By JJ: To assist Hugo nominators, listed below are the series believed to be eligible as of this writing for the 2018 Best Series Hugo next year *†.
Each series name is followed by the main author name(s) and the 2017-published work.
Feel free to add missing series and the name of the 2017-eligible work in the comments, and I will get them included in the main post.
I just ask that suggesters (1) first do a Find on author surname on this page, to check whether the series is already on the list, and (2) then make an effort to verify that a series does indeed have 3 volumes, that it has a 2017-published work, and that it has likely met the 240,000 word threshold; last year I spent a considerable amount of time trying to verify suggested series, only to discover that they had fewer than 3 volumes, or nothing published in the current year, or weren’t anything close to 240,000 words (e.g., children’s books). Self-published works may or may not be added to the list at my discretion.
Note that the 2017 Hugo Administrator ruled that nominations for a series and one of its subseries will not be combined. Therefore, when nominating a subseries work, think carefully under which series name it should be nominated. If the subseries does not yet meet the 3-volume, 240,000 threshold, then the main series name should be nominated. If the subseries does meet that threshold, then the subseries name should probably be nominated. This will ensure that another subseries in the same universe, or the main series itself, would still be eligible next year if this subseries is a finalist this year.
Note also that the 2017 Best Series Finalists were not technically finalists for the newly-established Hugo; they were finalists for a special one-time Hugo of the same name given by Worldcon 75. However, it is possible – perhaps even probable – that the Hugo Administrator may choose to rule them ineligible in 2018 according to the rules for the category, so bear that in mind when making your nominations.
- 1632 by Eric Flint and a cast of thousands, 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught, 1636: Mission to the Mughals
- Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka, Bound
- Aliens by Alan Dean Foster, Alien Covenant and Alien Covenant Origins
- American Craft by Tom Doyle, War and Craft
- Ancillaryverse by Ann Leckie, Provenance
- Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, One Thousand Monsters
- Aspect-Emperor by R. Scott Bakker, The Unholy Consult
- Bel Dame Apocrypha by Kameron Hurley, “The Crossroads at Jannah”, “Godspeaker”, “Paint It Red” (short stories on Patreon)
- Ben Gold by Rajan Khanna, Raining Fire
- Birthright / Dead Enders by Mike Resnick, The Castle in Cassiopeia
- Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor, All These Worlds
- Bone Street Rumba by Daniel José Older, Battle Hill Bolero
- Bone Universe by Fran Wilde, Horizon
- Books of the Realms by Peter F Hamilton, A Voyage Through Air
- Broken Earth by N. K. Jemisin, The Stone Sky
- Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler, Wild Chamber
- Burned Man by Peter McLean, Damnation
- Cainsville by Kelley Armstrong, Rituals
- Cassandra Palmer by Karen Chance, Ride the Storm
- Celaena / Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, Tower of Dawn
- Central Corps by Elizabeth Bonesteel, Breach of Containment
- Change by S.M Stirling, The Sea Peoples
- Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neil, Blade Bound
- Children Trilogy by Ben Peek, The Eternal Kingdom
- Chronicles of Lucifer Jones by Mike Resnick, Voyages
- Chronicles of St. Mary’s by Jodi Taylor, And the Rest is History and The Long and the Short of It
- Clan Chronicles / Reunification by Julie E. Czerneda, To Guard Against the Dark
- Confederation / Peacekeeper by Tanya Huff, A Peace Divided
- Corporation Wars by Ken MacLeod, Emergence
- Cosmere / Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer
- Court of Fives by Kate Elliott, Buried Heart
- Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin
- *Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone, The Ruin of Angels (possibly ineligible due to being a finalist in 2017)
- Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, A Conjuring of Light
- DarkHaven by A. F. E. Smith, Windsinger
- Darkship Thieves by Sarah A. Hoyt, Darkship Revenge
- Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett, The Core
