Strangelove for Science Fiction

More best books of the year lists

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:25:00 +0000

Locus Magazine has made its 2011 Recommended Reading List available. This annual list is the most comprehensive best books and short fiction list in the science fiction community. Locus offers only the list online, for the commentary that goes with it, pick up the magazine itself. If you’re serious about understanding the science fiction field, you already subscribe. If you’re on the fence about subscribing, this annual year in review issue is the most essential issue of the year.

Other lists include the Strange Horizons' roundup of the year’s best from a roll call of editors and contributors, a varied and fascinating compilation. I direct your attention to the entries by L. Timmel Duchamp, Niall Harrison, Paul Kincaid, Farah Mendlesohn, and Adam Roberts.

Over at Ambling Along the Aqueduct, the blog of the excellent small publisher Aqueduct Press, there have been a series of best of the year posts. Rachel Swirsky has written about the best novellas, best novelettes, and best short stories of 2011. In addition, Ambling Along the Aqueduct presented a series of “best reading” posts from a diverse community of contributors. The whole series is interesting. Especially pertinent to best SF books of 2011 are: Cheryl Morgan, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Carrie Devall, Lynne M. Thomas, Jeffrey Ford, Cat Rambo, and Liz Henry.

Other best books of the year lists: Michael Berry of the San Francisco Chronicle, Lev Grossman, and George R.R. Martin.

Locus Year in Review for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:49:00 +0000

The Locus annual "year in review" issue is available now. It features recommended reading lists and commentary from reviewers, editors, and professionals in the science fiction community.

Here's a sample of some of the best books of the year list-making that Locus provides:

Jonathan Strahan's picks:
Planesrunner, Ian McDonald (Pyr)
Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor)
A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness (Walker UK; Candlewick)
Two Worlds and in Between, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Subterranean)
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor (Viking)
The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman (Big Mouth House)
The Heroes, Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz; Orbit US)
After the Apocalypse, Maureen McHugh (Small Beer)
Leviathan Wakes, James S.A. Corey (Orbit)
The Dragon Path, Daniel Abraham (Orbit)
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, Gavin Grant & Kelly Link, eds. (Candlewick: Walker UK)

Russell Letson's picks:
Daybreak Zero, John Barnes (Ace)
This Shared Dream, Kathleen Ann Goonan (Tor)
7th Sigma, Steven Gould (Tor)
Earthbound, Joe Haldeman (Ace)
Rule 34, Charles Stross (Ace)
Scratch Monkey, Charles Stross (NESFA)
The Children of the Sky, Vernor Vinge (Tor)
Deep State, Walter Jon Williams (Orbit)

Graham Sleight's picks:
The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller: Volume 1, Carol Emshwiller (Nonstop)
The Uncertain Places, Lisa Goldstein (Tachyon)
This Shared Dream, Kathleen Ann Goonan (Tor)
Unpossible and Other Stories, Daryl Gregory (Fairwood)
After the Apocalypse, Maureen McHugh (Small Beer)
Embassytown, China Miéville (Del Rey)
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday)
The Tiger’s Wife, Téa Obreht (Random House)
The Islanders, Christopher Priest (Gollancz)
Paradise Tales, Geoff Ryman (Small Beer)
Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor)
Home Fires, Gene Wolfe (Tor)

My own choices fall somewhere between Strahan and Sleight. I'm playing catch up with these industry insiders and their lists will have an influence on which books rise to the top of my to-be-read pile. I've only read one of the books on Letson's list, so far, Goonan's This Shared Dream, and it is excellent.

Three novels that were too damn long

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I've read three novels published in 2011 that were just too damn long. At some point, my interest faded and it was only the desire to see it through that compelled me to continue reading to the end.

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, 1040 pages
Reamde by Neal Stephenson, 1056 pages
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, 944 pages

A Dance with Dragons is a middle volume in Martin’s multi-volume epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, that began with A Game of Thrones (1996). The current volume is the fifth, yet I dare say even Martin seems unsure how many volumes (or years) remain before the end. This is the sort of series that is really one long continuous story. Each volume offers little, if any, closure. It’s the sort of series that I usually avoid reading until the final volume is published. Reading this series has taught me again why I adopted such a policy. Still, there is much to enjoy. In the current volume, there is a wedding scene that is achingly well written, evoking a spectrum of strong emotions. On the whole, alas, it wanders. Characters travel, deals are made, battles are fought or avoided, and so very little is accomplished. It’s a pleasure to spend time in the world that Martin has carefully created, even if the time spent seems aimless.

Reamde is an exercise in plot, or so Stephenson has said in interviews. Unfortunately, by focusing on plot Stephenson has stripped away many of the reasons I enjoy his novels. While Reamde has a science-fictional gaze on the world, it is not science fiction. It’s set in the immediate future. He is the great explainer of concepts, as I’ve written before on this blog, and here he explains a new massive-multiplayer online game, and the economics of gold-farming within the game, which may seem overly familiar if, like me, readers have played a MMORPG sometime in the past decade. What remains is a thriller involving computer hackers, the Russian mafia, and terrorists. A diverting ride, yet disappointing coming, as it does, after a more thoughtful novel, Anathem (2008). (SF Strangelove’s review of Anathem.)

