1991 Hugo Awards

1991 Hugo Award Trophy Presented at: Chicon V, August 29 – September 2, 1991

Toastmaster: Marta Randall

Base design:

Awards Administration:



Best Novel

  • The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold [Baen, 1990]
  • Earth by David Brin [Bantam Spectra, 1990]
  • The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons [Doubleday Foundation, 1990]
  • The Quiet Pools by Michael P. Kube-McDowell [Ace, 1990]
  • Queen of Angels by Greg Bear [Warner Questar, 1990]

Best Novella

  • “The Hemingway Hoax” by Joe Haldeman [Asimov’s Apr 1990]
  • “Bully!” by Mike Resnick [Asimov’s May 1990]
  • “A Short, Sharp Shock” by Kim Stanley Robinson [Ziesing, 1990; Asimov’s Nov 1990]
  • “Bones” by Pat Murphy [Asimov’s May 1990]
  • “Fool to Believe” by Pat Cadigan [Asimov’s Apr 1990]

Best Novelette

  • “The Manamouki” by Mike Resnick [Asimov’s Jul 1990]
  • “A Braver Thing” by Charles Sheffield [Asimov’s Feb 1990]
  • “Tower of Babylon” by Ted Chiang [Omni Nov 1990]
  • “The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, A Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skunk” by Dafydd ab Hugh [Asimov’s Aug 1990]
  • “Over the Long Haul” by Martha Soukup [Amazing Mar 1990]

Best Short Story

  • “Bears Discover Fire” by Terry Bisson [Asimov’s Aug 1990]
  • “Cibola” by Connie Willis [Asimov’s Dec 1990]
  • “Godspeed” by Charles Sheffield [Analog Jul 1990]
  • “The Utility Man” by Robert Reed [Asimov’s Nov 1990]
  • “VRM-547” by W. R. Thompson [Analog Feb 1990]

Best Related Non-Fiction Book

  • How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card [Writer’s Digest, 1990]
  • Science Fiction in the Real World by Norman Spinrad [Southern Illinois University Press, 1990]
  • Science Fiction Writers of America Handbook by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith [Writer’s Notebook Press, 1990]
  • Bury My Heart at W. H. Smith’s by Brian W. Aldiss [Avernus, 1990; Hodder & Stoughton, 1990]
  • Hollywood Gothic by David J. Skal [Norton, 1990]

Best Dramatic Presentation

  • Edward Scissorhands (1990) [20th Century Fox] Directed by Tim Burton; Screenplay by Caroline Thompson; Story by Tim Burton and Caroline Thompson
  • Total Recall (1990) [Carolco/TriStar] Directed by Paul Verhoeven; Screenplay by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman; Screen Story by Ronald
    Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill; inspired by the short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick
  • Ghost (1990) [Paramount] Directed by Jerry Zucker; Written by Bruce Joel Rubin
  • Back to the Future III (1990) [Amblin/Universal] Directed by Robert Zemeckis; Screenplay by Bob Gale; Story by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale; based on characters created by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
  • The Witches (1990) [Henson/Lorimar] Directed by Nicolas Roeg; Screenplay by Allan Scott; based on the book by Roald Dahl

Best Professional Editor

  • Gardner Dozois
  • Ellen Datlow
  • Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • Edward L. Ferman
  • Stanley Schmidt

Best Professional Artist

  • Michael Whelan
  • David A. Cherry
  • Don Maitz
  • Thomas Canty
  • Bob Eggleton

Best Original Art Work
This category did not appear on the 1991 Hugo Awards ballot. The 1990 Worldcon used its authority to create an additional category to create a one-shot Best Original Art Work category. The 1990 WSFS Business Meeting gave initial passage to a Best Original Art Work permanent category, and the 1991 WSFS Business Meeting ratified the addition, but the addition did not take effect until the 1992 Hugo Awards, and the 1991 Worldcon elected to not use its additional-category authority. The Best Original Art Work category was a regular Hugo Award category from 1992 through 1996.

Best Semiprozine

  • Locus ed. by Charles N. Brown
  • Science Fiction Chronicle ed. by Andrew I. Porter
  • Interzone ed. by David Pringle
  • The New York Review of Science Fiction ed. by Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell and Gordon Van Gelder
  • Quantum ed. by D. Douglas Fratz

Best Fanzine

  • Lan’s Lantern ed. by George “Lan” Laskowski
  • File 770 ed. by Mike Glyer
  • Mimosa ed. by Dick Lynch and Nicki Lynch
  • FOSFAX ed. by Timothy Lane and Janice Moore
  • Mainstream ed. by Jerry Kaufman and Suzanne Tompkins

Best Fan Writer

  • Dave Langford
  • Mike Glyer
  • Teresa Nielsen Hayden
  • Arthur D. Hlavaty
  • Avedon Carol
  • Evelyn C. Leeper

Best Fan Artist

  • Teddy Harvia
  • Stu Shiffman
  • Peggy Ranson
  • Diana Harlan Stein
  • Merle Insinga