Science Fiction Book Awards
Hugo Award
Nebula Award

When I was growing up, I became extremely interested in science fiction. Maybe it was escapist and maybe it was just because it combined some of the facts of science with my imagination. In any case, I read a ton of science fiction; about a book a week over ten years. Over the last thirty years, two book awards have been given out annually: the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Although I've slowed down in recent years, I have nonetheless read most of the award-winning books listed in the following table. When the book was particularly memorable, I have included a few of my reflections on why I think it was really worthwhile to read.

Books marked with ** are those few books that have won both the Hugo Award and the Nebular Award. Fourteen books since 1965 have won both awards. All books listed below are available through Amazon.com.

Year	Hugo Awards Best Novel	Nebula Awards Best Novel
2004	Paladin of Souls: A Novel by Lois McMaster Bujold	Paladin of Souls: A Novel by Lois McMaster Bujold
2003	Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer	The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
2002	American Gods by Neil Gaiman**	American Gods by Neil Gaiman**
2001	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling I know that our kids would vote for this book time and again. Certainly, it has more inventiveness and cleverness than most other books will ever have.	The Quantum Rose by Catherine Asaro
2000	Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge	Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
1999	To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis	Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
1998	Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman**	Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman**
1997	Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson	Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre
1996	Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson	Slow River by Nicola Griffith
1995	Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold	Hobson's Choice (also known as Terminal Experiment) by Robert J Sawyer
1994	Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson	Moving Mars by Greg Bear
1993	tie Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge Doomsday Book by Connie Willis**	Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1992	Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold	Doomsday Book by Connie Willis**
1991	Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold	Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick
1990	Hyperion by Simmons, Dan	Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
1989	Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh	Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
1988	Uplift War by David Brin	Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
1987	Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card**	Falling Woman by Pat Murphy
1986	Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card**	Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card**
1985	Neuromancer by William Gibson** This book foretold the future coming of the hacker community. While still futuristic in terms of the human/machine interface, this novel continues to channel the near-term future. The grittiness of this book, in combination with other books by Gibson, has created a unique alternative universe completely controlled by corporate fiefdoms	Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card** I remember reading a short version (novella?) of this book before I got the full novel and thinking how powerfully it presented a case for the inhumanity of war as it relates to the training of the young. It may be even scarier now as high-tech remote weapon systems have converted warfare into something more like a big video game.
1984	Startide Rising by David Brin**	Neuromancer by William Gibson**
1983	Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov	Startide Rising by David Brin This wonderful book portrays mankind's entry into a universe of sentient races where man occupies the low rung on the ladder, with allies but without a sponsor race. This is the first of several novels (continued in Uplift War**) that outline an alternative universe.
1982	Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh Most science fiction books present the human characters as almost fearless explorers of the universe. Not in Cherryh's books. In this book (as in Cherryh's other books), the lead characters are fearful even as they explore. While disconcerting at first, I came to realize that in many ways this is more realistic because, while man is curious, there is no telling when you will unknowingly come across something more powerful that could crush you.	No Enemy But Time by Michael Bishop
1981	Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge	Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe
1980	Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke	Timescape by Gregory Benford
1979	Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre**	Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
1978	Gateway by Frederik Pohl**	Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre**
1977	Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm	Gateway by Frederik Pohl**
1976	Forever War by Joe Haldeman**	Man Plus by Frederik Pohl
1975	Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin**	Forever War by Joe Haldeman**
1974	Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke**	Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin**
1973	The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov**	Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke**
1972	To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer	The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov**
1971	Ringworld by Larry Niven**	Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg
1970	Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin**	Ringworld by Larry Niven** This book was one of the first books that really nailed the definition of 'hard' science fiction for me. Every fact is theoretically possible, albeit highly imaginative, and it all hangs together in a compelling story. As a plus, this book fits into the alternative future envisioned by Niven in a number of his other books.
1969	Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner This is an enormously powerful book that reflects the chaos and coming of age of the 60s generation as I think back on the time period in which it was written. I didn't appreciate this book when I first read it nearly as much as I do now.	Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin**
1968	Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny	Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin
1967	The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein This libertarian tale of the lunar colony struggling to reach for independence continues to catch my imagination thirty years after I read it for the first time. Maybe it was the self-deprecating commentary from the lead character or maybe it was because the struggle for freedom in a harsh environment wasn't so unlikely. Still one of my favorites even though it is a bit simplistic.	Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany
1966	tie And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny Dune by Frank Herbert**	tie Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
1965	Wanderer by Fritz Leiber	Dune by Frank Herbert** This book was an eye-opener for me; it's one of the real classics of the genre. I first read (and re-read) this book one summer when I was working on a farm in what must have been sometime around 1974. The range and scope of this novel made it wonderful.
1964	Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
1963	Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick
1962	Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1961	Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
1960	Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
1959	Case of Conscience by James Blish
1958	Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1957	(No award for best novel)
1956	Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
1955	They'd Rather Be Right by Frank Riley and Mark Clifton
1954	Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Additional Notes

The Hugo Award was named in honor of Hugo Gernsback, "The Father of Magazine Science Fiction," as he was described in a special award given to him in 1960. The Hugo Award, also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award, is given annually by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The Hugo Award is determined by nominations from and a popular vote of the membership of WSFS. In general, a Hugo Award given in a particular year is for work that appeared in the previous calendar year. Since 1954, Hugo awards have been given for four categories of literature: novel, novella, novelette, and short story. In addition, there are a number of other categories that are currently honored.

The Nebula Award is nominated and voted on by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The SFWA was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight and, subsequently, it has brought together the most successful and daring writers of speculative fiction throughout the world. It is now widely recognized as one of the most effective non-profit writers' organizations in existence. Over 1200 science fiction and fantasy writers, artists, editors, and allied professionals are members. Each year, SFWA presents the prestigious Nebula Awards for the best short story, novelette, novella, and novel of the year across both SF and fantasy categories.

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Additional Notes

Science Fiction Book Awards
Hugo Award
Nebula Award