Comments: In 1991, Lois McMaster Bujold took home the Best Novel prize for her Miles Vorkosigan adventure The Vor Game. While this represented yet another step for women in science fiction, the full import of this victory would not be clear until 1992. In the other written fiction categories, reasonably solid choices were made, although all were won by men, and the bulk of the nominees were men. Science fiction has made strides with respect to gender equality, but it still has a long way to go.
In the Best Dramatic Presentation category, the bizarre Tim Burton-directed Edward Scissorhands took the prize, beating out a mostly indifferent collection of competitors, demonstrating that the Hugo voters are willing to look past the popular but mundane, such as Back to the Future III, and embrace the ethereal, the weird, and the surreal.
Best Novel
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Other Finalists:
Earth by David Brin
The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Queen of Angels by Greg Bear
The Quiet Pools by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Best Novella
The Hemingway Hoax by Joe Haldeman
Other Finalists:
Bones by Pat Murphy
Bully! by Mike Resnick
Fool to Believe by Pat Cadigan
A Short, Sharp Shock by Kim Stanley Robinson
Best Novelette
The Manamouki by Mike Resnick
Other Finalists:
A Braver Thing by Charles Sheffield
The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, A Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skunk by Dafydd ab Hugh
Over the Long Haul by Martha SoukupTower of Babylon by Ted Chiang
Best Short Story
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
Other Finalists:
Cibola by Connie Willis
Godspeed by Charles Sheffield
The Utility Man by Robert Reed
VRM-547 by W.R. Thompson
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Other Finalists:
Bury My Heart at W.H. Smith's by Brian W. Aldiss
Hollywood Gothic by David J. Skal
Science Fiction in the Real World by Norman Spinrad
Science Fiction Writers of America Handbook edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith
Best Dramatic Presentation
Edward Scissorhands
Other Finalists:
Back to the Future III
Ghost
Total Recall
The Witches
Best Professional Editor
Gardner Dozois
Other Finalists:
Ellen Datlow
Edward L. Ferman
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Stanley Schmidt
Best Professional Artist
Michael Whelan
Other Finalists:
Thomas Canty
David A. Cherry
Bob Eggleton
Don Maitz
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
Quantum edited by D. Douglas FratzScience Fiction Chronicle edited by Andrew Porter
Best Fanzine
Lan's Lantern edited by George "Lan" Laskowski
Other Finalists:
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
FOSFAX edited by Janice Moore and Timothy Lane
Mainstream edited by Jerry Kaufman and Suzanne Tompkins
Mimosa edited by Richard Lynch and Nicki Lynch
Best Fan Writer
Dave Langford
Other Finalists:
Avedon Carol
Mike Glyer
Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Arthur Hlavaty
Evelyn C. Leeper
Best Fan Artist
Teddy Harvia
Other Finalists:
Merle Insinga
Peggy Ranson
Stu Shiffman
Diana Stein
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Julia Ecklar
Other Finalists:
Nancy A. Collins
John Cramer
Scott Cupp
Michael Kandel
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1990
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1992
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