Chris’s Comments (group member since Feb 25, 2011)

Chris’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Hi everyone,
Believe it or not, it's time to open nominations for our October 2022 Books of the Month (not to be confused with nominations for our next series read, also in progress).

Each group member may make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Sunday July 17.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Monday July 18 and will run through Sunday July 24.
• The final run-off polls go up Monday July 25 and will be open through Sunday July 31.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
Light from Uncommon Stars
Dauntless
Diving into the Wreck
Matter
Upgrade

FANTASY:
Sorrowland
Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot
The Tiger and the Wolf
Norse Mythology
The Master of Whitestorm

I've enjoyed all the books in this Hugo-nominated series. While my absolute favorite is Swordheart for its blazingly witty dialogue, I think that the Paladin books are immensely entertaining. The world is comfortable and familiar, not needing complicated explanations for the reader. But the situation with the various gods is unique, particularly when one god, without further explanation, dies. The void he leaves in the lives of his devotees feels tragic and real.

But the best part of all the books in this series is in the very believable relationships between the characters. Each character on his or her own is very real, but the interaction (both their mutual achievements and the misunderstandings that occur) kept me engaged. Simple but satisfying.

So happy we read this!

The final polls are open!

Science Fiction Final Poll September 2022

Fantasy Final Poll September 2022

Preliminary polls are open through Thursday June 30. Please vote!

Nominations are closed and the preliminary polls are open!

Science Fiction Preliminary Poll September 2022

Fantasy Preliminary Poll September 2022

Preliminary polls are open through Sunday, May 26. Please vote!

Hi Nyssa,

When you check the details on Cottage by the Sea, 99 readers described this as romance and 75 as historical fiction. 33 called it time travel, 19 described it as fantasy, and only 3 as science fiction. I checked with the other mods as well on this nomination, and we agree that it doesn't qualify for a SF pick.

If you do read the book on your own, I encourage you to post about it in our "What Are You Reading" discussion thread. And if anyone else is interested in reading Cottage by the Sea, please reach out to Nyssa and consider a buddy read!

Nyssa wrote: "I would like to nominate:

Hi Nyssa,

I've added Legends & Lattes to our Fantasy nominations list.

We use the Goodreads tags to determine genre.
A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware is listed as Romance/Historical Fiction, but is not listed as science fiction. I'm afraid that this one isn't eligible as a SF pick.

Nachiket wrote: "Hi,

I had a question- Are we allowed to nominate a book that hasn't been published yet, but will be published before September?

Or can we only nominate already published books?"

Hi Nachiket,

Great question! We do restrict nominations to published books, just in case something goes wrong with the expected publication date. No worries, just make your nomination after the book is released.

Hi everyone,
Believe it or not, it's time to open nominations for our September 2022 Books of the Month. I'm a bit late in opening nominations this month, so please hurry on in with your suggestions!

Each group member may make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Monday June 20.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Tuesday June 21 and will run through Sunday June 26.
• The final run-off polls go up Monday June 27 and will be open through Thursday June 30.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
Matter
Cauldron
Dauntless
Cage of Souls
Blindness
Fool's Run

FANTASY:
The Ninth Rain
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot
The Master of Whitestorm
The Spirit Ring
Legends & Lattes

The final polls are open!

Science Fiction Final Poll August 2022

Fantasy Final Poll August 2022

Final polls are open through Tuesday, May 31. We've got some great candidates -- Please vote!

Nominations are closed and the preliminary polls are open!

Science Fiction Preliminary Poll August 2022

Fantasy Preliminary Poll August 2022

Preliminary polls are open through Thursday, May 25. Please vote!

We need more nominations! Even if you've never nominated before, this is your chance to influence what we're going to read in August. Get your nominations in today!

Hi everyone,
Believe it or not, it's time to open nominations for our August 2022 Books of the Month. While August seems almost impossibly far away, what would you like to read in those hot summer days?

Each group member may make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Wednesday May 18.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Thursday May 19 and will run through Wednesday May 25.
• The final run-off polls go up Thursday May 26 and will be open through Tuesday May 31.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
Matter
Light from Uncommon Stars
Space Opera
Off TargetNew Moon
The Seeds of Earth
Change Agent

FANTASY:
The Bridge
The Spirit Ring
All the Seas of the World
She Who Became the Sun
Weaveworld
The Ruin of Kings
I Am Not a Serial Killer

Another beautiful, fable-like story from TJ Klune. Each character was unique, so well written that I felt a personal connection to every one. I’d love to visit the tea shop for a fresh scone, a cup of tea, and some welcoming conversation.

