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Women Sci-Fi Writer Winners Dominate The Hugo Awards

By Ani Bundel

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In a triumph over those who attempted to keep the Hugos a “No Girls Allowed” club, this weekend the Sci-Fi award winner were dominated by women.

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The Hugo Awards were doled out this weekend at MidAmeriCon II, which was held this year in Kansas City. The Hugos have in the last two years become a poster child for the post GamerGate landscape. In 2015, the nominations process was taken over by Theodore Beale (aka Vox Day), who lead his troupe of “Rabid Puppies” to force the slate to be filled with only white male writers, some of whom agreed with their reactionary and misogynistic views. This year, they attempted the same gaming of the system, but the pushback was such that in the end it backfired.

By the time the winners were all said and done, all four writing categories for Sci-Fi/Fantasy went to women writers, three of whom are women of color. Best Novel went to The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Best Novella to Binti by Nnedi Okorafor, Best Novelette to “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, and Best Short Story to “Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer. Considering that not even ten years ago, these awards didn’t even have female nominees, let alone winners, this is a huge step forward.

Jemisin, who has been the direct subject of Beale’s attacks in the past (and on Sunday after the award winners were announced) was not in attendance. Her speech was read aloud by by Campbell nominee Alyssa Wong. In it, she addressed what is referred to as “Puppy-gate.”

"“Only a small number of ideologues have attempted to game the Hugo Awards. That small number can easily be overwhelmed, their regressive clamor stilled, if the rest of SFF fandom simply stands up to be counted. Stands up to say that yes, they do want literary innovation, and realistic representation. Stands up to say that yes, they do just want to read good stories — but what makes a story good is skill, and audacity, and the ability to consider the future clearly rather than through the foggy lenses of nostalgia and privilege.”"

She also says she was “thrilled {voters} would choose to vote for the story of a forty-something big-boned dredlocked woman of color waging an epic struggle against the forces of oppression.”

Once again, the voters of the Hugos did their best to beat the Puppy slate down. Last year, there was a record setting five “No Awards” declared, as voters chose not to give an award rather than give one to a Puppy endorsed nominee. This year, there were only two, proving that the puppies simply didn’t have the same clout. It was also satisfying that Beale, who had gotten the puppies to nominate him for Best Editor, lost out on that category to a woman.

In all, it was fantastic to see the Hugos triumph once again over the forces of anti-progress. And for those who feel like Jessica Jones was overlooked this year at the Emmys, take heart, because the series finale “AKA Smile,” took home the award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

Congrats to all the winners. (Full List Below.)

  • Best Novel: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
  • Best Novella: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
  • Best Novelette: “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, translated Ken Liu (Uncanny Magazine, Jan-Feb 2015)
  • Best Short Story: “Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld, January 2015)
  • Best Related Work: (No Award)
  • Best Graphic Story: The Sandman: Overture, written by Neil Gaiman, art by J.H. Williams III (Vertigo)
  • Best Dramatic Presentation (long form): The Martian screenplay by Drew Goddard, directed by Ridley Scott (Scott Free Productions; Kinberg Genre; TSG Entertainment; 20th Century Fox)
  • Best Dramatic Presentation (short form): Jessica Jones: “AKA Smile,” written by Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, and Jamie King, directed by Michael Rymer (Marvel Television; ABC Studios; Tall Girls Productions; Netflix)
  • Best Editor – short form: Ellen Datlow
  • Best Editor – long form: Sheila E. Gilbert
  • Best Professional Artist: Abigail Larson
  • Best Semiprozine: Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, and Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky
  • Best Fanzine: File 770, edited by Mike Glyer
  • Best Fancast: (No Award)
  • Best Fan Writer: Mike Glyer
  • Best Fan Artist: Steve Stiles
  • The John W. Campbell Award (for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2014 or 2015, sponsored by Dell Magazines, not a Hugo Award): Andy Weir
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