As the 2016 Hugo Award Winners were announced last night it was in a storm of right wing protest yet again, as the group Sad and Rabid Puppies again attempted to hijack the science fiction awards.

In previous years the right wing group has attempted to swing the awards in favour of their preferred works, accusing the Hugo Awards of forcing science fiction into domination by ‘left-wing liberal bias’. This has led the awards to push for ‘No awards’ in several categories. In 2015 the problem was so bad that five ‘No awards’ were given, but this year there are just two ‘No awards’ in the smaller categories, and diversity rules in the winners!

The 2016 Hugo Award Winners were announced at the MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, Missouri last night and they are as follows:

Best Novel

Winner:

The Fifth Season – N. K Jemisin (US – UK)

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Shortlisted:

Ancillary Mercy – Ann Leckie
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher
Seveneves: A Novel – Neal Stephenson
Uprooted – Naomi Novik

Best Novella

Winner:

Binti – Nnedi Okorafor (US – UK)

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Shortlisted:

The Builders – Daniel Polansky
Penric’s Demon – Lois McMaster Bujold
Perfect State – Brandon Sanderson
Slow Bullets – Alastair Reynolds

Best Novelette

Winner:

Folding Beijing – Hao Jingfang, trans. Ken Liu

From Uncanny Magazine Jan/Feb (US – UK)

Shortlisted:

And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead – Brooke Bolander
Flashpoint: Titan – CHEAH Kai Wai
Obits – Stephen King
What Price Humanity? – David VanDyke

Best Short Story

Winner:

Cat Pictures Please – Naomi Kritzer

From Clarkesworld Jan 2015 (US – UK)

Shortlisted:

Asymmetrical Warfare – S. R. Algernon
If You Were an Award, My Love – Juan Tabo and S. Harris
Seven Kill Tiger – Charles Shao
Space Raptor Butt Invasion – Chuck Tingle

Best Related Work

Winner:

No Award

Shortlisted:

Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951 to 1986 – Marc Aramini
The First Draft of My Appendix N Book – Jeffro Johnson
Safe Space as Rape Room – Daniel Eness
SJWs Always Lie: Taking Down the Thought Police – Vox Day
The Story of Moira Greyland – Moira Greyland

Best Graphic Story

Winner:

The Sandman: Overture written by Neil Gaiman, art by J.H. Williams III (US – UK)

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Shortlisted:

The Divine written by Boaz Lavie, art by Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka
Erin Dies Alone written by Grey Carter, art by Cory Rydell
Full Frontal Nerdity by Aaron Williams
Invisible Republic Vol 1 written by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, art by Gabriel Hardman

There were other awards given for Best Dramatic Presentation, best writer and many other categories but we’ve concentrated on the more literary ones. It’s a real shame the right wing group have had to disrupt the awards yet again, after all it’s only the authors in each category who suffer. However, this year’s awards do appear to be a win for diversity, which is more than can be said for many literary awards this year.