Elitist Book Reviews

So. The Hugo Awards. Maybe you've heard of them. They come in a mixed bag of good and bad, full of second guessing and "should-haves". Here at Elitist Book Reviews, we were nominated for the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Fanzine. It was a big deal. I didn't expect us to win, so it came as no surprise when SF Signal was awarded the Hugo.

By nature I'm a rather competitive guy. Those of you that know me are very much aware of this. It's what's made me successful in my day-job as an accountant for a Department of Defense contractor. So to be nominated for a big-time award? Heaven have mercy. I knew we weren't going to win, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to win. I wanted to win because I just like winning, but also because it would serve as a recognition of sorts to you readers and to my reviewers who do such an amazing job here at EBR.

But we didn't win.

A few things happened at the ceremony. First, I was really nervous. I blame Lou Anders. We were hanging out before the ceremony and Lou suddenly says, "Well dang. I'm nervous now." This naturally made me feel the same way. Nervousness in contagious, and for me, Lou was Patient Zero. I couldn't eat. I couldn't drink. And I knew I didn't have a chance at the award. Yikes.

I sat by Stina Leicht and Max Gladstone and their spouses at the Hugo Awards ceremony (they were both up for the Campbell Award this year). Awesome people. Completely awesome. They wished me well before the ceremony, and knew just what to say after losing. When SF Signal won, a few things happened:

1) I was incredibly relieved.
2) I was sooooooo thirsty.
3) I was starving.

I know, I know. Deep, deep thoughts there.

I admit, even though I knew I wasn't going to win, I still had that hollow feeling of disappointment. For myself, for my reviewers, for our readers, and for those that voted for us to win. I had this odd sensation that I'd somehow let everyone down. And then they announced that Writing Excuses had won the Hugo for Best Related Work. I got to see some of my good friends receive the Hugo Award. Shortly thereafter Brandon Sanderson won for THE EMPEROR'S SOUL. Wow. Just wow.

I was positively thrilled for them all.

And suddenly I didn't really care that EBR had lost.

After the ceremony I turned into a serial hugger, not unlike Chris Garcia over at The Drink Tank. I may be competitive, but I also love to see my deserving friends succeed. I had a long chat with the fellas at SF Signal (who are incredible people), and as excited I was to see them win, they were equally excited for EBR's nomination. There's room for everyone in the category we occupy at the Hugo Awards. As I told John DeNardo at SF Signal, as long as I'm getting people to read books, I'm a happy camper. And as he said in his acceptance speech, it doesn't matter the format - pixel or paper - we need to be accepting of the good stuff in SF&F in all its forms.

During WorldCon and since, I was and have been flooded with well-wishes. You know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. There were a ton of people at WorldCon who had no clue who the heck I was, or what Elitist Book Review was. Hopefully I left people with a good impression. I met some of the most awesome people ever (looking at you, Max, Stephanie, Stina, Tacheyon, Wes, Genese, Eric, Justin, Kasey etc, etc, etc...).

We didn't win the Hugo Award this year. That's OK.

Because it would be AMAZING to win next year in London. So, to all of EBR's UK readers, you know what to do (and if you don't, shoot me an email...seriously). If EBR is nominated, I'll be going.

See you in London.

This is it everyone. If you can vote for the Hugo Awards, you have have until July 31st to do so. Honestly, vote for who you feel is best and most deserving, but most of all, JUST VOTE!

So who are we voting for? Well, that's a bit complicated in some aspects. It's a very odd field this time around, especially in short fiction. I know we usually review the short fiction, but there doesn't seem to be any point to it. We just end up saying, "Hey we really liked this one. But we can't discuss it without major spoilers because of how short the pieces of fiction are.

Stay with us for a moment while we digress a tad bit here. Short fiction is pretty weird. It just isn't as readily available to the reading masses as novels. You don't just go onto Amazon or to B&N and grab a short story. That's why you only see three short stories nominated this year. It's disappointing. Most readers don't want to pay a subscription to a magazine in hopes that they get a couple short stories they like. I don't know what the solution is.

Anywho, here is a quick list of who we, as a consensus here at EBR, are voting for. Each of our individual picks may be different than what you see on this list, but this is our group-think.

