How to download this year’s Hugo Packet

Filed under: Awards, Speculative Fiction, Writing Samples
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Disclaimer: I’m not involved with this year’s Hugo Awards or Packet, and I don’t know anything about what’s going on behind the scenes; I’m just a Worldcon member who wants to read the works in the Packet.

Part of the Hugo Packet is now available, for members of this year’s Worldcon. (If you’re not a member, you need to buy a membership before you can download the Packet. Details about how to buy a membership are beyond the scope of this guide.)

Unfortunately, there are three issues that may make it difficult for some people to download and read the ebooks in the Packet:

  1. The site is currently set up in such a way that you may see a security warning when you visit it.
  2. It’s not obvious how to find the ebooks on the site, and clicking the download links doesn’t work.
  3. The Packet doesn’t include Kindle files as such.

This unofficial guide explains how to deal with each of those issues.

(Thanks much to Andrew and Stevonnie for some of the info included in this guide! Any errors are mine.)

(Edited to add, a few hours later: I’ve made a few small clarifications here and there since posting. Thanks to everyone who’s sent comments and questions.)

I. Getting past the security issue

For some people, this issue has already gone away, and if all goes well, it’ll go away soon for everyone. But if you run into the security warning, here’s how to bypass it.

  1. Go to the Hugo Awards voting page in the Chrome browser. (Other browsers may work too.)
  2. If the page loads, then you’re done; move on to part II.
  3. If Chrome tells you that you can’t proceed, click the Advanced button. Then click anywhere in the window and type thisisunsafe (no letters appear as you type). The page then loads.

Important note: Don’t use this workaround in most other contexts. When a browser gives you a security warning, there’s usually a good reason for it. For more, see this discussion of bypassing a Chrome security warning.

II. Finding and downloading the ebooks

The ebooks for each category are in the voting area for that category. Here’s how to find and download them:

  1. Near the top of the page, click the 我要投票 / I Want to Vote button. A page titled “Qualification Check” appears.
  2. Enter your email address and click Get Code, then wait for an email containing your membership number and the checkcode. (The email is from hugo_receipt@message.chengduworldcon.com, and has the Subject line “login”. If you don’t see it, check to see whether it was marked as spam. Some people aren’t receiving any email from Worldcon at all; unfortunately, I don’t have any recommendations for that situation.)
  3. After you receive the email, enter the membership number and checkcode in the spaces provided in the web form.
  4. Click the 开始投票 / Start Vote button.
  5. On the “Vote For The Hugo Awards” page, scroll down to the categories.
  6. In the left column, click a category, such as 最佳长篇小说 Best Novel. A list of finalists appears on the right.
  7. In the list of finalists, look for a button labeled 下载查看相关作品 / Download&Review This Category. If there’s no such button, then the Packet for that category isn’t available yet.
  8. If there is such a button, then right-click or Control-click it, and select Download Linked File from the context menu. The Zip file containing the files for that category starts to download. Alternatively, if you don’t see a context-menu item like Download Linked File, try copying the URL and pasting it into a new tab, or Shift+clicking or Command-clicking to open the link in a new tab. (If you just click the link, nothing happens, but if you use various alternative approaches, it downloads.)

III. Opening and reading the ebooks

  1. After the Zip file downloads, open it to uncompress it into a folder called “Hugo Packet”. Inside that folder is another folder that contains the files.
  2. If you want to transfer an ePub or PDF file to a Kindle device, use Amazon’s “Send to Kindle” app, or use the special mail-to-Kindle email address that Amazon provides. (You can’t directly sideload an ePub file to a Kindle device using a USB cable.)
  3. If you’re not using a Kindle, then open the ePub or PDF file that you want to read in your ebook reader.

9 Responses to “How to download this year’s Hugo Packet”

  1. StefanB

    One Isue that is troubeling me, you have to insert a credit card. (Paypal is not working, I tryed at the begining of the year.
    If I remember correctly you need some adional steps with a screenshot.
    Would be a nice addition to your guide.

    reply

  2. Perrianne Lurie

    You don’t need a credit card. You have to have a WSFS membership in order to vote in the Hugos, which gives you access to the Hugo packet. You don’t have access if you’re not a member, but you can BUY a membership, for which you’d need a credit card.

    reply

  3. Jed

    To perhaps clarify Perrianne Lurie’s response a little bit:

    If you’re already a member, then you don’t need a credit card to download the Hugo Packet.

    If you’re not already a member, then you need to become a member to get access to the Hugo Packet, and buying a membership apparently requires a credit card. But my guide here doesn’t cover how to become a member; the intended audience is people who are already members.

    To become a member, visit the Choose a Package page and follow instructions there.

    I’ve now added a link to that page from my post.

    reply

  4. Fred Bauer

    Note that you may need to check your spam folder for the email with the member number and verification code. Google is putting every message from Chengdu in my spam folder now, likely because they are using a well known source of spam to send the emails.

    reply

    • Jed

      Good point; I’ve now added a note about that. Thanks!

      I’ve also heard that some people aren’t receiving any email from Worldcon, even as spam. Unfortunately, I don’t have any ideas about what to do in that situation. 🙁

      reply

  5. Pixel Scroll 8/19/23 Where Have All The Flowers Gorn - File 770

    […] THE HUGO VOTER PACKET. Jed Hartman has basic guidance as well as a Chrome-specific workaround in “How to download this year’s Hugo Packet” at Loren Ipsum. From the […]

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  6. Bonnie McDaniel

    I just logged in and tried to download the files, and my folders came up empty. Your workarounds in #8 did not work. (I was using Firefox.)

    reply

  7. Mary Piero Carey

    Thanks so much! I’ll pass this along to other members of our club, in case anyone’s having trouble. You’re very kind !

    reply

  8. Susan

    Thank you, that was very helpful!

    reply

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