Murakami’s novel 1Q84 (or trilogy of novels, as it was originally published in Japan) is set in Japan in an alternate version of our year 1984, notably different for the presence of two moons in the sky and a handful fantastic events, such as an immaculate conception. The story exists somewhere on the spectrum of what John Clute calls fantastika, which embraces science fiction, fantasy, horror, and related works. I would call it an example of fantastika-lite, where the fantastic elements are used merely for mood and effect, rather than as concepts to be examined and explored. The underlying story is a boy meets girl, boy and girl are separated, and eventually boy and girl are reunited. This simple structure did not sustain my interest for 900-plus pages. These pages are filled with enormous amounts of repetition and padding. Characters frequently repeat dialog back to each other, then they share, and re-share, and re-re-share the same information and concerns over and over again. Amid the multitude of digressions there are some interesting stories within stories. Not enough to make it worth recommending. I could go on about the dozens of “pervy” references to women’s breasts, or the unconvincing way that female characters talk to each other about their breasts (“like a teenage boy’s fantasy of a woman describing another woman’s breasts”). The quotes are from Charles Yu’s review of the book and he has done a fine job. (Charles Yu’s review of 1Q84.)

A Gathering of Links

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:53:00 +0000

News item: Connie Willis was named the 2011 recipient SFWA Grand Master Award. (follow here)

News item: Gene Wolfe will be celebrated with the Fuller Award, a new Chicago-area literary award, and an evening of entertainment. (follow here)

Samuel R. Delany: "I think of myself as someone who thinks largely through writing.”
-- From a Paris Review interview. (follow here)

William Gibson: “E. M. Forster’s idea has always stuck with me -- that a writer who’s fully in control of the characters hasn’t even started to do the work. I’ve never had any direct fictional input, that I know of, from dreams, but when I’m working optimally I’m in the equivalent of an ongoing lucid dream.”
-- From a Paris Review interview. (follow here)

"He has handed us a map to his own magic doorways." From the New York Times review by Pagan Kennedy of William Gibson’s new book of essays Distrust That Particular Flavor. (follow here)

"At the core of sf lies the experience of science ... The Mars and stars and digital deserts of our best novels are, finally, to be taken as real, as if to say: life isn’t like this, it is this." Gregory Benford on rereading The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of (1998) by Thomas M. Disch (via SanJuanJon). (follow here)

Soviet-era visions of Mars (via BLDGBLOG). (follow here)

"Extra(ordinary) People is my favorite of Russ’s collections, a forceful, beautiful, astounding book that leaves me low on words to compensate for how I respond to it." Brit Mandelo reads Joanna Russ's Extra(ordinary) People (1984). (follow here: part one and part two)

Elizabeth Hand has two novels forthcoming, Available Dark, due February 2012, and Radiant Days, due April 2012. Hand was recently interviewed on The Coode Street Podcast (follow here). Hand writes about six favorite books (follow here).

Jeff VanderMeer's essay on overlooked books from 2011 convinced me to spend cold hard cash for several books that I had managed to miss (follow here).

VanderMeer gives a rundown of the 2011 nominees for the Philip K. Dick Award, in which he calls Maureen F. McHugh's After the Apocalypse "a brilliant book." I'm reading it right now and couldn't agree more. (follow here)

New Eaton Collection website

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:57:00 +0000

The newly revised and updated website for the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy has just made its debut. The collection is available to the public and searchable through an online catalog. The collection contains over 100,000 science fiction, fantasy, horror and utopian books and nearly as many fanzines, plus pulps, comics and related materials. With a total of over 300,000 items, it is the largest publicly accessible collection of its kind. The Authors' Archives contains manuscripts, correspondence, and papers from Robert Adams, Gregory Benford, David Brin, F.M. Busby, Michael Cassutt, G.C. Edmondson, Sheila Finch, Robert Forward, Horace Gold, Anne McCaffrey, William Rotsler, James White, Colin Wilson, and several others. The Eaton Collection is located at the University of California, Riverside.

This American Life

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:41:00 +0000

This American Life (which originates at radio station WBEZ in Chicago and is available on many National Public Radio stations and as a free podcast) is usually a slice of life show, taking a topic and looking at it from a variety of perspectives, sometimes humorous or poignant. That is not to belittle the show. It is probably the best slice of life radio show ever made. At other times it offers journalism and analysis. It has offered several of the best reports on Afghanistan and several more on Iraq. Episode 310: "Habeas Schmabeas" (and later updated as episode 331: "Habeas Schmabeas 2007") is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay (today reaching its 10th year) and the violation of the legal principle of habeas corpus begun by the George W. Bush Administration and continued recently by legislation from Republicans in the U.S. Congress. As the great recession has arrived and dragged its feet, there have been a series of first-rate economic and financial stories. This American Life offers affecting stories in endless variety, engendering laughter, tears, and outrage. It arms listeners with useful information.