Oh! Before we get there, one last thing. We sincerely hope that you think EBR is the most deserving in the category of Best Fanzine, but if not, we completely understand.

No, really. We really do get it. This is is all a matter of personal opinion, isn't it? So really, you can't be wrong. There is no right or wrong answer. Regardless of what happens, we are all overwhelmed by the well-wishes and congratulations we have received. It is an honor, and we are humbled...well, as much as we CAN be humbled!

To all those who nominated us, thank you. You are amazing! Regardless of the result, we will continue working hard here at EBR. We will continue give you reviews and interviews. It's the least we can do for readers as awesome as you all.

Now, back to the voting. Here we go:

Best Novel:
REDSHIRTS - John Scalzi

Best Novella:
The Emperor's Soul - Brandon Sanderson

Best Novelette:
Fade To White - Catherynne M Valente
(This one was really hard to choose)

Best Short Story:
Mono No Aware - Ken Liu

Best Related Work:
Writing Excuses Season Seven - Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story:
(We were evenly divided here, so we are listing both)
Schlock Mercenary: Random Access Memorabilia - Written and illustrated by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton
Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks - Written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:
The Avengers
(All the movies here were good, so to us, it doesn't matter who wins)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form:
Fringe, “Letters of Transit”

Best Editor, Short Form:
Jonathan Strahan

Best Editor, Long Form:
(Again, we split)
Toni Weisskopf
Lou Anders

Best Professional Artist:
(Yes, another tie)
Vincent Chong
John Picacio

Best Semiprozine:
Clarkesworld

Best Fanzine:
Elitist Book Reviews - Edited by Steven Diamond

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer:
Chuck Wendig


So there you have it. If you don't see a category here, it's because we didn't feel like we knew enough to make an educated vote.One thing we will not do is just put someone down. That's not how we roll. If we don't know, we don't know.

To all the nominees, good luck!

*Note from Steve: I will be at WorldCon this year. Feel free to find me and chat. When not on panels (I'm on four so far), I'll be running around trying to meet my favorite authors, artists and editors. Don't hesitate to approach me...I'm really not that special. And I like to talk. A lot.

Well holy crap! If you pay attention to the Hugo Awards, you know that the nominees for the 2013 Hugo Awards were announced today. So who has ten thumbs and is nominated for a Hugo? THESE GUYS here at Elitist Book Reviews!!!!

...you get it right? There are five reviewers here at EBR...ten thumbs...never mind.

Here at Elitist Book Reviews, we are positively thrilled to be nominated. A lot of thanks goes out to all of you that had memberships to WorldCon this year. It is because of you that we have been nominated. There were a few people who were campaigning for us (Larry Correia, for example), and we thank you for your kind and enthusiastic recommendations. A big congratulations to everyone nominated, and it's great to see a bunch of friends on this list!

Mainly, I want to thank the amazing reviewers here at EBR. Vanessa, Shawn, Nick S, and Dan. You guys are awesome, and I couldn't run this site without you four. Awkward hugs and kisses for everyone!!

So what happens next? Well, those people that have memberships to LoneStarCon 3 (this year's WorldCon in San Antonio) can vote. At that convention, the award ceremony will be held and the winners announced. Obviously, we'd totally love to win. That's where YOU come in.

Look, we can only do so much for ourselves. Limited staff and all that. The rest is up to you.

THAT'S RIGHT! YOU DECIDE WHO WINS!!!

Ahem...

Now, below is the full list of nominees. We'll be reviewing all the short fiction, and we'll give you our picks for the awards once we've had a chance to read over the stuff we haven't already read. Here we go:

Best Novel

• 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• Blackout by Mira Grant (Orbit)
• Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
• Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (Tor)
• Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (DAW)

Best Novella

• After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications)
• The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)
• On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
• San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant (Orbit)
• “The Stars Do Not Lie” by Jay Lake (Asimov's, Oct-Nov 2012)

Best Novelette

• “The Boy Who Cast No Shadow” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts: Unfit For Eden, PS Publications)
• “Fade To White” by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld, August 2012)
• “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” by Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris)
• “In Sea-Salt Tears” by Seanan McGuire (Self-published)
• “Rat-Catcher” by Seanan McGuire (A Fantasy Medley 2, Subterranean)

Best Short Story

• “Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld, June 2012)
• “Mantis Wives” by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, August 2012)
•  “Mono no Aware” by Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC)

Note: category has 3 nominees due to a 5% requirement under Section 3.8.5 of the WSFS constitution.

