The Hugo Winners, 2012

Here they are, stolen shamelessly from Tor.com. No, I didn’t win, but neither did I expect to, and frankly, it didn’t stop me from having one of my best Hugo nights ever, because as MC of the Hugo Awards I got to give so many Hugos to so many friends that it really was kind of crazy.

I will update more about the ceremony and Worldcon later in the week, after I’ve had time to recuperate. But suffice to say Chicon 7 has truly been fantastic.

Best Novel

  • Winner: Among Others by Jo Walton (Tor)
  • A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin (Bantam Spectra)
  • Deadline by Mira Grant (Orbit)
  • Embassytown by China Miéville (Macmillan UK / Del Rey)
  • Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Orbit)

Best Novella

  • Winner: “The Man Who Bridged the Mist” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s September/October 2011)
  • Countdown by Mira Grant (Orbit)
  • “The Ice Owl” by Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction November/December 2011)
  • “Kiss Me Twice” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s June 2011)
  • “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” by Ken Liu (Panverse 3)
  • Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)

Best Novelette

  • Winner: “Six Months, Three Days” by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com)
  • “The Copenhagen Interpretation” by Paul Cornell (Asimov’s July 2011)
  • “Fields of Gold” by Rachel Swirsky (Eclipse Four)
  • “Ray of Light” by Brad R. Torgersen (Analog December 2011)
  • “What We Found” by Geoff Ryman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2011)

Best Short Story

  • Winner: “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2011)
  • “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees” by E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld April 2011)
  • “The Homecoming” by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s April/May 2011)
  • “Movement” by Nancy Fulda (Asimov’s March 2011)
  • Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book One: The Dead City: Prologue” by John Scalzi (Tor.com)

Best Related Work

  • Winner: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Third Edition edited by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls, and Graham Sleight (Gollancz)
  • Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and Other Observations about Science Fiction Movies by Daniel M. Kimmel (Fantastic Books)
  • The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers (Abrams Image)
  • Wicked Girls by Seanan McGuire
  • Writing Excuses, Season 6 by Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story

  • Winner: Digger by Ursula Vernon (Sofawolf Press) 
  • Fables Vol 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham (Vertigo)
  • Locke & Key Volume 4, Keys to the Kingdom written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
  • Schlock Mercenary: Force Multiplication written and illustrated by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton (The Tayler Corporation)
  • The Unwritten (Volume 4): Leviathan created by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Written by Mike Carey, illustrated by Peter Gross (Vertigo)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

  • Winner: Game of Thrones (Season 1), created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss; written by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, and George R. R. Martin; directed by Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, Tim van Patten, and Alan Taylor (HBO)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger, screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephan McFeely, directed by Joe Johnston (Marvel)
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, screenplay by Steve Kloves; directed by David Yates (Warner Bros.)
  • Hugo, screenplay by John Logan; directed by Martin Scorsese (Paramount)
  • Source Code, screenplay by Ben Ripley; directed by Duncan Jones (Vendome Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

  • Winner: “The Doctor’s Wife” (Doctor Who), written by Neil Gaiman; directed by Richard Clark (BBC Wales)
  • “The Drink Tank’s Hugo Acceptance Speech,” Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon (Renovation)
  • “The Girl Who Waited” (Doctor Who), written by Tom MacRae; directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
  • “A Good Man Goes to War” (Doctor Who), written by Steven Moffat; directed by Peter Hoar (BBC Wales)
  • “Remedial Chaos Theory” (Community), written by Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna; directed by Jeff Melman (NBC)

Best Editor, Short Form

  • Winner: Sheila Williams
  • John Joseph Adams
  • Neil Clarke
  • Stanley Schmidt
  • Jonathan Strahan

Best Editor, Long Form

  • Winner: Betsy Wollheim
  • Lou Anders
  • Liz Gorinsky
  • Anne Lesley Groell
  • Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist

  • Winner: John Picacio
  • Dan dos Santos
  • Bob Eggleton
  • Michael Komarck
  • Stephan Martiniere

Best Semiprozine

  • Winner: Locus edited by Liza Groen Trombi, Kirsten Gong-Wong, et al.
  • Apex Magazine edited by Catherynne M. Valente, Lynne M. Thomas, and Jason Sizemore
  • Interzone edited by Andy Cox
  • Lightspeed edited by John Joseph Adams
  • New York Review of Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell, Kevin J. Maroney, Kris Dikeman, and Avram Grumer

Best Fanzine

  • Winner: SF Signal edited by John DeNardo
  • Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
  • The Drink Tank edited by James Bacon and Christopher J Garcia
  • File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
  • Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Christopher J Garcia, et al.

