Links to our previous discussions, for my ease of reference, and for anyone else who’s interested. And for members of Anticipation, you have until midnight tonight to vote; so go vote.
Best Novella
- “The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress
- “The Political Prisoner” by Charles Coleman Finlay
- “The Tear” by Ian McDonald
- “True Names” by Cory Doctorow and Benjamin Rosenbaum
- “Truth” by Robert Reed
Best Novellette
- “Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick
- “The Gambler” by Paolo Bacigalupi
- “Pride and Prometheus” by John Kessel
- “The Ray-Gun: A Love Story” by James Alan Gardner
- “Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear
Best Short Story
- “26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss” by Kij Johnson
- “Article of Faith” by Mike Resnick
- “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal
- “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang
- “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled” by Michael Swanwick
Concluding thoughts? Not many; I think I’ve said pretty much everything I could say at some point along the line. I’ve used No Award on all three of the above ballots, but there’s a potentially excellent set of winners in there, and I don’t even think it’s a terrible slate, all told, just a middling one; and I’m feeling quite trenchant tonight about what I do and don’t want to win, so No Award gets used. The novella category is probably the most interesting to me, the short story category the least; and as ever, it will be interesting to see what didn’t make the ballot.
All that aside, though, I’ve rather enjoyed the discussion process — not that there was much discussion in all cases, but when it did happen it was good! So I’m tempted to keep on reading short stories and rounding up discussion of them here, possibly on a bi-weekly basis, probably focusing on new, online stories (after all, there are next year’s Hugo nominations to think about). Good idea? Bad idea? And if the former, does anyone have suggestions for stories they’d like to put on the slate? I’ve been mulling posting something about Rachel Swirsky’s “Eros, Philia, Agape” since I read it, for instance, and I keep meaning to read more of Futurismic‘s fiction. Thoughts?
vector-bsfa.com 
Please do keep posting about short fiction!
And I’d really like to see you do both the things you mention specifically. “Eros, Philia, Agape” is a story that impressed from the start and has seemed to grow in memory — probably needs a reread. I’d love to see what you thought. And I have liked what Futurismic has done for years now, even before their fiction hiatus a couple years ago.
I second what Rich says – please do keep posting about short fiction! It’s certainly something I’d try and participate in more in future, even if my attempts at the Hugo shorts has been a bit patchy.
Just to be clear, I wasn’t planning to stop forever and never mention short fiction again here; it was more whether the model of collective reading and discussion seemed sustainable.
Another possibility: something from the Philippine sf sampler.
I like the collective reading-and-discussing, and I’d like to see it continue. I am more likely to be an active contributor if the short fiction is towards the shorter end, as I find it harder to find time to sit down and read a novella.
Yes, I’d agree with that. But then, the only novella currently fully available online that I can think of that I’d like to read/discuss is this one by Paul McAuley.
*crosses fingers on the Philippine SF sampler*