- Destroyermen by Taylor Anderson, Devil’s Due
- Devils’s Engine by Alexander Gordon Smith, Hellwalkers
- Diamond City Magic by Diana Pharaoh Francis, Shades of Memory
- Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milán, The Dinosaur Prince
- Dire Earth by Jason M. Hough, Injection Burn and Escape Velocity
- Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Miracles
- Diviners by Libba Bray, Before the Devil Breaks You
- Diving Universe by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, The Runabout (novella)
- Doctor Who by a cast of millions, The Pirate Planet by Douglas Adams and James Goss
- Dominion of the Fallen by Aliette de Bodard, The House of Binding Thorns and “Children of Thorns, Children of Water” (novelette) (2 novels and 1 novelette totalling more than 240,000 words)
- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, The End of Oz
- Dune by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, “The Waters Of Kanly” (novelette)
- Electric Empire by Viola Carr, The Dastardly Miss Lizzie
- Elemental Assassin by Jennifer Estep, Snared
- Empire of Storms by Jon Skovron, Blood and Tempest
- Enderverse by Orson Scott Card, Children of the Fleet and Renegat (novella)
- Eternal Sky / Lotus Kingdoms by Elizabeth Bear, The Stone in the Skull
- *Expanse by James S.A. Corey, Persepolis Rising and Strange Dogs (novella) (possibly ineligible due to being a finalist in 2017)
- Extinction Cycle by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Extinction War
- Fever by Karen Marie Morning, Feversong
- Fitz and the Fool by Robin Hobb, Assassin’s Fate
- Forbidden Library by Django Wexler, The Fall of the Readers
- Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, Convergence
- Frontlines by Marko Kloos, Fields of Fire
- Generations Trilogy by Scott Sigler, Alone
- Ghosts of Manhattan by George Mann, Ghosts of Empire
- Glass Thorns by Melanie Rawn, Playing to the Gods
- Golgotha by R.S. Belcher, The Queen of Swords
- Grand Tour: Star Quest Trilogy by Ben Bova, Survival
- Great Library by Rachel Caine, Ash and Quill
- Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell, Tyrant’s Throne
- Green Rider by Kristen Britain, Firebrand
- Grudgebearer Trilogy by J. F. Lewis, Worldshaker
- Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer, Glass Predator
- Heartstrikers by Rachel Aaron, A Dragon of a Different Color
- Hesperian Trilogy by Alan Smale, Eagle and Empire
- Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews, Wildfire
- His Dark Materials / Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, La Belle Sauvage
- Honorverse by David Weber, “Our Sacred Honor” (novelette)
- Hot War by Harry Turtledove, Armistice
- Hunter by Mercedes Lackey, Apex
- Imager Portfolio by L. E. Modesitt Jr., Assassin’s Price
- In Death by J.D. Robb, Echoes in Death and Secrets in Death
- Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White, The Skill of Our Hands (check word count)
- InCryptid by Seanan McGuire, Magic for Nothing
- Indranan War by K. B. Wagers, Beyond The Empire
- Infernal Devices by K. W. Jeter, Grim Expectations
- Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, The Lost Plot
- Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, Staked
- Ishmael Jones by Simon R. Green, Death Shall Come and Into the Thinnest of Air
- Ixia / Sitia by Maria V. Snyder, Dawn Study
- James Asher by Barbara Hambly, Pale Guardian
- Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter, Cold Reign
- Jill Kismet by Lilith Saintcrow, “Kiss” (short story)
- Joe Ledger by Jonathan Maberry, Dogs of War
- John Cleaver by Dan Wells, Nothing Left to Lose
- Jurisdiction by Susan R. Matthews, Blood Enemies
- Keeper of Tales by Ronlyn Domingue, The Plague Diaries
- Keiko by Mike Brooks, Dark Sky, Dark Deeds
- Kencyrath by P.C. Hodgell, The Gates of Tagmeth
- Kitty Katt by Gini Koch, Alien Education and Aliens Abroad
- Kitty Norville by Carrie Vaughn, “Dead Men in Central City” and “Bellum Romanum” (short stories)
- Kylara Vatta / Vatta’s Peace by Elizabeth Moon, Cold Welcome and “All in a Day’s Work” (short story) (must be nominated under Kylara Vatta, because the Vatta’s Peace subseries does not yet qualify based on wordcount)
- Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, Within the Sanctuary of Wings
- Langdon St. Ives by James P. Blaylock, River’s Edge
