The Hugo Awards Discussion Group discussion

Which of the past winners of the Hugo Award have you read?

I've read:
William Gibson's "Neuromancer"
J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"

and got about a third of the way into "Dune" before I wanted to claw my eyeballs out in boredom. (I realize this is a controversial opinion)

So apparently I'm a slacker. I will fix this.

Well, I can add Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" and Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the High Castle" to my list. I'm also reading Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" right now.

Finished "The Left Hand of Darkness," and also read Philip Jose Farmer's "To Your Scattered Bodies Go"... goin' through em pretty quick.

The Graveyard Book
American Gods
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Dune - Which I share Matt's distaste for.
I didn't see Fahrenheit 451 on the list I was looking at, but I've read it. It's been awhile though.

Fahrenheit 451 won a "Retro Hugo", which was a Hugo award given 50 years after the year of one of the conventions. If you go to the Wikipedia article and scroll to the bottom you can see the list, only three have been awarded.

Here are the Hugo-winning novels that I've read:

1953 - Alfred Bester - The Demolished Man
-- 6/5 highest possible recommendation!!!

1958 - Fritz Leiber - The Big Time
-- 4/5 fairly decent, worth a read!

1960 - Robert A. Heinlein - Starship Troopers
-- 5/5 A must read!

1961 - Walter M. Miller, Jr. - A Canticle for Leibowitz
-- 4/5 A great book!

1962 - Robert A. Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land
-- 3.5/5 It was okay.

1963 - Philip K. Dick - The Man in the High Castle
-- 5/5 I've read this twice! Very, very good!

1966 - Frank Herbert - Dune
-- 5/5 A grand epic. I never could stomach the sequels, though.

1968 - Roger Zelazny - Lord of Light
-- 4.5/5 A great book. I got more out of when I read it the second time. It was weird & confusing for the first 40 pages when I read it the first time.

1969 - John Brunner - Stand on Zanzibar
-- 3/5 I liked it, but the format really made it slow reading and eventually detracted from the story.

1970 - Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness
-- 3.5/5 This was okay... I should reread it.

1971 - Larry Niven - Ringworld
-- 5/5 A great classic hard SF book!

1973 - Isaac Asimov - The Gods Themselves
-- 6/5 My most favorite Asimov book of all!

1974 - Arthur C. Clarke - Rendezvous with Rama
-- 5/5 A wonderful novel! A must read!

1976 - Joe Haldeman - The Forever War
-- 6/5 Excellent! Highest possible recommendation!

1980 - Arthur C. Clarke - The Fountains of Paradise
-- 3.5/5 This was pretty good.

1983 - Isaac Asimov - Foundation's Edge
-- 4/5 Decent novel. Read the original Foundation stories first.

1984 - David Brin - Startide Rising
-- 4/5 I really liked the entire Uplift trilogy. (Need to read the followup trilogy soon!)

1986 - Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game
-- 4.5/5 Very, very good.

1988 - David Brin - The Uplift War
-- 4/5 As I said before, this entire series is a must-read!

1993 - Connie Willis - Doomsday Book
-- 6/5 Highest possible recommendation!

1998 - Joe Haldeman - Forever Peace
-- 4.5/5 A great novel!

2006 - Robert Charles Wilson - Spin
-- 3.5/5 I never really understood the hype on this novel. It was good, but Wilson's books always leave you with an unfortunate feeling that it could have been so much better. A fine read, but there are better on this list.


Retro Hugos I have read:

1951 - Robert A. Heinlein - Farmer in the Sky
-- 5/5 Highly recommended!

1954 - Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
-- 5.5/5 Highest possible recommendation. I've read this twice.

Judging from your ratings I would think you tend to rate more highly than I do -- but our average rating is frickin' identical on goodreads. Here's what I thought of the ones I have read:

William Gibson's "Neuromancer"
-- 4/5 I definitely feel like I like this book more the more I think about it. When I finished it and reviewed it I gave it a 4 but it has stayed in my mind months after reading, so I think I might retroactively go back and give this one a 5. I'm probably going to re-read it soon.

