My Thoughts on The Hugo Award Finalists 2024

Dina

April 2

It is officially Hugo Finalist Reading Season in which we attempt to read ALL THE BOOKS and catch up on those long series we've been neglecting.

As every year, I'm going to talk a little bit about the categories that I care most about and let others discuss the rest. The entire list of finalists can be found here. In brackets, I'll include my already-read-count, to see how much I have to catch up on. It's... pretty bad this year, I'm not gonna lie.

On This Year's Hugo Awards in General

It is so nice to see how seriously Glasgow 2024 are taking this, considering the clusterfuck that was last year's Hugo Awards. Not only did we get the finalists and the range of nominations that landed them on the shortlist, but we were also informed of (a) works/people who would have been a finalists but declined the nomination and (b) works/people who had enough nominations but were ineligible due to other reasons. Those reasons were also given.
Was this more work than just throwing out a list of names? Yeah, probably. Does it make us all feel a lot better about how the awards are being handled this year? Abso-fucking-lutely!

Best Novel (3/6)

Shannon Chakraborty - The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
Emily Tesh - Some Desperate Glory
John Scalzi - Starter Villain
Martha Wells - Witch King
Ann Leckie - Translation State
Vajra Chandrasekera - The Saint of Bright Doors

The general consensus on this year's Hugo Award finalists for Best Novel seem to be: nothing surprising. Which I don't completely agree on. Sure, you can always count on Scalzi making the ballot if he has something to make the ballot with, and Martha Wells is a current super-darling with Hugo voters. I mean, she had enough votes to make the finalists list with two different books! Ann Leckie is another guaranteed spot. BUT the other three could have been different books entirely I think. I am super happy that these are the ones that made it, for various reasons.

YES! Emily Tesh's fast-moving yet deep space story Some Desperate Glory made it. I am so happy as I also nominated this book. It was my first and clearest favorite of last year (up until one other book, but more on that later) and I would not mind at all if Tesh got a trophy for it. What a brilliant fun, but clever science fiction adventure.

The second book I have already read is The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi which I adored for the most part but didn't nominate myself. Why? I honestly don't know, I suppose I just forgot or slightly preferred other books. It is a worthy finalist and Shannon Chakraborty is a writer who has yet to disappoint.

Now onto the third book I have read and the one I am a little sad to see here. Scalzi's Starter Villain was fun, sure, but I personally found it less fun and quite a bit less original than last year's Kaiju Preservation Society. Neither of these two books is what I consider Hugo award-worthy. Villain was popcorn-y, lighthearted, and had some cute humor, but I already know I will not be ranking it on my final ballot. These light Scalzi romps have a more Locus-y vibe to me and I wouldn't be mad if he won that one again.

Here comes the part where I'm excited. And a little nervous. And then a mix of both.
I am thrilled that The Saint of Bright Doors is on here, as it's also a Nebula Award finalist and has been showing up on a lot of "best of the year" lists. There's the added bonus of it being a debut novel and by a Sri Lankan author, which I think is a first for me. I can't wait to dive into this one.
Excitement level: Extremely high!

Ann Leckie is always a win. Says me, who still hasn't finished the original Imperial Radch Trilogy which will come back to bite me when we look at Best Series. But be that as it may, I am super excited to go back into that world and explore where the Radch have taken us. My only problem is, do I finish the original trilogy first and then go straight into Translation State or do I read the new book right away?
Excitement level: Pretty damn high.

Lastly, I already tried reading Martha Wells's non-Murderbot fantasy novel Witch King and liked it, but also bounced off it at the time. I always intended to try again when I was in the right head-space and had enough time to invest into a fantsy world that explains pretty much nothing when it throws you into the story, and I guess that time will have to come soon. I do look forward to it but I'm also a little nervous that this book is just not for me.
Excitement level: Want to procrastinate but shouldn't.

Books I wish were here:

I am gutted that Alix E. Harrow's Starling House didn't make it. Is it just under the cut? Did it come out too late in the year? Was it too much horror for people to consider it for a Hugo? We'll find out in August when the winners are announced, I guess. Until then, I shall mope.

As for people declining nominations, Martha Wells did the classy thing and declined for her latest Murderbot novel System Collapse. Murderbot has won its share of awards and I think it's not only super decent of Martha Wells to say no to another nomination but it also makes the finalists a more interesting group. Just so long as she keeps the Murderbot books coming.

Best Novella (2/6)

Arkady Martine - Rose/House
T. Kingfisher - Thornhedge
Nghi Vo - Mammoths at the Gates
Malka Older - The Mimicking of Known Successes
Wang Jinkang - Seeds of Mercury
He Xi - Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet

I read T. Kingfisher's Thornhedge, pretty much expecting it to show up here. I personally didn't nominate it for two reasons. One, Kingfisher has written books with a little more punch to them (even though I loved this novella!) and by now we all know how great she is. And, two, I was trying to strategize. That's right, I wanted to spread out my nominating point over as few items as possible. It didn't really work out, but hey, that's okay.