- Laundry Files by Charles Stross, The Delirium Brief
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Yoshiki Tanaka and translated by Tyran Grillo, Vol. 4: Stratagem and Vol. 5: Mobilization
- Legion of the Damned by William C. Dietz, “The Good Shepherd” (short story)
- Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, The Gathering Edge
- Lightless by C. A. Higgins, Radiate
- Lightship Chronicles by Dave Bara, Defiant and “Last Day Of Training” (short story)
- Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave
- Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Beren and Lúthien
- Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell (John G. Hemry), Vanguard and “Shore Patrol” (short story)
- Machine Dynasties by Madeline Ashby, reV
- Magisterium by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, The Silver Mask
- Maradaine by Marshall Ryan Maresca, The Holver Alley Crew
- Mass Effect by Jason M. Hough and K. C. Alexander (Karina Cooper), Nexus Uprising
- Merchant Princes by Charles Stross, Empire Games
- Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs, Silence Fallen
- Memory, Sorrow & Thorn by Tad Williams, The Heart of What Was Lost
- Micah Grey by Laura Lam, Masquerade
- Millennium’s Rule by Trudi Canavan, Successor’s Promise
- Miriam Black by Chuck Wendig, Thunderbird
- Monster Hunter by Larry Correia, Monster Hunter Siege
- *October Daye by Seanan McGuire, The Brightest Fell and Of Things Unknown (novella) (possibly ineligible due to being a finalist in 2017)
- Olympus Bound by Jordanna Max Brodsky, Winter of the Gods and Olympus Bound
- One Second After by William R. Forstchen, The Final Day
- Others by Anne Bishop, Etched in Bone
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall (collection)
- Oversight Trilogy by Charlie Fletcher, The Remnant
- Owl by Kristi Charish, Owl and the Electric Samurai
- Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger, Romancing the Werewolf (novella)
- Percy Jackson / Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan, The Ship of the Dead
- Percy Jackson / The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan, The Dark Prophecy (only book 2 of the subseries, so must be nominated as Percy Jackson)
- Perry Rhodan by a cast of billions, Terminus
- Pip and Flinx by Alan Dean Foster, Strange Music
- Plague Times by Louise Welsh, No Dominion
- Polity by Neal Asher, Infinity Engine
- Powder Mage / Gods of Blood and Powder by Brian McClellan, Sins of Empire (must be nominated under Powder Mage, because the Gods of Blood and Powder subseries does not yet qualify based on wordcount)
- Prospero’s War by Jaye Wells, Fire Water
- Psalms of Isaak by Ken Scholes, Hymn
- Psi-Tech by Jacey Bedford, Nimbus
- Queen of the Dead by Michelle Sagara West, Grave
- Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Thick as Thieves
- Rachel Morgan / The Hollows by Kim Harrison, The Turn
- Raksura by Martha Wells, The Harbors of the Sun
- Reckoners by Doranna Durgin, Reckoner Redeemed
- Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr., The Mongrel Mage and Recluce Tales (collection)
- Recoletta by Carrie Patel, The Song of the Dead
- Red Series by Linda Nagata, “Region Five” (short story)
- Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, “Night Passage” (novelette)
- *Rivers of London / Peter Grant by Ben Aaronovitch, The Furthest Station (novella) (possibly ineligible due to being a finalist in 2017)
- Riverside / Tremontaine by Ellen Kushner and gang, Tremontaine Season #3
- Roads to Moscow by David Wingrove, The Master of Time
- Roboteer by Alex Lamb, Exodus
- San Angeles by Gerald Brandt, The Rebel
- Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey, The Kill Society
- Scorched Continent by Megan E. O’Keefe, Inherit the Flame
- Secret Histories by Simon R. Green, Moonbreaker
- Seraphim by David Dalglish, Shadow Born
- Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly, Seriously Hexed
- Shadow by Lila Bowen, Malice of Crows
- Shadow Ops by Myke Cole, Siege Line
- Shannara by Terry Brooks, The Black Elfstone
- Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston, The Realms of God
- Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Tool of War
- Silence by D. Nolan Clark, Forbidden Suns
- Sin du Jour by Matt Wallace, Idle Ingredients and Greedy Pigs and Gluttony Bay (novellas) (series contains 6 novellas and 1 novelette, and may or may not meet the word count requirement)
