Comments: After a modest absence, Robert Silverberg returned to the ranks of Hugo nominees in 1981, with both a novel and a short story nominated, although neither won. The ranks of the nominees for Best Novel were also filled out by two sequels to novels that had both previously won Hugo Awards, which I'm sure had never happened before. Neither won, as the Best Novel trophy was taken by Joan D. Vinge for her novel Snow Queen.
In the Best Dramatic Presentation category I am sure no one was surprised by the fact that The Empire Strikes Back took home the rocket statue. But the interesting part of the ballot in 1981 was actually the losing nominees. Leaving aside the schlock-fest of the Dino de Laurentis Flash Gordon, the remaining nominees were all brilliant, but the most notable fact was that two of them - The Lathe of Heaven and Cosmos - were produced for and appeared on public television. This was a decidedly good year for Carl Sagan at the Hugo Awards: Not only did his miniseries Cosmos get nominated in the Best Dramatic Presentation category, the companion book he authored for the series, also named Cosmos, won the Best Nonfiction Book award.
Best Novel
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Other Nominees:
Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederik Pohl
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
Wizard by John Varley
Best Novella
Lost Dorsai by Gordon R. Dickson
Other Nominees:
All the Lies That Are My Life by Harlan Ellison
The Brave Little Toaster by Thomas M. Disch (reviewed in Fantasy & Science Fiction: Volume 116, Nos. 4 & 5 (April/May 2009))
Nightflyers by George R.R. MartinOne-Wing by Lisa Tuttle and George R.R. Martin
Best Novelette
The Cloak and the Staff by Gordon R. Dickson
Other Nominees:
The Autopsy by Michael Shea
Beatnik Bayou by John Varley
The Lordly Ones by Keith Roberts
Savage Planet by Barry B. Longyear
The Ugly Chickens by Howard Waldrop
Best Short Story
Grotto of the Dancing Deer by Clifford D. Simak
Other Nominees:
Cold Hands by Jeff Duntemann
Guardian by Jeff Duntemann
Our Lady of the Sauropods by Robert Silverberg
Spidersong by Susan C. Petrey
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Book
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Other Nominees:
Di Fate's Catalog of Science Fiction Hardware by Vincent Di Fate and Ian Summers
Dream Makers by Charles Platt
In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954-1978 by Isaac Asimov
Warhoon 28 by Walter A. Willis, edited by Richard Bergeron
Best Dramatic Presentation
The Empire Strikes Back
Other Nominees:
Cosmos (television series)
Flash Gordon
The Lathe of Heaven (television movie)
The Martian Chronicles (television series)
Best Professional Editor
Edward L. Ferman
Other Nominees:
Jim Baen
Terry Carr
Stanley Schmidt
George H. Scithers
Best Professional Artist
Michael Whelan
Other Nominees:
Vincent Di Fate
Steve Fabian
Paul Lehr
Don Maitz
Best Fanzine
Locus edited by Charles N. Brown
Other Nominees:
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
Science Fiction Chronicle edited by Andrew Porter
Science Fiction Review edited by Richard E. Geis
Starship edited by Andrew Porter
Best Fan Writer
Susan Wood
Other Nominees:
Richard E. Geis
Mike Glyer
Arthur D. Hlavaty
Dave Langford
Best Fan Artist
Victoria Poyser
Other Nominees:
Alexis Gilliland
Joan Hanke-Woods
Bill Rotsler
Stu Shiffman
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Somtow Sucharitkul
Other Nominees:
Kevin Christensen
Diane Duane
Robert L. Forward
Susan C. Petrey
Robert Stallman
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's nominees: 1980
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 1982
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