2022 Hugo Nominations
Mar. 15th, 2022 03:49 pmGot my Hugo nominating ballot in. Prior to tonight's deadline I read 16 novels, 14 novellas, and 26 pieces of shorter fiction published in 2021. That's down from the last couple years (particularly the short fiction—I'm not completely sure I didn't miscount there) but by being more selective in what I read I was able to improve my reading experience significantly. Plus get a bit more reading done from my backlog—for instance, I finally finished off the Hugo-winning novels last year. I do assume I missed out on something I'd enjoy but hey, hopefully my fellow nominators will fill in at least a couple of those gaps on the final ballot.
SF/F Reading Log, 17–22 January 2021
Jan. 22nd, 2021 01:41 pmGoing to try omitting the comics going forward.
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom, 2020). Novella. Subtitled "Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times" and that's a pretty good summary really—set in 1921, it turns out members of the Second Klan tend to turn into hate-fueled monsters, the subtitular Ku Kluxes, from another dimension. Our main characters, of course, aim to stop the KKK and their ultimate plan. The Ku Kluxes and the other (non-human) monsters we meet are delightfully creepy. The climax is set on Stone Mountain, which is the highest point of DeKalb County, Georgia, and has to be one of the most ill-omened county high points of all 3143—most mountains just kill you, they don't host rallies to encourage you to kill others. Also I snickered at who gets referenced on the second-to-last page.
Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2012). Temeraire, book 7. At this point the plot feels like it's kind of turned into an excuse to go on a world tour of dragons. This time, Laurence, Temeraire, and the reader visit South America: the Inca and Brazil.
The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology (Simon and Schuster, 1952). Picking this up from where I left off last April. (When I'm reading an anthology and I hit a story I just read recently, I tend to put it down for a few months to avoid instant rereading.)
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom, 2020). Novella. Subtitled "Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times" and that's a pretty good summary really—set in 1921, it turns out members of the Second Klan tend to turn into hate-fueled monsters, the subtitular Ku Kluxes, from another dimension. Our main characters, of course, aim to stop the KKK and their ultimate plan. The Ku Kluxes and the other (non-human) monsters we meet are delightfully creepy. The climax is set on Stone Mountain, which is the highest point of DeKalb County, Georgia, and has to be one of the most ill-omened county high points of all 3143—most mountains just kill you, they don't host rallies to encourage you to kill others. Also I snickered at who gets referenced on the second-to-last page.
Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2012). Temeraire, book 7. At this point the plot feels like it's kind of turned into an excuse to go on a world tour of dragons. This time, Laurence, Temeraire, and the reader visit South America: the Inca and Brazil.
The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology (Simon and Schuster, 1952). Picking this up from where I left off last April. (When I'm reading an anthology and I hit a story I just read recently, I tend to put it down for a few months to avoid instant rereading.)
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster (originally in Astounding, May 1945). Retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette. A human spaceship makes contact with a humanoid alien race in the middle of the Crab Nebula. They'd like to trade with each other for mutual benefit, but can't risk leading the other back to invade their home planet.
"Meihem in ce Klasrum" by Dolton Edwards (originally in Astounding, September 1946). A short parodic plan for "simplifying" English spelling.
"Hobbyist" by Eric Frank Russell (originally in Astounding, September 1947). Novelette. A human (and macaw) who finds himself on a distant planet through a navigational mishap discovers that something is off with the world he's on, and he is not the most advanced intelligence present.
"E for Effort" by T. L. Sherred (originally in Astounding, May 1947). Novelette. Our protagonists have discovered a way to view anything on Earth that has ever happened, and seek to use this to stop war. Will the powers-that-be put up with their subversive technology?
"Child's Play" by William Tenn (originally in Astounding, March 1947). Novelette. A young nebbishy lawyer accidentally receives a "Bild-A-Man" kit from the future. Consequences that he did not (but perhaps should have) foresee ensue when he uses it.
"Thunder and Roses" by Theodore Sturgeon (originally in Astounding, November 1947). The U.S. has been destroyed in a nuclear war, and the survivors are one-by-one going insane. There may be hope for humanity to survive outside of America—but only if the remnant soldiers do not retaliate.
"Hobbyist" by Eric Frank Russell (originally in Astounding, September 1947). Novelette. A human (and macaw) who finds himself on a distant planet through a navigational mishap discovers that something is off with the world he's on, and he is not the most advanced intelligence present.
"E for Effort" by T. L. Sherred (originally in Astounding, May 1947). Novelette. Our protagonists have discovered a way to view anything on Earth that has ever happened, and seek to use this to stop war. Will the powers-that-be put up with their subversive technology?
"Child's Play" by William Tenn (originally in Astounding, March 1947). Novelette. A young nebbishy lawyer accidentally receives a "Bild-A-Man" kit from the future. Consequences that he did not (but perhaps should have) foresee ensue when he uses it.
"Thunder and Roses" by Theodore Sturgeon (originally in Astounding, November 1947). The U.S. has been destroyed in a nuclear war, and the survivors are one-by-one going insane. There may be hope for humanity to survive outside of America—but only if the remnant soldiers do not retaliate.
"50 Things Every AI Working with Humans Should Know" by Ken Liu (Uncanny, November/December 2020). An obituary of a pioneering AI, followed by the titular list.