- Skolian Empire / Major Bhaajan by Catherine Asaro, The Bronze Skies, “The Wages of Honor” (novelette) (must be nominated under Skolian Empire, because the Major Bhaajan subseries does not yet qualify based on wordcount)
- Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, Resurrection
- Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, The Sons of the Dragon (novella)
- Song of Shattered Sands by Bradley P. Beaulieu, With Blood Upon the Sand
- Souls of Fire by Keri Arthur, Ashes Reborn
- Soulwood by Faith Hunter, Flame in the Dark
- Spectra Files by Douglas Wynne, Cthulhu Blues
- Spellcrackers.com by Suzanne McLeod, The Hidden Rune of Iron
- Spiral Wars by Joel Shepherd, Defiance
- Split Worlds by Emma Newman, All Good Things
- Star Carrier by Ian Douglas, Dark Mind
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: by David R. George III, The Long Mirage; by Una McCormack, Enigma Tales
- Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation by Christopher L. Bennett, Patterns of Interference
- Star Trek: The Next Generation by Dayton Ward, Headlong Flight and Hearts and Minds
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Titan by David Mack and others, Fortune of War
- Star Trek: The Original Series by Christopher L. Bennett, The Face of the Unknown
- Star Trek: Section 31 by David Mack, Control
- Star Wars by Beth Revis, Rogue One: Rebel Rising; by Christie Golden, Inferno Squad; by various, From a Certain Point of View (anthology)
- Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Delilah S. Dawson, Phasma; by Claudia Gray, Leia, Princess of Alderaan; by Ken Liu, The Legends of Luke Skywalker
- Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, Thrawn
- Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig, Empire’s End
- Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind, Death’s Mistress
- Tales of the 22nd Century / Caine Riordan by Charles E. Gannon, Caine’s Mutiny, Taste of Ashes (novella)
- Task Force Ombra by Weston Ochse, Grunt Hero
- Tau Ceti Agenda by Travis S. Taylor, Kill Before Dying
- *Temeraire by Naomi Novik, Golden Age and Other Stories (collection of Temeraire stories) (possibly ineligible due to being a finalist in 2017)
- Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer, The Will to Battle
- Theirs Not To Reason Why by Jean Johnson, “How To Be A Barbarian in the Late 25th Century” (short story)
- Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron, The Fall of Dragons
- Transcendental Machine by James E. Gunn, Transformation
- Tufa by Alex Bledsoe, Gather Her Round
- Twenty-Sided Sorceress by Annie Bellett, Dungeon Crawl
- Vagrant by Peter Newman, The Seven
- View from the Imperium by Jody Lynn Nye, “Imperium Imposter” (short story)
- Virtues of War by Bennett R. Coles, March of War and “Twenty Excellent Reasons” (short story)
- Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust, Vallista
- Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts, Destiny’s Conflict
- White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, White Trash Zombie Unchained
- Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin and a cast of thousands, Mississippi Roll by George R.R. Martin, “The Atonement Tango” by Stephen Leigh (novelette) and “When the Devil Drives” by Melinda Snodgrass (novelette)
- Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, Lady of the Lake
- Wode by J. Tullos Hennig, Summerwode
- World of the Five Gods / Penric and Desdemona by Lois McMaster Bujold, Mira’s Last Dance and Penric’s Fox (novellas)
- Worldbreaker Saga by Kameron Hurley, The Broken Heavens
- Xanth by Piers Anthony, Ghost Writer in the Sky
- Xeelee Sequence by Stephen Baxter, Xeelee: Vengeance
- Xuya Universe by Aliette de Bodard, “First Presentation” (short story) (series consists of 24 short fiction works, including 2 novellas; author has verifed that it meets the word count)
- Yelena Zaltana by Maria V. Snyder, Dawn Study
- Young Wizards by Diane Duane, Interim Errantry: On Ordeal (collection)
* no warranties are made about series eligibility (or lack thereof) based on word count
† no warranties are made about the presumed quality (or lack thereof) of listed series
Updated 9/9/2017: 13 entries added. // 9/14/2017: Additions and corrections. // 10/25/2017: Additions and corrections. // 11/27/17: Additions and corrections.
