2019 Hugo picks: Short stories
May. 3rd, 2019 03:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormsewerIt is time.
I didn’t hate any of these. The winner for me was clear, but ranking the rest was harder.
6. “The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society” by T. Kingfisher
Fairies sit around drinking and lamenting the human woman who broke their hearts.
I’m generally a fan of this author, whatever name she’s writing under, but this just left me scratching my head. I mean, it’s kinda cute, I guess, but nothing I’d nominate for an award.
5. “The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat” by Brooke Bolander
Raptors need to save their kidnapped sister.
Fun in its way. It fits a pattern that this author likes, which is that there are men who are evil and often stupid who end up being violently dealt with by the female protagonists. I feel like I’ve seen it enough times now.
4. “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” by Phenderson Djèlí Clark
The title basically covers it, in an alternative historical America where magic is real.
I appreciate the allegorical power of this, but what I don’t understand is why anyone would wear dentures with other people’s teeth in them if it had these kinds of effects. Also nominated for the Nebula.
3. “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” by Alix E. Harrow
A librarian witch helps a troubled young man via subtle book recommendations.
Well, it was fun and good-hearted, but felt a little fan-servicey. Like, this is the kind of fantasy story that people who really like reading fantasy are really likely to see themselves in, clearly by design. Here is a quote from it that I did like, though it is a case in point- “His caseworker was one of those people who say the word ‘escapism’ as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening.” Also nominated for the Nebula.
2. “The Court Magician” by Sarah Pinsker
The story of a boy who learns real magic, and its cost.
It’s been said that the trick to writing magic well is to make sure that doing magic has a cost. This is the most direct implementation of that advice I’ve seen. Brutal.
1. “STET” by Sarah Gailey
Editorial notes and responses on a section from a future textbook on AI programming for autonomous vehicles.
It’s rare that I encounter a radically different story format that makes me think both “I haven’t seen that before” and “that’s a great idea, executed beautifully.” Powerful piece.
I didn’t hate any of these. The winner for me was clear, but ranking the rest was harder.
6. “The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society” by T. Kingfisher
Fairies sit around drinking and lamenting the human woman who broke their hearts.
I’m generally a fan of this author, whatever name she’s writing under, but this just left me scratching my head. I mean, it’s kinda cute, I guess, but nothing I’d nominate for an award.
5. “The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat” by Brooke Bolander
Raptors need to save their kidnapped sister.
Fun in its way. It fits a pattern that this author likes, which is that there are men who are evil and often stupid who end up being violently dealt with by the female protagonists. I feel like I’ve seen it enough times now.
4. “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” by Phenderson Djèlí Clark
The title basically covers it, in an alternative historical America where magic is real.
I appreciate the allegorical power of this, but what I don’t understand is why anyone would wear dentures with other people’s teeth in them if it had these kinds of effects. Also nominated for the Nebula.
3. “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” by Alix E. Harrow
A librarian witch helps a troubled young man via subtle book recommendations.
Well, it was fun and good-hearted, but felt a little fan-servicey. Like, this is the kind of fantasy story that people who really like reading fantasy are really likely to see themselves in, clearly by design. Here is a quote from it that I did like, though it is a case in point- “His caseworker was one of those people who say the word ‘escapism’ as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening.” Also nominated for the Nebula.
2. “The Court Magician” by Sarah Pinsker
The story of a boy who learns real magic, and its cost.
It’s been said that the trick to writing magic well is to make sure that doing magic has a cost. This is the most direct implementation of that advice I’ve seen. Brutal.
1. “STET” by Sarah Gailey
Editorial notes and responses on a section from a future textbook on AI programming for autonomous vehicles.
It’s rare that I encounter a radically different story format that makes me think both “I haven’t seen that before” and “that’s a great idea, executed beautifully.” Powerful piece.
