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Here are the finalists for the 2025 Hugo Awards

Andrew Liptak -

This year's World Science Fiction Convention is taking place in Seattle later this summer, and ahead of the event, the con has announced the finalists for this year's Hugo Awards.

The awards are the best-known for the science fiction community: nominated and voted on each year by the convention's members. Here are last year's winners.

Why are they called the Hugo Awards?
A history of science fiction’s biggest award
Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak

This is one of those interesting years where the finalists are pretty different from the books that I would have thought would end up on the list (Any of the novels here I would have thought would have made the list), and it's a good reminder that fandom isn't homogeneous! I've heard a lot of good thing about many of these entries, and there are a bunch that I'll be adding to my TBR soon.

Here are the finalists for this year's award: (I've added links to where the stories are available online.)

Best Novel

  • Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (My review)
  • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
  • Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
  • A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
  • The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Best Novella

  • The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
  • The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
  • Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard
  • The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
  • The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (My review)
  • What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

Best Novelette

Best Short Story

Best Series

  • Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse
  • The Burning Kingdoms by Tasha Suri
  • InCryptid by Seanan McGuire
  • Southern Reach by Jeff VanderMeer
  • The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Best Graphic Story or Comic

  • The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
  • The Hunger and the Dusk: Vol. 1 written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Chris Wildgoose
  • Monstress, Vol. 9: The Possessed written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
  • My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book 2 by Emil Ferris
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way written by Ryan North, art by Chris Fenoglio
  • We Called Them Giants written by Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, lettering by Clayton Cowles
  • “Charting the Cliff: An Investigation into the 2023 Hugo Nomination Statistics” by Camestros Felapton and Heather Rose Jones
  • r/Fantasy’s 2024 Bingo Reading Challenge (r/Fantasy on Reddit), presented by the r/Fantasy Bingo team: Alexandra Forrest (happy_book_bee), Lisa Richardson, Amanda E. (Lyrrael), Arka (RuinEleint), Ashley Rollins (oboist73), Christine Sandquist (eriophora), David H. (FarragutCircle), Diana Hufnagl, Pia Matei (Dianthaa), Dylan H. (RAAAImmaSunGod), Dylan Kilby (an_altar_of_plagues), Elsa (ullsi), Emma Surridge (PlantLady32), Gillian Gray (thequeensownfool), Kahlia (cubansombrero), Kevin James, Kopratic, Kristina (Cassandra_sanguine), Lauren Mulcahy (Valkhyrie), Megan, Megan Creemers (Megan_Dawn), Melissa S. (wishforagiraffe), Mike De Palatis (MikeOfThePalace), Para (improperly_paranoid), Sham, The_Real_JS, Abdellah L. (messi1045), AnnTickwittee, Chad Z. (shift_shaper), Emma Smiley (Merle), Rebecca (toughschmidt22), smartflutist661
  • “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” by Jenny Nicholson
  • Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right by Jordan S. Carroll
  • Track Changes by Abigail Nussbaum
  • “The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion” by Chris M. Barkley and Jason Sanford

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

  • Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve
  • Flow, screenplay by Gints Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža, directed by Gints Zilbalodis
  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, screenplay by George Miller and Nick Lathouris, directed by George Miller
  • I Saw the TV Glow, screenplay by Jane Schoenbrun, directed by Jane Schoenbrun
  • Wicked, screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, directed by Jon M. Chu
  • The Wild Robot, screenplay by Chris Sanders and Peter Brown, directed by Chris Sanders

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

  • Fallout: “The Beginning” written by Gursimran Sandhu, directed by Wayne Che Yip
  • Agatha All Along: “Death’s Hand in Mine” written by Gia King & Cameron Squires, directed by Jac Schaeffer
  • Doctor Who: “Dot and Bubble” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Fissure Quest” created by Mike McMahan and written by Lauren McGuire based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Brandon Williams
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation” created and written by Mike McMahan, based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Megan Lloyd
  • Doctor Who: “73 Yards” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams

Best Game or Interactive Work

  • Caves of Qud, co-creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat; contributors Nick DeCapua, Corey Frang, Craig Hamilton, Autumn McDonell, Bastia Rosen, Caelyn Sandel, Samuel Wilson
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard produced by BioWare
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom produced by Nintendo
  • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes produced by Simogo
  • Tactical Breach Wizards developed by Suspicious Developments
  • 1000xRESIST developed by sunset visitor 斜陽過客, published by Fellow Traveller