J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
-- 4/5 This is a fine book, but I don't like clear fantasy bookes with no sci-fi elements winning the Hugo. Hugo should be for sci-fi. This isn't even the best of the Harry Potter series (#3 and #5 are my favorites)

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"
-- 3/5 There were a lot of things I liked about Fahrenheit 451 and it probably would have gotten a 4, but I hated the ending. It felt so out of nowhere and very "deux ex machina" and left me really steamed when I finished the book. Its been since high school since I read it, maybe I need to go back to it and give it another shot.

Joe Haldeman's "Forever War"
-- 4/5 I really enjoyed this book, and found it very engaging and interesting. Its not a typical military sci-fi, and I like the political anti-Vietnam message presented in it as well, so I dug that. There were times that I found it a little frustrating, though. It seems quite homophobic in times, and I think all the characters are kind of overly one-dimensional, especially the female characters. I still really liked it, though, on the strength of plot and message alone.

Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the High Castle"
-- 5/5 Perfect example of what alternate history should be. I love that he tells the story with real people, nobody special, just common folk. Its a really brilliant novel.

Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness"
-- 4/5 Although it tends to drag at times I really loved this book. I think its the best prose of any of the Hugo winners I've read so far and that appeals to me, its just so well written that even when its slow the words are a joy to read. I think the message of the novel is great and it has outstanding social significance which appeals to me also.

Philip Jose Farmer's "To Your Scattered Bodies Go"
-- 1/5 If ideas were everything, this would have been a great book, but its written so poorly that I would swear it was a middle schooler's first attempt at a book. I just couldn't get past how incredibly awful the prose was through this entire book. The plot starts out really intriguing, but VERY quickly gets ridiculous, with all of the characters being overwhelmingly unlikable, I really hated this one.

Frank Herbert's "Dune"
-- TBD... I still haven't finished, and I started about 9 months ago. I really hate this book, I just think the dialog is so ridiculously stilted that I can't help but spend the entire time I read it thinking about how much I hate the dialog. There really isn't anything in this book that redeems it for me, but I'm going to finish it before I give it the 1 star rating that its bound to get.

I'll probably pop by here a lot.
My New Year's Resolution, this past January, was to read through all the award winners on the Locus Index to SF Awards.
Of course, after I looked at the size of list, I decided I didn't have to re-read anything I had already read.
I hope this isn't like that Chinese population calculation -- can I read award winners from the start, faster than contemporary authors can write new award-winners?
Thanks by-the-way, Matt, for starting this group!

Happy to do it Mike-- I'm glad to see people starting to post and join. When I had started I had only read like three of them, but yea, I'm not re-reading. I'm kind of annoyed that I have to read stuff like Neil Gaiman to finish this, when its not even sci-fi. Nothing against Gaiman I'm sure he's good but its a frickin sci-fi award.

Back in August of 2003 I made a decision that I would try to read all of the novels that have won the following 4 awards: Hugos, Nebulas, World Fantasy, and the Stokers. I'm glad I didn't set myself a deadline :) My current count is 49 of 60 Hugo Award-winning books that I have read (includes the retro awards). I have to admit that it has now been long enough that I don't remember much about the ones I read back at the beginning. Maybe once I finish I'll start all over again (or read along with you guys!)

The 11 books that I haven't hit yet are several from the 50's and 60's that were not available in my local library system, but the ones looming large are Kim Stanley Robinson's Green Mars & Blue Mars. I HATED Red Mars with a passion. My husband laughed at the contortions I put myself through to get it finished: I bribed myself, I threatened myself, I put myself in timeout until I had read another chapter, etc. I have been dreading reading Green & Blue for 6 years now.

I also had grand plans of reading all the nominees each year once I started, but it got to be too much "work." Plus, even with these new books it's sometimes difficult to get a hold of them from the library. Having just joined GoodReads, however, I may renew my dedication to this project - maybe I will aim to have them all done 10 years after starting. That gives me 3 years to go!

Beth wrote: "Back in August of 2003 I made a decision that I would try to read all of the novels that have won the following 4 awards: Hugos, Nebulas, World Fantasy, and the Stokers. I'm glad I didn't set myse..."

Wow... 49 of 60 Hugos. That's really something. I salute your accomplishment thus far! Keep sharing with us your thoughts on your readings. Your favorites, your least favorites, those that were memorable, and those that were not memorable enough to stick with you as time passed.

