I think we’re all familiar with the legend of King Arthur. You know, a young boy pulls the legendary Excalibur from the stone to become the king of England. Accompanied by his tutor Merlin and his Knights of the Round Table, Arthur would become the legendary leader of Great Britain. But where did it all begin? Today we uncover these origins in the Retro-Hugo award-winning novel, The Sword in the Stone.
Month: September 2019
Featured Writer: T. H. White
Burns Library, Boston College This week we have a less well-known writer of the Hugo Awards, the English author, T. H. White. Best known for his Once and Future King series (the first novel of which is this week’s feature), White would have a subdued career comparatively to our other writers. White, born into a … Continue reading Featured Writer: T. H. White
Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Novella
"Who Goes There?" Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938 Fellow nominees: "The Time Trap" by Henry Kuttner"Sleepers of Mars" by John Beynon [John Wyndham]"A Matter of Form" by H. L. GoldAnthem by Ayn Rand This week we enter the paranoia-filled world of Don A. Stuart’s novella, “Who Goes There?” A tale … Continue reading Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Novella
Featured Writer: John W. Campbell
Stellar Publishing - Wonder Stories, January 1932 It’s that time of the week again where we look at another featured writer from the Hugo Awards. This week we have the influential writer and editor, John W. Campbell. As mentioned previously, this month finds us at the beginning of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It … Continue reading Featured Writer: John W. Campbell
Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Novelette
"Rule 18" Clifford D. Simak Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938 Fellow nominees: "Pigeons From Hell" by Robert E. Howard"Werewoman" by C. L. Moore"Hollywood on the Moon" by Henry Kuttner"Dead Knowledge" by Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] There couldn’t be a better time to discuss the future of sports, than the first week of regular season … Continue reading Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Novelette
Featured Writer: Clifford D. Simak
Welcome back to another round of Hugo, A History, wherein this week we’ll look at another featured writer from the Hugo Awards. This week we’re looking at American writer and journalist, Clifford D. Simak. Best known for his pastoral style of writing, Simak made a name for himself with more than thirty novels and a … Continue reading Featured Writer: Clifford D. Simak
Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Short Story
"How We Went to Mars" Arthur C. Clarke Amateur Science Stories, March 1938 Fellow nominees: "Helen O'Loy" by Lester del Rey"Hollerbochen's Dilemma" by Ray Bradbury"Hyperpilosity" by L. Sprague de Camp"The Faithful" by Lester del Rey Imagine, if you will, man's first interactions with an alien society. How do they appear? How do they communicate? What … Continue reading Retro-Hugo 1939, Best Short Story
Featured Writer: Arthur C. Clarke
Ziff-Davis Publishing - Amazing Stories, June-July 1953 Writer. Futurist. Engineer. Considered a member of the "Big Three," alongside Heinlein and Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke became one of the most influential science fiction writers. He wrote in genres such as hard science fiction or proper science, which appealed to both hardcore enthusiasts and general audiences alike. … Continue reading Featured Writer: Arthur C. Clarke
The year is 1939
Well, not quite. You see, what we need to remember about the Hugo Awards is that each award year looks back at those works published the year prior. For instance, the winners awarded a 2019 Hugo published back during the 2018 cycle. So, while our first award year is 1939, we need to consider those … Continue reading The year is 1939