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Yoshiki Tanaka (Translated by Tyran Grillo) – Vol. 4: Stratagem, Vol. 5: Mobilization. (Note: These were originally published in Japanese several years ago but only received an official English Language release this year, so their eligibility may be questionable.)
Thank you for doing this again this year JJ.
There will be a A Song of Ice and Fire novella called The Sons of the Dragon in an upcoming 2017 Dozois anthology, The Book of Swords.
~Perks up~ There’s a new Jurisdiction book?
Ultragotha, yes, and we’re currently discussing Blood Enemies over on Compuserve. We’re doing two chapters a week and are only up to about chapter four, so there’s plenty of time to jump in….
(And Susan Matthews is taking part in the discussion!)
Yes, thanks very much for doing this again. I haven’t even begun to think about this category yet!
I don’t think that the Penric and Desdemona sub series is eligible. There are currently five Penric novellas. Even if all five of those novellas were 40,000 words each (which would make them novels) that’s only 200,000 words. Best Series requires 240,000 words.
(The new constitution isn’t available yet, but here’s the Best Series proposal passed at MAC II and passed on to Helsinki.)
The World of the Five Gods series IS eligible, as there are three additional novels in that overarching series.
Also, regarding subsequent books published this year in series that were finalists this year, there must be two volumes and an additional 240,000 words published after a series makes the final ballot to be eligible on a subsequent final ballot.
HOWEVER this year’s Best Series category was a Special category and might not count since there was no official Best Series category in the constitution. So it would be a decision for San Jose’s Hugo Administrators to make.
Thanks Cassy B!
And mucho gracias to JJ.
Infernal Devices by K. W. Jeter – any views from the scrolletariat on this? Been a while since I’ve read any of his work.
@Ultragotha
Penric’s Mission was 45k, but that doesn’t invalidate your comment. I have them all in ebook so I can get a full word count to confirm.
I just noticed I duplicated half of what JJ said above. That’s what I get for reading AFTER posting. Doh!
Ultragotha, the six previous “Under Jurisdiction” books (by Susan Matthews) are also available in two 3-book omnibuses. This is useful, because a couple of them were hard to get in dead-tree edition.
Tolkien’s Middle Earth series (perhaps better described as The Lord of the Rings series) should be eligible with “Beren and Luthien” published this year (June 2017).
Cassy, I started reading her Jurisdiction stories back when they were still Star Wars fanfic. 😉 I *think* have all 6 of them in dead tree. Would like them in Kindle but can’t afford it.
Lorian Gray, that would be fantastic!
I’ll be voting for the same choice as last year–“No Award.”
