2014 Hugo picks: novels, etc.
Jul. 29th, 2014 07:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormsewerLet's wrap this up!
5. Warbound by Larry Correia (read through chapter two)
Magic bearers in an alternate 1930s fight evil.
Meh. It reminded me of X-Men, except with FDR as the persecutor of the noble magic users, one of whom seemed rather Galt-esque, at least in the parts I read.
4. Parasite by Mira Grant (read through chapter five)
People start hosting genetically modified tapeworms for health reasons and then turn into zombies, or something.
Besides the nonsensical premise, it has the "those reckless scientists will kill us all" theme that always gets on my nerves.
3. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (read through chapter five of the first book)
Good versus evil, over and over, forever.
The Hugo packet contains the entire thing, all 4.4 million words. I'd of course heard of this but had always given it a wide berth. I haven't been in an epic fantasy mode for a long time. So hey, we gave it a go. The beginning of the first book does a nice job of evoking a quiet pastoral life before everything, of course, starts going to hell in chapter five. It sure does take its time, though (and apparently that continues to be the case through the entire series), and it has the simple good/bad dualities and unexaminedly "evil and stupid" races that irk me so much in Tolkienite fantasy. We're willing to look past that in the case of Tolkien himself since he was writing in Europe during World War II, but his successors don't get off so easy. (I may actually get around to reading the entirety of The Eye of the World, at least, but I very much doubt that would change my ranking.)
2. Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross (read the whole thing)
A historian of interstellar economics faces danger, adventure, and accounting as she journeys to complete a lucrative business deal.
I read this last year. There are some really interesting ideas, as I expect from Stross, but while his best work is mind-blowing, this was merely great fun.
1. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The lone surviving body (ancillary) of a Borg-like spaceship AI sets out for revenge.
At first it reminded me very much of Aliette de Bodard, what with the humanoid spaceship AIs and feminine focus of the protagonist, but it eventually comes clear that this is something very different. The main character was an interesting and mind-expanding one, and many of the characteristics of her culture were thought-provoking, as well. It was also very absorbing. It's won a lot of awards so far, and deserved to do so. (The one thing that sticks in my craw is that the book starts off with a ridiculous coincidence that the protagonist never questions and that is never explained.)
What about the rest?
I haven't had time to take a proper look at the Retro Hugo nominees for works from 1939, but I suppose I'll give "Who Goes There?" a vote just for its immense influence on the subsequent development of the field, including one of the 2011 Hugo nominees. And the radio presentation of The War of the Worlds, of course. "Helen O'Loy" is the only other 1939 nominee I'd already read, but I don't feel particularly strongly about that one.
Then I will vote for Wonderbook (which I got for Christmas) for Best Related Work, "Time" for Best Graphic Story, "The Rains of Castamere" for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form), Julie Dillon for Best Professional Artist, and Sofia Samatar for the John W. Campbell Award. I don't care enough about the other categories to vote in them.
5. Warbound by Larry Correia (read through chapter two)
Magic bearers in an alternate 1930s fight evil.
Meh. It reminded me of X-Men, except with FDR as the persecutor of the noble magic users, one of whom seemed rather Galt-esque, at least in the parts I read.
4. Parasite by Mira Grant (read through chapter five)
People start hosting genetically modified tapeworms for health reasons and then turn into zombies, or something.
Besides the nonsensical premise, it has the "those reckless scientists will kill us all" theme that always gets on my nerves.
3. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (read through chapter five of the first book)
Good versus evil, over and over, forever.
The Hugo packet contains the entire thing, all 4.4 million words. I'd of course heard of this but had always given it a wide berth. I haven't been in an epic fantasy mode for a long time. So hey, we gave it a go. The beginning of the first book does a nice job of evoking a quiet pastoral life before everything, of course, starts going to hell in chapter five. It sure does take its time, though (and apparently that continues to be the case through the entire series), and it has the simple good/bad dualities and unexaminedly "evil and stupid" races that irk me so much in Tolkienite fantasy. We're willing to look past that in the case of Tolkien himself since he was writing in Europe during World War II, but his successors don't get off so easy. (I may actually get around to reading the entirety of The Eye of the World, at least, but I very much doubt that would change my ranking.)
2. Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross (read the whole thing)
A historian of interstellar economics faces danger, adventure, and accounting as she journeys to complete a lucrative business deal.
I read this last year. There are some really interesting ideas, as I expect from Stross, but while his best work is mind-blowing, this was merely great fun.
1. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The lone surviving body (ancillary) of a Borg-like spaceship AI sets out for revenge.
At first it reminded me very much of Aliette de Bodard, what with the humanoid spaceship AIs and feminine focus of the protagonist, but it eventually comes clear that this is something very different. The main character was an interesting and mind-expanding one, and many of the characteristics of her culture were thought-provoking, as well. It was also very absorbing. It's won a lot of awards so far, and deserved to do so. (The one thing that sticks in my craw is that the book starts off with a ridiculous coincidence that the protagonist never questions and that is never explained.)
What about the rest?
I haven't had time to take a proper look at the Retro Hugo nominees for works from 1939, but I suppose I'll give "Who Goes There?" a vote just for its immense influence on the subsequent development of the field, including one of the 2011 Hugo nominees. And the radio presentation of The War of the Worlds, of course. "Helen O'Loy" is the only other 1939 nominee I'd already read, but I don't feel particularly strongly about that one.
Then I will vote for Wonderbook (which I got for Christmas) for Best Related Work, "Time" for Best Graphic Story, "The Rains of Castamere" for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form), Julie Dillon for Best Professional Artist, and Sofia Samatar for the John W. Campbell Award. I don't care enough about the other categories to vote in them.
