The 2026 Hugo Award finalists were announced April 21st. Convention chair Joyce Lloyd described the ballot as highlighting works that “challenge us to not only envision, but to work towards, better tomorrows and more inclusive worlds.” That framing does most of the analysis for you, but we’ll break it down anyway as to how bad it’s gotten.
The Hugo Awards were science fiction’s most prestigious award, administered by the World Science Fiction Society and voted on by Worldcon members. This year, 1,488 people cast valid nominating ballots. For context, Avengers: Endgame‘s opening weekend drew around 98 million domestic ticket buyers. The people deciding what the best science fiction and fantasy of 2025 was could fit comfortably inside a high school gymnasium, and they all know each other.
Best Diversity Novel
There are six nominees for best novel. Most of them are completely indefensible as novels to be published let alone the best of science fiction.