Thanks JJ! I was considering whether to ask you whether you planned to do this again, but I didn’t want to semi-volunteer you if you weren’t planning on doing it. 😉 Dead useful as a resource. 🙂
Must admit I feel slightly more enthusiastic about this category now that I’ve got used to not being on pregabalin and instead having something vaguely approaching a functioning brain again. I’ve been reading a lot more lately. I still think it’s silly and impractical, but a bit closer to silly, impractical and an interesting challenge.
I already had Divine Cities and Temeraire (hey, worth a shot) pencilled in, maybe Lady Trent? Ixia/Sitia? I’d need to do some catching up first for both of those. Hm… World of the Five Gods, perhaps… I’d like at least two trilogies, ideally, so we’ll see.
I feel a bit weird about the idea of nominating Tolkein. I’d rather nominate newer stuff.
Wow, so many tough choices there!
And as everyone else said — thanks for curating the list again. Very helpful!
Penric’s Demon 37,200
Penric and the Shaman 37,700
Penric’s Mission 45,239
Mira’s Last Dance 28,183
Penric’s Fox 37,395
Total 185,717
Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White is only at two volumes so far so not eligible. (Unless there’s a short story or something I’ve missed?)
Twenty Sided Sorceress by Annie Bellett, Dungeon Crawl.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, Tower of Dawn
Incrementalists has two shorts at tor.com: “ Fireworks in the Rain and Strongest Conjuration
@Giant Panda
Ah, thanks, that’s the 3 volumes covered then
Reckoners series by Doranna Durgin. 3rd volume Reckoner Redeemed published by Book View Cafe, September 2017.
Thanks for doing this, JJ. Here are a few that you missed:
Fever by Karen Marie Morning, Feversong
Skolian Empire by Catherine Asaro, The Bronze Skies
In Death by J.D. Robb, Echoes in Death and Secrets in Death
Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews, Wildfire
Heartstrikers, Rachel Aaron. Book 4 A Dragon of a Different Color, July 2017.
Can you nominate an entire series for Best Series and an individual book for Best Novel, though? (Thinking of N.K. Jemisin, obviously.) Wouldn’t it have to be one or the other category, not both?
Anyone know what the word count on Yoon Ha Lee’s The Machineries of Empire is so far? It has enough works – the two novels plus Extracurricular Activities and The Battle of Candle Arc – so I’m guessing that it’s missing from the list because it falls short of the 240,000 threshold.
Anne Goldsmith: Yoon Ha Lee’s The Machineries of Empire… I’m guessing that it’s missing from the list because it falls short of the 240,000 threshold.
No, it’s missing because I missed it. 😉
I will add it to the list with the same caveat as de Bodard’s Dominion of the Fallen series.
Mike has updated the permalink at the top of File770, so that you can always find this post by using the link in the blog header.
Xanth by Piers Anthony, Ghost Writer in the Sky
Okay, I’ve done a word count for The Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee, and it’s not yet eligible.
Ninefox Gambit (98,007)
Raven Strategem (109,246)
“The Battle of Candle Arc” (7,972)
“Extracurricular Activities” (14,259)
“Calendrical Rot” (short story, wordcount unknown)
229,484 total words
@Bonnie McDaniel
I can’t see any rules to prevent both a best series and best novel nomination.
The Change, S.M Stirling (The Sea Peoples)
The obligatory:
Perry Rhodan by a a cast of thousands: Over 50 new works should be enough.
It is only in German, but it should be elligible.
(There are some other “Heftroman”series, but I am lazy and go with the easy one)
I am pretty sure Lilith Saintcrow’s Cormorant Run is not a part of the Bannon and Clare series. I haven’t read Cormorant Run yet but B&C is steampunky magical Victoriana while Cormorant is “Aliens meets Under the Dome in this new post-apocalyptic novel…” according to its blurb.
James Asher by Barbara Hambly (Pale Guardian)
The Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (Thick as Thieves)
And good to know about the Xuya Universe! It was on my nominating ballot this past year, and will almost certainly appear there again this coming year.
@JJ Quick, someone tell Yoon Ha Lee he needs to publish 10,516 more words before the end of December!
