As promised, I'm squeezing in a final survey of bloggers in the last 24 hours before Hugo voting closes. This final snapshot doesn't change the picture much; the three front-runners for Best Novel remain close to each other, and No Award remains in front in the other categories. To repeat a caveat from my previous post:
Again, I want to emphasise that this is a small self-selecting sample of voters. When I first carried out a survey like this in 2011, it did not flag any of the eventual winners as leading among bloggers. In 2013, I did not find a single blogger who declared that they had voted for the winner, Redshirts. I did better last year, with the winners either top or second in each of the categories surveyed.
I still have not found anyone giving their first preference for either The Darkness Between The Stars or "Championship B'Tok". I have found one person who will put "The Parliament of Beasts and Birds" at the top of their ballot; it's not terribly surprising who that is.
The colour coding of links reflects nothing more than when I picked them up. Those recorded in my first survey are in blue; those from my previous update in red; and those added today are in green. I have not delved deep into blog comments, so there may be more nuggets to mine.
The Goblin Emperor (15-17): Ian Mond, Tim Atkinson, Reading SFF, Rachel Neumeier, maybe Cat FaberJon F. Zeigler, Admiral Naismith, Charles Stross, Martin Wisse, Laura Gjovaag, NiTessineRebekah GoldenStephanie GunnslategreyJ.T. RichardsonWeasel KingMelannen
The Three-Body Problem (15): Wombat-Socho, Vox Day, H.P., Bradley Armstrong, Joseph Tomaras, Nick Mamatas, Brian ZKat Jones, Andrew Hickey, Harold CarperCarmestros Felapton, Kallen Kentner, Mark Ciocco, Liz Barr, Jonathan Edelstein
Ancillary Sword (11-13): Steve Davidson, Nicholas Whyte, John Snead, Lisa Goldstein, maybe Cat FaberTimo Pietilä, Joe Sherry, Bonnie McDaniel, Rhiannon ThomasTony CullenJennie RiggRay CunninghamMelannen
Skin Game (3): Patrick MayJohn C. Wright, Doug Quixote
No Award (2): Michael Z. Williamson, Matt Foster
No Award (29-30): Joseph Tomaras, Steve Davidson, Nicholas Whyte, Timo Pietila, Melina Dahms, Font Folly, Abigail Nussbaum, Laura Gjovaag, Marion, Lisa Goldstein, Cat FaberJon F. Zeigler, Kat Jones, ase, Michael Z. Williamson, NiTessine, Bonnie McDaniel, possibly Alex PierceCarmestros Felapton, Rhiannon Thomas, Matt Foster, Tony Cullen, Melannen, Jennie Rigg, Andrew Hickey, Tim Atkinson, Ray Cunningham, Weasel King, J.T. Richardson, Aaron Hughes
"Big Boys Don't Cry" (5): Chris Gerrib, Peter Enyeart, Brian ZHarold CarperDoug Quixote
"One Bright Star To Guide Them" (4-5): Vox Day, Nick MamatasRich Horton, Mark Cioccomaybe John C. Wright
"Pale Realms of Shade" (3-4): Rachel Neumeier, Joe Sherry H.P.maybe John C. Wright
"Flow" (2): Patrick MayDavid Steffen
"The Plural of Helen of Troy" (0-2): possibly Alex Piercemaybe John C. Wright
No Award (23): Andrew Hickey, Kat Jones, Nicholas Whyte, Melina Dahms, Timo Pietilä, Laura Gjovaag, Abigail Nussbaum, Brian Z, Lisa Goldstein, Cat Faber and Steve Davidsonase (probably), Michael Z. Williamson, Alex PierceCarmestros FelaptonAaron PoundMatt FosterTony CullenMelannenJennie RiggTim AtkinsonJonathan EdelsteinKallen Kentner
"The Day The World Turned Upside Down" (10-11): Font Folly, Russell Blackford, Chris Gerrib, maybe MarionCharlotte AshleyKallen Kentner, Ray Cunningham, Weasel King, Aaron Hughes, Russell Blackford
"The Triple Sun" (8-9): Kiesa, Rachel Neumeier, Mark Ciocco, Joe Sherry, Joseph Tomaras, Peter Enyeart maybe MarionJon F. ZeiglerVox Day, Doug Quixote
"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Earth to Alluvium" (6): Nick MamatasBonnie McDaniel, Harold Carper (probably)Jonathan Edelstein, J.T. Richardson, David Steffen
"The Journeyman: In The Stone House" (3): Patrick MayH.P., Rich Horton
No Award (30-31): Andrew Hickey, Katya Czaja, Timo Pietilä, Melina Dahms, Martin Petto, Nicholas Whyte, Steve Davidson, Font Folly, Abigail Nussbaum, Laura Gjovaag, Nick Mamatas, Brian Z, Lisa Goldstein, Cat FaberKat Jones, Aaron Pound, ase (almost certainly), Michael Z. Williamson, Alex Pierce, Bonnie McDaniel Carmestros Felapton, Matt Foster, Tony Cullen, Melannen, Jennie Rigg, Liz Barr, Tim Atkinson, Ray Cunningham, Weasel King, Aaron Hughes, maybe Kallen Kentner
"Totaled" (12-13): Mark Ciocco, Liz Barr, Chris Gerrib, Rachel Neumeier, Patrick May, Joseph Tomaras, Russell Blackford, Peter EnyeartJon F. ZeiglerJonathan Edelstein, J.T. Richardson, Russell Blackford, maybe Kallen Kentner
"A Single Samurai" (4-5): H.P., Rich Horton, possibly Harold CarperDoug Quixote, David Steffen
"Turncoat" (2-3): Vox Day, Vivienne Raperpossibly Harold Carper
"On a Spiritual Plain" (1): Joe Sherry
"The Parliament of Beasts and Birds" (1): John C. Wright
As before, please let me know if I have misrepresented your vote, or misused your preferred online handle, in the list above. I am sure that a few more ballots will be posted online in the next day or so, but I don't plan to update this post (apart from correcting errors).
This one was published after quite a long gap, and I think it shows a greater depth than in the first couple of books.(Checking, the publication dates were 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1993.) I read the second, Drowned Ammet, when it first came out, and I remember thinking that the treatment of ‘freedom fighters’ showed a lot of nuance for a children’s book of the time.