I thought the top two of these were very good, the next two OK, and while I have my own reasons for not rating the bottom two, I am sur that they will have a wider appeal to voters.
1) “The Millay Illusion” by Sarah Pinsker
Second paragraph of third section
You will be asking why she would have gone to the expense and effort of arranging this event. (What I think: She wanted to be known on her own merits, and she wanted to be respected, to demonstrate once and for all that her act was her own. She wanted her name, her chosen name, to be associated with her skill and ingenuity; I still can’t understand why or how she walked away.)
Story of stage magic and girl power. I had been planning to mark it down as not being sfnal enough until I got to the end. Beautifully evocative.
2) “The Girl That My Mother Is Leaving Me For” by Cameron Reed
Second paragraph of third section:
I remember being alone here, having no one but the guards to talk to. Mira shouldn’t have to live like that. Most of the guards are nice and you can learn a lot from them, but some of what you learn’s depressing. Usually borrowing money to take an enhanced body was the only way they could find work. Then most of every payday goes toward servicing the debt.
Dynastic dysphoria in a dystopia, and love that transgresses cruelly set boundaries.
3) “Never Eaten Vegetables” by H.H. Pak
Second paragraph of third section:
“Hello,” says the frog.
Generation starship with all kinds of issues between bottled brains and AIs. Some cute stuff but felt it wasn’t fully under control.
4) “When He Calls Your Name” by Catherynne M. Valente
Second paragraph of third section:
She walked like a man. I do remember that. Not like she was making a big point about it either. It wasn’t a showy thing. She just walked across my property like it could be hers any old time. Without apologizing to the space she moved through. Without curling her shoulders in out of sheer embarrassment that she’d gone out and bothered the air. Frankly, it made me uncomfortable. My head wanted to tell my heart it was tied up in fits because that woman walked along like yet another thing that belonged to me had always been hers. But my heart wouldn’t have it. My heart knew it was mad as marbles because I could’ve been walking through the world just like that this whole time, only I never thought to.
My husband has been seduced by the neighbourhood vampire, who drops by for a muddy-the-air chat. I found it a bit too close to horror for my taste.
5) “Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy” by Martha Wells
Second paragraph of third section:
Tarik got the hatch open and Iris flashed her light over the dark space inside. It was just a corridor, dark metal walls scratched with graffiti, mostly symbols she didn’t recognize. Ladsen and Sunara, both suddenly all business, stepped immediately toward the walls, taking out their recording interfaces. “Is it Pre-CR?” Matteo asked.
A Murderbot story which I bounced off as usual (it will probably win). I thought the plot only went half way.
6) “Kaiju Agonistes” by Scott Lynch
Second paragraph of third section:
The seed-planters designed its consciousness to grow slowly, adjusting gently to each new unfolding of comprehension. Two hundred thousand local years would be a long time for any living thing to cling to an undersea ledge, let alone something with the power to wreak planetary havoc. Psychological stability must be assured in a monstrous visitation from the stars.
Godzilla as an Awful Warning planted by well-meaning alien overseers. My suspension of disbelief was knocked by too many anachornisms and inaccuracies.
2026 Hugos: Novelette | Short Story | Dramatic Presentation, Short Form | Professional Artist | Poem
Best Novel: The Incandescent | Shroud | The Raven Scholar
Best Graphic Story or Comic: The Invisible Parade | three more finalists
Best Related Work: Colourfields | The Cuddled Little Vice | Inventing the Renaissance
Lodestar: Holy Terrors | Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe
Where to get them | Goodreads/Librarything/StoryGraph stats