Hugo

Hot from their formal announcement at the EasterCon, Emerald City’s Cheryl Morgan has very kindly sent us details of the eagerly anticipated Hugo awards official nominees. Rumours were circling in recent days concerning various authors, including writers we’re very keen on here – now some of those rumours are indeed fact, as you may all read for yourselves:

Best Novel (424 nominating ballots)

The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks (Orbit)
Iron Council by China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan)
Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross (Ace)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
River of Gods by Ian McDonald (Simon & Schuster)

Best Novella (249 nominating ballots)

"The Concrete Jungle" by Charles Stross (The Atrocity Archives, Golden
Gryphon Press)
"Elector" by Charles Stross (Asimov's 09/04)
"Sergeant Chip" by Bradley Denton (Fantasy & Science Fiction 09/04)
"Time Ablaze" by Michael A. Burstein (Analog 06/04)
"Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold (Irresistible Forces NAL)

Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form (340 nom. ballots)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Focus Features) Story by Charlie
Kaufman & Michael Gondry & Pierre Bismuth; Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman;
Directed by Michael Gondry.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Brothers) Written by
Steve Kloves; Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling; Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The Incredibles (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios) Written
& Directed by Brad Bird
Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow (Paramount Pictures) Written &
Directed by Kerry Conran
Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia Pictures) Screen
Story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Michael Chabon; Screenplay by
Alvin Sargent; Based on the comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko; Directed
by Sam Raimi.

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (187 nominating ballots) (Not a Hugo Award - an award for best new science fiction writer of the past two years, sponsored by Dell Magazines and administered by the current Worldcon committee.)

Elizabeth Bear (second year of eligibility)
K.J. Bishop (second year of eligibility)
David Moles (second year of eligibility)
Chris Roberson (second year of eligibility)
Steph Swainston (first year of eligibility)

What an excellent list of nominees in many categories (and there are other categories we don't have space for here) – and one of our favourites British authors, Edinburgh-based Charlie Stross has garnered himself no less than three (much deserved) nominations! If that doesn’t persuade you that we’ve been right to push Iron Sunrise here nothing will.

It is also very nice to see several of the excellent novels on the BSFA and Arthur C Clarke awards lists featuring on the Hugos too – proof positive of the healthy and vibrant state of current Brit SF writing and the respect it has internationally. And again Steph Swainston has shown that many of us consider her to be one of the most exciting new writers in the field.

In some of the other categories I’m delighted to tell you that Cheryl Morgan (who kindly sent us this list from EasterCon – thanks Cheryl!) has several Hugo nominations herself and Emerald City in the fields of Best Web Site, Best Fanzine and Best Fan Writer. Another chum of ours, Dave Langford looks like he may also need to clear some more shelf space as he’s in the nominations once more, as is Andy Cox and the Third Alternative and Charles N Brown of Locus. The FPI crew wish our friends mentioned here and all of the other nominees the best of luck and the heartiest of congratulations. We are excited to see so many of SF&F’s finest writers and supporters so honoured and we will be bringing you more on the Hugos in the run up to this summer’s Worldcon in Glasgow. The full list is available here on Worldcon's press release section.