So I am reading through my email when I come accross a book blog from Amazon.com. It’s in the Science Fiction and Famtasy newsletter. Although I know Amazon’s book editorial staff is very on-the-ball about books and Amazon readership, I was still surprised to find a post related to this year’s Hugo Awards, a real big deal to science fiction and fantasy writers and readers. What immediately caught my attention was a reference to the apparent rift between the rather rigorously “hard core” awarders and the rest of the SF&F community. The chasm between the two has become great enough this year, apparently, to leave several award categories without a clear winner. *

Find the post (which contains a link to all award categories) here: Hugo Awards 

My husband is a supporter of “hard” SF, and we are constantly arguing about the meanings of “good science” versus ideas that inspire hard science findings. Although I admit to not being a big fan of the Star Trek type science fiction series, I think that there is a lot of merit to the novels that can reach more of the general population instead of just scientists and mathematicians. For example, Charles Stross’ Laundry Files series may contain mathematical and physics references that don’t mean a great deal to me, at least Stross uses English to explain a lot of the passages that make my eyes water. I figure he gives readers the option of skipping either the scientific/mathematical jargon or the simpler explanations written in plainer terms. Either way, he keeps both the hardliners and the merely interested –well, interested. 

Visit the blog from Amazon to see both the nominees and winners (where clear winners emerged).

* Addendum. Apparently, a certain percentage of award (25%!) ballots need to be received for a nominee to qualify as a finalist. That means that, regardless of placement, some categories end up with only one or two qualifying choices. There was apparently enough disagreement among nominates/voters so that no actual majority is achieved in several award categories.

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