Hugo, Girl!

This month we read Lois McMaster Bujold's 2004 Hugo winner, Paladin of Souls. Lori and Amy liked it. Haley persevered.  DM: Amy  Music by Pets of Belonging Join us on Discord! If you can't get in, please send us an email at hugogirlpodcast at gmail dot com.  

We're Hugo finalists again! We discuss while sipping something called Dirty Mountain Dew. Thank you so much to everyone who listens and supports us! Big congrats to our co-finalists: Octothorpe, A Meal of Thorns, Worldbuilding for Masochists, The Coode Street Podcast, and Eating the Fantastic. We look forward to celebrating with you all in Anaheim!  

Listen, this movie isn't good, but if you like boats and Rihanna, it's a lot of fun! DM: Lori Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  LINKS Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin Take Me To Your Reader - Games to Film Episode Join us on Discord! If you can't get in, please send us an email at hugogirlpodcast at gmail dot com. The next 3 episodes will be - May - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold June - Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryj July - Rainbows End by Verner Vinge  

This month we read Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, which won the Hugo for best novel in 1994 and definitely meets the technical definition of "a novel." DM: Lori Don't forget we're still running a fundraiser! Naomi Kritzer shared a roundup of options for folks from outside Minnesota. You could also support the ACLU or another organization or fundraiser that's meaningful to you. Hugo Award nominations close Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 9:00am Pacific Time / 12:00pm Eastern Time / 4:00pm GMT. More info here. The next 4 episodes will be - April - Battleship (the 2012 movie starring Rihanna) May - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold June - Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh July - Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge   Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Join us on Discord! If you can't get in, please send us an email at hugogirlpodcast at gmail dot com.  

This month we read a boat book!!! Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing. It's so cold! A lot happens! There is Dog Tragedy! There's a lost foot! And a frozen butt! No cannibalism though, so that's good. But you guys LOOK AT THE JAMES CAIRD, JUST LOOK AT HER! They took her from Elephant Island to the wrong side of South Georgia Island. Can you imagine?! No?? Well, you don't have to! We'll tell you about it, because Alfred Lansing told us. DM: Haley Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  ---------------------- We're doing a fundraiser to support people affected by and/or protesting the violent occupation of Minneapolis and other cities in the US. To participate, please make a donation to an organization of your choice that provides mutual aid, support for immigrants, or support for protesters in Minneapolis, your own community, or anywhere there is need.  Please EMAIL your donation receipt to [email protected], (please DO NOT send receipts via social media). We'll essentially treat your receipt as a raffle ticket. All donations received on or before March 31, 2026 will count. After that, we'll select one person at random to choose a MOVIE for us to watch and discuss on the show - yes, I said a movie because right now we have to get through Green Mars so we can't add an extra book. Thanks for your support!

This month we read The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov, in which girls just wanna have sun. (Unless they are moon separatist girls.) DM: Amy Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Join us on Discord! If you can't get in, please send us an email at hugogirlpodcast at gmail dot com.

This month we read Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman, a book that Jo Walton only deigned to read once (ouch).  DM: Lori, reluctantly Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Join us on Discord! If you can't get in, please send us an email at hugogirlpodcast at gmail dot com. LINKS Review by Nathan Goldwag Strange Horizons Interview with Joe Haldeman The Universe podcast with Katie Mack & John Green (also available via your preferred podcast app)      

We got together with friend of the show Ann Michelle Harris to review The Star Trek Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel. Results varied, but it was fun as always! WARNING for eating sounds and talking with mouths full of Gagh! Starters: Porakan Cloud Eggs Seltin Pate Greenbread Quadrotriticale Salad Romulan Ale The Red Course: Gagh Plomeek Soup Starfleet Rations Bloodwine Dessert: Rippleberry Ice Cream Trixian Bubble Candy Raktajino Ann Michelle Harris is the author of YA fantasy novel North, which is available everywhere! She most recently published her first science fiction short story, Blink, in Midnight & Indigo.

Time for another happy hour! We got labubus, cross stitch, movies, and Maine lobster to share. Join us on Discord!

This month we read the brand new Hugo winner, The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett! This episode is immediately spoilery, and this book is spoilable, so proceed with caution if you haven't read it. DM: Haley Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Join us on Discord! LINKS: Hugonauts interview with Robert Jackson Bennett  

Tis the season for a spooky movie! The scariest thing about this film is probably a tie between Keanu's accent and Keanu's bowl cut, but we still love it. If you want Dracula delivered to your inbox in real time, check out Dracula Daily! DM: Amy CW: SA Join us on our BRAND NEW Discord server!

Kevin, Amy, and Lori went to ArmadilloCon in Austin, TX and recorded our very first live show! We discussed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, which was filmed right there in Austin. We recorded on our phones, so the sound quality is extremely okay. Thanks to Marshall Ryan Maresca for inviting us. We had a blast! DM/Stunt Haley: Kevin Join us on our BRAND NEW Discord server!

