If you don’t read much science fiction or fantasy, this might be the time to start. Award season continues with the 2022 Hugo Award Finalists!

 

First awarded in 1953, the Hugo Award is a literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy book written the previous year. The award is given at the World Science Fiction Convention and is considered to be the premier award in science fiction. This year 1,368 nominations were received for this prestigious honor, but only one will win in each category. Categories include best novel, best novella, best series, best graphic story or comic, and more.

 

This year’s best novel finalists were narrowed down to six books including A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine, The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers, Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, and She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. All of these finalists are available for checkout at the library.

 

The finalists for best series include The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, The Kingston Cycle by C. L. Polk, Merchant Princes by Charles Stross, Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer, Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire, and The World of the White Rat by T. Kingfisher. Many books from these series are also available for checkout at the library and several are available digitally on the WVDeli.

 

Science fiction may seem like a niche genre to some, but its patron base is dedicated and strong. According to some studies and surveys, science fiction readers make up around 20% of the population and people who read the genre tend to read more books overall compared to non-science fiction readers. Reading science fiction or fantasy books is a great way to relax and detach yourself from the real world (and it’s also really fun to read!) I recommend picking up a book or two from this list and giving the genre a try if you haven’t already.