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TASK HELP: Winter Challenge 2019 > 30.8 - Brooke TX's Task: Worlds Without End

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message 1: by SRC Moderator, Moderator (last edited Nov 23, 2019 04:16AM) (new)

SRC Moderator | 7060 comments Mod
30.8 - Brooke TX's Task: Worlds Without End

As a collection development librarian managing the Science Fiction/Fantasy collection at a public library, I spend a lot of time keeping up with all the various SFF awards. Enter the website Worlds Without End, which aggregates all of the award winners/nominees in one place!

Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2
The total number of pages for both books combined must be at least 500.

Book 1: Read a book which has won or been nominated for any of the awards listed on the Worlds Without End site, from any year.

Book 2: Read a book which has won or been nominated for a different award from the site, in any year. The award used for Book 1 may not be repeated.
REQUIRED: Include the name of the award and the year it was nominated for both books.


message 2: by Brooke (new)

Brooke | 1419 comments Reserved.


message 3: by Brooke (new)

Brooke | 1419 comments Reserved.


message 4: by SRC Moderator, Moderator (new)

SRC Moderator | 7060 comments Mod
This help thread is open.


message 5: by Marie (UK) (last edited Nov 23, 2019 05:30AM) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2018),

The Underground Railroad, Locus Award Nominee for Best SF Novel (2017),

Dreams Before the Start of Time

2017 BSFA Nominated
2018 Clarke Winner

The first book was also nominated for Locus award - does this matter if i state the other award


message 6: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter World Fantasy Award Nominee for..."


Marie, if you don't mind some doorstoppers, you might look at Connie Willis's books - Doomsday Book, Blackout, All Clear. All 3 have won numerous awards, so you'd be okay there. They're science fiction, because of the time travel element - historians going back to earlier time for research. But they're not "traditional" science fiction in any way.


message 7: by Paula (last edited Nov 23, 2019 06:47AM) (new)

Paula S (paula_s) | 642 comments How about books that have won or been nominated for multiple awards? Such as The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky.
Obelisk Gate won a Hugo Award 2017 and The Stone sky won a Nebula award 2017 and a Hugo 2018. Could I use Obelisk gate for book 1 (Hugo) and Stone Sky for book 2 (Nebula), or is Stone Sky disqualified because it also won a Hugo?

(Edit: I love SF/F and have multiple other choices. I mostly want to know how strict to be when choosing the awards and titles.)


message 8: by Marie (UK) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Sandy wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter World Fantas..."


Hi Sandy thanks those sound good but as they are not my favourite genre I try to stick to things i can get from the library / scribe or Kindle unlimited


message 9: by Marie (UK) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Sandy wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter World Fantas..."


Actually Sandy they do sound excellent i am going to order used copies and give them a go thanks for the recommendation


message 10: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
Marie (UK) wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

[book:The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter|34728925..."


they are terrific books. I can get all of them from my library, both in paper and for kindle through overdrive.


message 11: by Brooke (new)

Brooke | 1419 comments Paula wrote: "How about books that have won or been nominated for multiple awards? Such as The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky.
Obelisk Gate won a Hugo Award 2017 and The Stone sk..."


Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter World Fantasy Award Nominee for..."


For books that have been nominated for multiple awards, I'm going to say that as long as you're using two different awards in your choices, it doesn't matter if the two books have also been nominated for the same awards. So all of your options would work.

Also, Marie, I'm going to second Sandy's suggestion of Connie Willis, and add To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is part of the same loosely connected series, but much lighter in tone. And The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal is another alternate history novel (set during the post-WWII space race), and it's a great read.

For other non-SFF fans, the Derleth, Jackson, and Stoker awards are for horror, and often include psychological rather than supernatural thrillers. If anyone needs a more specific book recommendation, drop a comment here with your preferred genres to read, and I'll try my best to make some suggestions!


message 12: by Joanne (last edited Nov 23, 2019 10:24AM) (new)

Joanne (joabroda1) | 1558 comments For non-fantasy readers I can suggest His Majesty's Dragon This book is an alternative history based in the time of Napoleon, there are fun loving talking dragons and involves no other magic. It won the Locus and was nominated for The Hugo


message 13: by Marie (UK) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Joanne wrote: "For non-fantasy readers I can suggest His Majesty's Dragon This book is an alternative history based in the time of Napoleon, there are fun loving talking dragons and involves no other..."

i have in fact read this and the rest in the series


message 14: by Marie (UK) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Brooke wrote: "Paula wrote: "How about books that have won or been nominated for multiple awards? Such as The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky.
Obelisk Gate won a Hugo Award 2017 an..."


Thanks Brooke


message 15: by Marie (UK) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments Sandy wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Hi Sci fi isn't my thing and i am finding the site a bit unweildy but i think i have found two or three

[book:The Strange Case of the Alchemist'..."


the Libraries here in the uK are excellent and we used to use overdrive but they recently swapped to Borrow Box which doesn't seem to have the same variety but both books have cost me less than £5 including postage so I am not complaining


message 16: by ♞ Pat (new)

♞ Pat Gent | 786 comments Hey, Marie.

AYK, Sci Fi isn't really my thing either, but I found a couple that don't look too hard core ... Maybe we could figure out a way to buddy read one of them .

Book 1: The Gone Away Place by Christopher Barzak
2019 ~ Locus Award Nominee for Young Adult Book
295 pages


Book 2: Glimpse by Jonathan Maberry
2018 ~ Stoker Award Nominee
352 pages


message 17: by Marie (UK) (last edited Nov 27, 2019 02:15AM) (new)

Marie (UK) (mazza1) | 3942 comments ♞ Pat wrote: "Hey, Marie.

AYK, Sci Fi isn't really my thing either, bu]t I found a couple that don't look too hard core ... Maybe we could figure out a way to buddy read one of them .



Hi Pat I would have liked that but I cant get either of those books at library or on scribe. The first seems only to be available as a hardback in the UK. Because of the recommendations above I have ordered Blackout and All Clear as used books for this task pretty pleased that altogether these cost less than £5. Do you fancy either of those? Unfortunately they are chunky. If you did we could do it over on the Dholes den maybe we could get others to join in



message 18: by Aprilleigh (last edited Dec 08, 2019 09:06PM) (new)

Aprilleigh (aprilleighlauer) | 1261 comments Does the book have to be one of the ones mentioned specifically on the page or can it be one found following one of the links that says something along the lines of (Locus has the full list of winners in all categories at....)?


message 19: by Brooke (new)

Brooke | 1419 comments Aprilleigh wrote: "Does the book have to be one of the ones mentioned specifically on the page or can it be one found following one of the links that says something along the lines of (Locus has the full list of winn..."

Sorry, it must be one of the ones listed on WWE!


message 20: by Aprilleigh (new)

Aprilleigh (aprilleighlauer) | 1261 comments Brooke wrote: "Aprilleigh wrote: "Does the book have to be one of the ones mentioned specifically on the page or can it be one found following one of the links that says something along the lines of (Locus has th..."

That narrows it down, but also makes it easier - thanks!


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