On July 23rd, the day that Hugo voting closes, I posted on social media that “Less than six hours left before we all become Schrödinger’s Hugo award winners. Either we have already won or lost.” This is the period between the end of voting and the announcement of the winners. During that liminal time, we are both Hugo winners and Hugo losers.
I’ve used my Hugo nomination to treat myself to some things I don’t normally buy (a couple gowns, some jewelry, a tiara…), but I kept thinking about that phrase “Schrödinger’s Hugo winner.” So, I decided to support one of my favorite artists, Alina Pete, and commissioned some artwork at Gen*Con.
Isn’t he the best? Now, I will always have “Schrödinger’s Hugo winner cat” on my wall. I’m also gifting it to all of the Hugo Award 2025 finalists (as well as future Hugo finalists when they, too, become “Schrödinger’s Hugo winner”) to be amused by.
You may use the image for blogposts and such as long as you credit the artist, Alina Pete (alinapete.bsky.social or https://linktr.ee/alinapete) on the post.
Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself like you would your best friend.