We went to cons - three of them! Seattle Worldcon, Dragon Con, and ArmadilloCon.  The episode art is Mary Robinette Kowal's talking cat, Elsie. Head over to our Instagram to see more con photos. A few notable time stamps: Lori crunching on candy (it's only a few seconds, very sorry) ~12:55 Worldcon Dog Report ~30:30 Interview with cat Elsie ~32:59 Links: 2025 Hugo Awards Ceremony (you too can hear DOWN THE HUGO ROAD) Edmonton 2030 Worldcon Bid Elsie on Instagram Sadie the hotdog shop dog on Instagram Lori on Octothorpe for a Worldcon Debrief

Three boys said to themselves, "Podcasting - how hard can it be??" Then they decided to find out. Introducing the Hugo Bros - Kevin (maybe you've heard of him), Stephen (Amy's brother), and Erik (co-host of Picture Me Coding). Thanks to the guys for reading Redshirts so we don't have to. We'll be back next month! DM: Stephen Book: Redshirts by John Scalzi

This month we read The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. It was long! DM: Lori Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Blazing Inferno Hellfire Sauce

A pickle lemonade tasting, hot sauces we have loved, and happy things. After you listen, head over to our Happy Hour story highlight on instagram to see video of Petey romping around his shop!

This month we read A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. We had a ton of listener mail, so the book discussion starts around 10 minutes in. DM: Haley Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library

Not exactly a Happy Hour (times are tough, y'all) but we kept recording after our Double Star episode. We tried a weird Capri Sun and talked about stuff.  Thanks to Raj for sending us his list of happy things!

This month we read Double Star by Robert Heinlein. Of all Heinlein's books, it was one of Connie Willis's three favorites! DM: Amy Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Links: You will like this podcast about Octavia Butler

The Locus Magazine 2025 fundraiser has just a few days left! Friend of the show Billy explains why it's important to support Locus. Support Locus's 2025 Indiegogo campaign or donate any time!

More happy things!

This month we read Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. It was long! DM: Lori Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library  Little Red Reviewer TV Tropes  

A new thing we're trying - occasional episodes in which we share 5 things making us happy lately. No genre content, just chatting.

We're 2025 Hugo finalists! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated us. Check out our voter packet submission. See the full list of finalists here. Hope to see you in Seattle!!

We're an opera podcast now, and you get to come with us to New York to see Moby-Dick at the Met!  Bonus content: a Shamrock Shake tasting, boat facts at the South Street Seaport Museum, and documentation of every dog in Manhattan. Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library - Many transcripts have not been edited. Anyone can edit them and make corrections, and we appreciate anyone who does!  

Miles is back at it.  DM: Haley Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: Jo Walton's Review

Officially now a tradition, friend of the pod Anne joined us for another quiz on past episodes!

When you get to the end, you'll wander why you even read this. Terrible! DM: Amy Music by Pets of Belonging An unedited transcript is available in our transcript library. Anyone can edit it and make corrections, and we appreciate anyone who does! LINKS James Nicoll's review TIDES

Podcast bestie Ann Michelle Harris joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about her debut novel North, and all things publishing and writing. If you've ever wondered how stray thoughts can become a novel, now is your chance to find out! Ann Michelle is a published author, lawyer, and contributor to the Hugo-winning fanzine, Nerds of a Feather.  Want a signed copy of North? Join us for the book launch on January 18th from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, GA! Links: Purchase North by Ann Michelle Harris Ann Michelle's website Ann Michelle on Nerds of a Feather Halfway to Life Day Cookbook Special Follow Ann on social media: Threads | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Twitter

Y2K Hugo winner A Deepness in the Sky sure is long! And oh hey, happy new year! Skip ahead about 9 minutes from the start if you want to avoid a discussion of neighbor parking drama. DM: Lori CW/TW: SA Music by Pets of Belonging

Hey, you know what? This wasn't so bad! There's about 20 extra minutes of chitchat at the end, mostly about Endurance (the Shackleton Expedition). Feel free to ignore it! DM: Haley CW/TW: we discuss animal death in Endurance during the post-episode chitchat Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging

It's a(nother) stressful week, so you can have little an early episode, as a treat. Hang in there.  This month we read and discussed Naomi Kritzer's Hugo-winning short story, Better Living Through Algorithms. You can read it for free or listen to it thanks to Clarkesworld! This is a wide-ranging discussion where we used the story as more of a jumping-off point to talk about a lot of other things, from sailing to crossfit to facial recognition software.  Support Clarkesworld Picture Me Coding, ft. Amy

It's showtime! Happy Halloween, listeners!

