Hugo recommendations: 1939 retro awards

Best Novel

  1. Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (The Bodley Head)
  2. Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith (Astounding Stories, February 1938)
  3. The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (Collins)
  4. The Legion of Time by Jack Williamson (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)
  5. No Award

Left off ballot:  Carson of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Argosy, February 1938)


Best Novella

  1. Anthem by Ayn Rand (Cassell)
  2. “Who Goes There?” by Don A Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938)
  3. No Award

Left off ballot:  “A Matter of Form” by H. L. Gold, “Sleepers of Mars” John Beynon, “The Time Trap” Henry Kuttner.

Best Novelette

  1. “Rule 18” by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)
  2. “Pigeons From Hell” by Robert E. Howard (Weird Tales, May 1938)
  3. “Dead Knowledge” by Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Stories, January 1938)
  4. No Award

Left off ballot: “Hollywood on the Moon” by Henry Kuttner,  “Werewoman” C. L. Moore

Best Short Story

  1. “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma” by Ray Bradbury (Imagination!, January 1938)
  2. “How We Went to Mars” by Arthur C. Clarke (Amateur Science Stories, March 1938)
  3. “Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938)
  4. “The Faithful” by Lester del Rey (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)
  5. “Hyperpilosity” by L. Sprague de Camp (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)

Best Editor

  1. John W. Campbell
  2. No Award

Left off ballot: Farnsworth Wright, Mort Weisinger, Raymond A. Palmer,  Walter H. Gillings

Just look at those stories compared to the stories nominated in 2014. If that’s not evidence of a catastrophic decline since 1939, I don’t know what is.

OTHER HUGO AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Best Novel
Best Novelette
Best Short Story
Best Editor