Best Fan Writer

  • Winner: Jim C. Hines
  • James Bacon
  • Claire Brialey
  • Christopher J Garcia
  • Steven H. Silver

Best Fan Artist

  • Winner: Maurine Starkey
  • Brad W. Foster
  • Randall Munroe
  • Spring Schoenhuth
  • Steve Stiles
  • Taral Wayne

Best Fancast

  • Winner: SF Squeecast, Lynne M. Thomas, Seanan McGuire, Paul Cornell, Elizabeth Bear, and Catherynne M. Valente
  • The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe
  • Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alex Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts (presenters) and Andrew Finch (producer)
  • SF Signal Podcast, John DeNardo and JP Frantz, produced by Patrick Hester
  • StarShipSofa, Tony C. Smith

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

  • Winner: E. Lily Yu
  • Mur Lafferty
  • Stina Leicht
  • Karen Lord
  • Brad R. Torgersen

42 Comments on “The Hugo Winners, 2012”

  1. I watched until you were forced off the “air” by an over-zealous bot at UStream (about which I am sure everyone is talking) and I thought you delivered a most spectacular awards ceremony.

    Your humorous bits were very funny (Hello Dragoncon! – lol: your smile at being in Chicago while yelling in Atlanta’s direction was priceless and full of “fannish glee”), your commentary was poignant, interesting AND informative, your pace pitch-perfect.

    Excellent job Mr. Scalzi, thank you very much!

  2. oh – and I’d like to reprint your opening remarks on the Amazing Stories blog if they haven’t already been spoken for (fee? agent?); in many ways your opening remarks about the diversity AND oneness of fandom and the SF/genre community at large embodies the spirit and the direction that I am trying to take with that magazine as I bring it back.

  3. So, as Toastmaster, did you master toast? ‘Cuz I’m swinging by your house on my next trip to Put in Bay. I expect whole wheat with real butter. My wife prefers white. What have you learned, Scalzi!?!?!?

    In all seriousness, I was secretly pulling for Shadow War to win. That would have been too funny. And I’m bummed Interzone did not win. I just discovered that zine this summer, and I thought it was excellent.

  4. I am most disappointed that The Drink Tank’s Hugo Acceptance Speech did not win, purely because I would have liked to see The Drink Tank’s Hugo Acceptance Speech Acceptance Speech nominated next year.

  5. Of the 5 for best novel, I’ve read two and loved them (Deadline and Leviathan Wakes), tried Embassytown and couldn’t stand it, didn’t even bother with A Dance With Dragons because I got bored with Mr. Martin’s series after the first book, and put Among Others back on the shelf after reading the cover blurbs. Good thing the Hugos don’t depend on my ‘druthers.

  6. I thought you were great! I was also a victim of UStream which cut everyone off in the middle of Neil Gaiman’s acceptance speech. Grrrrr. The irony of SF/F fans being thwarted by an evil bot notwithstanding, it was extremely frustrating. While not all the winners were my choices, very little disappoints. The field was truly excellent this year. Only one wistful note for “Wicked Girls” which I knew would lose to “The Encyclopedia”, but was a groundbreaking entry for filk.

  7. And a dapper fellow you were, John, even if outshone by your lovely lady. Remember, the password is BACON.

  8. Yes the upstream issue was a drag. But all the wailing and nashing of teeth was funny as heck

  9. My Chicon7 experience (my first WorldCon) was bookended by you toasting stuff. I highly recommend it. It gives a lovely crunchy texture to the whole con experience. I lovelovelove what you said at the beginning of the Hugos. You sorta made me cry, man. I’m a new fan (of yours), so I’m sort of squeeful about having been there and heard you in person and stuff. What a fantastic community of people. Also, the Mallet of Loving Correction is awesome. I hope one day to merit one of those in my life. Seems awfully useful. ;)

  10. John – I’d be careful if I were you – with the outstanding job you did as Hugo host, you could have a new permanent gig. Watching you work was like watching Bob Hope host the Academy Awards – you were efficient, funny without being mean and appropriately self-depreciating. Nice job!

  11. Is there any chance that a complete video of the awards will be made available by means other than uStream?

  12. I know there’s a lot of Gaiman love in the SF community, but The Doctor’s Wife was barely in the top five Doctor Who episodes from the season. The Girl Who Waited was so much more of a story – of an emotional connection.

  13. I think the Gaiman’s win for “The Doctor’s Wife” was well deserved, and a standout episode of the new Who. It may be my bias as a fan of Hartnell through Smith, but Gaiman’s episode pulled off a very neat trick of gently and powerfully tweak a fan’s perceptions of the entire run of Doctor Who with his story.

