Retrospective Hugo awards may be voted under certain circumstances to fill the perceived gap left by a past World SF Convention at which no Hugos were presented. Besides voting the usual Hugos for the previous year's sf, a Worldcon can optionally allow its members to choose Retro Hugos which could have been but were not presented at the actual (not hypothetical) Worldcon of 50, 75 or 100 years previously. These awards have been presented three times: in 1996 for 1945 work, in 2001 for 1950 work, and in 2004 for 1953 work. Since Hugo presentations have continued without a break since 1954, the next Retro Hugo opportunity will not be until 2014 – 75 years from the 1939 Worldcon, honouring work from 1938.
Some acknowledged sf classics have been honoured in this way, but the influence of hindsight (and of reputations swelled by later work) makes these belated awards a distinctly unreliable guide to the preferences of past Worldcon members. [DRL]
Novel
Novella
- 1945: George Orwell, Animal Farm
(1945 chap) - 1950: Robert A Heinlein, "The Man Who Sold the Moon" (in The Man Who Sold the Moon, coll 1950)
- 1953: James Blish, "A Case of Conscience" (September 1953 If)
Novelette
Short story
- 1945: Hal Clement, "Uncommon Sense" (September 1945 Astounding)
- 1950: Damon Knight, "To Serve Man" (November 1950 Galaxy)
- 1953: Arthur C Clarke, "The Nine Billion Names of God" (in Star Science Fiction Stories 1, anth 1953, ed Frederik Pohl)
Related book
Dramatic presentation
Professional editor
Professional artist
Fanzine
Fan writer
Fan artist
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