This week’s episode "Mr. Daisey and the Apple factory" (episode 454) tells the story of a man who wanted to know more about the people who make Apple Computer products. What starts out as a personal story becomes a journalistic investigation. Highly recommended.

Related links:
Mr. Daisey and the Apple factory
Foxconn workers threaten mass suicide

More about Hugo nominations

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:09:00 +0000

I may have sounded a little cranky about the habits of Hugo nominators in my last post, which is unfortunate. My point, at the risk of beating a dead horse, is that there is a wealth of excellent short science fiction and fantasy published each year, never ceasing to amaze me. This excellent short fiction is easy to find in the pages of the various Best of the Year anthologies. Alas, it is less easy to find in the shortlists of Hugo nominations. Perhaps it is the simple fact that professional editors putting together Best of the Year anthologies spend more time and look at more diverse sources when seeking out the best short fiction than does the average Hugo nominations voter. If so, let us borrow their years of expertise and long hours of effort in gathering their choices for the year’s best. Read their selections from 2011 (Strahan and Horton and Dozois) and engage in the conversation about what is excellent and what is not.

Oh, by the way, Hugo nominations are open now.

Best of the Year anthologies and a special plea to Hugo voters

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:49:00 +0000

The editors of three of the Best of the Year anthologies have announced the tables of contents for their upcoming volumes, which will arrive in book form over the next few months.

The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Six, edited by Jonathan Strahan

The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2012, edited by Rich Horton

The Year’s Best Science Fiction, Twenty-Ninth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois

A special plea to Hugo nominations voters

Last year I said that the short story and novelette categories for the Hugo Awards did a poor job of representing the best of the short fiction that was available and that people who want to find the best fiction would be better served by reading the various Best of the Year anthologies.

This year, I urge everyone who is considering nominating work in the short fiction categories of the Hugo Award to read the stories listed on these tables of contents first. These stories should be the starting point, the minimum requirement for reading for Hugo nominators. Sure, read plenty of other stories, too. Read widely and enjoy. Nominate the best by March 11.

Books received

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:55:00 +0000

A pile of reading material from Night Shade Books arrived in the mail today. First up will be Infidel by Kameron Hurley. I enjoyed her first novel, God's War, which came out earlier this year.

12 kinds of Death and the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:08:00 +0000

"Of the nature of Death and the Dead we may enumerate twelve kinds. First there are those who become new gods, for whom new universes are born. Second those who praise. Third those who fight as soldiers in the unending war with evil. Fourth those who amuse themselves among flowers and sweet springs with sports. Fifth those who dwell in gardens of bliss, or are tortured. Sixth those who continue as in life. Seventh those who turn the wheel of the Universe. Eighth those who find in their graves their mothers' wombs and in one life circle forever. Ninth ghosts. Tenth those born again as men in their grandsons' time. Eleventh those who return as beasts or trees. And last those who sleep."

From "Forlesen" by Gene Wolfe, originally published in Orbit 14 (1974), edited by Damon Knight

This quote was brought to my attention by the newly revised and updated Gene Wolfe page at Wikiquote, edited by a friend of the blog.

"Forlesen" is chilling and Kafkaesque. I highly recommend it. Gene Wolfe is one of the great treasures of science fiction and fantasy. His substantial body of first-rate work puts him at or near the top of the list of best authors in the genre.

Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:22:00 +0000

One of the stars of science fiction, SFWA Grand Master Anne McCaffrey, died yesterday, age 85. Other websites will have thorough obituaries. Here I can point to a letter that I transcribed to this website a few months back.

In the letter the literary agent Virginia Kidd provides a deft critique of McCaffrey's writing at a crucial early point in McCaffrey's career. Read the letter.

On a personal note: I encountered the first two books in the Dragonriders of Pern series (the next books were years away from being published) at an impressionable age. The 14-year-old in me loves those books.

Related links:
Locus Online: Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)
SF Encyclopedia: Anne McCaffrey

Contagious Ides are Driving

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:44:00 +0000

Three interesting 2011 movies.

Drive
(Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Albert Brooks.)

Style over substance. The movie has wonderful visuals and music. It has a sense of place (a gritty Los Angeles). Albert Brooks is splendid. Unfortunately, the crime drama doesn’t go anywhere unexpected or interesting. I am tired -- so very tired -- of violence used as a crutch for lack of storytelling.

The Ides of March
(Directed by George Clooney. Starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, and Marisa Tomei.)

A fabulous cast is mostly wasted in a movie that combines two kinds of story that don’t work well together. Part of the movie is smart political drama, with interesting observations regarding candidates and policy questions. Here the dialog is sharp and compelling. The other part of the movie is trashy melodrama. Trashy melodrama is fine on its own. Alas, it undercuts any attempt to be smart.