This story deals with some difficult topics. I can see that, depending on one’s personal situation, this story might come at a sensitive time and may not be for everyone. But I thought it was a respectful and imaginative exploration of how it’s never too late to grow.

This is a well crafted story in a well crafted world that felt small and mean and depressing. It's basically a Cold War spy novel set in the future, and I'm sorry to say that humanity hasn't learned much from it's past. There are some very human moments that are welcomed in the midst of the cold machinery of the state and an insistence on ideological purity that is just an excuse for persecution. It was perhaps too realistic to be an enjoyable read, but I appreciate the skillfulness of the storytelling.

For those who are interested, this year's Hugo Nominees have just been announced:

Best Novel
• A Desolation Called Peace, by Arkady Martine (Tor)
• The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, by Becky Chambers
(Harper Voyager / Hodder & Stoughton)
• Light From Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki (Tor / St Martin’s Press)
• A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom / Orbit UK)
• Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir (Ballantine / Del Rey)
• She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan (Tor / Mantle)

Best Novella
• Across the Green Grass Fields, by Seanan McGuire (Tordotcom)
• Elder Race, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tordotcom)
• Fireheart Tiger, by Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
• The Past Is Red, by Catherynne M. Valente (Tordotcom)
• A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)
• A Spindle Splintered, by Alix E. Harrow (Tordotcom)

Best Novelette
• “Bots of the Lost Ark”, by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, Jun 2021)
• “Colors of the Immortal Palette”, by Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny Magazine, Mar/Apr 2021)
• L’Esprit de L’Escalier, by Catherynne M. Valente (Tordotcom)
• “O2 Arena”, by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy's Edge, Nov 2021)
• “That Story Isn't the Story”, by John Wiswell (Uncanny Magazine, Nov/Dec 2021)
• “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.”, by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine, May/Jun 2021)

Best Short Story
• “Mr. Death”, by Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine, Feb 2021)
• “Proof by Induction”, by José Pablo Iriarte
(Uncanny Magazine, May/Jun 2021)
• “The Sin of America”, by Catherynne M. Valente
(Uncanny Magazine, Mar/Apr 2021)
• “Tangles”, by Seanan McGuire
(Magicthegathering.com: Magic Story, Sep 2021)
• “Unknown Number”, by Blue Neustifter (Twitter, Jul 2021)
• “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”, by Sarah Pinsker
(Uncanny Magazine, Mar/Apr 2021)

Best Series
• The Green Bone Saga, by Fonda Lee (Orbit)
• The Kingston Cycle, by C. L. Polk (Tordotcom)
• Merchant Princes, by Charles Stross (Macmillan)
• Terra Ignota, by Ada Palmer (Tor Books)
• Wayward Children, by Seanan McGuire (Tordotcom)
• The World of the White Rat, by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)
(Argyll Productions)

Best Graphic Story or Comic
• DIE, vol. 4: Bleed, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, lettering by Clayton Cowles (Image)
• Far Sector, written by N.K. Jemisin, art by Jamal Campbell (DC)
• Lore Olympus, vol. 1, by Rachel Smythe (Del Rey)
• Monstress, vol. 6: The Vow, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
• Once & Future, vol. 3: The Parliament of Magpies, written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Tamra Bonvillain (BOOM!)
• Strange Adventures, written by Tom King, art by Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner (DC)

Best Related Work
• Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman’s Fight to End Ableism,
by Elsa Sjunneson (Tiller Press)
• The Complete Debarkle: Saga of a Culture War,
by Camestros Felapton (Camestros Felapton)
• Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985, edited by Andrew Nette and Iain McIntyre (PM Press)
• “How Twitter can ruin a life”, by Emily St. James (Vox, Jun 2021)
• Never Say You Can't Survive, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tordotcom)
• True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, by Abraham Riesman (Crown)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
• Dune, screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth; directed by Denis Villeneuve; based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert (Warner Bros / Legendary Entertainment)
• Encanto, screenplay by Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush; directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• The Green Knight, written and directed by David Lowery (BRON Studios/A24)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, screenplay by Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham; directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Space Sweepers, written and directed by Jo Sung-hee (Bidangil Pictures)
• WandaVision, screenplay by Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer (created by and head writer), Cameron Squires, Gretchen Enders, Chuck Hayward; directed by Matt Shakman (Disney+)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
• The Wheel of Time: The Flame of Tar Valon, written by Justine Juel Gillmer, directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield, based on The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (Amazon Studios)
• For All Mankind: The Grey, written by Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi; directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Tall Ship Productions/Sony Pictures Television)
• Arcane: The Monster You Created, written by Christian Linke and Alex Yee; story by Christian Linke, Alex Yee, Conor Sheehy, and Ash Brannon; directed by Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord (Netflix)
• The Expanse: Nemesis Games, written by Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck, and Naren Shankar; directed by Breck Eisner (Amazon Studios)
• Loki: The Nexus Event, written by Eric Martin, directed by Kate Herron, created for television by Michael Waldron (Disney+)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks: wej Duj, written by Kathryn Lyn, directed by Bob Suarez (CBS Eye Animation Productions)