This month we read The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. We were joined by special guest and delightful person and ambitopia expert, author Redfern Jon Barrett! We had so much fun chatting with Redfern that this is a bit of a maxisode. Digressions abound.  DM: Haley CW/TW: brief discussion of SA Redfern's website Purchase Proud Pink Sky Ambitopia: Futures Beyond the Binary Amy's guest appearance on Picture Me Coding Music by Pets of Belonging

It was fun! It was windy! Lori and Kevin tell all. Boring warning: at about 17:45, you're gonna hear like 5 minutes of voice notes about dogs. Feel free to turn off the podcast.  Eating noise warning: if you make it this far, at 22:05-22:25, Lori will loudly eat a tea cake, so skip that if you can't stand mouth noises.  Want a mug? A sticker? How about a shirt? Check out our Redbubble shop.

Well, what else were we supposed to call it? This month we read Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep, suggested by listener Raj. Thanks, Raj! Amy is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Jo Walton's review

Being gay and doing crime, all across space and time! Our long-awaited, most cursed episode is finally here. Requested by Haley and Raj. Lori is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Strange Horizons Review - Adri Joy Interview with the authors The Joy of Reading Books You Don't Entirely Understand The 12 Days of Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood  

Over five years ago, we test drove this thing. It's rough, but we hope you'll enjoy it! For various reasons, we had to push back our planned schedule. This is How You Lose the Time War will drop in August, followed by A Fire Upon the Deep in September.

Another attack of the clones. We liked it! DM: Haley CW/TW: rape, sexual abuse, transphobia, intersexphobia, fatphobia Music by Pets of Belonging Links: The Extractivism of Setting and the Traitor's Text - Vajra Chandrasekera Jo Walton's Review  

This month we read Arthur C. Clarke's perfectly fine novel, The Fountains of Paradise. It is fine! And it has an admittedly banger ending, if you can stand the first 200 pages. Recommended, maybe? Amy is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Wikipedia - Sigiriya Sculpture and Poetry of Sigiriya

We discuss the hottest film romance in genre fiction: Twilight! We love it.  DM: Lori CW/TW: It's Twilight. Music by Pets of Belonging

This month we read Philip José Farmer's extended fart joke The Wind Whales of Ishmael. This episode is kinda ridiculous, which is fitting for a book which is also kinda ridiculous. We chatted for 15 minutes before we got into the book, as follows: 0:00-7:00ish - general chat and update on Haley's fava beans, as requested by listener Amber 7:00ish-14:30 - tasting and discussion of Coca-Cola Spiced, which is not very good 14:30-15:30 - an anecdote from Haley's college radio days 15:30-end - an actual episode of Hugo, Girl! the podcast Support Locus Magazine Music by Pets of Belonging

This month we read Mary Doria Russell's divisive novel The Sparrow. It's got a bit of everything - Jesuits, space travel, food, friendship, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and child murder. Amy is DM. Did we mention trigger warning? Yikes! CW/TW: see description above, and it's really serious so skip this one if you need to! We like you! By the way, we did a LOT of chatting at the top of this one, so skip to about the 12 minute mark if you want to get straight into the book discussion.

Friend of the pod Anne joined us and quizzed us on past episodes! We also discussed our favorite reads of 2023 and what we're looking forward to reading in 2024. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening!

Jason is a genius, Diane is a diamond, ED is a Lawton, and Carol is drunk. Our narrator - He's just Tyler. This month we read Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. We liked it! Lori is DM. Note: There is no actual discussion of eating disorders in this episode or in the book. One character is named ED, and his name is repeated one million times. Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Speculition's Review of Spin

This month we read Roger Zelazny's classic Lord of Light. We did not like it, and we are sorry.  DM: Haley References: The Nerantel Gem Episode Read the Nerantel Gem Jo Walton's Review Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging

This month we discussed Blood of the Dragon, which won George RR Martin the Hugo Award for best novella in 1997. Blood of the Dragon consists of the Daenerys chapters from Game of Thrones. You can read it here or here. DM: Amy CW/TW: It's Game of Thrones, so you know the deal: SA, SA, and more SA. Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging  

WE WON A HUGO AWARD!

Hold on to your dirtypillows and don't forget to plug it up - spooky season is here! We read Carrie, Stephen King's 1974 debut novel. Lori is DM. Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Tor.com review  Carrie on stephenking.com  

This month we read The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge. We liked it. No further analysis! DM: Haley NOTE: Sound quality is bad. Amy was sick so we recorded remotely, and your friend Lori did a bad job adjusting the gain. For best results, use your crummiest headphones. Also, it's come to our attention that Joan's last name might be pronounced Ving-ee, or maybe Vinjee. If we said it wrong, we're sorry! Transcript Library  Music by Pets of Belonging