As noted here before, more than once actually, the last few years of the Hugo Awards have been a trash fire of right-wing whining.

Nothing could make that nightmare worthwhile, but NK Jemisin's acceptance speech for her win in 2018's Best Novel category almost does:

This is the year in which I get to smile at all of those naysayers. Every single mediocre, insecure wanna-be who fixes their mouth to suggest that I do not belong on this stage, that people like me cannot possibly have earned such an honor, and that when they win it's meritocracy, when we win it's identity politics — I get to smile at those people and lift a massive, shining, rocket-shaped finger in their direction.

You can see the real anger on her face when she speaks — but also the very real triumph. We hope victory tastes as sweet as it should: with this year's Best Novel win for The Stone Sky, it's a three-year category sweep for the Broken Earth series.

Here's the list of winners, once again almost a full slate of women:

• Best Novel: The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin
• Best Novella: All Systems Red, Martha Wells
• Best Novelette: “The Secret Life of Bots“, Suzanne Palmer
• Best Short Story: “Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™”, Rebecca Roanhorse
• Best Related Work: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, Ursula K. Le Guin
• Best Graphic Story: Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood, Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda
• Best Dramatic Presentation — Long: Wonder Woman
• Best Dramatic Presentation — Short: The Good Place: “The Trolley Problem”
• Best Editor Short Form: Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
• Best Editor Long Form: Sheila E. Gilbert
• Best Professional Artist: Sana Takeda
• Best Semiprozine: Uncanny
• Best Fanzine: File 770
• Best Fancast: Ditch Diggers
• Best Fan Writer: Sarah Gailey
• Best Fan Artist: Geneva Benton
• Best Series: World of the Five Gods, Lois McMaster Bujold
• John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (not a Hugo): Rebecca Roanhorse
• The World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) Award for Best Young Adult Book (also not a Hugo): Akata Warrior, Nnedi Okorafor

Congratulations twice to Rebecca Roanhorse for her double award; congratulations to, well, pretty much everyone for the Wonder Woman win. And remember, the Hugo Awards are voted by members of the World Science Fiction Society, not by a panel of judges. That may have its downsides, but it also means that when Nnedi Okorafor beats out Philip Pullman — that's not the ref's decision; that's a call made from the cheap(ish) seats, by the fans. It's a sea change.

Check out the nominees, too, for some great books that didn't win — My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (out from Fantagraphics) and In Other Lands, a total charmer of a second take on the classic "door into wonderland" story by Sarah Rees Brennan, among others.