1946 Retro-Hugo Awards

1946 Retro Hugo Award Trophy Presented at: L.A. Con III, Anaheim, California, August 29 – September 2, 1996

Toastmaster: Robert Silverberg

Base design: Barry Workman, Mike Donahue and Shawn Crosby

Awards Administration: Mike Glyer, David Bratman, Seth Goldberg
 
The 1946 Retro Hugo Awards were presented at a ceremony on Friday, August 30, 1996 at L.A. Con III, the 54th World Science Fiction Convention.

111 members of L.A.con or Intersection submitted valid nominating ballots. Some categories had only 4 finalists, as no other eligible candidates appeared on at least 5% of the ballots cast in that category. No eligible nominees received more than 2 votes in the Non-Fiction Book, Original Artwork, or Semiprozine categories. There were 605 valid final ballots received. Of these voters, 558 also voted for the regular 1996 Hugo Awards.

Full Nominating and Final Ballot Voting Details

Per WSFS rules, categories in which there were insufficient nominations to justify the category were dropped.

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Award for Best Young Adult Book are not Hugo Awards and therefore there are no Retrospective versions of these awards.

Best Novel

  • The Mule by Isaac Asimov [Astounding Nov,Dec 1945]
  • The World of Null-A by A. E. van Vogt [Astounding Aug,Sep,Oct 1945]
  • That Hideous Strength (alt: The Tortured Planet (1958 US)) by C. S. Lewis [John Lane, 1946]
  • Destiny Times Three by Fritz Leiber [Astounding Mar,Apr 1945]
  • Red Sun of Danger (alt: Danger Planet) by Brett Sterling (aka: Edmond Hamilton) [Startling Spr 1945]

Best Novella

  • Animal Farm by George Orwell [Secker & Warburg, 1946]
  • “The Dead Hand” by Isaac Asimov [Astounding Apr 1945]
  • “Giant Killer” by A. Bertram Chandler [Astounding Oct 1945]
  • “I Remember Lemuria!” by Richard S. Shaver [Amazing Mar 1945]

Best Novelette

  • “First Contact” by Murray Leinster [Astounding May 1945]
  • “Pi in the Sky” by Fredric Brown [Thrilling Wonder Win 1945]
  • “Into Thy Hands” by Lester del Rey [Astounding Aug 1945]
  • “The Mixed Men” (alt: “Mission to the Stars”) by A. E. van Vogt [Astounding Jan 1945]
  • “The Piper’s Son” by Lewis Padgett (aka: Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore) [Astounding Feb 1945]

Best Short Story

  • “Uncommon Sense” by Hal Clement [Astounding Sep 1945]
  • “The Ethical Equations” by Murray Leinster [Astounding Jun 1945]
  • “The Waveries” by Fredric Brown [Astounding Jan 1945]
  • “What You Need” by Lewis Padgett (aka: Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore) [Astounding Oct 1945]
  • “Correspondence Course” by Raymond F. Jones [Astounding Apr 1945]

Best Non-Fiction Book

  • Insufficient Nominations – not on the ballot

Best Dramatic Presentation

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) [MGM] Written and directed by Albert Lewin; based on the novel by Oscar Wilde
  • Blithe Spirit (1945) [UA] Directed by David Lean; Written by Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean and Ronald Neame; based on the play by Noel Coward
  • The Body Snatcher (1945) [RKO] Directed by Robert Wise; Written by Philip MacDonald and Val Lewton; based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • House of Dracula (1945) [Universal] Directed by Erle C. Kenton; Written by Edward T. Lowe, Jr.
  • The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) [Warner Brothers] Directed by Raoul Walsh; Written by Sam Hellman and James V. Kern

Best Professional Editor

  • John W. Campbell, Jr. (Astounding Science Fiction)
  • Donald A. Wollheim
  • Raymond A. Palmer (Amazing)
  • Sam Merwin, Jr. (Thrilling Wonder Stories / Startling Stories)

Best Professional Artist

  • Virgil Finlay
  • Hannes Bok
  • Frank R. Paul
  • Edd Cartier
  • Earle K. Bergey

Best Original Artwork

  • Insufficient Nominations – not on the ballot

Best Semiprozine

  • Insufficient Nominations – not on the ballot

Best Fanzine

  • Voice of the Imagi-Nation ed. by Forrest J Ackerman
  • Chanticleer ed. by Walt Liebscher
  • Shangri L’Affaires ed. by Charles E. Burbee and Gerald Hewitt
  • The Acolyte ed. by Francis Towner Laney and Russell
  • Fantasy Commentator ed. by A. Langley Searles

Best Fan Writer

  • Forrest J Ackerman
  • Wilson Tucker
  • Charles E. Burbee
  • Art Widner
  • Francis Towner Laney

Best Fan Artist

  • William Rotsler
  • Alva Rogers
  • Joe Gibson
  • Lou Goldstone, Jr.
  • Jack Wiedenbeck

The World Science Fiction Society Constitution allows, but does not require, a Worldcon held 50, 75, or 100 years after a Worldcon at which no Hugo Awards were presented to present Retrospective Hugo Awards for works that would have been eligible for that year’s Hugo Awards if they had been held. (Once Retro Hugos have been presented for a given year, no future Worldcon may present Retro Hugos for that year.) The 1946 Worldcon did not present Hugo Awards. L.A. Con III elected to present Retro Hugo Awards for works first published in 1945 that would have been eligible for the 1946 Hugo Awards, had there been Awards presented in 1946.