Hugo Winner Meme

[patgund]

Gakked from selenite. (and since there's a couple on this list I flat out don't like, I commented on those......)

It's a list of the Hugo winners for Best Novel. I've bolded the ones I've read and italicized the ones I own.

2005 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke
2004 Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2003 Hominids, Robert J. Sawyer
2002 American Gods, Neil Gaiman
2001 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J. K. Rowling
2000 A Deepness in the Sky, Vernor Vinge
1999 To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
1998 Forever Peace, Joe Haldeman
1997 Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson (AND BORING!!!!)
1996 The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson
1995 Mirror Dance, Lois McMaster Bujold
1994 Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson (Dull, dull, dull, dull and dull)
1993 Doomsday Book, Connie Willis
1993 A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge
1992 Barrayar, Lois McMaster Bujold
1991 The Vor Game, Lois McMaster Bujold
1990 Hyperion, Dan Simmons (I don't think there are words to describe the level of distaste I have for this overblown piece of tripe......)
1989 Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
1988 The Uplift War, David Brin
1987 Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card
1986 Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
1985 Neuromancer, William Gibson
1984 Startide Rising, David Brin
1983 Foundation's Edge, Isaac Asimov
1982 Downbelow Station, C. J. Cherryh
1981 The Snow Queen, Joan D. Vinge
1980 The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C. Clarke
1979 Dreamsnake, Vonda N. McIntyre
1978 Gateway, Frederik Pohl
1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
1976 The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
1975 The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin
1974 Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
1973 The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov
1972 To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip José Farmer
1971 Ringworld, Larry Niven
1970 The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
1969 Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
1968 Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
1967 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A. Heinlein
1966 Dune, Frank Herbert
1966 "...And Call Me Conrad" (This Immortal), Roger Zelazny
1965 The Wanderer, Fritz Leiber
1964 "Here Gather the Stars" (Way Station), Clifford D. Simak
1963 The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
1962 Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
1961 A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M., Miller Jr
1960 Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
1959 A Case of Conscience, James Blish
1958 The Big Time, Fritz Leiber
1956 Double Star, Robert A. Heinlein
1955 They'd Rather Be Right (The Forever Machine), Mark Clifton & Frank Riley
1953 The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester

Comments

[ismarc.livejournal.com]

Funny, I never thought of the Harry Potter books as Hugo material. Not that they aren't good, mind you, but...

And while I liked American Gods I also didn't think it was Hugo material, especially as the story (in my opinion) seemed to unravel a bit toward the end. Though I will credit Gaimen with presenting an appealing philosophical theory on the nature of godhood and divinity.

I didn't really love Diamond Age either. This isn't due to the story, which appeals to me, so much as Stephenson's writing style, which just didn't mesh with my brain's geometry (definitely non-Euclidean). Though I do think that he is more worthy to share company with Heinlein than some of those on the list. But then these are just my opinions.

Am I alone in feeling that David Weber should be (or hopefully will be) on that list?

[patgund.livejournal.com]

I like David Weber. At least the early stuff before he got into his infamous "data dumps". But as much as I like him, I really can't think of anything he's written that would be hugo material. The War God series maybe, but that's fantasy. The Dahak books are good, but not that good. (and don't get me started on the train wreck the Honor Harrington books have become anymore. IMHO, the only decent portions of the last one were the ones that *didn't* deal with war or the Republic of Haven)

[ismarc.livejournal.com]

The War God series maybe, but that's fantasy.

I agree that it misses the Hugo mark due to being fantasy. I think that's my problem with Goblet of Fire and even with American Gods.

The Dahak books were very enjoyable, and while I do share your assessment that they aren't quite up to the Hugo, I also believe they meet the same standard of some of the other works that have received a Hugo. Though there was at one part of the second book (Armageddon Inheritance) that was so damn predictable I wanted to send Weber a mail-bomb.

I haven't progressed along the Honor Harrington series far enough to get to where he "jumped the shark" (to use a bad meme) but the earlier Harrington books are quite enjoyable and worthy of a Hugo, I think. I'm guessing that the later books spend to much time on the bloody politics and less on the characters.

I think Weber has the capability to produce Hugo material, it's just a matter of slowing down and doing the work.

[patgund.livejournal.com]

"I haven't progressed along the Honor Harrington series far enough to get to where he "jumped the shark" (to use a bad meme) but the earlier Harrington books are quite enjoyable and worthy of a Hugo, I think. I'm guessing that the later books spend to much time on the bloody politics and less on the characters."

Politics are part of the it, but the battle scenes have become "Who has the bigger technological dick this time, Manticore/Grayson or Haven". The character development in the last one was fun, but the rest was a slog.

I'm starting to think continuing with the series may be the reader's Test........

[ismarc.livejournal.com]

...reader's Test?

And at least The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant never received a Hugo. [wink]

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Reader's Test as to what the Tester wants that is :-) (Sorry, I admit, I have a soft spot for the Grayson's)

And agreed. To say I hate the Thomas Covenant series is an understatement

<i>1970 The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin</i>

[inyou.livejournal.com]

I noticed that you own but have not read this book. I would highly recommend reading it. It has a very interesting concept of gender in it.

Re: <i>1970 The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin</i>

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Ack, that should have been read, but not owned.......bother, will fix