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Earlier this week the World Science Fiction Society announced this year's Hugo Award nominees (the Hugo is one of the most prestigious awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy writing)--and in a genre that has traditionally been dominated by men, 4 of this year's 5 nominees are women.
Way back when I was a teenager, sci-fi absolutely seemed a very male world. To succeed, women like James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice Bradley Sheldon) and Lewis Padgett (Catherine Moore) wrote pseudonymously in order (one assumed) to be accepted and published. It is exciting--for me at least--to see female authors today fully accepted and lauded for their legitimate creative contributions.
The 2011 Hugo Awards will be announced at Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention, taking place this year in Reno, Nevada, on August 17-21. You can read samples of each of the novel nominees by clicking on the links below (in addition, links to many of the novella, novelette and short story nominees exist on the Renovation website):
- Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra) * *
- Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)* *
- The Dervish House* * by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)* *
- Feedby Mira Grant (Orbit)* *
- The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Interestingly, Renovation's planning committee had no way of knowing in advance how this year's nominees would shake out, gender-wise--which makes their choice of theme ("Discover the New Frontiers") and entertainment ("Girl Genius Ball")--seem particularly serendipitous!
