Where to Find the 2017 Hugo Finalists For Free Online

By JJ: Since the Hugo Voter’s packet has not yet arrived, if you’d like to get a head start on your reading, you can use this handy guide to find material which is available for free online. Where available in their entirety, works are linked (most of the Novelettes and Short Stories are free, as are the Pro and Fan Artist images, and many of the Semiprozines and Fanzines). If not available for free, an Amazon link is provided. If a free excerpt is available online, it has been linked.

Fair notice: All Amazon links are referrer URLs which benefit fan site Worlds Without End.

Best Novel

Best Novella

Best Novelette

Best Short Story

Best Related Work

Best Graphic Story

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)

  • Arrival, screenplay by Eric Heisserer based on a short story by Ted Chiang, directed by Denis Villeneuve (21 Laps Entertainment/FilmNation Entertainment/Lava Bear Films) (trailer)
  • Deadpool, screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, directed by Tim Miller (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Marvel Entertainment/Kinberg Genre/The Donners’ Company/TSG Entertainment) (trailer)
  • Ghostbusters, screenplay by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, directed by Paul Feig (Columbia Pictures/LStar Capital/Village Roadshow Pictures/Pascal Pictures/Feigco Entertainment/Ghostcorps/The Montecito Picture Company) (trailer)
  • Hidden Figures, screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, directed by Theodore Melfi (Fox 2000 Pictures/Chernin Entertainment/Levantine Films/TSG Entertainment) (trailer)
  • Rogue One, screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, directed by Gareth Edwards (Lucasfilm/Allison Shearmur Productions/Black Hangar Studios/Stereo D/Walt Disney Pictures) (trailer)
  • Stranger Things, Season One, created by the Duffer Brothers (21 Laps Entertainment/Monkey Massacre) (trailer)

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)

Best Editor – Short Form

Best Editor – Long Form

Best Professional Artist

Best Semiprozine

Best Fanzine

Best Fancast

Best Fan Writer

Best Fan Artist

Best Series

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

* if you encounter any invalid links, please let me know in the comments *

84 thoughts on “Where to Find the 2017 Hugo Finalists For Free Online

  1. I just noticed that you listed example works for the editor and Campbell nominees.

    This is the greatest thing ever and I ask, nay demand, that the Hugo committee adopt the practice.

  2. Technically “Alien Stripper” DOES have an excerpt available; if you click on the “send free sample” button on the right side, you can have a free sample of the book sent to your Kindle. That’s true of (I think EVERY) Kindle ebook available.

    Also, FWIW, for my own self, if you’re listing all our eligible stuffs, I also co-edited Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016. A lot of the stories in there are online. And for What the #@&% is That?, there’s five stories available online; here’s a link to those.

    Also since you noted one of Neil’s projects that was co-edited, I should note that What the #@&% is That? was co-edited by Douglas Cohen and Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 was co-edited by Karen Joy Fowler.

  3. OOOOHHH!

    This is fantastic JJ. Everything is in one spot. How nice is that?

    This work alone has earned you a spot on my nominating ballot next year for Best Fan Writer.

    @ rcade
    “I ask, nay demand, that the Hugo committee adopt the practice.”

    Agreed!

  4. I just noticed that you listed example works for the editor and Campbell nominees.

    This is the greatest thing ever and I ask, nay demand, that the Hugo committee adopt the practice.

    It has been done in the past (we did so in 1998, as well as putting together links to all the places you could read the nominees online at no cost)–it’s a shame it’s fallen out of practice.

  5. John Joseph Adams: Technically “Alien Stripper” DOES have an excerpt available; if you click on the “send free sample” button on the right side, you can have a free sample of the book sent to your Kindle. That’s true of (I think EVERY) Kindle ebook available.

    Yes, but it’s not readable online, and the Amazon “Look Inside” feature is not easily linked to, either, which is why I didn’t link to either of those. But thanks for mentioning it, so that people who didn’t know about that before know about it now.

     
    John Joseph Adams: I also co-edited Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016… What the #@&% is That? was co-edited by Douglas Cohen and Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 was co-edited by Karen Joy Fowler.