Best Related Work

• The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature Edited by Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (Cambridge UP)
• Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them Edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Sigrid Ellis (Mad Norwegian Press)
• Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who Edited by Deborah Stanish & L.M. Myles (Mad Norwegian Press)
• I Have an Idea for a Book… The Bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg Compiled by Martin H. Greenberg, edited by John Helfers (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box)
• Writing Excuses Season Seven by Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story

• Grandville Bête Noire written and illustrated by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse Comics, Jonathan Cape)
• Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• Saga, Volume One written by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
• Schlock Mercenary: Random Access Memorabilia by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton (Hypernode Media)
• Saucer Country, Volume 1: Run written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Ryan Kelly, Jimmy Broxton and Goran Sudžuka (Vertigo)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• The Avengers Screenplay & Directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel Studios, Disney, Paramount)
• The Cabin in the Woods Screenplay by Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon; Directed by Drew Goddard (Mutant Enemy, Lionsgate)
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, Directed by Peter Jackson (WingNut Films, New Line Cinema, MGM, Warner Bros)
• The Hunger Games Screenplay by Gary Ross & Suzanne Collins, Directed by Gary Ross (Lionsgate, Color Force)
• Looper Screenplay and Directed by Rian Johnson (FilmDistrict, EndGame Entertainment)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

• Doctor Who: “The Angels Take Manhattan” Written by Steven Moffat, Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
• Doctor Who: “Asylum of the Daleks” Written by Steven Moffat; Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
• Doctor Who: “The Snowmen” Written by Steven Moffat, Directed by Saul Metzstein (BBC Wales)
• Fringe: “Letters of Transit” Written by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Akiva Goldsman, J.H.Wyman, Jeff Pinkner. Directed by Joe Chappelle (Fox)
• Game of Thrones: “Blackwater” Written by George R.R. Martin, Directed by Neil Marshall. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (HBO)

Best Editor, Short Form

• John Joseph Adams
• Neil Clarke
• Stanley Schmidt
• Jonathan Strahan
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form

• Lou Anders
• Sheila Gilbert
• Liz Gorinsky
• Patrick Nielsen Hayden
• Toni Weisskopf

Best Professional Artist

• Vincent Chong
• Julie Dillon
• Dan Dos Santos
• Chris McGrath
• John Picacio

Best Semiprozine

• Apex Magazine edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Jason Sizemore and Michael Damian Thomas
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies edited by Scott H. Andrews
• Clarkesworld edited by Neil Clarke, Jason Heller, Sean Wallace and Kate Baker
• Lightspeed edited by John Joseph Adams and Stefan Rudnicki
• Strange Horizons edited by Niall Harrison, Jed Hartman, Brit Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, Sonya Taaffe, Dave Nagdeman and Rebecca Cross

Best Fanzine

• Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
• The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia and James Bacon
• Elitist Book Reviews edited by Steven Diamond
• Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Emma J. King, Helen J. Montgomery and Pete Young
• SF Signal edited by John DeNardo, JP Frantz, and Patrick Hester

Best Fan Writer

• James Bacon
• Christopher J Garcia
• Mark Oshiro
• Tansy Rayner Roberts
• Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist

• Galen Dara
• Brad W. Foster
• Spring Schoenhuth
• Maurine Starkey
• Steve Stiles

Best Fancast

• The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
• Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
• SF Signal Podcast, Patrick Hester, John DeNardo, and JP Frantz
• SF Squeecast, Elizabeth Bear, Paul Cornell, Seanan McGuire, Lynne M. Thomas, Catherynne M. Valente (Presenters) and David McHone-Chase (Technical Producer)
• StarShipSofa, Tony C. Smith

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

• Zen Cho
• Max Gladstone
• Mur Lafferty
• Stina Leicht
• Chuck Wendig