are going to happen in A Dance with Dragons, but it doesn’t change the RELATIVE joylessness of AFfC (I mean… I did get a malicious kick out of how self-satisfied and incapable Cersei Lannister is).

    So, I still have high hopes for A Dance with Dragons… but that goes back to blood-pacts and unholy oaths.

  28. And even following that reset, it’s not as if we’re even on the brink of conflict…

    Well, the Greyjoys have invaded and taken over almost the entire west coast, with a eye towards conquering the whole of the Seven Kingdoms. I’d call that the brink of conflict for sure. With King’s Landing in total disarray they stand a good chance of succeeding.

    I agree that AFFC is a transitional volume in the series but I think it’s setting the stage for a lot of cataclysm to come. Just because there are less battles doesn’t mean there was less story.

    Anyway, this isn’t the GRRM board so maybe we ought to stop here!

  29. And even following that reset, it’s not as if we’re even on the brink of conflict…

    Well, the Greyjoys have invaded and taken over almost the entire west coast, with a eye towards conquering the whole of the Seven Kingdoms. I’d call that the brink of conflict for sure. With King’s Landing in total disarray they stand a good chance of succeeding.

    I agree that AFFC is a transitional volume in the series but I think it’s setting the stage for a lot of cataclysm to come. Just because there are less battles doesn’t mean there was less story.

    Anyway, this isn’t the GRRM board so maybe we ought to stop here!

  30. Congratulations, John!

    I have to admit, I hope AFFC gets it — I was disappointed by the book, but Martin’s worst, IMHO, is still very, very good, and I feel that he should have received at least one for the series.

    Also, thank you very much for responding promptly to my email! It was a very pleasant surprise for me the next day — I can only imagine how many you get. :)

  31. Hearty congratulations on the nominations.

    My guess: No Campbell for you this year, but you get it next year. I haven’t checked, but I think it’s been some time since someone won who wasn’t in their second year of eligibility — the example closest to my heart, Jo Walton, lost her first year and won in a landslide her second. (The Worldcon was in San Jose that second year. Jo didn’t attend…but I live in the Bay Area….)

    Anyway, I look forward to meeting you in person at LACon. Have you considered getting the organizers to set up a kaffeeklatsch? I’d jump at the chance to attend one.

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