2018 Hugo finalists

[psocoptera]

So I think this is a terrific ballot, probably significantly influenced by how many of my nominees got on here, woooo! You can read them here if you want to see the list without all my commentary.

Behind the cut, ballot w/commentary:

My nominees in bold.

Best Novel

The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi (Tor)
New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Provenance, by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
Raven Stratagem, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
Six Wakes, by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)

I enjoyed (but did not nominate) Provenance and Six Wakes and look forward to reading Collapsing Empire. I'm less excited about KSR these days although would appreciate input if any of y'all have read it and have opinions. Would of course have enjoyed seeing either of my other nominees (Stars Are Legion and Autonomous) on here but I think this is a very reasonable-looking ballot.

My vote: Stone Sky
Prediction: Stone Sky

Best Novella

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
“And Then There Were (N-One),” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
Binti: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
The Black Tides of Heaven, by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Down Among the Sticks and Bones, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
River of Teeth, by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)

I enjoyed Binti: Home although I didn't nominate it (it sort of felt like a bridge to Night Masquerade to me, which I'm definitely nominating next year). Not at all surprised to see McGuire on here, pleased to only see her once, and I don't mind that I'll be reading the hippopotamus western after all.

My vote: proooobably (N-One)?
Prediction: All Systems maybe?

Best Novelette

“Children of Thorns, Children of Water,” by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
“Extracurricular Activities,” by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
“The Secret Life of Bots,” by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
“A Series of Steaks,” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
“Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time,” by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
“Wind Will Rove,” by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)

So I think I didn't read that de Bodard novelette because it was a tie-in to her novel series that I want to read but haven't read yet, but I guess now I'll read it and see how it stands alone? "Extracurricular Activities" was fun and I'm super excited to get "Wind" in the packet since I like Pinsker a lot but don't read Asimov's, what a great category.

My vote: probably "Small Changes"
Prediction: "Secret Life of Bots"

Best Short Story

“Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
“Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand,” by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
“Fandom for Robots,” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
“The Martian Obelisk,” by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
“Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™,” by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)

I liked "Carnival Nine" and "Sun, Moon, Dust". Don't think I read "Martian Obelisk" (or at least don't remember it).

My vote: Authentic
Prediction: Authentic

Best Related Work

Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction), by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler, edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)

No comments except I look forward to getting a bunch of these in the packet.

Best Graphic Story

Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time, written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood, written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
Paper Girls, Volume 3, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
Saga, Volume 7, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

The inevitable Saga, plus the rest of this looks reasonable?

Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form

Blade Runner 2049, written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Alcon Entertainment / Bud Yorkin Productions / Torridon Films / Columbia Pictures)
Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele (Blumhouse Productions / Monkeypaw Productions / QC Entertainment)
The Shape of Water, written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, directed by Guillermo del Toro (TSG Entertainment / Double Dare You / Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson (Lucasfilm, Ltd.)
Thor: Ragnarok, written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost; directed by Taika Waititi (Marvel Studios)
Wonder Woman, screenplay by Allan Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, directed by Patty Jenkins (DC Films / Warner Brothers)

Happy to see Thor: Ragnarok made it. Sad but not at all surprised that Your Name didn't. As things I have to watch for the Hugos go, I expect Get Out to be higher quality than most of them, and Blade Runner to be... fine.

Aaaaand I have to go, so, stay tuned for the second half later, I guess!