(Seriously, though, thank you for making the effort to check the details.)
With the rest of the assorted short fiction (there’s quite a bit) Yoon Ha Lee’s The Machineries of Empire probably does meet the wordcount, but personally I plan to wait for the last book in the trilogy before considering nominating it, since it does have a set end point.
@CeeV
Ooh, The Queen’s Thief, excellent series. I don’t think I’m likely to be able to catch up on it to nominate, since it doesn’t have ebook releases in the UK, but I’ll have my fingers crossed for it anyway.
Hey, wait, Vallista is out…
*Checks*. Ah, OK, appears October 17th.
The Vlad series strikes me as the sort of thing this award is made for – compelling series, but no one book stands out; the value is in the whole. And while many long series are extremely subgenreific, this is more of its own thing, so likely to appeal to the Hugo votership. (It’s even uncertain whether it’s science fiction or fantasy, which seems to be a major recommendation for Hugos nowadays.)
The series is in theory finite, being planned to have nineteen books, but whether we will live till the end of it is unclear.
(My top vote, though, is still for Lady Trent – which does finish this year.)
And thanks JJ for doing this.
Of course, if you feel Tolkien should get a Hugo (which I do find a rather attractive idea), you can just nominate the book for Best Novel (or Novella?) – or if it has enough supporting material, it might be eligible in Best Related Work.
@JJ —
Speaking of word counts, what are you using to do them? Is this a Calibre plugin? I’d be happy for any info — thanks in advance!
Contrarius: Speaking of word counts, what are you using to do them?
I use Calibre with Apprentice Alf to convert to RTF, then use Word to strip out the blurbs, acks, and other misc, then do a “Word Count”.
Ahhh. Much smarter than me. Never thought of the convert-to-rtf part. The rest I’m excessively familiar with. Thanks!
Thanks for doing this JJ. Very useful
The Skill of Our Hands by Steven Brust is only the second book in the series.
I have read it and it’s definitely not part of the Bannon and Clare series. Very good book, though.
John Stimson: The Skill of Our Hands by Steven Brust is only the second book in the series.
Yes, however, the series also has two shorter fiction pieces, which is why that entry includes the caveat “check word count”.
The Skolian War Saga is already on the list.
At my request, Mike has added all the other entries suggested in comments on September 8.
I will have Mike remove the erroneous Cormorant Run entry with the next set of updates.
this entry will also be added in the next set of updates:
Jill Kismet by Lilith Saintcrow, “Kiss” (short story)
Meredith: With the rest of the assorted short fiction (there’s quite a bit) Yoon Ha Lee’s The Machineries of Empire probably does meet the wordcount, but personally I plan to wait for the last book in the trilogy before considering nominating it, since it does have a set end point.
Yeah, I drew the line at doing a word count on all the flash fiction pieces which have been posted on Patreon (there are several dozen).
The Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn. Two short stories published this year. “Dead Men in Central City” and “Bellum Romanum,”
I like the nomination phase a lot more than the voting phase. This bit is fun and not at all stressful.
ETA: For Best Series specifically, I mean. I like the voting stage very much for most other categories.
@JJ
I don’t blame you. 🙂
I like the nomination phase a lot more than the voting phase. This bit is fun and not at all stressful.
I think the thing to do is, outside the nomination season, gently and without too much effort, check out well-known series which you think are likely to turn up. Then during the voting season you’ll have less to do. You don’t have to read the whole of every series, of course, because in some cases after one or two books you’ll know it isn’t something you’d want to vote for.
I started doing this even before Worldcon 75 announced the special category, which led me to the Vorkosigan Saga and Lady Trent, and also Cherryh’s Foreigner (which I notice was high on the longlist this year, and which strikes me as a prime candidate, for reasons similar to Brust), and Lynch’s Locke Lamora (which has been strangely silent for a while – though I see he hasn’t actually equalled he gap between books 2 and 3 yet).