Contagion
(Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Ehle, and Kate Winslet.)

Rather chilly and emotionally distant most of the time. Yet, that works quite well for this movie about a lethal infection that spreads across the world. Another amazing cast, yet no star turns as everyone serves the story, which rolls out gradually and skillfully, building tension as it proceeds. Perhaps because the film does not emotionally pander to the audience, we steadily grow to sympathize with the characters, even as they make mistakes or become infected. One odd character: Jude Law plays an ethically challenged opportunist who sees conspiracies everywhere. Through his website he sows fear and confusion while promoting for his own gain an unproven herbal remedy. The film is convincing, disturbing, and cautionary. Recommended.

SF Encyclopedia on Thomas M. Disch

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:57:00 +0000

"Because of his intellectual audacity, the chillingly distanced mannerism of his narrative art, the austerity of the pleasures he affords, and the fine cruelty of his wit, Disch was perhaps the most respected, least trusted, most envied and least read of all modern sf writers of the first rank. "

From the Science Fiction Encyclopedia, Third Edition, on Thomas M. Disch, as pointed out by Scott Edelman on Twitter.

Link:
SFE: entry on Thomas M. Disch

SF Encyclopedia 3rd Edition goes live

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:23:00 +0000

The much-anticipated (by science fiction nerds like me) and newly expanded online edition of the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is now available in its "beta" version. The scope of the project is enormous. The Second Edition, which appeared in print in 1995, was approximately 1.3 million words. The beta version of the Third Edition is about 3 million words, with the "completed" version expected to total 4 million words. Completed is a relative term for online editions. Monthly updates are planned for some time after completion. Nor are these padded entries, providing endless trivia about minor authors. They tend to be brief, sometimes overly so to this reader, with longer entries for longer and more significant careers. This is not a Wikipedia-style project. It is edited by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls, and Graham Sleight, with several knowledgeable contributors. It is a scholarly and critical guide, packed with information and enlivened with well-informed critical judgments.

I listened this morning to Cheryl Morgan's Salon Futura podcast where she interviews Graham Sleight about the SF Encyclopedia and it provides an excellent overview of the scope and goals of the several-years-long project. Sleight compares the project, in part, with the wonderfully opinionated Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomson, whose book I admire.

In browsing the new online edition I've already found it to be addictive and fascinating. The subdued star-map background is pleasant and not distracting. Toward the end of the text describing Gene Wolfe's career I came across the phrase "he wears the fictional worlds of sf like a coat of many colours", which is beautifully stated. Elsewhere in the Encyclopedia I've found gaps that I hope will be filled soon. Congratulations to all involved for reaching this beta release milestone.

Related links:
SFE: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Third Edition
Cheryl Morgan's Salon Futura podcast on The Encyclopedia of SF
SFE: entry for Gene Wolfe

Reno Worldcon photos

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:13:00 +0000

More photos from Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention, held in Reno, Nevada, August 17-21, 2011.

Tim Powers
Guest of Honor Speech

Liza Groen Trombi and Gary K. Wolfe
on "The Best Reviews and Reviewers of 2010" Day One.

Atlantis Casino Resort

Sunset over the convention center (lower left)
at the end of Day One, view from the Atlantis.

Howard V. Hendrix and Louise Marley
on "Far Future SF, Then and Now" Day Two.

Poster proclaiming Atlantis
the official party hotel.

Connections in fan history, Hall 2,
with Dave Kyle (red jacket).

Gardner Dozois and Pat Cadigan
on "Science Fiction in the Seventies" Day Three.

Robert Silverberg
signing books in Hall 2.

Jo Walton
reading from "Among Others" on Day Three.

Robert Silverberg and Connie Willis
on "Three Conversations about Charles N. Brown"

An inexpensive nearby alternative
to smokey casino restaurants, open until 3:30 a.m.

Kathleen Ann Goonan
reading from "This Shared Dream" on Day Four

Ian McDonald
signing autographs in Hall 2 on Day Four

Saladin Ahmed and Lev Grossman
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Seanan McGuire, moderator and last year's winner,
with Lauren Beukes,
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Saladin Ahmed
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Lauren Beukes and Sloth
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Larry Correia
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Dan Wells
on "Meet the Campbell Award Nominees."

Eileen Gunn and Jo Walton
on "Ursula K. Le Guin at 80"

Kim Stanley Robinson
on "Ursula K. Le Guin at 80"

Jo Walton and Kim Stanley Robinson
on "Ursula K. Le Guin at 80"

Michael Swanwick
reading on Day Five

Michael Swanwick holding the artwork
he used as inpiration for his short story.

George R.R. Martin
sitting on the Iron Throne on Day Five.

George R.R. Martin
signing books on Day Five.

Click on an image to enlarge it.

2011 Hugo Awards ceremony photos

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:51:00 +0000

A selection of my photos from the 2011 Hugo Awards ceremony held at the Peppermill Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada, on August 20. Congratulations to the recipients and the nominees.