  14. I was really rooting for “Kiss me Twice” One, because I consider Mary a friend and two, because it’s a fantastic story that I really love. I can’t complain though because “The Man Who Bridged the Mist” is a fantastic story and almost too poignant for words. The ending just nails it. Actually, of the print nominees, this is the first year that I’ve had a chance to read most of them. So I feel a bit more up to date than most years. China almost always makes me work at staying with him though…

  15. Oh crap. The details of the nominations and voting have been released, and looking at it, Hannu Rajaniemi’s The Quantum Thief missed being a nomination for best novel by one vote. I was going to nominate it but didn’t because I thought it was eligible for a different year. Sorry, Hannu.

  16. Oh my god Digger!!!!!! were it not one thirty ay em and a world full of tension headaches I would effusively enthuse on various bloggy places about this

    also Ken Liu
    man it was hard to make this comment come out typo-free

  17. Forgive me if this is a weird question, but the whole show I kept wondering: how did it not occur to anyone, during all the hours between the tech rehearsal and the broadcast, to go up to somebody’s room and bring down an end table for someone to set their statue on while at the podium? Or even two of them, stacked on top of each other, with a tablecloth thrown over them?

  18. can someone tell me how they pick Best Editor? For best author, they list the book the person wrote. I would guess that Best Editor is for book(s) or short stories that came out in the last year. How come they don’t list what the editor worked on?

    Is there a way that people can read a story and get an idea whether the editor had a big influence on a book? I would think that some books or short stories are more ready to go when they are submitted and others need a lot more work with the editors. I am not sure how people tell. If it is just a matter of ‘best editor’ is for the best books, then the people who edited the 5 books nominated for best book would get nominated, but I doubt that happens every year.

    I just read for fun. So I don’t know anything about this business.

  19. It was fun watching you before Ustream threw a shoe. It was also a little weird for me, since two friends of mine were amongst the “escort the winners to and from the stage” crowd. :-)

  20. Guess, all of the Hugos are nominated and voted on by the attendees and non-attendee members of that year’s WorldCon. I don’t know how people decide what to nominate (I didn’t pick up my membership until after nominations closed), but each voter is given a packet of material. The Long Form Editors just have a list of the stuff they worked on that came out this year, and the Short Form Editors had an anthology or magazine issue they worked on.

    In the end, I decided how to vote for Short Form by how the sample was put together (what stories were chosen and how they were arranged in book/magazine form), since I couldn’t divine the difference between great writing and great editing of good writing. (If I’d come across really bad writing, then I’d know, but when you’re at the Hugo Nominated stage, generally you have the basics of ‘not writing or editing horribly’ down.) Authors who blog also usually mention their editors during nomination season.

    But I cast one vote, so everyone might be different.

  21. John – like many others, I was watching UStream when the evil Daleks broke in and kidnapped Neil Gaiman during his acceptance speech. Terrible end to a wonderful career.

    But seriously, he said, that was the first time I had seen you speechifying or whatever-ifying, and compliment you on your style and handling of the proceedings. You have a positive stage presence that transmitted beautifully through the aether. Which may explain the “true” reason for the lost feed: the ‘bots were jealous. Poor things. No concept of good taste, obviously.

  22. Well, there were at least three good things about Chicon7- I’m trying to be positive here- JS was the toast master, Betsy Wollheim is a great editor and Ursula Vernon’s Digger is simply awe inspiring. Since I am not easily awed that is a major plus point.

    On the other hand, the spectacle of fandom disappearing up its collective rear end in awarding the Hugo to a novel which is more or less completely incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t been reading SF for thirty years suggests that we might just as well send for the undertakers and give the remains a decent burial whilst the rest of the world gets on with reading, watching and listening to things which they enjoy.

    The presence of Rene Walling on the staff at Chicon proved that fandom is not only greying, it’s putrefying, and they don’t even have the excuse of being zombies. The claim that organised fandom was taking a stand against sexual harassment proven to be just another lie.

    This is the straw which has broken this particular camel’s back; I have no desire to associate in any way with people who could do such a thing…

  23. Alex

    I think it would help if you read John’s posts on these topics, with particular attention to the Readercon debacle and male privilege. After that you could read everybody else’s responses to John’s posts.

    And then, when you’ve got up to speed, you can come back and we can discuss why I hold the views I do…

  24. I haven’t gotten to many of these, but although John’s entry was great, I have to say that The Paper Menagerie was fantastic. (I cried!)
    I’m actually glad Martin didn’t win. His series started so well but the last two books have been a waste of time.

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