Xray the Enforcer Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 For a recap, these are the five novels up for the Hugo: Accelerando by Charles Stross A Feast for Crows by GRRM Learning the World by Ken MacLeod Old Man's War by John Scalzi Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (I don't wish to limit this thread to just the novels -- these are the only ones I've had the time to read, with the idea that I'll get to the short stories in a month or so. If you want to pimp/thrash a nominee in another category, feel free to do so) I have to admit, I'm not feeling the love. In fact, I was desperately hoping that Old Man's War or Spin would throttle me--spin me around by my ankles!--because I didn't wish to have my vote already decided before the goddamned list was even out. Instead, I am recursing the Hugos for dissing some of my favorite books of 2005 (The Warrior-Prophet; River of Gods) in favor of some pretty substandard fare. (note: not all of that list is substandard fare. just to make that clear.) So, even those who aren't going to be voting for the Hugos, but who've read some of those books, gimme your thoughts. Or just lend some emotional support for my travails. A full list of the nominees can be found here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMrMustard Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 AFFC basically sucked, but non-GRRM fantasy authors tend to suck a lot harder. That's my scientific judgment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 can you give a sigma for the suckage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMrMustard Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I once walked into class late (2nd week of the semester, I'd skipped the first two classes) and asked a physics professor why he had a fraternity symbol on the board. He didn't get it and then tried to kick me out of class because I "obviously wasn't prepared to understand the lecture." Whatever, that guy fucking sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 Whatever, that guy fucking sucked. Don't they all? That's Western Male Hegemony on display, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stego Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I loved Spin. Sorry you didn't feel the love, X. I'm still undecided over who to vote for. It will probably come down to the wire. River of Gods was a nominee last year, and so can't be up this year (It was released in 2004 in UK). My votes: -Novel: AFFC or Spin. -Novella: Magic For Beginners - Kelly Link (no-brainer) -Novellette: The King of Where-I-Go by Howard Waldrop -Short Story: Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan (no-brainer) -Best Artist: John Picacio The rest I will be abstaining from, I think, though I may vote for Locus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Spin and Learning the World are the only novels I've yet to read -- so far I am inclined to A Feast for Crows. In preference order so far: Novel: AFfC, Accelerando, No Award Novella: "Magic for Beginners", Burn, "The Little Goddess", "Inside Job", No Award Novellette: "Two Hearts", "The King of Where-I-Go", "The Calorie Man", No Award Best Short Story: "Singing My Sister Down", No Award (weak-ass selections for this one, other than Lanagan's story) Best Pro Editor: Datlow, Hartwell, Williams, von Gelder, Schmidt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastard of Godsgrace Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I still haven't decided between Spin and AFFC. and also haven't yet read Burn and some novelettes. As for now it goes like this: Novel; Spin/AFFC, Accelerando, Learning the World, Old Man's War Novella: The Little Goddess, Inside Job, no award Novelette: Two Hearts, The Calorie Man, no award Short story: Singing My SIster Down, Clockwork Atomic Bomb, no award. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterfella Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I'll eventually read Spin. Reading Hugo nominees became not so important with me after reading "Bones of the Earth" by Swanwick a couple years ago. What a piece of crap that was. "Magic for Beginners" and "Inside Job" are both good, but Link should win hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneeye Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Who decides on Hugos and Nebula's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceBannon42 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Who decides on Hugos and Nebula's? The Hugo is voted on by the members of worldcon The Nebula is awarded by a jury from the SFFWA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 I loved Spin. Sorry you didn't feel the love, X. River of Gods was a nominee last year, and so can't be up this year (It was released in 2004 in UK). Thanks for the clarification on RoG, Stego. I really wanted to like Spin. The premise itself was amazing -- one of the more interesting ones I've read in awhile, with a full complement of well-thought-out consequences. My problem with the book rests with the characters' lack of blood or dimensionality. At first I thought that maybe it was because the book was told in the first person by someone who had been numbed by his experiences with the Spin...but I think it's more than that. So, in my eyes, Spin gets a 10 for a great concept, but a 6 for bland (not bad, just bland) prose. I just didn't enjoy that book. Old Man's War was more entertaining, but clumsy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per Iocum Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I can’t imagine A Feast for Crows winning. It didn’t approach the year’s best work, though, it was an excellent novel. Spin and Accelerando were both superior to A Feast for Crows and I’m not sure which I prefer. Learning the World was also a good read and in my book was better than A Feast for Crows. Old Man’s War was entertaining but not as well done as it could have been. Overall Accelerando and Spin were the best novels nominated. I would also agree that Kelly Link is a shoo in for best Novella. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stego Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Per Iocum: Accelerando is nowhere close to Stross's best work, and for that reason, I believe is not worthy of the Hugo. I hate Ken MacLeods work. I respect that people disagree, but I refuse to waste any more time with his stuff. Spin is worthy of the Hugo. If AFFC wins, it will be an award for ASoIaF as a series, not A Feast For Crows itself. Old Man's War was a fun read, but not award-worthy. It's on the list because Sclazi has a popular blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per Iocum Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Stego: Accelerando may not have been Stross's finest work but as a whole it was better than A Feast for Crows. Glad to see another fan of Spin which is indeed Hugo worthy. Also whats wrong with Macleod? I'll also restate my view on Old Man's War. I enjoyed it and it was entertaining but it wasn't as well done as it could have been. It doesn't deserve a Hugo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luzifer's right hand Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I read all of these books despite the fact that I don't care about awards. None of these books seemed that great to me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 For the Spin lovers: why? (And I totally understand that we're getting into the personal taste arena. I'm just curious why some people like this book so much.) I found Spin to be wholly lacking in any kind of spark, fillip or even whiff of wordsmithy. This can be a neutral, or even positive, attribute to some stories, but not to one whose entire narrative arc depends on believable character interactions. None of the characters were more than cardboard cutouts; they were devices. Now, this is fine under certain circumstances, but in this instance I found it to completely negate the hypothetical (pun not intended) science/Spin problem. For me, the book was entirely bloodless. And a book like that will not garner a win vote from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stego Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Big ideas that are the staple of great science fiction and a sensuwundah. Science fiction does not have to be well written to be magical. coughasimovcough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Big ideas that are the staple of great science fiction and a sensuwundah. Science fiction does not have to be well written to be magical. coughasimovcough. OK, I diggit. I agree about the big ideas and sensuwundah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Girl Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Big ideas that are the staple of great science fiction and a sensuwundah. Science fiction does not have to be well written to be magical. coughasimovcough. I suppose that could be true, although the first Asimov books I read I really had to grit my teeth and slog through the writing. That didn't exactly make for a magical feeling, no matter what the ideas behind. And afterwards...I can't say it's stuck with me as well as other, better written works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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