Comments: In 2009 Neil Gaiman continued his dominance of the Hugo Awards by winning the award for Best Novel for the second time, taking home the rocket statue for The Graveyard Book. At this point, it seems like anyone who is nominated for a Hugo against a work by Gaiman, a work related to something by Gaiman, or a work that Gaiman may have once approvingly thought about, should just start practicing their concession smile. The same could probably be said for Ted Chiang, but he tends to write more short fiction and not things like novels, novels that are adapted into movies, and episodes of the Doctor Who television series, so he isn't as widely known as Gaiman.
And while I'm mentioning the Doctor Who television series, I think I would be remiss if I pointed out that it didn't win the Hugo Award for Best Short Form Dramatic Presentation, which instead went to the brilliant Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. This is interesting, because it shows that an internet based project will be taken seriously by the Hugo voters. That the Doctor Who show not winning is notable is a testament to how dominant that show has become. I have to wonder, though, if the combined dominance of Neil Gaiman and Doctor Who is a passing thing, or an indication that the tastes of science fiction fans who vote for the Hugo Awards is narrowing?
Finally, this year saw the introduction of a new category - an award for Best Graphic Story, which was promptly won by Phil and Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius story Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones. Given the history of graphic novels, this award was long overdue. On the other hand, given the greatness of the Sandman series, if this award had been around for longer, it probably just would have given Neil Gaiman more Hugos to put on his trophy shelf.
Best Novel
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Other Finalists:
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Saturn's Children by Charles Stross
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Best Novella
The Erdmann Nexus by Nancy Kress
Other Finalists:
The Political Prisoner by Charles Coleman Finlay
The Tear by Ian McDonald
True Names by Benjamin Rosenbaum and Cory Doctorow
Truth by Robert Reed
Best Novelette
Shoggoths in Bloom by Elizabeth Bear
Other Finalists:
Alastair Baffle's Emporium of Wonders by Mike Resnick
The Gambler by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel
The Ray-Gun: A Love Story by James Alan Gardner
Best Short Story
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Other Finalists:
26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss by Kij Johnson
Article of Faith by Mike Resnick
Evil Robot Monkey by Mary Robinette Kowal
From Babel's Fall'n Glory We Fled by Michael Swanwick
Best Nonfiction, Related, or Reference Work
Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi
Other Finalists:
Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn
Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art edited by Arnie Fenner and Cathy Fenner
The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl and John Helfers
What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction by Paul KincaidBest Graphic Story
Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones by Phil Foglio, and Kaja Foglio
Other Finalists:
The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf
Fables: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham, art by Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy
Schlock Mercenary: The Body Politic by Howard Tayler
Serenity: Better Days by Brett Matthews and Joss Weedon, art by Will Conrad
Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan
Best Dramatic Presentation: Long Form
WALL-E
Other Finalists:
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
METAtropolis
Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form
Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Other Finalists:
Battlestar Galactica: Revelations
Doctor Who: Turn Left
Doctor Who: Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead
Lost: The Constant
Best Professional Editor: Short Form
Ellen Datlow
Other Finalists:
Stanley Schmidt
Jonathan Strahan
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams
Best Professional Editor: Long Form
David G. Hartwell
Other Finalists:
Lou Anders
Ginjer Buchanan
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Beth Meacham
Best Professional Artist
Donato Giancola
Other Finalists:
Daniel Dos Santos
Bob Eggleton
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Best Semi-Prozine
Weird Tales edited by Stephen H. Segal and Ann VanderMeer
Other Finalists:
Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke, Nick Mamatas, and Sean Wallace
Interzone edited by Andy Cox
Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kristine Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
Best Fanzine
Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
Other Finalists:
Argentus edited by Steven H Silver
Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer
Best Fan Writer
Cheryl Morgan
Other Finalists:
Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
Steven H Silver
Best Fan Artist
Other Finalists:
Alan F. Beck
Brad W. Foster
Sue Mason
Taral Wayne
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
David Anthony Durham
Other Finalists:
Aliette de Bodard
Felix Gilman
Tony Pi
Gord Sellar
What Are the Hugo Awards?
Go to previous year's finalists: 2008
Go to subsequent year's finalists: 2010
2009 Hugo Longlist Book Award Reviews Home