The finalists for the 1945 Retro Hugo award in the short story category, honoring the best science fiction short story from 1944, have been announced by CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention. They include an excellent Ray Bradbury short story. The finalists are:
“The Wedge”, Isaac Asimov (Astounding Science Fiction 10/44) “I, Rocket”, Ray Bradbury (Amazing Stories 5/44) “And the Gods Laughed”, Fredric Brown (Planet Stories Spring ’44) “Desertion”, Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science Fiction 11/44) “Huddling Place”, Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science Fiction 7/44) “Far Centaurus”, A.E. van Vogt (Astounding Science Fiction 1/44)
Great news! The winner of the 1945 Retro Hugo Award in the short story category, honoring the best science fiction short story from 1944, was announced today by CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention. The winner: "I, Rocket" by Ray Bradbury, which appeared in the May, 1944 issue of the magazine AMAZING STORIES.
It was also announced at this year's ConNZealand that the city of Chicago, Illinois will host the World Science Fiction Convention in 2022. Of particular interest is that the First Fandom Guest of Honor at that 2022 convention will be Erle Korshak. Mr. Korshak is one of science fiction's earliest and best-known fans. He also was one of the co-founders of Shasta Press, which in its short existence from 1948 to 1956 published novels by such fine writers as Robert Heinlein, Murray Leinster, John Campbell, Alfred Bester, L. Sprague de Camp and A. E. Van Vogt. Mr. Korshak was also a long-time friend of Ray Bradbury. Attached below once again is a link to that wonderful picture of a group of young science fiction fans at Coney Island during the first World Science Fiction Convention, held in New York City in July, 1939. Eighteen-year-old Ray Bradbury is on the far right in the back row. And sitting directly to his left in the picture is fifteen-year-old Erle Korshak:
douglasSP, I agree that "The Lake" is a better short story than "I, Rocket". However, I think the reason that "The Lake" did not receive enough votes to make it as a finalist on the 1945 Retro Hugo Award Ballot is that the story is not really as close to being science fiction as "I, Rocket", and the Hugo Award is meant to honor science fiction stories. Incidentally. while the story "I, Rocket" never appeared in any of Ray's collections during his lifetime, a wonderful adaptation of the story appeared in issue 20 of the great EC comic book WEIRD FANTASY in the 1950's. For those who would like to read the comic book version of "I, Rocket", click on the link below:
The Hugo Awards (and that certainly includes the Retro Hugo Awards) have always been open to both science fiction and fantasy.
Orwell's Animal Farm, Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gaiman's Coraline, Link's "The Faery Handbag" and others are all fantasy winners of recent years.
Posts: 702 | Location: Cape Town, South Africa | Registered: 29 December 2001
But I think you also have a good point, Richard. I'll bet a lot of people who hadn't read both stories, just saw the word "Rocket" and voted for that.
In fact, "I, Rocket" and "The Lake" received the same number of nominations! But after a complicated tiebreak procedure, it was "I, Rocket" that made it onto the final ballot.
Posts: 702 | Location: Cape Town, South Africa | Registered: 29 December 2001
