In 1955, the first ever Hugo for a Short Story was awarded to Eric Frank Russell. Now at the end of Season 2, Jack and Sam read this inaugural winner. A military spaceship's crew is preparing for a routine inspection, when one item on the list is unknown to everyone. Captain McNaught is not losing his chance of getting a promotion over this and devises a plan. A fun story on how it feels both of its time. but pokes fun at some bureaucratic nonsense you can find in any large organization.Recommendations:Catch-22 by Joseph HellerM*A*S*HSupport Us on Ko-fiFollow us on Bluesky!This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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20 - The 2023 Chengdu Worldcon
In 2023, Worldcon took place in the Chinese city of Chengdu, the first time the event had been hosted in the country. The announcement was already metwith criticism from writers and sci-fi fans, but the event seemed to go smoothly and the Hugos were awarded as they had been for decades. Then a few months later it was discovered that the Chengdu committee has disqualified and flagged works they preemptively deemed anti-People's Republic of China, leading to botched nominees and winners. The author of Short Story Award publicly rejected her status as a winner, and so Jack and Sam discuss what happened, how easily one can be mislead into authoritarianism, and how many people had to keep making the wrong choices for this to happen at all. Mentioned in this episode:"Rabbit Test" by Samantha MillsA Breakdown of the Chengdu ScandalEmails Related to 2023 Hugo Awards Censorship“Rabbit Test” unwins the Hugo Next Episode: 1955's "Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell Support Us on Ko-fiFollow us on Bluesky! This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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19 - "The Very Pulse of the Machine" (1999)
Michael Swanwick successfully used his strategy of taking over the nominee slates to win the 1999 Hugo Short Story Award (where Michael Jordan was the Toastmaster?). After discussions on puppets and the necessary need to fund the arts and, you know, the government, Sam and Jack read into the story of a pair of astronauts, one very dead and the other close to being so. Stranded on the sulfuric moon of Io around Jupiter, Martha walks, hikes, and crawls to her space shuttle and safety as her air supply drains. Luckily, she has some company when her dead partner's corpse starts speaking through the radio.Not mentioned but this story was adapted into a episode of Netflix's animated anthology, Death, Sex, and RobotsRecommendations:Gravity directed by Alfonso CuaronDeath Stranding developed by Kojima ProductionsThe Martian by Andy WeirWorld War Z- Christina Eliopolis chapter by Max BrooksStaying AliveNext Episode: 2023's Rabbit Test by Samantha MillsSupport Us on Ko-fiFollow us on Bluesky!This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:12:28
18 - "The 43 Antarean Dynasties" (1998)
Discussions of abuse and assault allegations against Neil Gaiman from 8:00-15:45Our first repeat author episode is Mike Resnick, who wrote a story that feels right at home next to "Kirinyaga". But first, Jack and Sam have a lot to get to,from dealing with the latest revelations from a once admired writer to the works of John Steinbeck. After that, it's time for a tour of Antares III, a planet fullof incredible architecture and a fascinating history. It's a shame that the human tourists care so little for it.Mentioned in the episode:Lila Shapiro's article on Neil GaimanInvisible Cities by Italo CalvinoRecommendations:Listen back to our episode on "Kirinyaga"Dahomey directed by Mati Diop1491 by Charles C. Mann"Ozymadias" by Percy Bysshe ShelleyThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh NguyenWilliam Dalrymple's The Anarchy and Return of a KingNext Episode: 1999's "The Very Pulse of the Machine" by Michael SwanwickSupport Us on Ko-fiFollow us on Bluesky!This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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17 - "'The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems' A Wellsian Perspective" (1997)
At the end of this episode, Sam says "Thank you for watching" despite a podcast being something you listen to, not view. A tragic mistake if there ever was one.The legendary Connie Willis presents what is easily the most unique format for a story we've read so far. A fictional literary dissertation on two newly discovered Emily Dickinson poems, and the writer's hypothesis on the strange world and methods needed for this poems to be authentic when they were apparently written 11 years after Dickinson's death! Her arguments have some holes. Fans of lengthy footnote section will certainly enjoy the read, although Sam and Jack had some issues with the first comedic story on the showRecommendations:The War of the Worlds (2005) directed by Steven SpielbergWorld War Z by Max BrooksAsh: A Secret History by Mary GentleNext Episode: 1998's "The 43 Antarean Dynasties" by Mike ResnickSupport Us on Ko-fiFollow us on Bluesky!This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Every Hugo Ever is the show exploring the history and legacy of the science fiction genre through the illustrious Hugo Awards! Each week co-hosts Jack Alexander and Samael Johnson will read and discuss the winner of the Hugo Short Story Award, ranking them one by one to discover the best of the best. With over 50 years of history, there's plenty to discover. Join us to read fascinating stories, find your new favorite author, get a fun recommendation, and figure out if we can find the through line across decades of robots, rockets, and ringworlds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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