Looking forward at this weekend just about a year ago I was torn between planning for 2 majors conventions, The World Science Fiction Convention, known as WorldCon and DragonCon.

 Worldcon was in the lead for the simple reason that LonestarCon3 in San Antonio was picked to host Worldcon 2013, getting there would be no problem either a few hours drive or ride on the Big Bus down I-35 from Dallas. Attending  Dragoncon on the other hand meant a long drive or a flight to Atlanta. Alas "Dame Fortune" did not smile upon me and I did not find decent employment, which would have provided funds for my trip.

 2014 is a different story I will plan on working towards attending DragonCon since the WorldCon is in London, England too far and expensive a journey to contemplate. On the other hand the 2014 North American Science Fiction Convention (held when the WorldCon is outside the U.S.) could be either in Phoenix, AZ or Detroit, MI. So we shall see. 

Why the above?  Well, because one of the major events at WorldCon is the announcement of the Hugo Awards, the top honor for writers and artists that is voted upon by fans rather than professional authors (those are the Nebulas) and now (drum roll please) the winners:

BEST NOVEL

Redshirts, John Scalzi (Tor; Gollancz)

Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW; Gollancz ’13)

Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

BEST NOVELLA

The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon)

On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion)

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats, Mira Grant (Orbit Short Fiction)

‘‘The Stars Do Not Lie’’, Jay Lake (Asimov’s 10-11/12)

After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon)

BEST NOVELETTE

‘‘The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi’’, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity)

‘‘In Sea-Salt Tears’’, Seanan McGuire (Self-published)

‘‘Rat-Catcher’’, Seanan McGuire (A Fantasy Medley 2)

‘‘The Boy Who Cast No Shadow’’, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts 26/27: Unfit For Eden)

‘‘Fade to White’’, Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld 8/12)

BEST SHORT STORY

‘‘Mono no Aware’’, Ken Liu (The Future Is Japanese)

‘‘Immersion’’, Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)

‘‘Mantis Wives’’, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld 8/12)

  BEST RELATED WORK

Writing Excuses, Season Seven, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler & Jordan Sanderson

‘‘I Have an Idea for a Book’’: The Bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg, John Helfers, compiler & ed. (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box)

The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (Cambridge University Press)

Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who, Deborah Stanish & L.M. Myles, eds. (Mad Norwegian)

Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them, Lynne M. Thomas & Sigrid Ellis, eds. (Mad Norwegian)

BEST GRAPHIC STORY

Saga, Volume One, Brian K. Vaughn, art by Fiona Staples (Image)

Saucer Country, Volume 1: Run, Paul Cornell, art by Ryan Kelly, Jimmy Broxton & Goran Sudžuka (Vertigo)

Locke & Key, Vol. 5: Clockworks, Joe Hill, art by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

Grandville Bête Noire, Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse Comics; Jonathan Cape)

Schlock Mercenary: Random Access Memorabilia Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton (Hypernode Media)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG

The Avengers

The Cabin in the Woods

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hunger Games

Looper

 BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – SHORT

Game of Thrones: ‘‘Blackwater’’

Doctor Who: ‘‘The Angels Take Manhattan’’

Doctor Who: ‘‘Asylum of the Daleks’’

Doctor Who: ‘‘The Snowman’’

Fringe: ‘‘Letters of Transit’’

BEST PROFESSIONAL EDITOR LONG FORM

Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Lou Anders

Sheila Gilbert

Liz Gorinsky

Toni Weisskopf

 BEST PROFESSIONAL EDITOR SHORT FORM

Stanley Schmidt

John Joseph Adams

Neil Clarke

Jonathan Strahan

Sheila Williams

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

John Picacio

Vincent Chong

Julie Dillon

Dan Dos Santos

Chris McGrath

BEST SEMIPROZINE

Clarkesworld

Apex Magazine

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Lightspeed

Strange Horizons

BEST FANZINE

SF Signal

Banana Wings

The Drink Tank

Elitist Book Reviews

Journey Planet

 BEST FANCAST

SF Squeecast

The Coode Street Podcast

Galactic Suburbia Podcast

SF Signal Podcast

StarShipSofa

 BEST FAN WRITER

Tansy Rayner Roberts

James Bacon

Christopher J Garcia

Mark Oshiro

Steven H Silver

BEST FAN ARTIST

Galen Dara

Brad W. Foster

Spring Schoenhuth

Maurine Starkey

Steve Stiles

JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER [NOT A HUGO AWARD]

*Mur Lafferty

*Zen Cho

Max Gladstone

*Stina Leicht

*Chuck Wendig

*Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility.

The Big Heart Award went to Tom Veal.

There you have it the winners for 2013. I'll let you know what happens as we progress to the major cons of 2014.