Comments: 1990 seems to have been the year for retrospective musings from established giants of the science fiction field, as both Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein released memoirs (or in Heinlein's case, posthumously released a collection of letters and essays he had written before his death) and Harlan Ellison released a collection compiling a quarter century of film reviews and essays. These books all lost to Alexei and Corey Panshin's in-depth examination of the history of science fiction The World Beyond the Hill: Science Fiction and the Quest for Transcendence.
The other categories were fairly boring this year, with no real surprises and a collection of solid but unspectacular winners. The Best Dramatic Presentation category was somewhat interesting, not because the winner, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was undeserving, but rather because the eclectic variety of the nominees. The only thing that probably could be said of the Dramatic Presentation nominees as a group is that they were all so very unlike one another.
Best Novel
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Other Finalists:
The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson
A Fire in the Sun by George Alec Effinger
Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card
Best Novella
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
Other Finalists:
The Father of Stones by Lucius Shepard
Time-Out by Connie Willis
Tiny Tango by Judith Moffett
A Touch of Lavender by Megan Lindholm
Best Novelette
Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another by Robert Silverberg
Other Finalists:
At the Rialto by Connie Willis
Dogwalker by Orson Scott Card
Everything but Honor by George Alec Effinger
For I Have Touched the Sky by Mike Resnick
The Price of Oranges by Nancy Kress
Best Short Story
Boobs by Suzy McKee Charnas
Other Finalists:
Computer Friendly by Eileen Gunn
Dori Bangs by Bruce Sterling
The Edge of the World by Michael Swanwick
Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card
The Return of William Proxmire by Larry Niven
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work
The World Beyond the Hill: Science Fiction and the Quest for Transcendence by Alexei Panshin and Cory Panshin
Other Finalists:
Astounding Days by Arthur C. Clarke
Dancing at the Edge of the World by Ursula K. Le Guin
Grumbles from the Grave by Robert A. Heinlein
Harlan Ellison's Watching by Harlan Ellison
Noreascon Three Souvenir Book by Greg Thokar
Best Dramatic Presentation
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Other Finalists:
The Abyss
The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen
Batman
Field of Dreams
Best Professional Editor
Gardner Dozois
Other Finalists:
Ellen Datlow
Edward L. Ferman
David G. Hartwell
Beth Meacham
Charles C. Ryan
Stanley Schmidt
Best Professional Artist
Don Maitz
Other Finalists:
Jim Burns
Thomas Canty
David A. Cherry
James Gurney
Tom Kidd
Michael Whelan
Best Semi-Prozine
Locus edited by Charles N. Brown
Other Finalists:
Interzone edited by David Pringle
The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell, and Gordon van Gelder
Science Fiction Chronicle edited by Andrew PorterThrust edited by D. Douglas Fratz
Best Fanzine
The Mad 3 Party edited by Leslie Turek
Other Finalists:
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
FOSFAX edited by Timothy Lane
Lan's Lantern edited by George "Lan" Laskowski
Pirate Jenny edited by Pat Mueller
Best Fan Writer
Dave Langford
Other Finalists:
Mike Glyer
Arthur D. Hlavaty
Evelyn C. Leeper
Leslie Turek
Best Fan Artist
Stu Shiffman
Other Finalists:
Steve Fox
Teddy Harvia
Merle Insinga
Joe Mayhew
Taral Wayne
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Other Finalists:
Nancy A. Collins
John Cramer
Katherine Neville
Allen M. Steele
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1989
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1991
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