I've never read the Kim Stanley Robinson novels either, but they've been on my shelf for at least a decade. For some reason, I always find something else to read ahead of them.

I need to get to them soon though... If they sit unread for another decade it will be a bit of a shame.

I read another old one - The Forever Machine/They'd Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley a couple weeks ago, and I pretty much hated it. At least it was a fairly quick read!

As far as my favorites go, I'd have to say that two authors ended up really standing out for me: Connie Willis with "Doomsday Book" and "To Say Nothing of the Dog" - and Vernor Vinge with "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky." Which now that I think about it, are almost as opposite as can be when it comes to writing style and even the "hardcore"ness of the sci-fi. I don't think I ever expected to like the Vinge books as much as I did - I tend not to enjoy the really "hard" stuff as much, so those surprised me.

Connie Willis though, those have always been right up my alley and I've reread them several times. The only author that after picking up the book only because it was on the Hugo list, I then devoured practically everything else she wrote.

I've got Doomsday Book sitting on my shelf but having recently finished American Gods, I'm not feeling up to tackling another 600 page book so soon. I'll get to it eventually, though.

Matt, I loved Doomsday Book. I've read some reviews (perhaps on Goodreads) where people hated it, but I really would say it was one of the best books I've read.

In what way? Well, it wasn't the best SF book, and it wasn't the best time travel book.

But it really made the medieval times come alive. It was really a great book in making you feel like you were living back in the middle ages with the plague raging all around. And it's so sad... the plague is indefatigable and devastating. And you'll feel it as it affects the lives of the villagers.

Highly recommended. A must-read.

Hmm, with that review I might have to move it a bit higher on the to-read list. Thanks Bryan!

Here's my list of Hugo winning novels I've read. I love Bujold's books, especially the Vorkosigan series. I've started reading Dune before, but I've never finished it. I have 22 books to go to catch up to the current list.


2009 *The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman* READ
2008 *The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon* READ
2007 *Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge* READ
2006 *Spin by Robert Charles Wilson* READ
2005 *Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke* READ
2004 *Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold* READ
2003 *Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer* READ
2002 *American Gods by Neil Gaiman* READ
2001 *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling* READ
2000 *A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge* READ

1999 *To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis* READ
1998 *Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman* READ
1997 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1996 *The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson* READ
1995 *Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold* READ
1994 Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1993 (tie) *A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge* READ
1993 (tie) *Doomsday Book by Connie Willis* READ
1992 *Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold* READ
1991 *The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold* READ
1990 *Hyperion by Dan Simmons* READ

1989 Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
1988 The Uplift War by David Brin
1987 *Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card* READ
1986 *Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card* READ
1985 *Neuromancer by William Gibson* READ
1984 Startide Rising by David Brin
1983 Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
1982 *Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh* READ
1981 The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
1980 The Foundations of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

1979 Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
1978 Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1976 *The Forever War by Joe Haldeman* READ
1975 *The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin* READ
1974 *Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke* READ
1973 The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1972 *To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer* READ
1971 *Ringworld by Larry Niven* READ
1970 *The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin* READ

1969 Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
1968 *Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny* READ
1967 *The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein* READ
1966 (tie) Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 (tie) ...And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny
1965 The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
1964 *Here Gather the Stars (aka Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak* READ
1963 *The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick* READ
1962 *Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein* READ
1961 *A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.* READ
1960 *Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein* READ

1959 A Case of Conscience by James Blish
1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1956 Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
1955 They’d Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
1953 *The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester* READ

Retro Hugos
1954 (2004) *Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury* READ
1951 (2001) Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
1946 (1996) The Mule by Isaac Asimov

I read two Hugo winning novels this week, The City & The City & The Gods Themselves. The City & The City was a pretty interesting detective story. The Gods Themselves I really liked. The three separate sections with different characters and set on different planets or the moon really worked well.

I recently read Robert J. Sawyer's 'Hominids', and I must say it's my favorite of the Hugo winners I've read so far. I see a lot of people giving it lukewarm reviews, but for some reason I found myself attached to the characters very quickly. Ponter Bobbit is now one of my favorite sci-fi characters ever.

I'm glad to see there's a Hugo Award winner group here - definitely some books worth discussing.

