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Hugo 2016 shortlists announced, dominated by ‘Puppies’-backed titles

In the US, the shortlists for the 2016 Hugo Awards have been announced, amid controversy over the final ballot being dominated by titles promoted by conservative voting blocs, reports the Guardian. The shortlisted titles for best novel are: Ancillary Mercy (Ann Leckie, Orbit); The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass (Jim Butcher, Orbit); The Fifth Season (N K Jemisin, Orbit); Seveneves (Neal Stephenson, HarperCollins); and Uprooted (Naomi Novik, Pan). Finalists were also announced in 16 other categories. The awards, which honour the best science-fiction and fantasy works of the previous year, are chosen and voted on by members of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Science Fiction Conventions (WorldCons). For the second year in a row, the shortlists feature a number of finalists promoted by the ‘Sad Puppies’ campaign and the breakaway ‘Rabid Puppies’ group, which were established to counter what the groups saw as a perceived tendency by the Hugos to award left-wing or liberal works or authors. Both groups encourage supporters to buy WorldCon memberships and nominate from a list of recommended titles the campaign has collated. The success of the campaigns last year resulted in several finalists withdrawing from the awards, author and Hugo winner Connie Willis withdrawing from presenting a prize, and a record five ‘No Awards’ being presented at the awards as an alternative to any of the nominated finalists in those categories. The winners will be announced on 20 August at the 2016 WorldCon, to be held in Kansas. For the full shortlists, visit the Hugo website here.

 

Category: International news