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 its time. but pokes fun at some bureaucratic nonsense you can find in any large organization.

Recommendations:

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

M*A*S*H

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 preemptively deemed anti-People's Republic of China, leading to botched nominees and winners. The author of Short Story Award publicly rejected her status as a winner, and so Jack and Sam discuss what happened, how easily one can be mislead into authoritarianism, and how many people had to keep making the wrong choices for this to happen at all.

Mentioned in this episode:

"Rabbit Test" by Samantha Mills

A Breakdown of the Chengdu Scandal

Emails Related to 2023 Hugo Awards Censorship

“Rabbit Test” unwins the Hugo

Next Episode: 1955's "Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 of Io around Jupiter, Martha walks, hikes, and crawls to her space shuttle and safety as her air supply drains. Luckily, she has some company when her dead partner's corpse starts speaking through the radio.

Not mentioned but this story was adapted into a episode of Netflix's animated anthology, Death, Sex, and Robots

Recommendations:

Gravity directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Death Stranding developed by Kojima Productions

The Martian by Andy Weir

World War Z- Christina Eliopolis chapter by Max Brooks

Staying Alive

Next Episode: 2023's Rabbit Test by Samantha Mills

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 full

of incredible architecture and a fascinating history. It's a shame that the human tourists care so little for it.

Mentioned in the episode:

Lila Shapiro's article on Neil Gaiman

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

Recommendations:

Listen back to our episode on "Kirinyaga"

Dahomey directed by Mati Diop

1491 by Charles C. Mann

"Ozymadias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

William Dalrymple's The Anarchy and Return of a King

Next Episode: 1999's "The Very Pulse of the Machine" by Michael Swanwick

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 methods needed for this poems to be authentic when they were apparently written 11 years after Dickinson's death! Her arguments have some holes. Fans of lengthy footnote section will certainly enjoy the read, although Sam and Jack had some issues with the first comedic story on the show

Recommendations:

The War of the Worlds (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg

World War Z by Max Brooks

Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle

Next Episode: 1998's "The 43 Antarean Dynasties" by Mike Resnick

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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. Marie. Torn apart by a war between human splinter races, Tam surely breaks some ethical guidelines to tip things in his favor.

Recommendations:

The Childe Cycle by Gordon R. Dickson

Ethics in America produced by Columbia University

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

Nightcrawler directed by Dan Gilroy

Next Episode: 1997's "'The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems' A Wellsian Perspective" by Connie Willis

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 astrophysicist who finds a sign that doesn't disprove God, but makes him wonder about the kind of mercy the Almighty provides.

Recommendations:

The Book of Job translated by Robert Alter

Enders Game & Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask developed by Nintendo

Next Episode: 1965's "Soldier, Ask Not" by Gordon R. Dickson

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

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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 iterations of the Faustian bargain, Halloween traditions, and one nominee that everyone seems to think really should have won.

Recommendations:

“Beat the Devil” by Kris Kristofferson

“Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band

“A Soldier’s Tale” by Igor Stravinsky

"Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog

"The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" from Futurama

Puella Magi Madoka Magic animated by Shaft

Next Episode: 1956's "The Star" by Arthur C. Clark

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This podcast is not affiliated with the Hugo Awards or Worldcon. Music provided by HookSounds.com, Pixabay.com, and Joel Steudler

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.