Hugo Nominees for 2013

If you’re interested in the full lineup, it’s here. Meanwhile, here are the novel-novella-novelette-short story categories:

Best Novel (1113 nominating ballots cast)

2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)

Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit)

Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor)

Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW)

I’m actually not very happy with this list. Frankly, I think Redshirts was emminently readable, actually loads of fun, but hardly groundbreaking or important or whatever the term is I’m looking for that means Hugo-worthy. Clever, though, granted. What did any of you think, if you’ve read it?

I haven’t actually read Blackout, but it’s hard for me to see how Grant pulled that one into coherence given the magical stuff that happened at the end of the second book — magical in the sense of extremely unbelievable in an SF novel — but as I say, I haven’t read it so I honestly don’t know. I will have to reserve judgement until I actually read it, which I guess I better get it ordered. Maybe it is brilliant and flawless! I have to say that the writing in both the prior books was very, very strong. Especially in the first book, imo. Anybody else read this series? Have you read the third book yet?

And, Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance? While I loved it, I mean, Bujold, right? But I don’t know that I would put it at the top of her work. Though, not surprised to see it on this ballot, either, since popularity certainly counts for the Hugo.

I definitely expected Railsea because, hello, Mieville? I haven’t read that one either, I admit, but I sure expected to have to read it before voting. Very surprised to see it didn’t make the list. And I also definitely expected The Killing Moon by Jemisin, which I loved. I’m thoroughly disappointed that one isn’t on there.

I’m going to have to read both the one by Kim Stanley Robinson and Throne of the Crescent Moon. I did admire Robinson’s Mars epic, but . . . not like I’ve ever wanted to read it again. I have a hard time thinking I’m going to fall in love with 2312, but you never know. I’ve kind of had Crescent Moon on my radar for a while, though, so I do look forward to reading that one. I may read 2312 first, save Crescent Moon for dessert, as it were.

First I really want to read the rest of Martha Wells’ books, though, while I’m on a roll. I believe she has fourteen out, but not sure that counts EMILIE, which isn’t quite out yet. So, if it’s fourteen, then eight down — six to go! I am plainly missing a couple, since I only have three more on my Kindle, I see. Must sleuth around, find out what I’m missing.

Okay, onward –

Best Novella (587 nominating ballots cast)

“After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall”, Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications)

“The Emperor’s Soul”, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)

“On a Red Station, Drifting”, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)

“San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats”, Mira Grant (Orbit)

“The Stars Do Not Lie”, Jay Lake (Asimov’s, Oct-Nov 2012)

Haven’t read any of these, but the novella category was excellent last year, I’ve heard great things about several of these and I’m actually pretty excited about them.

Best Novelette (616 nominating ballots cast)

“The Boy Who Cast No Shadow”, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts: Unfit For Eden, PS Publications)

“Fade To White”, Catherynne M. Valente ( Clarkesworld, August 2012)

“The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi”, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris)

“In Sea-Salt Tears”, Seanan McGuire (Self-published)

“Rat-Catcher”, Seanan McGuire ( A Fantasy Medley 2, Subterranean)

Check out that self-published novelette! Glad to see that on there. I do hope it’s excellent. Seanan McGuire is of course also Myra Grant, and I do think she can be an excellent writer even though I personally did not get into her paranormal series and had issues with the plotting in the zombie trilogy. Amazing how many nominations she picked up this year. Maybe I should read the third book of her paranormal series, even though I wasn’t crazy about the first two? Any familiar with this series — I mean the October Daye series of course — does it improve sharply after the first couple?

Best Short Story (662 nominating ballots cast) — yes, only three nominees:

“Immersion”, Aliette de Bodard ( Clarkesworld, June 2012)

“Mantis Wives”, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, August 2012)

“Mono no Aware”, Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC)

Oh. My. God. “Mantis Wives”? A) It’s not a story, it’s a series of scenes. B) They are horrible torture scenes. I am honestly not very happy to see that on the ballot — even though I loved Kij Johnson’s novella from last year, “The Man Who Bridged the Mist.”

I liked “Immersion” fine, I can vote for that without flinching, but I have to say, I’m definitely going to vote for No Award before “Mantis Wives.” You can read that one here if you want to weigh in on it.

Anyway, there you go! Anybody read 2312 or Crescent Moon or any of the novellas? What did you think of them?