In this episode of Galaxies and Goddesses, join Andrea and Elizabeth as they recap Andrea’s recent experience at WorldCon 2025 in Seattle. They delve into the Hugo Awards, explaining their significance and highlighting the 2025 winners in categories like Best Novel, Best Novella, and Best Series. The episode also covers what makes a book a sci-fi or fantasy classic, mentioning influential books from the hosts' reading journeys. From Frank Herbert’s Dune to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, some classics live on and inspire the next generation. The episode concludes with an announcement for their next book pick, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.

00:00 Worldcon, Hugos, & Classics

03:35 Hugo Awards Mini FAQ

05:23 2025 Hugo Award Winner Highlights

09:02 Previous Hugo Award Winning Novels

14:18 Other Notable Awards

17:00 How Would You Define a Classic?

19:02 Sci-Fi Classics Being Film Adaptations

26:00 Back to Defining Classics

28:58 Next Month's Book Pick

Previous WorldCon Locations

https://www.worldcon.org/worldcon-history/

WorldCon 2026, August 27-31st, at the Anaheim Convention Center (LACon V)

https://www.lacon.org/about/

2025 Hugo Award Winners:

https://locusmag.com/2025/08/hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners-2/

Previous Hugo Award Winners By Year:

https://www.sfadb.com/Hugo_Awards_Winners_By_Category

Lateral Episode: When Brad Pitt Caused a Walk Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHIbBMowOkc

Org Chart 30 Rock: Sheinhardt Wig Company, the fictional parent company of NBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G03R3fvLIhI