Every Hugo Ever

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 i...

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 met with 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 pr...

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...

Discussions of abuse and assault allegations against Neil Gaiman from 8:00-15:45 Our 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 fu...

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...

This is not a short story! The 1960s saw the Hugos group all the non-novel writing awards under "short fiction" and at a whopping 56 pages, Gordon R. Dickson delivers "Soldier, Ask Not", a tale that is clearly aimed at people who are already familiar with his Dorsai series. Nevertheless, Sam and Jack take the plunge to learn about war correspondent Tam Olyn and his actions on the planet of St. Mar...

Content Warning for discussions of child abuse from 18:00-22:30 Hades game spoilers at 3:10 Scientific studies and organized religion have both benefited from each other and butted heads over the centuries, and science fiction is no different. Many writers have their takes on how greater understanding of our universe can shape our faiths. Arthur C. Clark opens the universe to one devout astrophysi...

There's always a devil, a man, a deal to be made. For how sacred a soul is supposed to be, many don't seem to have issues with signing away their eternal fate for a bit of mortal pleasure. Martin is one such person, trying like many have before to get one over on the Adversary and avoid that Hell-Bound train. He can stop the ride at any time, but does he really want that? Sam and Jack discuss the...

In the 22nd century, the scars of time and colonization still linger. The Kikuyu people have remade their god-given land in out in the vastness of space, and returned to the old ways of conducting their communities. At least, that's what Koriba seems to be doing, to the displeasure of those looking down from above. What is tradition and what is control? Did the good ol' days ever really exist? And...

Welcome back to Every Hugo Ever! Sam and Jack are excited to return to seven decades of science fiction stories, and Will McIntosh delivers a doozy. Deep underground in a cryogenic facility, women are trapped between life and death as decades pass by. One named Mira dreams of her mother, her lover, and how she can convince her visitors to release her from this frozen purgatory. Recommendations: "M...

11 stories have been read and reviewed. Now is the Day of Judgement. This episode marks the creation of the list that all future Hugo Award winning shirt stories shall be ranked upon! Listen if you dare! Oh, and if listening before August 11, y ou can still register and vote for in the 2024 Hugos! Give yourself one of those classic "I voted!" stickers if you do so. Rare to spot them in the summer....

Originally recorded November 18, 2023 In the final story of the season, we return to the 21st century. Two women from old fables find comradery (and more) in each other as they share their pasts and pain on a summit made of glass. Jack and Sam enjoy Amal El-Mohtar's take on classic fairy tale tropes and get ready to fulfill what the show is all about: ranking the dang Hugos. Recommendations: Uproo...

Originally recorded October 17, 2023 A suspicious man lingers around a playground, watching. A worrisome start to a story of a man called Ian. Jack and Sam try to figure out his goals and his "interesting" rationale behind them in a tale where time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future. Recommendations: Gravity Rush developed by Japan Studio Hardspace: Shipbreaker developed by Blac...

Originally recorded September 4, 2023 Puberty is a difficult time for everyone, but some have it worse than others. One of those is a girl named Kelsey who's early blooming causes endless bullying from her classmates. Fortunately, another discovery she's made about her body is that it can turn into a wolf. The bullies (and neighborhoods dogs) will not be so lucky. Closed Systems Kill: An Interview...

Originally recorded July 25, 2023 We REALLY recommend you read the story first. When we first looked over the list of stories we had to read, Jack was thrilled at the chance to eventually talk about honorary friend of the pod Ursala K. Le Guin and her utopia of Omelas. Since then Sam has also gotten aboard the Le Guin train and the two gush over one of the best stories we've read so far. This is E...

Originally recorded June 27, 2023 Content Warning for descriptions and discussions regarding sexual assault after the break. Apologies for the rough audio. These files have been through the virtual wringer over the months. From Romulus and Remus to Washington epically crossing the Delaware River, empires and nations throughout history have used stories of their founding to be the bedrock of their...

Originally recorded June 20, 2023 Back in my day you had to go to a store, in person, to pick up a DVD or VHS tape if you wanted to watch a specific movie at home. Ok, Sam and Jack aren't that old but they do remember when Netflix delivered discs in the mail. Tim Pratt writes about the old magic of browsing the shelves at the local video rental store in the 2007 Hugo Short Story winner "Impossible...

Originally recorded June 6, 2023 Harlan Ellison is a legendary name in the sci-fi world with numerous award winning novels and stories attributed to him. He is was also an author with a lot of baggage as a quick glance at his Wikipedia page can tell you. Sam and Jack read a very 1960s story about fighting against the Man and freeing society while musing on art done by not very nice people. You'll...

Originally recorded May 11, 2023 1973 had two winners. Listen to 3a - "The Meeting" if you haven't yet! With over 70 stories to discuss, it was inevitable that one would disappoint. That story is Eurema's Dam. Albert the brilliant but dumb machinist rants and raves and invents, and in the end his words are lost to his audience and readers alike. Sam and Jack try and figure out what the Worldcon cr...

Originally recorded May 10, 2023 1973 had two winners. The other episode will be uploaded one day after this one! The Worldcon attendance in 1973 ended in tie for the top spot. The first is "The Meeting", where a father attends a PTO meeting at his son's school before receiving a dreaded phone call. Jack and Sam ponder the definition(s) of intelligence, an individual's act of evil versus society's...

Originally recorded May 3, 2023 Discussions of Sexual Coercion at 19:21-19:45 and 46:42:-49:57 The first Hugo’s of the new millennium have us going back in time with a classic science fiction scenario and a twist that will leave the reader wondering what their decision would be. Jack and Sam discuss the morality and capital capture of time travel while indulging in the ways the rich deal with bore...

Originally recorded April 16, 2023 Our first story in our journey is a more recent one. Listen in as Jack and I (yes it is I, Sam, who writes the show notes) discuss our first story and gush over an excellent tale of American poverty and the power of storytelling. Recommendations:  Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan The Tatami Galaxy produced by Madhouse and directed by Masaaki Y...

Welcome to Every Hugo Ever! This is a podcast hosted by Jack Alexander and Samael Johnson as they go through each and every winner of the Hugo Short Story Award in a randomly selected order. This is an introduction episode to give you a taste of who Jack and Sam are, how the show will be working, and all that jazz. We are happy to have you along for the ride as we discover the weird and wild world...