The Hugo Awards are given out by science fiction fans at the annual World Science Fiction Convention. They’ve been handed out annually ever since 1955.
A few years ago some fans had the brilliant idea of handing out retro Hugos - a series of nominations for what could have been the Hugo nominations that year, 50 years earlier, if the Hugos had been given out then.
This year’s Noreascon (to be held in Boston over Labor Day weekend) has issued its nomination for the Retro Hugos for works published in 1953. Here are the story nominees:
Best Novel
The Caves of Steel — Isaac Asimov (Galaxy, Oct.–Dec. 1953)
Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury (Ballantine)
Childhood’s End — Arthur C. Clarke (Ballantine)
Mission of Gravity — Hal Clement (Astounding, Feb.–July 1953)
More than Human — Theodore Sturgeon (Ballantine)
Best Novella
“Un-Man” — Poul Anderson (Astounding, Jan. 1953)
“A Case of Conscience” — James Blish (If, Sept. 1953)
“The Rose” — Charles L. Harness (Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, March 1953)
“Daughters of Earth” — Judith Merrill (The Petrified Planet, Twayne, 1953)
“…And My Fear is Great…” — Theodore Sturgeon (Beyond Fantasy Fiction, July 1953)
Best Novelette
“Sam Hall” — Poul Anderson (Astounding, Aug. 1953)
“The Adventure of the Misplaced Hound” — Poul Anderson & Gordon R. Dickson (Universe, Dec. 1953)
“Earthman, Come Home” — James Blish (Astounding, Nov. 1953)
“The Wall Around the World” — Theodore Cogswell (Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Sept. 1953)
“Second Variety” — Philip K. Dick (Space Science Fiction, May 1953)
Best Short Story
“Star Light, Star Bright” — Alfred Bester (Fantasy & Science Fiction, July 1953)
“It’s a Good Life” — Jerome Bixby (Star Science Fiction Stories #2, Ballantine)
“The Nine Billion Names of God” — Arthur C. Clarke (Star Science Fiction Stories #1, Ballantine)
“Seventh Victim” — Robert Sheckley (Galaxy, April 1953)
“A Saucer of Loneliness” — Theodore Sturgeon (Galaxy, Feb. 1953)
No matter how you think any the stories hold up individually, that is an amazing list. The real Golden Age of Sf was the early 50s, not the 40s. These are the novels and stories that defined how modern science fiction would be considered and remembered.
It’s beyond belief that this year’s Hugo nominations will be remembered this fondly 50 years from now.
The complete list of all current and retro nominations can be found at the link I gave above.