Best Editor, Short Form
• Neil Clarke
• Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
• Mur Lafferty & S.B. Divya
• Jonathan Strahan
• Sheree Renée Thomas
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form
• Ruoxi Chen
• Nivia Evans
• Sarah T. Guan
• Brit Hvide
• Patrick Nielsen Hayden
• Navah Wolfe

Best Professional Artist
• Tommy Arnold
• Rovina Cai
• Ashley Mackenzie
• Maurizio Manzieri
• Will Staehle
• Alyssa Winans

Best Semiprozine
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor Scott H. Andrews
• Escape Pod, editors S.B. Divya, Mur Lafferty, and Valerie Valdes; assistant editors Benjamin C. Kinney and Premee Mohamed; guest editor Brent C. Lambert; hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart; audio producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht; and the entire Escape Pod team
• FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, publisher Troy L Wiggins; executive editor DaVaun Sanders; managing editor Eboni Dunbar; poetry editor B. Sharise Moore; reviews editor and social media manager Brent Lambert; art director L. D. Lewis; web editor Chavonne Brown; non-fiction editor Margeaux Weston; guest editors Summer Farah and Nadia Shammas; acquiring editors Kaleb Russell, Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Joshua Morley, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, Danny Lore; technical assistant Nelson Rolon
• PodCastle, co-editors Jen R. Albert, C. L. Clark, Shingai Njeri Kagunda, and Eleanor R. Wood; assistant editors Summer Fletcher and Sofía Barker; audio producer Peter Adrian Behravesh; host Matt Dovey; and the entire PodCastle team
• Strange Horizons, Vanessa Aguirre, Joseph Aitken, Kwan-Ann Tan, Rachel Ayers, M H Ayinde, Tierney Bailey, Scott Beggs, Drew Matthew Beyer, Gautam Bhatia, Tom Borger, S. K. Campbell, Emma Celi, Zhui Ning Chang, Rita Chen, Tania Chen, Liz Christman, Emma-Grace Clarke, Linda H. Codega, Kristian Wilson Colyard, Bruhad Dave, Sarah Davidson, Tahlia Day, Arinn Dembo, Belen Edwards, Rebecca Evans, Ciro Faienza, Courtney Floyd, Lila Garrott, Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright, Colette Grecco, Julia Gunnison, Dan Hartland, Sydney Hilton, Angela Hinck, Amanda Jean, Jamie Johnson, Sean Joyce-Farley, Erika Kanda, Kat Kourbeti, Catherine Krahe, Anna Krepinsky, Clayton Kroh, Natasha Leullier, Dante Luiz, Gui Machiavelli, Cameron Mack, Samantha Manaktola, Marisa Manuel, Jean McConnell, Heather McDougal, Maria Morabe, Amelia Moriarty, Sarah Noakes, Aidan Oatway, AJ Odasso, Joel Oliver-Cormier, Kristina Palmer, Karintha Parker, Anjali Patel, Juliana Pinho, Nicasio Reed, Belicia Rhea, Abbey Schlanz, Elijah Rain Smith, Alyn Spector, Hebe Stanton, Melody Steiner, Romie Stott, Yejin Suh, Sonia Sulaiman, Ben Tyrrell, Renee Van Siclen, Kathryn Weaver, Liza Wemakor, Aigner Loren Wilson, E.M. Wright, Vicki Xu, and The Strange Horizons Editorial Collective
• Uncanny Magazine, publishers and editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas; managing/poetry editor Chimedum Ohaegbu; nonfiction editor Elsa Sjunneson; podcast producers Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine
• The Full Lid, by Alasdair Stuart and Marguerite Kenner
• Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus; editor Janice L. Newman; associate writers Gwyn Conaway, Jason Sacks, and John Boston
• Journey Planet, edited by Erin Underwood, Jean Martin, Sara Felix, Vanessa Applegate, Chuck Serface, Errick Nunnally, Evan Reeves, Steven H Silver, James Bacon and Christopher J Garcia
• Quick Sip Reviews, editor Charles Payseur
• Small Gods, Lee Moyer (Icon) and Seanan McGuire (Story)
• Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, editors Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne

