stormsewer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stormsewer) wrote2013-06-08 10:29 pm
stormsewer) wrote2013-06-08 10:29 pm
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2013 Hugo picks: novelettes
Alright, here's my ranking of the novelettes. I didn't dislike any of them, so that's good. I had some trouble with the ranking between #3 and #4 and between #1 and #2.
#5 "Rat Catcher" by Seanan McGuire
A backstory for one of the author's book series, it concerns a cat fairy in London around the time of the great fire in 1666.
Meh. It wasn't horrible but seems rather standard fare. Maybe I'd appreciate it more if I'd read those books.
#4 "In Sea-Salt Tears" by Seanan McGuire
Also backstory for the same book series, this one is a water-fairy lesbian love story.
It starts with a rather juvenile feel, and halfway through you know how it will end. But it grew up as the character did along the way, and there were still some interesting twists. I particularly liked the quote, "Perfection is the refuge of small minds, simple stories, and people who don't have anything more interesting to strive for." So, okay.
#3 "The Boy Who Cast No Shadow" by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The story of the relationship between the titular boy and another boy made of glass.
Wasn't sure about this at first, as it seemed rather like a queer version of Catcher in the Rye with added symbolic speculative elements (the pseudoscientific explanations for which fell utterly flat and should have been left out, but then again the bar for imaginary genetics is set pretty high for me), but it did end well.
#2 "The Girl-Thing Who Went Out For Sushi" by Pat Cadigan
A story of humans modified after the manner of sea creatures so as to be better adapted to life in zero-gravity environments.
This is Pat Cadigan in top form, immediately drowning you with imagined slang. It's disorienting at first, but intriguing, and makes you feel clever as you get the hang of it. It also makes the culture and attitudes of the characters much more vivid than would be possible if they talked "normally." Assuming the technology were in place for this to actually happen, Cadigan presents a convincing argument that this is how it would happen. It's also a nice study on how to address contemporary issues of identity, prejudice, surveillance, etc. without being overbearing or distracting from a solid story with great characters. Loved it, and wouldn't mind at all if it won.
#1 "Fade to White" by Catherynne M. Valente
The story of a boy and girl in an alternate 1960s (?) in which the US and the Soviets have deployed nuclear weapons against each other, and things are... different.
Great character study, depressing as hell, and, as always, beautifully written. I debated between this and the Cadigan story for the number one spot, but I went with this one because the emotional impact is greater.
Short story picks
Novella picks
Novel etc. picks
#5 "Rat Catcher" by Seanan McGuire
A backstory for one of the author's book series, it concerns a cat fairy in London around the time of the great fire in 1666.
Meh. It wasn't horrible but seems rather standard fare. Maybe I'd appreciate it more if I'd read those books.
#4 "In Sea-Salt Tears" by Seanan McGuire
Also backstory for the same book series, this one is a water-fairy lesbian love story.
It starts with a rather juvenile feel, and halfway through you know how it will end. But it grew up as the character did along the way, and there were still some interesting twists. I particularly liked the quote, "Perfection is the refuge of small minds, simple stories, and people who don't have anything more interesting to strive for." So, okay.
#3 "The Boy Who Cast No Shadow" by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The story of the relationship between the titular boy and another boy made of glass.
Wasn't sure about this at first, as it seemed rather like a queer version of Catcher in the Rye with added symbolic speculative elements (the pseudoscientific explanations for which fell utterly flat and should have been left out, but then again the bar for imaginary genetics is set pretty high for me), but it did end well.
#2 "The Girl-Thing Who Went Out For Sushi" by Pat Cadigan
A story of humans modified after the manner of sea creatures so as to be better adapted to life in zero-gravity environments.
This is Pat Cadigan in top form, immediately drowning you with imagined slang. It's disorienting at first, but intriguing, and makes you feel clever as you get the hang of it. It also makes the culture and attitudes of the characters much more vivid than would be possible if they talked "normally." Assuming the technology were in place for this to actually happen, Cadigan presents a convincing argument that this is how it would happen. It's also a nice study on how to address contemporary issues of identity, prejudice, surveillance, etc. without being overbearing or distracting from a solid story with great characters. Loved it, and wouldn't mind at all if it won.
#1 "Fade to White" by Catherynne M. Valente
The story of a boy and girl in an alternate 1960s (?) in which the US and the Soviets have deployed nuclear weapons against each other, and things are... different.
Great character study, depressing as hell, and, as always, beautifully written. I debated between this and the Cadigan story for the number one spot, but I went with this one because the emotional impact is greater.
Short story picks
Novella picks
Novel etc. picks