Connie Willis,
Best Novel
"Blackout/All Clear"

Presenter Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, and
Sheila Williams, Best Editor, Short Form.

Allen M. Steele,
Best Novelette
"The Emperor of Mars"

Mary Robinette Kowal,
Best Short Story
"For Want of a Nail"

Clarkesworld, Best SemiProzine,
Neil Clarke, Kate Baker, Sean Wallace,
and (not pictured) Cheryl Morgan

The Drink Tank, Best Fanzine,
Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon

Christopher J Garcia

Claire Brialey,
Best Fan Writer

Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O'Shea
Best Related Work,
"Chicks Dig Time Lords"

Lev Grossman,
John W. Campbell Award
for Best New Writer

Marina Gelineau, stained-glass artist,
designer of the 2011 Hugo Award trophy base.

Marina Gelineau's 2011 Hugo Award trophy base,
each unique and made of five layers of decorated glass
fused together in a kiln.

Lou Anders,
Best Editor, Long Form

Presenter Dave Kyle with Gay Haldeman,
recipient of the Forrest J Ackerman
Big Heart Award

Phil and Kaja Foglio, and Cheyenne Wright,
Best Graphic Story

Presenters Betsy Tinney, Alexander James Adams,
S.J. Tucker, who together comprise Tricky Pixie.

Jay Lake, along with Ken Scholes (not pictured),
served as master of ceremonies.

Sharon Sbarsky, Hugo Awards ceremony organizer,
and presenter George R.R. Martin.

Click on an image to enlarge it.

Related link:
Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention

2011 Hugo Award winners announced

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:30:00 +0000

The 2011 Hugo Awards ceremony was held last night in Reno, Nevada, and while the results were often predictable, some wonderful and creative work was recognized.

BEST NOVEL Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Spectra)
BEST NOVELLA "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" by Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
BEST NOVELETTE "The Emperor of Mars" by Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s 6/10)
BEST SHORT STORY "For Want of a Nail" by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s 12/10)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG FORM Inception written and directed by Christopher Nolan

I would single out "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" as the highlight of the fiction winners for me. It was an exceptional story from the novella category, which was loaded with first-rate work this year. For those who doubt that the outcome was fairly predictable, please see the blog post here from three weeks ago: Handicapping the 2011 Hugo Awards. I'll try not to pat myself on the back too much.

The Masters of Ceremony, Jay Lake and Ken Scholes, were amusing throughout, although their comic timing was diminished by their constant glancing at the podium to read their next line. The emotional highlight of the evening was Christopher J Garcia receiving the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine, during which he collapsed and sat on stage, cradling the trophy like a baby. The smoothest and most effortlessly hilarious awards presenter was long-time writer and frequent Hugo Awards host Robert Silverberg, who provoked swells of laughter by stalling for time and teasing Connie Willis, whose category was yet to come.

Related links:
Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention

NPR's Top 100 SF and Fantasy Novels

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 04:51:00 +0000

Over 60,000 votes were tallied in NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey, a popular vote open to anyone with an internet connection. As a popular vote, it correlates closely with book sales figures and with adaptation across multiple media. What it does not correlate with, sadly, is quality or diversity.

NPR revealed some of the actual counts: Number 1, The Lord of the Rings, 29,701 votes; Number 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 20,069 votes; Number 3, Ender's Game, 16,141 votes. Pulling up the rear, Number 100, C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength), 1,452 votes.

NPR’s Top 10
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
Inevitably, this tops the list. They got the title wrong -- it is not a “Trilogy,” rather a single novel split over three volumes for convenience. It is, I believe, a worthy title, although some would disagree. In terms of influence, it’s hard to argue with Tolkien's prominence in modern fantasy. It's easy to criticize, for relegating women to small token roles, when they are mentioned at all, for a big bad guy who is a nonentity, and for an uncomplicatedly binary view of good and evil.

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This began its existence as a BBC radio play and the novel version doesn’t outgrow that episodic comedy format. I prefer Adams’ Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which is better written and more satisfying as an actual novel.

3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The NPR folks expressly stated that Young Adult novels would be excluded (they specifically cite exclusion of Rowling, Pullman, Lewis’ Narnia, and Le Guin’s Earthsea), yet this is clearly a YA novel. Very popular; not very good. After you’ve read a few of Card’s novels about children, all of whom have either super intelligence or super powers, they become tiresome. To quote Ben Peek: “I mean, seriously, half the books on this list are just old peoples YA books. But such is the way such lists work.”

4. The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
I’m guessing this title refers to the six Dune books that Frank Herbert wrote, although I think it’s likely that calling it The Dune Chronicles is a posthumous construction. Herbert said he originally conceived of the books as a trilogy. I’ve read the first three and they vary widely in quality. The disappointing third book was enough to discourage me from reading further. This is a case where they should have listed the first book, Dune, and left off the series. Even it were just the first book, it probably wouldn’t make my top ten list.