Best Fancast
• Be The Serpent, presented by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske, and Jennifer Mace
• The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan producer
• Hugo, Girl!, hosts Haley Zapal, Amy Salley, and Lori Anderson; producer/editor Kevin Anderson
• Octothorpe, by John Coxon, Alison Scott, and Liz Batty
• Our Opinions Are Correct, presented by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders, produced by Veronica Simonetti
• Worldbuilding for Masochists, presented by Cass Morris, Rowenna Miller, and Marshall Ryan Maresca

Best Fan Writer
• Chris M. Barkley
• Bitter Karella
• Alex Brown
• Cora Buhlert
• Jason Sanford
• Paul Weimer

Best Fan Artist
• Iain J. Clark
• Lorelei Esther
• Sara Felix
• Ariela Housman
• Nilah Magruder
• Lee Moyer

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
• Chaos on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
• Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen / Rock the Boat)
• The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey Books)
• Redemptor, by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books / Hot Key Books)
• A Snake Falls to Earth, by Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
• Victories Greater Than Death, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen / Titan)

Astounding Award for Best New Writer
• Tracy Deonn (2nd year of eligibility)
• Micaiah Johnson (2nd year of eligibility)
• A.K. Larkwood (2nd year of eligibility)
• Everina Maxwell (1st year of eligibility)
• Shelley Parker-Chan (1st year of eligibility)
• Xiran Jay Zhao (1st year of eligibility)

A perfectly lovely story! I was only able to borrow an audiobook from the library, and the narrator added to the fairy tale style of the piece. I was struck by the emphasis on story telling, also present in the author's The Thirteenth Tale. While it is definitely fanciful, I don't tend to think of this book as a fantasy per se. But I was very glad to read this, and only sorry that I had to read at the speed of the audiobook, and couldn't race through the pages on my own.

I particularly liked the way the different stories intertwined, like the tributaries of the river itself, and how the turns and twists in the tale surprised me even as much as they seemed to surprise our main characters.

Shel, I did see the moment when Robin's wickedness was compared to his biological father. But there was also a moment when Robert Armstrong mused that each child was his own unique person, and there was only so much one could do to influence a child.

All the remarks about the "river gypsies" bothered me. Gypsy is considered a derogatory term today, although it was in use in Victorian times. Since there weren't any gypsy characters in our story, I felt it was an unnecessary reference. But then again, it did make sense in the end.

Loved this book.

I did a quick re-read for this month's discussion, and it's just as thrilling as I remembered.

I think the best parts are the depiction of the multiverse, and the realization that the paths keep branching even as he tries to find his way home. In this story, our protagonist is both the hero and the villain.

The only part that didn't make sense to me was why, when he first finds himself in the alternate universe, everyone wants to kill him to keep him quiet. What is the motivation behind our mysterious billionaire investor? But I was willing to overlook it to move our story along.

Random wrote: "Not really about Dark Matter, but . . .

Sometime when I was a kid (at least before I was an adult), I had this dream. I was in a room and there was this large mirror on the wall. It was a big one..." Ooh, spooky! I can see why you'd be reminded of it now!

Welcome to April. If you're experiencing those April showers, it's time to curl up with a good book. Whatever your weather or season, I hope you’ve made time to read along and share in our discussions!

Books of the Month - For April you selected:
— Science Fiction: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
— Fantasy: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

We also have our schedule set for the next two months:
-- May Science Fiction: When the Sparrow Falls by Neil Sharpson
-- May Fantasy: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
-- June Science Fiction: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
-- June Fantasy: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Series news: Discussions on the Uplift series by David Brinhave begun. We are currently discussing Startide Rising, and will begin discussing The Uplift War on April 15. Join in any time!

Lastly, don't forget to stop by the "What are you reading in April 2022?" topic to share your reading picks, progress, and thoughts on any genre.

Post here to discuss Once Upon a River. Spoilers ahead!