(2020) Who will be nominated for Nebula 2020? Guess and win!

[Kalin]

Also you folks must be disappointed (but not surprised) that Gideon the Ninth is on the list.

[Gabi]

Kalin wrote: "It's kind of depressing that Antti won by being as cynical as possible about the options, lol."

:D tbh, I found it perfect! Made me laugh.

[Antti]

Yeah, it really says something about the Nebulas that I got so many of them right.

(I'm kinda kicking myself for missing Gods of Jade and Shadow, though. Marque of Caine came from the left field, and I'm rather surprised Newitz didn't make the cut, but in retrospect GoJaS was more probable nominee than Middlegame).

[Anthony]

What makes GoJaS more likely to have been nominated than Middlegame? My impression is that Middlegame was much better received, so I’m curious what factors stand out for you in retrospect.

[Antti]

Anthony wrote: "What makes GoJaS more likely to have been nominated than Middlegame?"

The fact that the author is Mexican by birth and the book is about Mayan mythology. The Nebula voters have a track record of wanting to signal how committed they are to diversity.

[Anthony]

Understandable. I was so hopeful about this book, in part because I was eager to read a modern take on Mayan mythology, but it all just fell a bit flat. It also has a gorgeous cover, which (silly of me, I know) gave me some extra bits of hope.

[Silvana]

Anthony wrote: "Understandable. I was so hopeful about this book, in part because I was eager to read a modern take on Mayan mythology, but it all just fell a bit flat. It also has a gorgeous cover, which (silly o..."

I read your reviews and some of our other mutual friends here on GoJaS and was not compelled at all to read that one.

Wonder if Gideon the Ninth is better though many friend reviews were not too enthusiastic about it.

I am not sure I'll read another Sarah Pinsker work, her writing does not suit me.

[Gabi]

I've read all the short stories now.
I'm not sure I understood "The Dead, in their uncontrollable power" (or I was just too tired to pay attention?), the rest I liked more or less.

My favourite is "And How His Lordship is Laughing", because I love this kind of story.

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

Gabi--I'm going to read the short stories but probably later, like April or May.

And Silvana--I can see that Gideon the Ninth might be for those who like to read books that spend more time evoking a certain feeling and/or conjuring a world rather than telling a story. Such books are almost never for me.

And there's a word for "evoking a certain feeling and/or conjuring a world" that I cannot think of.

[Oleksandr, a.k.a. Acorn]

Gabi wrote: "I'm not sure I understood "The Dead, in their uncontrollable power" (or I was just too tired to pay attention?), the rest I liked more or less."

I guess it tried to say power corrupts, leaders killed a delegation from Paradise to stay in power, but lowest of the low, a sin-eater will save the day and find the truth. I think the marriage in the end was completely unnecessary unless that the author wanted to show her wokeness by adding a same sex wedding.

Maybe this will help https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin-eater

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

I just read A Strange Uncertain Light. At first I didn't think I liked it, but then I decided it was quite good. 3 1/2 to 4 stars.

[Gabi]

Kateblue - where can "A Strange Uncertain Light" be found?

Oleksandr - I just didn't feel the story. Perhaps I should listen to it again in my waking hours.

[Oleksandr, a.k.a. Acorn]

I right now go thru Analog and Asimov lists for this year and novelette “A Mate Not a Meal“, Sarina Dorie is a take on spiders life from a spider POV. Children of Time aficionados can be interested. It can be found here https://www.analogsf.com/assets/6/6/A...

[Silvana]

Oleksandr wrote: "I right now go thru Analog and Asimov lists for this year and novelette “A Mate Not a Meal“, Sarina Dorie is a take on spiders life from a spider POV. Children of Time aficionados c..."

Where could I find those lists? The Locus one has not been too fruitful for me so far. 😳

[Oleksandr, a.k.a. Acorn]

Silvana wrote: "Oleksandr wrote: "I right now go thru Analog and Asimov lists for this year and novelette “A Mate Not a Meal“, Sarina Dorie is a take on spiders life from a spider POV. [book:Children of Time|25499..."

Here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Cordelia]

Gabi wrote: "Kateblue - where can "A Strange Uncertain Light" be found?

Oleksandr - I just didn't feel the story. Perhaps I should listen to it again in my waking hours."

Gabi. - It is in Fantasy and Science Fiction, July, Aug 2019

[Silvana]

Oleksandr wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Oleksandr wrote: "I right now go thru Analog and Asimov lists for this year and novelette “A Mate Not a Meal“, Sarina Dorie is a take on spiders life from a spider POV. [book:Childr..."

Thank you

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

Gabi wrote: "Kateblue - where can "A Strange Uncertain Light" be found?

Cordelia wrote: Gabi. - It is in Fantasy and Science Fiction, July, Aug 2019."

Someone I know had a copy of "A Strange Uncertain Light" . They said I can send it on but . . .

It's a non-copyable PDF. I will see if I can figure out how to get it to anybody.

[Ed]

The legal option is to buy the magazine:
https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/toc1907.htm

If the author and publisher don't offer it for free, I'm not pirating it.

[Kalin]

If it ends up as a Hugo nominee, it will almost certainly be offered free as part of the reader package.

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

OK, well, then, a friend gave it to me and said to pass it on, but we don't have to read this version. Let's wait.

Is there not an electronic version? I just went to your link, Ed, and it seems to want to mail me a hard copy

[Ed]

Kateblue wrote: "Is there not an electronic version? ..."

The e-book edition for that issue is $4.99 here
https://weightlessbooks.com/format/th...

[Oleksandr, a.k.a. Acorn]

Ed wrote: "The legal option is to buy the magazine:
https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/toc1907.htm

If the author and publisher don't offer it for free, I'm not pirating it."

Ok, I thought it was free but not in preferred format. I delete the link

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

Thanks to all of you for straightening me out