Nominations for October 2021 BOTM

[Shel, Moderator]

It's hard to think about fall in the middle of July, but it's about that time - time to open up the nominations for our October reads!

Each group member can make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination. If you would like to make a nomination, please post in this thread 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 Beyond Reality Google spreadsheet of Previous Books of the Month, available at this link: Previous Books of the Month in Searchable Spreadsheet. To search for a specific title, use the "Find and Replace" option under the EDIT menu. Don't worry, you will be able to find a title but you will not be able to replace it since the spread sheet is in "View Only" mode.

Or you can use our previous methods:

b. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month
and/or
c. 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 is NOT necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but please keep things civil.

Schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Monday, July 19.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Tuesday, July 20 and will run through Sunday, July 25th.
• The final run-off polls go up Monday, July 26th, and will be open through Saturday, July 31st.

Thanks!
Shel, for the Mods

Nominations so far
SF:
Inversions by Iain M. Banks
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
On by Adam Roberts
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Fantasy:
The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
Escape from Baghdad! by Saad Hossain

[Paul]

I'll nominate The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell.



This recently published comedic fantasy/horror is set around a newspaper, the titular Stranger Times, a Fortean-type publication that investigates the weird and paranormal around Manchester, England - except, of course, it turns out the paranormal is real...



The author was a stand up comedian and writer who began to self publish and was picked up by a major publisher. He quit stand-up to write full time in early 2020 - and then realised his timing couldn't have been better.

[Mary]

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Fantasy

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

SF: Inversions by Iain M. Banks, one of his Culture novels. Since each one is only loosely connected to the others, they really aren’t a series. We have read some of his other Culture books.

[Chris, Moderator]

I propose The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers for SF. While considered part of the Wayfarer series, they each stand alone in a single universe, and can be read in any order.

For Fantasy, I suggest again The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison. This is set in the same world as the Hugo-nominated Goblin Emperor, but can be read stand alone.

[Paul]

Oh, and for SF I'll add On by Adam Roberts.


Roberts is the king of high-concept SF, and teaches English Literature at the University of London.

[Nachiket]

For Fantasy- Escape from Baghdad! by Saad Hossain. Set in Baghdad during the US invasion, two black marketeer friends (one a former professor and the other a career criminal) come into possession of one of the area’s notorious torturers who promises them untold riches if they smuggle him out of Baghdad. Described as a satirical madcap black comedy. Looks like a really fun read.

For SF- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. When brain surgery makes a mouse into a genius, a mentally disabled man wonders if it might also work for him. It does ... but then the mouse begins to regress.

[Shel, Moderator]

Polls are up for the preliminary voting round!

SF preliminary poll
Fantasy preliminary poll

[Shel, Moderator]

Final polls are open (a day late - forgive me)!

SF final poll
Fantasy final poll