The first Hugo Award for Best Novel was presented in 1953. The ceremony took place at Philcon II, the 11th World Science Fiction Convention, held in Philadelphia.
Alfred Bester won that inaugural novel category for “The Demolished Man,” a science-fiction novel about a future society in which telepathy is widespread. The book explores crime, psychology, advertising, and social control, and it helped establish the Hugo as a major reader-selected science-fiction award.
The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the publisher associated with the early development of science-fiction magazines. It is presented by the World Science Fiction Society and is voted on by Worldcon members. The Best Novel category generally covers eligible works of at least 40,000 words.
A common source of confusion is the difference between the ceremony year and the publication year. The 1953 Hugo recognized eligible work from the preceding period, and the award tables use the year of presentation. There was no regular Hugo ceremony in 1954, making 1953 the clearly established starting point.