5. A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R. R. Martin
Like The Lord of the Rings, this is a long novel published in serial form, rather than a series of related novels. I think the books are quite good so far, if overly long. Still, this is the first title where I was glad I wasn’t drinking a refreshing beverage when I read the list or I would have spit all over my keyboard. This is an unfinished series. No-one can vote for a series that isn’t finished yet, can they? It’s like reading part of a book and then voting for it as the best book you’ve ever read. Seriously?

6. 1984 by George Orwell
No argument with this choice.

7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is the first title on the list that I haven’t read. I’ve seen the movie (see above, the advantages of novels adapted across multiple media), which was pretty good. I like a lot of Bradbury’s work, especially The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Is this one better? I don’t know.

8. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
This one hasn’t aged well and the quality diminishes as the series continues.

9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Another solid choice.

10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
I didn’t get along with this novel when I read it the year it came out. It’s too episodic and doesn’t cohere enough to become a novel. It’s being made into a television series for HBO.

To sum up, three of these titles (Tolkien, Orwell, and Huxley) are strong, all the rest are weak or have significant problems, with one abstention for the Bradbury. Not a very good start and the rest of the NPR Top 100 list have similar problems. Notice the lack of women authors, or cultural or racial diversity.

Again, to quote Ben Peek: “I must say, I hate a lot of the books on this list. A Canticle for Leibowitz is at the top, a book that has always surprised me by its venerated status in the field, and one that I think is simply awful. William Gibson's Neuromancer was likewise a book I thought terribly written (though I loved Pattern Recognition, which Gibson wrote years later). And, outside the books I hated, there's some embarrassing inclusions: Salvatore's Drizzt series, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time saga, Terry Brooks' Shannara trilogy, Raymond Fiest's Riftwar Saga. Weird choices. I read those things when I was a kid, but even the memory doesn't love them that much. It's also, lets be fair, a white list, pretty male, and divided between the British and the Americans. But, that probably reflects more of the people who voted than anything else.”

I disagree with Peek on one point: I liked A Canticle for Leibowitz (Number 35 on the NPR list) quite a bit when I read it as a teenager. Otherwise, I would echo his points.

Gary K. Wolfe, on the shortage of women authors on the list: "It surprises me a bit that you have to get down to Number 20 (Frankenstein) before you come to the first work by a woman, or that there are only 5 women authors in the top 50. I wonder if that might be a reflection of who voted in the poll."

Ursula K. Le Guin would make my Top Ten list (Number 45 and 78 on the NPR list). As would Joanna Russ (nowhere on the NPR list). Just a few of the women authors that would appear on my Top 100 list: Gwyneth Jones, Karen Joy Fowler, Eleanor Arnason, Octavia Butler, Nicola Griffith, Kate Wilhelm, Mary Gentle, Maureen F. McHugh, R.A. MacAvoy, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Angela Carter, Justina Robson, Nalo Hopkinson, and Lisa Goldstein. All ignored by the NPR list.

The voters had their international blinders on: Stanislaw Lem, Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, Angelica Gorodischer, Jose Saramago, and Haruki Murakami. All ignored by the NPR list. I think Jules Verne is the only author on the list who is neither British nor American.

Some of the great British authors of science fiction: J.G. Ballard, Brian Aldiss, and M. John Harrison. All ignored. American authors Samuel R. Delany, Alfred Bester, Edgar Pangborn, Jack Vance, and Clifford Simak. You get the idea.

The issue of series fiction is badly mishandled throughout this list. It appears random whether a single book in a series is chosen, or an entire series. Or, in the case of Martin, Jordan, Rothfuss, and Sanderson, an unfinished series. The Brandon Sanderson (Number 71 on the NPR list) is the first of a projected 10-volume series of which only the first book has been published. Surely, this is madness? And, don’t get me started on the absurdity of voting for an unfinished series (The Wheel of Time, Number 12 on the NPR list) that was started by one author, Robert Jordan, now deceased, and is being finished by another author, Sanderson. My hat is off to Adam Roberts who has immersed himself in the “stupefyingly bad” Wheel of Time so that the rest of us will be spared.

Related links:
NPR Top 100 SF and Fantasy novels survey
Ben Peek: Magicland and Magic Books
Glen Weldon: NPR's Top 100 SF and Fantasy, parsing the results
(includes Gary K. Wolfe quotes)

Edited to add:
I keep thinking of more major authors who were left off the list: John Crowley, Ian McDonald, Guy Gavriel Kay, and I could go on and on. Or, top authors who don't appear until nearly the end of the list: Gene Wolfe at Number 87, Kim Stanley Robinson at Number 95, and China Mieville at Number 98. Or authors represented by work that is far from their best. For instance: Roger Zelazny's only title on the list is the Amber series. Popular? Yes. His best work? Nowhere near it. Based on the results, this list was voted on mostly by 13-year-old white males in the U.S. with little knowledge of the depth and breadth of the genre.

