galacticjourney

by Gideon Marcus

Everyone knows that the great American pastime is Baseball. Most fans enjoy watching the drama on the diamond, the crowds, the cheers, the hot dogs. But there is a dedicated minority for whom the sublimest pleasure is compiling Baseball stats. How well did each team do this year? Each player? Year over year, what are the trends? What are the chances of the Cubs ever winning the World Series again (hah!)

So here's my confession: I love statistics. A lot of the reason I read so much science fiction and maintain this column is so that, every year, I can keep track of every story, every magazine, every novel. In December, I compile these numbers and determine the annual recipients of the Galactic Stars. It tickles my mathematical brain, and it lets me see, graphically, how things are going not just in the careers of my favorite writers, but in the genre as a whole.

Plus, you get a slew of recommendations in the bargain. I mean, why wait for the Hugos? They're just going to echo what I say, anyway, right?

1961 was a better year than 1960, which saw an absolute nadir of 5-star stories. As a result, there was some stiff competition in nearly every category. I've listed the winners in bold, followed by the runners up and the honorable mentions (where applicable). Read on – I'm sure you'll agree that I had tough choices to make: