The 1962 Best Short Fiction Hugo was presented September 2 at Chicon III. We do not have a record of the order of finish beyond first place.
Winner: the "Hothouse" series (alt: The Long Afternoon of Earth) by Brian W. Aldiss [F&SF Feb, Apr, Jul, Sep, Dec 1961]
Runners-up:
- "Monument" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. [Analog Jun 1961]
- "Scylla's Daughter" by Fritz Leiber [Fantastic May 1961]
- "Status Quo" by Mack Reynolds [AnalogAug 1961]
- "Lion Loose" by James H. Schmitz [AnalogOct 1961]
A series of stories winning a short fiction category would be impossible today, but in the early days, the Hugo rules were much less detailed and were administered more loosely. In this case, in response to the protests this caused, the Chicon III committee announced that during the nomination stage, they had counted ballots which said "any story in the Hothouse series", allowing the series onto the final ballot. And apparently the voters liked the series better than the other four stories on the ballot.
See also: Hugo Awards, 1962 Hugo Results, 1961 Best Short Fiction Hugo, 1963 Best Short Fiction Hugo.