I did nominate The Mimicking of Known Successes even though I was not as immediately in love with that book as many other people. However, it did linger in my mind and I still find myself thinking of it, many months after reading. The setting (platforms floating over Jupiter), the sort of Sherlock/Watson dynamic, the mystery, and the conclusion - all that stuff was great. I didn't necessarily vibe with the voice and I suppose I'll struggle again with the second volume. But ultimately, this was a great entry for the world of SFF novellas that does something new and daring and exciting. And for that I nominated it and would gladly see it get a Hugo.

I am one volume behind Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle, which means I still get to read Mammoths at the Gates. But if the previous three volumes are any indicator, I am going to end up loving this one as well. I have this lined up as one of my first Hugo reads, as it happens to also be on my Orilium Readathon TBR.
Excitement level: High.

Somehow I remember when Rose/House came out, but as is so often the case with Subterranean books, I lose sight of them over time. Arkady Martine's Hugo-winning novel duology was great and I am curious to see what she does with the novella format. I know next to nothing about this book and I want to keep it that way. Martine is an author I trust enough to just dive right into it blind.
Excitement level: High.
ETA: I read this in one day. Started out great, ended up being good. Middle of the ballot for me.

As for the two Chinese finalists, I'm happy to see them on the ballot, especially after we learned what happened to a large number of nominating ballots at last year's WorldCon, and I'm eagerly awaiting the Voter Pack to check them out. Thankfully, they are both translated by a human. Last year showed that, as much as AI can do these days, translating fiction with any kind of quality is still a long way away.
Excitement level: Medium.

Books I wish were here:

What a sad Hugo ballot that does not have The Lies of the Ajungo on it. Moses Ose Utomi's little novella blew me away last year and it was one of the first items that I knew I would nominate. The sequel was equally fantastic, which already turned Utomi into an auto-buy author for me. Just on the basis of two rather slim volumes. On the one hand I'm glad that not every finalist comes from Tordotcom (Utomi's book does) but on the other hand, I would have preferred his book over one of the others.

I'm not mad about it because it was getting annoying anyway, but it is noteworthy that Seanan McGuire's latest Wayward Children novella is not on here, especially because it was one of my personal favorites. So far, every single one of them has been a Hugo finalist. While I tend to go against the grain and end up loving the instalments that most other people dislike and vice versa, I was still sure that we'd continue to see these novellas on the shortlist every year. It is refreshing that this is not the case. At this point, I just keep reading them anyway.

Lodestar (0/6)

P. Djèlí Clark - Abeni's Song
Frances Hardinge - Unvraveller
Garth Nix - The Sinister Booksellers of Bath
Moniquill Blackgoose - To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Naomi Kritzer - Liberty's Daughter
Charlie Jane Anders - Promises Stronger Than Darkness

This is a pretty great ballot! I may have read zero out of the six finalists but I was at least aware of five of them, with some of them already on my TBR. And I've read books by all authors except one.

Let's get the one book out of the way that I'm not particularly looking forward to reading. Charlie Jane Anders is a fantastic novelist whose adult work I have either adored or at the very least appreciated for its ideas and ambition. Her YA books... not so much. While the first in this trilogy was still mostly fun, the second, I'm sorry to say, bored me to tears. I took ages to finish it and still remember next to nothing about it. I will read the final book, Promises Stronger Than Darkness, but I'm putting it way at the end of my TBR. Chances that I want to put it high on my ballot are slim to none.
Excitement level: Meh.

THE ONLY REASON I HAVEN'T READ THIS FRANCES HARDINGE BOOK YET IS THE SPIDERS, OKAY, I'M SORRY!!! Frances Hardinge has a magical mind and I will gladly dive into whatever crazy world she has come up with in Unraveller. I am a tad worried about how much spider content this book will have, but I'm sure it's all worth it. Without having read any of the finalists, I am going to guess that this will end up as my number one book.
Excitement level: OMG I can't wait!

I have similar amounts of love for the work of P. Djèlí Clark and Abeni's Song sounds right up my alley. Plus, I always like to see how an author of adult novellas or novels fares in other genres, age groups, or fiction lengths. This one is a Middle Grade adventure where a young girl has to go through a magical apprenticeship and save her people. No pressure, I guess.
Excitement level: Very high.

Now Naomi Kritzer's book Liberty's Daughter was the only book I hadn't even heard of. I did fall head over heels in love with the CatNet books, so I am excited to see if this one is equally amazing. The synopsis sounds super intriguing.
Excitement level: Very high.

A book that's been on my radar since it came out but that I've been ignoring (like so many others) is To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose, which is also a finalist for the Andre Norton Award (the Nebula's YA category). I mean, this is about a dragon riding academy, but from the point of view of an Indigenous person who does not necessarily agree with the way the colonizers run this school. I look forward to every single aspect of this!
Excitement level: Super high!

Books I wish were here:

I knew it was a long shot, what with the first book not being on the ballot, but I would have loved to see Margaret Owen's Painted Devils on here. This fairy tale inspired series is near and dear to my heart, with characters that sneak their way into your soul and show a lot more depth than you first think.

