While Hugo Gernsback's Ralph 124C41+ might not have much of a storyline, it amazes with its sheer power of prophecy. Only Gernsback could have possibly imagined all those technological breakthroughs in 1911.
This thin volume goes on for most of it's first half like a future technological encyclopedia, begins to concentrate on the more romantic interactions of the protagonist and the girl he's met as a result of a cross connected telephone, and ends with an interstellar chase. The title of the book has yet another meaning, but I won't give it away here.

By the way, the 2005 Hugo awards are at http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/pressr47.htm
Hm...I just realized I've not read a single one of them yet :(.

On the same note, I'm working on building my database of sf books again after a gap of two months. It's quite boring work, entering data, coupled with occassional curses as I realize I've bought the same book twice, or even thrice in one of my sprees, not remembering that I already have it.

Currently I'm reading Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear.