Last night's Hugo Award ceremony at the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno were just great, and some damned fine writers, creators, editors and books were nominated and won. Some of the balloted works/writers you've seen reviewed here this year include:

* The Magicians by Lev Grossman (Campbell Award for Best New Writer, winner)
* Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (Campbell Award for Best New Writer, nominee)
* Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Best Novella)
* The Dervish House by Ian McDonald (Best Novel, nominee)
* Robert A. — Read the rest

So far, the standout retail moment at this year's World Science Fiction Convention in Reno are the very reasonably priced "Girl Genius" badges from Kaja and Phil Foglio, inspired by the Hugo-Award-winning webcomic of the same name. Worked with great trilobite and zeppelin motifs, the badges were apparently manufactured by the same supplier who does the collectible pins for the Disney parks, and have a good, solid heft. — Read the rest

Last night, the Hugo Awards, one of science fiction's most prestigious prizes, were presented in Melbourne at Aussiecon 4. The Hugo ceremony is one of my favorite parts of any WorldCon, and last night's event, emceed by Garth Nix, was a particularly outstanding edition. — Read the rest

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Hugo Awards ceremony at the World Science Fiction Convention and of losing two Hugos to two of the nicest, most deserving people in science fiction: my friend and teacher Nancy Kress (Best Novella for "The Erdmann Nexus") and my friend and copyfight comrade Neil Gaiman (Best Novel for "The Graveyard Book"). — Read the rest

Agies sez, "Kaja Foglio has dug up a 1907 children's book illustration of what Santa will look like in 2007. It's the first pair of desktop images on the page."

Santa in 2007: A vintage vision of the future from a children's book published in 1907
(Thanks, Agies!

Charlie Stross's latest novel Halting State starts out as a hilarious post-cyberpunk police procedural, turns into a gripping post-cyberpunk technothriller, and escalates into a Big Ideas book about the future of economics, virtual worlds, the nation state and policing, while managing to crack a string of geeky in-jokes, play off a heaping helping of gripping action scenes, and telling a pretty good love story. — Read the rest

BB reader wishbook says,

With the recent passing of televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, I thought it was a fitting time to share the shrill sounds and sights of the 1975 album, "Oops! There Comes A Smile: Songs & Stories By Jim & Tammy & Their Friends."