I don’t know if you have seen it, but the 2014 Hugo Award Nominees list was released the other day. One of my new years reading resolutions was to read all the novel nominations on the Hugo list, so in this post I will take a look at the list. I also plan to read as many of the short stories as I can easily get my hands on. I have brought a supporting membership of Loncon, so I will be voting for the Hugos. So it is my plan to be able to vote (informed) in as many categories as possible.

So this is my look at the Hugo Award nominations list. I should be getting a readers package at some point so some of the non-free shorter works I might read that way.

Updated: June 4th 2014

Best Novel

• Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie (Orbit US/Orbit UK). I have already read this and you can find my review here.
•  Neptune’s Brood, Charles Stross (Ace / Orbit UK). I have head nothing of this book. But I have read Stross’ Laundry Files this year and they were great, so I have nothing but good expectation to this. I will probably read the first one first, since this is a second book.
• Parasite, Mira Grant (Orbit US/Orbit UK).  have already read this and you can find my review here.
•  Warbound, Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles, Larry Correia (Baen Books). I have not heard anything about this book either. Apparently it is an urban fantasy noir, which I like. I guess I will be reading the series as well. “It’s the X-Men in fedoras, and if you don’t think that’s swell, then we can’t be friends.” A.E. Marling.
•  The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books). Yes that is the whole series, nominated as one. I will withhold the right to just read the first one, if I do not like the series. There is 14 books and the first one is 800 pages! That is 30 hours in audiobook form!

Best Novella

• The Butcher of Khardov, Dan Wells (Privateer Press). I think my boyfriend might own this one. It is a Warmachine novella – which means that it is a tie-in novella. He will be very happy to hear this.
• The Chaplain’s Legacy, Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jul-Aug 2013). I don’t think I will be reading this one, unless I hear tons of good stuff about it as Analog is a payed magazine and not one I normally read.
• Equoid, Charles Stross (Tor.com, 09-2013). I read this one already and I reviewed it last year. Read the review here.
•  Six-Gun Snow White, Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean Press). I like Valente, so I might end up reading this one. And it got fairy tale ties, which is a huge plus for me.
• Wakulla Springs, Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages (Tor.com, 10-2013). Since it is free on tor.com I might very well pick it up at some point.

Best Novelette

I have not read any of these yet, so I guess I will have to see if I want to check any of them out.

• Opera Vita Aeterna, Vox Day (The Last Witchking, Marcher Lord Hinterlands)
• The Exchange Officers, Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jan-Feb 2013)
• The Lady Astronaut of Mars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor.com, 09-2013)
• The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling, Ted Chiang (Subterranean, Fall 2013)
• The Waiting Stars, Aliette de Bodard (The Other Half of the Sky, Candlemark & Gleam)

Best Short Story

I will want to read all the short stories as part of my 100 Short Stories in 2014 project. Short stories are so short that it shouldn’t be a problem!

• If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love, Rachel Swirsky (Apex Magazine, Mar-2013). Uhh there is an audio version available on the site as well. Read review here
• The Ink Readers of Doi Saket, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Tor.com, 04-2013). Amazing art! And the author is Dutch – so a non-north American – awesome! Read review here
• Selkie Stories Are for Losers, Sofia Samatar (Strange Horizons, Jan-2013). I read this earlier in the year, and it was great! Read my review.
• The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere, John Chu (Tor.com, 02-2013). I just read the first paragraph, what an interesting premise. I will have to read the rest! Read my review.

Other awards

Other works that I want to mention:

• Saga, Volume 2, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics ) for best graphic novel. I really loved this volume of one of my favourite series. To me this is the best volume yet! So it is definitely well worth the nomination. I will check out the other nominees of course, but there is a good chance that this will get my vote.
• Fiona Staples for best artist. The other artists I don’t know by name, but I can see that I do know their work, so I will have to think carefully.
• Best Semiprozine & Best Fanzine, gives me a list of magazines to check out: Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Interzone, A Dribble of Ink, Elitist Book Reviews, Journey Planet & Pornokitsch – none of them are on my radar yet.
• Best Fancast also gives me more podcasts to check out: The Skiffy and Fanty Show & Tea and Jeopardy. I don’t know either, but I know the rest of the category and like all of the shows, so it will be hard to figure out which to vote for.
• I have read both Ramez Naam & Sofia Samatar and they are both well worthy of a The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.