Comments: In 1968, Anne McCaffrey won a Hugo Award for her Novella Weyr Search, breaking up the science fiction boys club and becoming the first woman to win the award, tying Philip José Farmer for the honor. Elsewhere, the Hugo Awards proceeded mostly in their normal fashion. Roger Zelazny, Fritz Lieber, and Harlan Ellison took home another statuette each. Most of the nominations were dominated by the usual suspects.
This year is somewhat notable for two reasons other than Anne McCaffrey's historic first. In the Best Dramatic Presentation category, Star Trek absolutely dominated the award, as all five of the nominees were Star Trek episodes, and the winning entry was the Harlan Ellison written City on the Edge of Forever. This year was also the first year in which there were nominations withdrawn from consideration, as Jack Gaughan withdrew his name from consideration for Best Fan Artist, and both Harlan Ellison and Alexei Panshin with drew their names from consideration as Best Fan Writer. These three nominations are all bizarre. Gaughan had won the award for Best Professional Artist in 1967, and took home that award again this year. How he got nominated for Best Fan Artist at the same time is a complete mystery. Panshin won a Nebula Award for his novel Rite of Passage in 1968, so his nomination seems somewhat strange, but it is at least defensible on the ground that he didn't publish much professionally prior to this year. Ellison's nomination for Best Fan Writer, on the other hand, is simply bizarre. Ellison had already won a Hugo Award before, and took home two in this year as well. The only explanation I can come up with is some of those doing the nominating thought the award was for Best Fan Favorite, and not Best Fan Writer.
Best Novel
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Other Nominees:
The Butterfly Kid by Chester Anderson
Chthon by Piers Anthony
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany
Thorns by Robert Silverberg
Best Novella
(tie) Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip José Farmer (reviewed in More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II)
(tie) Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey (reviewed in More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II)
Other Nominees:
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny
Hawksbill Station by Robert Silverberg
The Star Pit by Samuel R. Delany
Best Novelette
Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber (reviewed in More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II)
Other Nominees:
Faith of Our Fathers by Philip K. Dick
Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes by Harlan Ellison
Wizard's World by Andre Norton
Best Short Story
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison (reviewed in More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II)
Other Nominees:
Aye, and Gomorrah... by Samuel R. Delany
The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven
Best Dramatic Presentation
Star Trek: The City on the Edge of Forever
Other Nominees:
Star Trek: Amok Time
Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine
Star Trek: Mirror, Mirror
Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles
Best Professional Magazine
If edited by Frederik Pohl
Other Nominees:
Fantasy & Science Fiction edited by Joseph W. Ferman
Galaxy edited by Frederik Pohl
New Worlds edited by Michael Moorcock
Best Professional Artist
Jack Gaughan
Other Nominees:
Chesley Bonestell
Frank Frazetta
Frank Kelly Freas
Gray Morrow
John Schoenherr
Best Fanzine
Amra edited by George Scithers
Other Nominees:
Australian SF Review edited by John Bangsund
Lighthouse edited by Terry Carr
Odd edited by Raymond D. Fisher
Psychotic edited by Richard E. Geis
Yandro edited by Robert Coulson and Juanita Coulson
Best Fan Writer
Ted White
Other Nominees:
Ruth Berman
Harlan Ellison [nomination withdrawn]
Alexei Panshin [nomination withdrawn]
Harry Warner, Jr.
Best Fan Artist
George Barr
Other Nominees:
Johnny Chambers
Jack Gaughan [nomination withdrawn]
Steve Stiles
Arthur Thomson
Betty Jo "Bjo" Trimble
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1967
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1969
Book Award Reviews Home
No comments:
Post a Comment