Renovation iPhone, iPad app updated

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:11:00 +0000

The updated Renovation app, version 1.4, for iPhone and iPad is now available. To get it, go to the App Store, select Updates and install. This version appears to solve the bugs that I noted in the previous post.

As you choose each day of the schedule the app automatically updates the listing. For instance, the "Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin" event is now updated with the change to 11 a.m. Saturday. If you had already added the old version of the event to your favorites list, called "My Program," the out-of-date item is still there and must be deleted before you can add the new, corrected item to your favorites list. All of the schedule changes are conveniently listed under "Changes."

This brings Apple mobile devices up to date with Android devices, which already had the updated software. Many thanks to Renovation and Viafo for continued improvements to this useful tool for convention attendees.

Related link:
Hugo voters increase and iPhone app

Hugo voters increase and iPhone app

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 01:51:00 +0000

A record number of voters participated in this year’s final Hugo ballot, a total of 2100 voters from 33 countries. As I noted in a post a few days ago, participation in the final ballot was just over 1000 the two previous years. Both the increased numbers and the international involvement are encouraging developments. Kudos to the Renovation organization for creating an excellent Hugo voters packet and for their marketing efforts as well.

We’re looking forward to going to Renovation, this year’s World Science Fiction Convention, to begin in just over a week in Reno, Nevada. We will have five members of the immediate and extended SF Strangelove family on board for the long drive from Southern California.

The convention program is available in a variety of formats:
Introduction and facilities grid
A searchable database
PDF format

For the first time there are versions of the program for mobile devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android. I’ve used it on an iPhone 3GS and an iPad 2 and it is definitely handy. To obtain the free app, go the the App Store, search for "Renovation" and download. The app allows searching the program by day or by participant. It also incorporates Twitter. The best feature is “My Program,” a custom list of favorite program items that you create. Select a program item by touching the “plus” symbol in the upper right corner and that item is added to your favorites list.

The added screen real estate for the iPad is wonderful, especially for viewing maps of the facilities. The trade-off is the handy size and portability of a phone.

After spending some time using the iPhone 3GS and switching from vertical to horizontal format several times the graphics freaked out and made the visuals and navigation difficult to use. The solution was to restart the phone. After restarting I was able to add duplicate copies of the same program item to “My Program.” It was easy to undo by touching the “X” symbol in the upper right corner.

Congratulations to Renovation and Viafo for creating this convenient tool for working with the convention program.

Celebrating authors in Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:37:00 +0000

A city that celebrates writers easily wins my affection. After Aussiecon 4 in Melbourne, almost a year ago now, we spent a few days playing tourist in Sydney and we discovered the Writers' Walk at Circular Quay.

Click on an image to enlarge it.

Handicapping the 2011 Hugo Awards

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Wherein your humble correspondent predicts what the voters will choose for the 2011 Hugo Awards. For rankings that reflect my Hugo voting, see the links below.

Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis almost certainly will win, an unfortunate result since it was the most disappointing of the best novel nominees that I read (I haven’t read Bujold’s Cryoburn). Willis is a popular personality at science fiction conventions and the Hugo Awards are a popular-vote award. Willis has already amassed 10 Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards, including the 2011 best novel Nebula Award for Blackout/All Clear. There has been some outcry on the internet that this novel is in fact bad, so there is some chance that it will be passed over. (Read the SF Strangelove review of Blackout/All Clear.) The next most likely winner is Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold. Third mostly likely is Feed by Mira Grant. My choice for best novel, The Dervish House by Ian McDonald, is a long shot.

Best Novella
This was the strongest fiction category with four excellent nominees and one fairly good one. “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” by Ted Chiang is the likely winner. It’s brilliant, if slow paced. The notion that artificial intelligences would need to be nurtured for years, much like human children, is one of those smack-yourself-on-the-forehead ideas that is obvious now that Chiang has dramatized it. The next most likely winner is "The Sultan of the Clouds" by Geoffrey A. Landis, which for me was the weakest story in the category. The third most likely winner is "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window" by Rachel Swirsky, which got a boost from winning the 2011 Nebula Award. My top selection, "The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon" by Elizabeth Hand, is another long shot.

Best Novelette
This is probably the hardest fiction category for me to predict, since I don’t understand what the nominating voters saw in most of these stories. I think “Plus or Minus” by James Patrick Kelly will win. It is the best of a weak category. The second most likely winner is “The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele, with its fan-friendly message about reading early science fiction about Mars. “That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made” by Eric James Stone won the 2011 Nebula Award for best novelette, making it the third most likely to win. The Nebula Award voters didn’t share my negative opinion regarding “That Leviathan.”

Best Short Story
I expect this category to have results similar to my own rankings. “The Things” by Peter Watts is the likely winner, benefiting from fan familiarity with the movie “The Thing.” The second most likely winner is “For Want of a Nail” by Mary Robinette Kowal, set aboard a generation starship.