Best Series (4ish/6)

Aliette de Bodard - The Universe of Xuya
Seanan McGuire - October Daye
Ann Leckie - Imperial Radch
Freya Marske - The Last Binding
Adrian Tchaikovsky - The Final Architecture
Charles Stross - The Laundry Files

Ah, the beloved/dreaded series category. I will reiterate what I say about it every year and that is: I love it. I have never managed to be fully caught up on all the books nominated in the category yet, but it has led me to so many authors, books, and series that have enriched my reading. What with certain series coming back over and over (I suspect Toby Daye will be returning until she finally has that trophy), I have been "forced" to try out new things and ended up loving some of them.

YES, Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy is here!!! I loved all three instalments, although I didn't enjoy the middle volume as much as the others. This was on my own nominating ballot, so I am thrilled it made the cut and I hope more people try out this steamy romantic fantasy series.
Books read: 3/3

I've been super good with catching up on this series, but with Seanan McGuire not just publishing one, but two volumes in 2023, I'd have to do a sprint to get anywhere near the latest book of the series. October Daye has grown on me a lot, especially with volumes 4 and 5 that dragged the carpet right out from under me. I'm not sure how many more books I can cram in until voting ends, but I'll do my best to at least read one more.
Excitement level: Pretty high.
Books read: 6/18 published

Tchaikovsky is back. Not only has he become the latest Hugo voter darling, but he's also damn prolific. I still haven't finished the Children of Time trilogy, but I'm okay with starting a new one. That is, until I saw that the first book is 1.100 pages long... Phew! I'm still kind of excited to read it but I have no real hope of finishing the entire trilogy.
Excitement level: uncertain, but mostly positive.
Books read: 0/3

Ann Leckie is here, too, and I'm so glad. I've been neglecting her an awful lot. Ancillary Justice was my favorite book the year it came out, yet I still haven't managed to finish that trilogy, nor read anything else by Leckie. This is the time to remedy that. I have no idea how far I'll get and I still don't know whether to first read Ancillary Sword/Justice or to just get right onto Translation State but the Imperial Radch series is at the top of my TBR.
Excitement level: High.
Books read: 1/5

With WorldCon back in the UK, Charles Stross is back on the ballot. I remember last time this series was nominated (I must have been LonCon3?), I dipped my toes into the Laundry Files waters and failed. It was like my attention slid off the story's back like rain off an umbrella. Now that may have been due to my mood at the time or a million other factors, so I will try again. But I doubt I'll get much further than one volume. I have read one novella entry (Equoid) which I quite loved, so I'm not completely new to the series.
Excitement level: on the lower side.
Books read: 0.5/12

Aliette de Bodard and I will probably not ever end up vibing. The few books by her I've read have ranged from "quite nice" to "my god, please, save me from this boredom" and I'm sad to say that - out of the three things I've read - two of them were at the lower end of that spectrum. The Universe of Xuya is well loved and I will give it another try, but I will read one of the older entries (probably a novella) rather than the latest novel. I bounced off The Red Scholar's Wake hard and don't want to subject myself to more of the same.
Excitement level: very low.
Books read: 1.5/??

Astounding Award for Best New Writer (3/6)

Moniquill Blackgoose
Sunyi Dean
Ai Jiang
Hannah Kaner
Em X. Liu
Xiran Jay Zhao

I am so glad to see Xiran Jay Zhao got their eligibility extended. I was one of the few people who didn't like their debut novel Iron Widow but that does not make what happend last year okay in any way. They should absolutely get another shot at this award, and I may even try reading Heavenly Tyrant if I get to it.

I have read books by Hannah Kaner (loved the potential and the writing, wasn't so in love with the lack of story progression), and Sunyi Dean (mostly loved it, only figured out there were some plotholes long after reading). The others are new to me, with Moniquill Blackgoose also nominated for a Lodestar.

Other Categories

I don't have a lot of immediate thoughts about the other categories, except that I'm so glad that the Last of Us episode "Long, Long Time" made it and I hope it wins, simply because it was so beautiful and amazing and made me cry like a baby.

I loved Nimona and am happy to see it here because I forgot to nominate it (shame!), and I am equally happy to see Poor Things which I saw just before the nomination period ended and did nominate. What a weird, but somehow great, and also funny movie that was. Emma Stone's Oscar is well-deserved and I'm curious to see if the Hugo crowd will go for this kind of film over something more fun and nerdy like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (which I also nominated, ahem).

I would like to see some different stuff in the Related Work category than only non-fiction about SFF (I know other people are quite happy with the way it is), so I nominated the Orilium Magical Readathon with no real hope that it would make it. But I'm going to keep nominating it and hoping that others find and join in this fun adventure. Which is happening right now, by the way, in the month of April. 😉

Now comes the stressful part. As I have a lot to catch up on this year, I will need to prioritize. Best Novel and Novella usually come first, but with a Lodestar ballot so exciting, I think I might put those books higher on the list. Best Series will be the one that I tackle last and within the category, I'll do my best to read at least the first book in the series I haven't started yet and then, if there's time, continue the ones I am already reading.

Let's all enjoy this year's Hugo Award season. May our reading time be plenty, the Hugo Voter Pack arrive swiftly, and may we all enjoy the finalists.