Begun in 1953, the Hugo Award is the premiere award for the science fiction and fantasy genres, often strived for by authors and their publishers alike for its prestige and its effect on book sales.

In this series, author and Tor.com book reviewer Jo Walton takes a look at the Hugo Award winners and nominees year by year, revisiting (but not rereading) them through the lens of history and discussing their merits. Ultimately, do the Hugo Awards really represent the best of science fiction and fantasy?