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Here Are The 2019 Hugo Award Winners

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Margaret Kingsbury

Contributing Editor

Margaret Kingsbury grew up in a house so crammed with books she couldn’t open a closet door without a book stack tumbling, and she’s brought that same decorative energy to her adult life. Margaret has an MA in English with a concentration in writing and has worked as a bookseller and adjunct English professor. She’s currently a freelance writer and editor, and in addition to Book Riot, her pieces have appeared in School Library Journal, BuzzFeed News, The Lily, Parents, StarTrek.com, and more. She particularly loves children’s books, fantasy, science fiction, horror, graphic novels, and any books with disabled characters. You can read more about her bookish and parenting shenanigans in Book Riot’s twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter. You can also follow her kidlit bookstagram account @BabyLibrarians, or on Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

The 2019 Hugo Award winners were announced yesterday at the 77th World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin, Ireland. These are my favorite awards to follow because anyone with a membership can vote, and I highly encourage any SFF readers to purchase a membership.

Mary Robinette Kowal won for best novel with The Calculating Stars, which also won the Nebula Award. That makes it the 25th novel to win both since 1966. It’s a feminist, alternate history of a 1950s affected by climate change, where Elma joins the International Aerospace Coalition to help its efforts to colonize space before humanity is wiped out. It’s the first book in a series. Kowal was presented the award by ACTUAL LADY ASTRONAUT JEANETTE J. EPPS! How cool is that!

— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) August 19, 2019

All of the winners are Book Riot and personal favorites. The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells are must-reads and previous winners of the award. Zen Cho is a favorite author and I can’t wait to read her winning novelette. Please read Alix E. Harrow’s winning short story, about witchy librarians and portal fantasies. You will be delighted. I anticipate another Hugo nomination for her next year for her absolutely amazing novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January, releasing September 10th. It’s also a portal fantasy though not directly related to the short story. I’m probably going to be the last person to read the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, but the first book is on my audiobook TBR for work. The same goes for the Monstress graphic novels–I’ve got to read those!

I’m intrigued by Archive of Our Own, the winner for Best Related Work. It’s a fan-created nonprofit for fanfiction and fanart. So cool! I’m also coveting the winner for Best Art Book–the Folio Society illustrated edition of The Wizards of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Charles Vess. Check out how beautiful the art is. I have a small collection of Folio books at home, and Ursula K. Le Guin is one of my favorite authors.

Congrats to all the winners!

The 2019 Hugo Award Winners

Best Novel

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

Best Novella

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Best Novelette

If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” by Zen Cho (B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog, 29 November 2018)

Best Short Story

A Witch’s Guide To Escape: A Practical Compendium Of Portal Fantasies” by Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine, February 2018)

Best Series

Wayfarers by Becky Chambers

Best Graphic Story

Monstress Volume 3: Haven written y Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda

Lodestar Award For Best Young Adult Book

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Best Related Work

Archive Of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

John W. Campbell Award For Best New Writer

Jeannette Ng

Best Art Book

The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by Charles Vess

Best Professional Editor, Long Form

Navah Wolfe

Best Professional Editor, Short Form

Gardner Dozois

Best Professional Artist

Charles Vess

Best Semiprozine

Uncanny Magazine edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

The Good Place: “Janet(s)” written by Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan, directed by Morgan Sackett

Best Fanzine

Lady Business edited by Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay & Susan

Best Fancast

Our Opinions Are Correct hosted by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders

Best Fan Writer

Foz Meadows

Best Fan Artist

Likhain (Mia Sereno)