The Hugo Award is an award honored by the most outstanding works in the genre of fantasy or science fiction. It was first presented in 1953, since then the ceremony has been held annually. What is known about the most famous owners of the Hugo, what fascinating works allowed them to receive this honorable award?
Hugo Award: Description
As already mentioned, the tradition of celebrating the best books in the genre of fantasy and science fiction with an honorary award originated in 1953. The Hugo Prize is a prize awarded at Worldcon. The competition is open to authors whose novels were published in English (or translated into it) the previous year. In this case, the text of the work must contain from 40 thousand words. The award is a figurine that is shaped like a take-off rocket.
The Hugo Prize is traditionally awarded based on a preferential vote. Registered guests of the World Convention take part in the voting. The newsletter they receive contains the names of the five novels that are the most nominated jury members this year. There is no fixed date for the Worldcon convention, mainly the ceremony is held in late August or early September. Fiction fans can meet in different cities around the world.
Record holder
Which author was awarded the Hugo Prize the most times? The talented science fiction writer Robert Heinlein became a record holder, a man who was awarded this award five times. The writer, who left this world in 1988 at the age of 80, is considered the patriarch of American fiction, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of this genre.
Heinlein's works are attractive due to the uniqueness of their images, unpredictability of plot moves, brightness and vibrancy of the language. It is impossible to tear himself away from his novels, the author knows how to keep readers in suspense right up to the final page. “Door to Summer” is one of the five works for which the writer was awarded the Hugo Prize.
The central character of the novel is the brilliant inventor Daniel Davis, who is constantly in trouble due to his absent-mindedness. Once a young man becomes a victim of betrayal, the beautiful bride is cheating on him with her best friend. Daniel loses not only close people, but also all his savings. Realizing that there is nothing to lose, the inventor moves into the near future. In a world where 30 years have passed, he is trying to build a new life.
The Green Mile (Stephen King)
Other Hugo winners can boast outstanding achievements. Stephen King is a man who needs no introduction. From the pen of this American writer came dozens of fascinating works belonging to different genres. Many of them have been successfully filmed. King received the Hugo for his famous novel The Green Mile.
Readers get the opportunity to learn from inside the prison block of suicide bombers, in which a terrible atmosphere reigns. Prisoners come here in order to never return to the world of the living. But are all the inhabitants of the suicide block accused of violent crimes, who are facing death in an electric chair, really guilty?
451 degrees Fahrenheit (Ray Bradbury)
Ray Bradbury is a man who in 92 years of his life has managed to write over 800 literary works belonging to different genres. His name is invariably mentioned when classics of science fiction are listed. His novel “451 degrees Fahrenheit” made Bradbury famous, and his other books are also famous. The Hugo Prize was awarded to the writer precisely for his first "stellar" work.
“451 degrees Fahrenheit” is a novel in which a post-industrial society appears before the reader. In this world, there is a special unit whose task is to burn any written editions. Cruel punishment is overtaken by people seen in the storage of books. The population is deprived of their own will due to the hypnotic effects of interactive television. Dissenters are declared insane and are subjected to forced “treatment”. Dissidents are chased by an electric dog.
Earthsea (Ursula Le Guin)
The very first work, which belongs to the fascinating cycle about the “Earthsea,” made the previously unknown writer a star. Ursula Le Guin began to be compared with such creators as Lewis, Heinlein and Tolkien, without which fantasy and science fiction would not exist. The Hugo Prize was a recognition of the outstanding achievements of the creator of a wonderful world.
The action of the novels of the cycle takes place in the fictional kingdom of the Earth Sea, in the intricate labyrinths of which it is easy to get lost. The magical world is registered down to the smallest detail, it turned out to be alive and addictive. Not surprisingly, the number of fans in the cycle is measured in millions.
What else to read
Who else was awarded the Hugo Award over the years of its existence? The winners that cannot be missed are George Martin, Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch. George Martin is the author of the famous “Song of Ice and Fire” series, which takes place in the fictional kingdom of Westeros. In the invented world, there is a bloody struggle for power, the participants of which are not only representatives of the human race, who belong to noble families, but also mysterious magical creatures. "Hugo" Martin received for one of the best works of the cycle - "The Battle of the Kings."
Robert Bloch is a famous science fiction writer who won an award for the novel “Train to Hell”. The central character in the story is a young guy named Martin, who once meets a mysterious train. The conductor offers the young man a contract according to which Martin agrees to travel on this train, and then may require the fulfillment of any of his desires.
Isaac Asimov is another outstanding science fiction writer, known throughout the world, whose name is mentioned next to such distinguished writers as Clark and Heinlein. The Hugo Award has been conferred on this person for the work "I, Robot." The main theme of the novel is the relationship between people and machines.
Hugo these days
For over 60 years, participants in the World Convention have been evaluating the works of science fiction writers and presenting awards. What novels have been awarded her in the last few years? Hugo prize winners by years (2010-2014): Paolo Bachigalupi, Connie Willis, Joe Walton, John Scalzi, Anne Lecky.
Paolo Bachigalupi brought Hugo his novel Clockwork, which belongs to the biopunk genre. The work takes readers to the 23rd century, the action takes place in Thailand. The world is experiencing a crisis resulting from global warming, the waters of the oceans have hidden most of the land. Salvation is seen by representatives of the human race in the development of biotechnology, but the security of survivors is threatened by the ever-increasing ambitions of the owners of transcontinental corporations.
“Servants of Justice” - a novel with the help of which the writer Ann Lecky declared her existence to the world. The debut was successful, the work won the Hugo Award. The action takes place in the distant future, where the world is ruled by the powerful empire of Radch, who completely subjugated the scattered colonies of planet Earth. Of course, readers expect exciting adventures in space.
Interesting Facts
It is also interesting to which authors were awarded the Hugo Prize the most times. The winners (in addition to the aforementioned Robert Heinlein, the owner of five figurines) are Bujold, Asimov, Vinj, Willis. For example, Lois Bujold has four Hugo awards, and Isaac Asimov managed to earn the honorary award three times.
An interesting innovation that was announced at the World Convention in 1996: the Retro Hugo Award. The conditions state that only works published many years ago (up to 100) and not previously awarded the Hugo can apply for this award. By 2016, it was awarded only four times. Its owners were such writers as Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and Terence White.