Comments: In 1984 Return of the Jedi won the third Hugo Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation category for the Star Wars saga. Each of the first three Star Wars movies coasted to Hugo award victories in this category. But with this victory, the Star Wars saga's time in the spotlight was ended. Not only did none of the later-produced prequel movies not win any Hugo Awards, they weren't even nominated for any. This was partially the result of the increased quality of the competition faced by the movies, but it was also traceable to the fact that Lucas burned a lot of bridges with his many revisions of the original trilogy, as well as the generally poor level of storytelling represented by the prequel trilogy. There are few things sadder than seeing a strong story disintegrate into a mess, but that is what happened with Star Wars, and their history at the Hugo Awards reflects this dismal truth.
On a happier note, this is also the year that the best Semi-Prozine category was introduced, separating those magazines that turned a profit and paid their writers from the Fanzines that mostly do not do either of those things. Locus, the most prominent of the magazines that fit into the new category, promptly won the award, and it has dominated the category ever since.
Best Novel
Startide Rising by David Brin
Other Finalists:
Millennium by John Varley
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy
Best Novella
Cascade Point by Timothy Zahn
Other Finalists:
Hardfought by Greg Bear
Hurricane Claude by Hilbert Schenck
In the Face of My Enemy by Joseph H. Delaney
Seeking by David R. Palmer
Best Novelette
Blood Music by Greg Bear
Other Finalists:
Black Air by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Monkey Treatment by George R.R. Martin
The Sidon in the Mirror by Connie Willis
Slow Birds by Ian Watson
Best Short Story
Speech Sounds by Octavia E. Butler
Other Finalists:
The Geometry of Narrative by Hilbert Schenck
The Peacemaker by Gardner Dozois
Servant of the People by Frederik Pohl
Wong's Lost and Found Emporium by William F. Wu
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Vol. 3 by Donald H. Tuck
Other Finalists:
Dream Makers, Volume II by Charles Platt
The Fantastic Art of Rowena by Rowena Morrill
The High Kings by Joy Chant
Staying Alive: A Writer's Guide by Norman Spinrad
Best Dramatic Presentation
Return of the Jedi
Other Finalists:
Brainstorm
The Right Stuff
Something Wicked This Way Comes
WarGames
Best Professional Editor
Shawna McCarthy
Other Finalists:
Terry Carr
Edward L. Ferman
David G. Hartwell
Stanley Schmidt
Best Professional Artist
Michael Whelan
Other Finalists:
Val Lakey Lindahn
Don Maitz
Rowena Morrill
Barclay Shawt
Best Semi-Prozine
Locus edited by Charles N. Brown
Other Finalists:
Fantasy Newsletter/Fantasy Review edited by Robert A. Collins
Science Fiction Chronicle edited by Andrew Porter
Science Fiction Review edited by Richard E. Geis
Whispers edited by Stuart David Schiff
Best Fanzine
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
Other Finalists:
Ansible edited by Dave Langford
Holier Than Thou edited by Marty Cantor and Robbie Cantor
Izzard edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
The Philk Fee-Nom-Ee-Non edited by Paul J. Willett
Best Fan Writer
Mike Glyer
Other Finalists:
Richard E. Geis
Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Arthur Hlavaty
Dave Langford
Best Fan Artist
Alexis Gilliland
Other Finalists:
Brad W. Foster
Joan Hanke-Woods
William Rotsler
Stu Shiffman
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
R.A. MacAvoy
Other Finalists:
Joseph H. Delaney
Lisa Goldstein
Warren Norwood
Joel Rosenberg
Sheri S. Tepper
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1983
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1985
1984 Hugo Longlist Book Award Reviews Home