2014 Hugo picks: novellas
Jul. 25th, 2014 03:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormsewerHere are my rankings:
5. The Butcher of Khardov by Dan Wells
Vignettes from the life of a large, deadly, and mostly crazy man in a Russian-inspired fantasy-steampunk kingdom.
Well, I liked it progressively less as it went on. Even at his most likable, at age 15-16, the main character is still a jerk, and after that he is just despicable. The piece as a whole glories rather too much in violence and the primacy of brute force for my tastes.
4. "The Chaplain's Legacy" by Brad Torgersen
The man who convinced an alien race to forbear from destroying humanity is called upon again as the alien war machine gears up.
Well, it wasn't terrible, but the "aliens need humans to teach them about their own spirituality" theme rather irks me. And doesn't really make sense. And I still don't know exactly what "the chaplain's legacy" is.
3. "Wakulla Springs" by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages
A multi-generational tale of a family intimately associated with the titular springs.
Well. It was a nice look at a place and a group of people over time. Doesn't really have a speculative element, though, other than the occasional imaginings of the characters.
2. "Equoid" by Charles Stross
A Laundry story (something like James Bond times Lovecraft) in which our hero Bob Howard faces off against demonic unicorns.
It was fun, but I'm a little surprised by how often Stross's Laundry stories get nominated. I think he has better stuff. And there are better Laundry stories than this, as well.
1. Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
Snow White as told in Valente style filtered through the Old West.
I got the signed limited edition when it came out, and I just loved it. It has the Valente zing but in a fresh and charming voice that I hadn't seen her use before (though she does something similar here). For me things went down a notch when it switched out of Snow White's voice, but it still towers above the other nominees in my estimation. You can read the beginning for free here.
5. The Butcher of Khardov by Dan Wells
Vignettes from the life of a large, deadly, and mostly crazy man in a Russian-inspired fantasy-steampunk kingdom.
Well, I liked it progressively less as it went on. Even at his most likable, at age 15-16, the main character is still a jerk, and after that he is just despicable. The piece as a whole glories rather too much in violence and the primacy of brute force for my tastes.
4. "The Chaplain's Legacy" by Brad Torgersen
The man who convinced an alien race to forbear from destroying humanity is called upon again as the alien war machine gears up.
Well, it wasn't terrible, but the "aliens need humans to teach them about their own spirituality" theme rather irks me. And doesn't really make sense. And I still don't know exactly what "the chaplain's legacy" is.
3. "Wakulla Springs" by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages
A multi-generational tale of a family intimately associated with the titular springs.
Well. It was a nice look at a place and a group of people over time. Doesn't really have a speculative element, though, other than the occasional imaginings of the characters.
2. "Equoid" by Charles Stross
A Laundry story (something like James Bond times Lovecraft) in which our hero Bob Howard faces off against demonic unicorns.
It was fun, but I'm a little surprised by how often Stross's Laundry stories get nominated. I think he has better stuff. And there are better Laundry stories than this, as well.
1. Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
Snow White as told in Valente style filtered through the Old West.
I got the signed limited edition when it came out, and I just loved it. It has the Valente zing but in a fresh and charming voice that I hadn't seen her use before (though she does something similar here). For me things went down a notch when it switched out of Snow White's voice, but it still towers above the other nominees in my estimation. You can read the beginning for free here.
