Comments: In 1972 all of the written fiction awards were won by men who had previously won a Hugo Award. I'm not sure exactly what this means: it could either be a sign that quality writers consistently turn out quality fiction, or a sign that the genre was in danger of becoming an exclusionary inbred club. I'm going to go with the first possibility, because all three of the winning stories from 1972 are excellent fiction.
This year also avoided the embarrassing "No Winner" result in the Best Dramatic Presentation category that afflicted 1971, with the decidedly dystopian A Clockwork Orange taking home the prize, although it did beat out what can only be described as some fairly indifferent competition.
On a side note, although he did not win a Hugo Award this year, Robert Silverberg managed the still impressive feat of having two novels nominated in the Best Novel category.
Best Novel
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
Other Finalists:
Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg
The World Inside by Robert Silverberg
Best Novella
The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson (reviewed in The Hugo Winners, Volume 3, Book 1)
Other Finalists:
Dread Empire by John Brunner
The Fourth Profession by Larry Niven
A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
A Special Kind of Morning by Gardner Dozois
Best Short Story
Inconstant Moon by Larry Niven (reviewed in The Hugo Winners, Volume 3, Book 1)
Other Finalists:
All the Last Wars at Once by George Alec Effinger
The Autumn Land by Clifford D. Simak
The Bear with the Knot on His Tail by Stephen Tall
Sky by R.A. Lafferty
Vaster than Empires and More Slow by Ursula K. Le Guin
Best Dramatic Presentation
A Clockwork Orange
Other Finalists:
The Andromeda Strain
I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus (album)
The Name of the Game: LA 2017
THX 1138
Best Professional Magazine
Fantasy & Science Fiction edited by Edward L. Ferman
Other Finalists:
Amazing Stories edited by Ted White
Fantastic edited by Ted White
Galaxy edited by Ejler Jakobsson
Best Professional Artist
Frank Kelly Freas
Other Finalists:
Vincent Di Fate
Jack Gaughan
Jeff Jones
John Schoenherr
Best Fanzine
Locus edited by Charles Brown and Dena Brown
Other Finalists:
Energumen edited by Michael Glicksohn and Susan Glicksohn
Granfalloon edited by Ron and Linda Bushyager
SF Commentary edited by Bruce Gillespie
Best Fan Writer
Harry Warner, Jr.
Other Finalists:
Terry Carr
Tom Digby
Susan Glicksohn
Rosemary Ullyot
Bob Vardeman
Best Fan Artist
Tim Kirk
Other Finalists:
Alicia Austin
Grant Canfield
Wendy Fletcher
Bill Rotsler
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1971
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1973
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