2008 Hugo Recommendations

OK, so there are only two more days to nominate. Still, at least I'm getting in before the actual deadline. Although I'm a "reviewer," I realized that I didn't read that many books that were released in 2007, and of those I did read, not many were outstanding. I was much more up-to-date on short fiction, having read every 2007 issue of Analog, Asimov's and F&SF, as well as adding Baen's Universe and Interzone late in the year. I always told myself that I preferred novels to short fiction, but objective evidence seems to prove me wrong. With that in mind, here's what I'll be nominating for the 2008 Hugo Awards: take the novel category especially with a grain of salt.

Best Novel

From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain, by Minister Faust [This was my favorite book this year by a mile.]
New Moon's Arms, by Nalo Hopkinson
The Terror, by Dan Simmons
Rollback, by Robert J. Sawyer (serialized in Analog magazine in 2007)

Best Novella

"Kiosk" by Bruce Sterling (Jan. F&SF) [Excellent, powerful story about economics]
"Stars Seen Through Stone" by Lucius Shepard (July F&SF) [Beautiful atmospherics, great human characters]
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (Sept. F&SF)
"Emerald River, Pearl Sky" by Rajnar Vajra (Jan/Feb Analog)
"Recovering Apollo 8" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Feb. Asimov's)

Best Novelette

"Safeguard" by Nancy Kress (Jan. Asimov's)
"The Mists of Time" by Tom Purdom (Aug. Asimov's)
"Kukulkan" by Sarah K. Castle (Dec. Analog)
"Metal Dragon Year" by Chris Roberson (Dec. Interzone)
"The Men in the Attic" by John Phillip Olsen (Dec. Interzone)

Best Short Story

"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (June Asimov's) [Flat-out tearjerker, but it really worked]
"The Unrung Bells of the Marie Celeste" by Richard A. Lovett (Jan/Feb Analog)
"Dead Horse Point" by Daryl Gregory (Aug. Asimov's)
"The Best of Your Life" by Jason Stoddard (Dec. Interzone)
"Osama Phone Home" by David Marusek (Dec. F&SF)

Best Related Book

SFWA European Hall of Fame, ed. J. & K. Morrow [Outstandingly excellent, I hope it wins]
Asimov's 30th Anniversary, ed. Sheila Williams

Best Artist (for which Locus Magazine's Cover Art Gallery was invaluable)

Donato Giancola, based on his July Asimov's cover
Bob Eggleton, based on his Oct. Analog cover
Jean-Pierre Normand, based on his Nov. & Dec. Analog covers
John Harris, based on his cover of Spindrift by Allen Steele
Stephan Martiniere, based on his cover of Mainspring by Jay Lake


Best Editor, Short Form

Andy Cox, Interzone
Gordon van Gelder, F&SF
Stanley Schmidt, Analog
Sheila Williams, Asimov's
John Klima, Logorrhea

Best Editor, Long Form (with much help from The SF Editors Wiki

Lou Anders, Pyr
Jeremy Lassen, Nightshade
Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Tor
Jacob Weisman, Tachyon
Kelly Link, Small Beer Press