    Ah. I missed Douglas’ co-credit out of stupidity, and I missed your co-credit on the second anthology because ISFDB missed it (in fact, they’re missing your co-credit on the 2015 version, too). I’ll submit an update to them.

  6. Good work JJ

    The story listed for Sarah Gailey is a sequel to Bargain, also at Mothership Zeta, and available at that link. I’d recommend reading it before Rescue.

  7. Mark-kitteh: The story listed for Sarah Gailey is a sequel to Bargain, also at Mothership Zeta, and available at that link. I’d recommend reading it before Rescue.

    Okay, I’ve asked Mike to list “Bargain” instead of “Rescue“, since I’m not going to list more than one story each for the Campbell finalists.

  8. @JJ: This is Most Excellent, and is a lot of work done great.

    I too demand the Hugo Committee put the examples for Editor and Campbell as well.

    It will freakin’ revolutionize voting for Editor Long. I look at those titles and think “Oooh, liked that, liked that, didn’t like that…” I can haz info!

  9. Agreed!

    The motion has been heard and seconded.

    I too demand the Hugo Committee put the examples for Editor and Campbell as well.

    And thirded.

    All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say nay.

  10. And a reminder: Both Mansik Yang and Alex Grant are professional artists, even though they are placed in the fan category. You might want to take that into account.

  11. So, indeed, is Spring Schoenhuth.

    Is all their work professional (in which case their eligibility is open to doubt, though the rule is vague enough that they may qualify), or do they do both pro and non-pro stuff (which has always been allowed)?

  12. Is the reasoning that a Fan Artist nomination should be judged entirely on work an artist did for fanzines, semiprozines and the other non-paying gigs? The WSFS Constitution defines the category like this:

    An artist or cartoonist whose work has appeared through publication in semiprozines or fanzines or through other public, non-professional, display (including at a convention or conventions), during the previous calendar year.

  13. Andrew M: So, indeed, is Spring Schoenhuth. Is all their work professional (in which case their eligibility is open to doubt, though the rule is vague enough that they may qualify), or do they do both pro and non-pro stuff (which has always been allowed)?

    The “problem” with the Fan Artist category is that it basically encompasses anyone who has a personal website where they post their art — as opposed to the truly problematic Pro Artist category, which only allows artists who have work published in a “professional publication in the field of science fiction or fantasy during the previous calendar year.” Thus, despite the fact that Spring Schoenhuth and one of the Puppy nominees, Polish sculptor Tomek Radziewicz, are clearly professionals, they will never be eligible under the current WSFS definition for the Professional Artist category.

  14. Alex Garner is a professional comic book artist who has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Blizzard Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Hasbro, Deep Silver, Upper Deck, IDW Publishing, Cryptozoic Entertainment.

    I have a hard time seeing him as a “fan artist” unless he can show works directly tied to fandom and not just displayed on the web.

  15. The ‘non-professional’ bit was added quite recently, I believe as an amendment to a motion which was meant to do something quite different. The likely aim of it was to exclude Randall Munroe, who had previously been a finalist, but caused some complaints.

    Since ‘non-professional display’ is a rather unclear term, one can argue that someone who posts work on their website counts as a fan artist, since you aren’t paying to see it there, even if their aim in posting it is to get people to buy the originals. At least, this is not so obviously wrong that the admins could without controversy exclude such people.

    My own feeling is that the way artists divide up at present makes reasonable sense: one award is for illustrators, and the other for people who create SF-inspired art in other contexts. That’s a good way of dividing the field, but ‘pro’ and ‘fan’ don’t express it very well.

  16. This is what Alex Garner said himself:

    “Yeah, it’s a bit odd. I told them I’ve been pro since ’93. They said this is based off outside fan work I did. So okay! I’ll accept the nom.”

    So hopefully we will get examples in the voters packet.

  17. Hampus Eckerman: This is what Alex Garner said himself: “Yeah, it’s a bit odd. I told them I’ve been pro since ’93. They said this is based off outside fan work I did. So okay! I’ll accept the nom.”

    If he’s talking about VD or the Rabid Puppies, then it’s hardly surprising, since VD had a lot of ineligible entries on his slate, and he and his minions clearly didn’t bother reading the rules.