Best Editor, Short Form

  • Scott H. Andrews
  • Jennifer Brozek
  • Neil Clarke
  • Jonathan Strahan
  • Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
  • Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form

  • Carl Engle-Laird
  • Ali Fisher
  • Lee Harris
  • David Thomas Moore
  • Diana M. Pho
  • Stephanie Stein

Best Professional Artist

  • Micaela Alcaino
  • Audrey Benjaminsen
  • Rovina Cai
  • Maurizio Manzieri
  • Tran Nguyen
  • Alyssa Winans

Best Semiprozine

  • The Deadlands, publisher Sean Markey; editors E. Catherine Tobler, Nicasio Andres Reed, David Gilmore, Laura Blackwell, Annika Barranti Klein; proofreader Josephine Stewart; columnist Amanda Downum; art and design Cory Skerry, Christine M. Scott; social media Felicia Martínez; assistant Shana Du Bois.
  • Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and Valerie Valdes, assistant editors Premee Mohamed and Kevin Wabaunsee, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart, producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht; and the entire Escape Pod team
  • FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, publisher and executive editor DaVaun Sanders, poetry editor B. Sharise Moore, art director Christian Ivey, acquiring editors Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Egbiameje Omole, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, sponsor coordinator Nelson Rolon
  • khōréō, produced by Zhui Ning Chang, Aleksandra Hill, Danai Christopoulou, Isabella Kestermann, Kanika Agrawal, Sachiko Ragosta, Lian Xia Rose, Jenelle DeCosta, Melissa Ren, Elaine Ho, Ambi Sun, Cyrus Chin, Nivair H. Gabriel, Jeané Ridges, Lilivette Domínguez, Isaree Thatchaichawalit, Jei D. Marcade, M. L. Krishnan, Ysabella Maglanque, Aaron Voigt, Adialyz Del Valle Berríos, Adil Mian, Akilah White, Alexandra Millatmal, Anselma Widha Prihandita, E. Broderick, K. S. Walker, Katarzyna Nowacka, Katie McIvor, Kelsea Yu, Lynn D. Jung, Madeleine Vigneron, Marie Croke, Merulai Femi, Phoebe Low, S. R. Westvik, Sanjna Bhartiya, Sara Messenger, Sophia Uy, Tina Zhu, Yuvashri Harish, Zohar Jacobs
  • Strange Horizons, by the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective
  • Uncanny Magazine, publishers and editors-in-chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine

  • Ancillary Review of Books, editors Jake Casella Brookins, Zachary Gillan, Lane Gillespie, Misha Grifka Wander, Gareth A. Reeves, Bianca Skrinyár, Cynthia Zhang
  • Black Nerd Problems, editors William Evans and Omar Holmon
  • The Full Lid, written by Alasdair Stuart and edited by Marguerite Kenner
  • Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice L. Newman, associate writers Cora Buhlert, Jessica Holmes, Kerrie Dougherty, Kris Vyas-Myall, and Natalie Devitt, and the rest of the Journey team
  • Journey Planet, edited by Allison Hartman Adams, Amanda Wakaruk, Ann Gry, Jean Martin, Sara Felix, Sarah Gulde, Chuck Serface, David Ferguson, Olav Rokne, Paul Weimer, Steven H Silver, Christopher J. Garcia and James Bacon
  • Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, editors Olav Rokne and Amanda Wakaruk

Best Fancast

Best Fan Writer

  • Camestros Felapton
  • Abigail Nussbaum
  • Roseanna Pendlebury
  • Jason Sanford
  • Alasdair Stuart
  • Örjan Westin

Best Fan Artist

  • Iain J. Clark
  • Sara Felix
  • Meg Frank
  • Michelle Morrell
  • Alison Scott
  • España Sheriff

Best Poem

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book

  • The Feast Makers by H.A. Clarke
  • Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
  • The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko
  • Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee
  • Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger
  • So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Astounding Award for Best New Writer (sponsored by Dell Magazines)

  • Moniquill Blackgoose (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Bethany Jacobs (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Hannah Kaner (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Angela Liu (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Jared Pechaček (1st year of eligibility)
  • Tia Tashiro (2nd year of eligibility)

The awards will be presented at this year’s Seattle WorldCon, between August 13th and 17th. What catches your eye and what are you rooting for?