I've read all the Award Winners in the Novel category except The Snow Queen by Vinge. Since 2000, I've read *most* of the nominees as well as the winners. A couple authors I completely bounce off of and stopped reading.

I really don't get the chance to nominate any books, sometimes it's hard enough getting the Award Winners at my library, much less trying to find a recent release.

Not sure if I want to count Farenheit 451 or Farmer in the Sky since it is technically a 'retro' vote. Opinon is still waffling.

Meh, a Hugo is a Hugo. I've only read F451 of the retros, myself.

What about the short stories. I have only read one that I know is a short story winner, BRIDESICLE by Will McIntosh. May we could start a discussion about s.s. and some colllections that contain them.

It's a possibility. I don't know if I've read any Hugo winning short stories, though. It would be nice if there was a collection of Hugo winning stories. I'll do a search.

Hugo Award Showcase 2010 ed. by Mary Robinette Kowel is a good place to start. As far as I can ascertain, this is the first 'short' hugo compliation they've put out.

Azimov and Analog magazines tend to have quite a few Hugo Award Winners. Some of the more recent winners have thier work available on-line.

There is also the yearly Nebula Award Winner books - often there is a modicum of carryover in the shortstory department.

All,

Isaac Asimov did several collection of Hugo winning short fiction (short stories, novella's and novelettes).

Here's a list of those anthologies:
The Hugo Winners, Volume 1 ed. Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1962, hc)

The Hugo Winners: 1962-70, Volume 2 ed. Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1971, hc); Derivative anthologies: The Hugo Winners, Volume One, 1963-1967, The Hugo Winners, Volume Two, 1968-1970, Stories from the Hugo Winners Vol. 2, and More Stories from the Hugo Winners Vol. 2.

The Hugo Winners: 1971-75 (Volume 3) ed. Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1977, hc)

The Hugo Winners, Volume 4: 1976-1979 ed. Isaac Asimov (Doubleday 0-385-18934-6, Apr ’85 [Mar ’85], $18.95, 561pp, hc) Anthology of the award-winning stories from four conventions, plus introductions to each by Asimov.

The Hugo Winners, Volume 5: 1980-1982 ed. Isaac Asimov (Doubleday 0-385-18946-X, Apr ’86 [Mar ’86], $18.95, 372pp, hc) Anthology of the nine Hugo-winning stories from 1980, 1981, and 1982. Recommended. (CNB)

The New Hugo Winners: Award-Winning Science Fiction Stories ed. Isaac Asimov & Martin H. Greenberg (Wynwood 0-922066-21-3, Dec ’89 [Nov ’89], $17.95, 320pp, hc) Anthology of nine stories, the Hugo Award-winning short fiction from 1983-1985 plus an introduction by Asimov and a list of all winners from 1976-1985.

The New Hugo Winners Volume II ed. Isaac Asimov & Martin H. Greenberg (Baen 0-671-72103-8, Jan ’92 [Dec ’91], $4.99, 368pp, pb, cover by Bob Eggleton) Anthology of nine Hugo Award-winning stories, the three for each year 1986-1988, plus an apologetic note by Asimov and a list of past Hugo Award winners. Only Asimov’s name appears on the cover. This was originally announced by Wynwood Press, but that edition doesn’t seem to have appeared.

The New Hugo Winners: Volume III ed. Connie Willis & Martin H. Greenberg (Baen 0-671-87604-X, May ’94 [Apr ’94], $5.99, 456pp, pb, cover by Bob Eggleton) Anthology of nine Hugo Award-winning stories, the three for each year 1989-1991, plus an introduction and notes by Willis. Only Willis’ name appears on the cover as “presented by,” but it is copyrighted only by Greenberg.

The New Hugo Winners Volume IV ed. Gregory Benford & Martin H. Greenberg (Baen 0-671-87852-2, Nov ’97 [Oct ’97], $6.99, 537pp, pb, cover by Bob Eggleton) Anthology of the nine Hugo Award-winning stories from 1992-’94, “presented by” Gregory Benford, who introduces each story. Copyrighted by Greenberg, who is mentioned only on the copyright page.

Also if anyone is interested here is a link to the list of Hugo and Nebula nominations ans winners:

Hugo
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AT...

Nebula
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AT...