    If he’s talking about the Hugo Admins, it wouldn’t matter what he told them. They can’t just move him to the Pro Artist category. They apparently decided that he qualified for Fan Artist on the basis of his freely-available work. I can certainly see why they wouldn’t be willing to disqualify him. But he didn’t have to accept the Fan Artist nomination, and he chose to do so.

  18. @JJ: Wow, thanks! Very well done, and yeah, looks like a lot of work.

    @Various: IMHO if someone posts professional works, e.g., book covers they did, to a web site – that doesn’t make those works fan (non-professional) works. On the other paw, if they have a web site and post random stuff for people to view – items not sold/used in a professional venue – I see that a little differently. Much like a fan writer is known not by whether they’re a pro writer or not, but whether or not they have fan writing. I’ll may disagree with myself at some point, given a good example of how that falls apart. 😉

  19. The Amazon link to This Census-Taker is not really useful, as Amazon says the title is not available. I could understand if they sold out of printed copies, but why would it be unavailable for the Kindle?

  20. Can I suggest that the John Picacio link go to his blog post Selected 2016 Works instead of his main website portal? He doesn’t have his 2016 work up at the main website. (Or the 2015, for that matter. The portfolio stops at 2014.)

  21. For anyone who is interested.

    Netflix just rebooted Stranger Things Season 1
    (8 episodes, approximate run time 6 hours 37 minutes) which is one of the six finalist for this year’s Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) Hugo Award.

    While I thoroughly enjoyed this 1980’s throwback mini series the first time around, it did not blow my socks off the way it did other nominating members. Tastes as always will vary. I do recommend giving it a whirl though.

    Netflix is also currently showing the episode of
    Black Mirror: “San Junipero” which is one of the six finalist for this year’s Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) Hugo Award.

  22. @Khitty Hawk

    Also on a Google Play Music unlimited sub, I’ve just found – it hadn’t occurred to me to check that until you posted, so thank you.

  23. @Tim Gatewood

    Link is to the Picador edition. If you’re in the US, you can get the Del Rey version. Click on Kindle under “formats and editions” and the version available to you should appear.

  24. rcade: Link to The Princess Diarist has been corrected — thanks for the help.

  25. I’ve submitted to Mike a fix for the Kindle link for This Census-Taker, and asked him to change all of the Pro Artist links to portfolios of 2016-only work.

    Thanks to everyone for the link corrections.

  26. John Joseph Adams: I also co-edited Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016… and Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016

    I tried to submit changes to ISFDB to have you added as co-editor for the 2 BASFF anthologies and got quite a snotty reply from one of the moderators who assumed that I was you and was trying to sneak in undeserved changes. He says that Series Editors are not co-credited on anthologies in the ISFDB — despite the fact that I am aware of numerous older Year’s Best anthologies where both editors have been credited, even though only one of them did the heavy lifting. 🙄

  27. He says that Series Editors are not co-credited on anthologies in the ISFDB

    So, the ISFDB has decided that they want to be an incomplete reference source. I’ll have to keep that in mind when I use them as a source of information in the future.

  28. He is credited in the “Notes” sections of both books.

    But the end result is that neither book shows on JJA’s credits page, nor will these books show up in an author search for JJA — which I find damn weird, and yes, incomplete.

  29. Here’s some weird stuff. I don’t recall seeing anyone mention it in comments yet.

    Antisemitic and Anti-Christian messages inserted into an X-Men comic by the artist:
    https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/04/08/marvel-artist-ardian-syaf-hid-anti-christian-jewish-messages-weeks-x-men-comic/

    Coming soon: a comic book branch of Castalia House?

    Embarked upon my first post-nom Hugo reading – Lovecraft Country. Enjoying it so far. Feels like it will be a quick read, and I’m glad it made the shortlist, whether I end up voting for it or not.

  30. @kathodus

    ??? Unless I missed something, I don’t believe Lovecraft Country is on the Hugo shortlist (although I also nominated it).

  31. Oh crap. I could’ve sworn it was on the list. Well, it’s too late to stop reading it now!

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