Hugo Award for Best Novelette Prediction
The Hugo Awards are just a couple months away and I’ve been steadily reading through the nominees for the main written categories. A few weeks ago, I offered my prediction for Best Short Story, and today I’m predicting the winner for Best Novelette.
First, here is the list of nominees.
The 2018 Hugo Award Nominees for 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).
I really enjoyed these novelettes. Each was interesting in its own way, offering a unique universe and writing style. As I recently discussed in my clarity vs. confusion post, I’m partial to a more clear style of science fiction. I found “Extracurricular Activities” to be a bit confusing, which hindered my reading experience of it.
My top three favourites from the list are “The Secret Life of Bots,” “Wind Will Rove,” and “A Series of Steaks.” I thought these were well-written and very well-thought out stories. They also kept me wanting to read.
Prediction: “The Secret Life of Bots”
My prediction for the winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novelette is “The Secret Life of Bots.” I highly recommend this sci-fi story about a brave little robot. It’s an extremely creative hard sci-fi story that is still accessible and understandable. It’s an exciting story with a lot at stake for the characters. My second guess would be “Wind Will Rove.” This story about an intergenerational space voyage is emotionally compelling, really diving into the characters.
I can’t wait to find out which novelette wins.
If you’re looking for something new to read, check out these novelettes. They certainly won’t disappoint.
