Hugo awards

After dithering for quite a while, but spending probably too much time following the puppy/Hugo roundups on File 770, I now have a supporting membership in Sasquan, and have cast at least a partial ballot[1]. Novel I'd already done my reading for: I'd read The Goblin Emperor because lots of reviews made it sound interesting, and Ancillary Sword because I liked Ancillary Justice, and I'd tried The Three-Body Problem because it came well-recommended, and was put off by the first chapter. That chapter is well-written and dark (being a close-up description of bits of the Cultural Revolution), and "I'm not enjoying this and want to stop" is good enough reason for me to stop.

I have downloaded the samples for "best fan artist," and have ranked four of the five nominees, only two of whose work I'd previously been familiar with. The slate-heavy categories I'm mostly giving a straight no award; if I have energy between now and Friday I will take a look at the graphic story nominees. (I'm not a very visual thinker.)

[1] If you vote electronically, you can make unlimited updates/changes to your ballot until the deadline [2]. So you can vote in the one category you're sure of your opinion on and then go back and look at other things; or vote a flat "no award" on the puppy categories and then think about novels and fan artists; or change your mind a half dozen times between The Goblin Emperor and Ancillary Sword for best novel.

[2] And they will send you a copy of your current ballot every time you click "save" to make a change.