Bastard of Godsgrace

Bestselling books marketed as mainstream, like Circe, traditionally didn't do well in Hugo contest and it apparently didn't change. I wonder if Marlon James and Margaret Atwood will have more luck next year. James seems likely to make my list, but it is still very early, so it is hard to say. The same goes for Rejoice which I nominated. It is a book by bestselling fantay author and probabły flew below the radar of most voters.

I think The Company is the most downbeat, with The Hammer probably the second. The three first trilogies also are big downers (Two of Swords not so much). I would also remommend Sharps as a reasonably cheerful novel (for Parker, at least).

I loved Under the Pendulum Sun and put it on my nomination list. I am also not alone in this opinion, since may people at File 770 and on Polish feminist genre site Lewa ręka fantastyki praised it enormously. OTOH it is very much a gothic novel (as some reviewer wrote "in this book you won't find any heights that aren't wuthering", so it is not to everybody's taste, obviously.

Yeah, graphic story category took several years to leave behind the times of yearly Girl Genius wins. Nevertheless I fully expect some of the obscure authors beloved by core Hugo voters will win this year. OTOH, Phillip Pullman is a big name (and it was quite decent book, IMHO), so who knows.

Four, actually, one for each finger. I also think she used extended fingers, but I am not completely sure.

I will put TLTL first, but I think its chances are slim, because not being published in UK; and many people being pissed because it is "only half a book".

Very happy about Ada Palmer and Yoon Ha Lee (both my nominees). I have seen a lot of love for Ninefox Gambit, but Too Like the Lightning is a very nice surprise. The rest of the list also looks quite decent, all things considered. I didn’t read very much of nominated short fiction, so I am not qualified to say. Only two my short fiction favorites made the list, and one tof them (Mieville) was also pushed by Vox.

I really liked it as well. Thanks for the link, since I missed it before. It made my list, completing the novella category.

Yeah, Ada Palmer is eligible for Campbell, and I nominated her twice. Well, de gustibus, I suppose. I liked The Winged Histories characters a lot, I did have this problem with All the Birds in the Sky though. It is perhaps strange, since both main characters are supposed to be archetypical nerds and I should to be able to care for them. I just didn't.

I also seem to recall someone mentioned "Penric's Mission" is too long to be eligible by Hugo rules. I am not sure it is so, but I went with "Penric and the Shaman" just to be on the safe side.

I also have nominated Finnegan's Field, buti it doesn' seem to have been very popular for some reason. Seanan McGuire's novella started very strong, but the ending was rather blah, IMHO. I still hesitate between this and K.J. Parker novella, but probably will go with the latter.

I also voted for Bakker and Ada Palmer. Also for Sofia Samatar and Yoon Ha Lee. Still haven't chosen the fifth novel. Emmi Itaranta? Lavie Tidhar? Probably one of those two. I have longlists for short fiction categories, but I still didn't make final decisions.

At this moment R. Scott Bakker and Sofia Samatar have a secure place in my novel nomination list. Two brilliant IMHO debuts by Ada Palmer and Yoon Ha Lee are close behind them, but I still have some interesting novels on by TBR list. In novella category, China Mieville and K. J. Parker should make it, the other places are still for grabs. I have some short stories listed but I hope I manage to read many more. As for movies, Arrival semms a shoo-in. I will also nominate the whole seasonas of Westwrld and Expannse.

River of Stars Lord of Emperors Under Heaven Tigana Lions of al-Rassan

I think it was gunpowder, but I don't have the book at hand, so I can't be sure.