Best Dramatic Presentation -- Long Form
Inception is a pretty sure bet to win here. I was disappointed by it, as I noted in my short review, yet it remains the best of a weak field. Next most likely: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One, is incomplete, and doesn’t stand on its own. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and How to Train Your Dragon seem to be aimed at a younger demographic than those who are likely to vote for the Hugo Awards. I haven’t seen Toy Story 3.

About the Hugo Awards
Anyone who is a supporting or attending member of the annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, can cast a ballot for the Hugo Awards. This year the convention, called Renovation, will be held in Reno, Nevada. Voting on the final ballot ends tomorrow at midnight Pacific time. There are two rounds of voting, a nominating round, which ended in March, and a final ballot. The nominees with the highest vote totals form the final ballot. In each of the past two years just over 1000 voters participated in the final ballot.

SF Strangelove’s rankings for the 2011 Hugo Awards fiction categories:
Best Novel
Best Novella
Best Novelette
Best Short Story

Related links:
Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention
Nicholas Whyte: 2011 Hugo Awards: who do voters say they will vote for?

World Fantasy nominees announced

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:23:00 +0000

The World Fantasy Awards shortlist was announced today:

Best Novel
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (Jacana South Africa; Angry Robot)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
The Silent Land by Graham Joyce (Gollancz; Doubleday)
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (Viking Canada; Roc; Harper Voyager UK)
Redemption In Indigo by Karen Lord (Small Beer)
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)

Best Novella
"Bone and Jewel Creatures" by Elizabeth Bear (Subterranean)
"The Broken Man" by Michael Byers (PS)
"The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon" by Elizabeth Hand (Stories: All-New Tales)
"The Thief of Broken Toys" by Tim Lebbon (ChiZine)
"The Mystery Knight" by George R.R. Martin (Warriors)
"The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window" by Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Summer 2010)

Best Short Fiction
"Beautiful Men" by Christopher Fowler (Visitants: Stories of Fallen Angels and Heavenly Hosts)
"Booth’s Ghost" by Karen Joy Fowler (What I Didn’t See and Other Stories)
"Ponies" by Kij Johnson (Tor.com 11/17/10)
"Fossil-Figures" by Joyce Carol Oates (Stories: All-New Tales)
"Tu Sufrimiento Shall Protect Us" by Mercurio D. Rivera (Black Static 8-9/10)

Winners will be announced at this year’s World Fantasy Convention, to be held October 27-30, in San Diego, CA. Announced in advance of the event, the World Fantasy Awards Lifetime Achievement Winners for 2011 are Peter S. Beagle and Angélica Gorodischer.

Reactions:

I was particularly pleased to see Under Heaven on the shortlist for best novel and "Booth’s Ghost" for best short fiction. These were two of my favorite works of fiction from 2010. There are quite a few nominees that I haven't read and I look forward to catching up with as many as I can.

PM Press Outspoken Authors Series

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Kim Stanley Robinson, The Lucky Strike, 123 pages, PM Press 2009
Eleanor Arnason, Mammoths of the Great Plains, 145 pages, PM Press 2010
Michael Moorcock, Modern Times 2.0, 123 pages, PM Press 2011
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Wild Girls, 102 pages, PM Press 2011

I would like to call attention to PM Press and the Outspoken Authors series. I’ve purchased four of these so far. They are slightly larger than mass market paperbacks and are superior as physical objects as well as for their content. Each volume contains one or two pieces of short fiction, an essay by the author, an interview conducted by Terry Bisson, and a bibliography. The fiction selections are strong. The interviews are surprisingly good. The Eleanor Arnason has a long novella making its original appearance. Arnason is an important author who hasn’t reached as large an audience as she should. I recommend seeking out this series.

Click on the images to enlarge them.

The 2011 Hugo Awards: Novel shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (SF Strangelove) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
Feed by Mira Grant (Orbit)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)

I’ve read four of the five novels on the 2011 Hugo Awards shortlist. Cryoburn is the one that I’ve skipped. I decided that to give the book its due I should read the whole Vorkosigan series from the beginning, which I have never done. So far, I’ve read three books in the series and I am enjoying them. It will probably be several months before I’ve caught up with Cryoburn.

Blackout/All Clear was the most frustrating and disappointing of the novel nominees that I have read. There may be a good story about time travelers visiting England during World War II buried within these pages. Unfortunately, this two-volume novel is more than twice the length it should be and contains a multitude of structural issues, “idiot” plotting, and obsessive characters who worry about their concerns repetitively for hundreds of pages. I wrote about this novel in greater detail a few weeks ago. Read the full review.

I would call Feed an energetic puppy of a novel, except Jonathan McCalmont beat me to it, so I suppose I shouldn’t. Set during a U.S. presidential campaign 20-some years after a zombie outbreak, the story is narrated in first person by Georgia Mason, a web blogger who styles herself as a journalist. Georgia attaches herself to the campaign of a promising presidential contender. The zombie threat is ongoing, allowing for life and death situations to develop at any moment. The best parts of the story are the notions about the infectious nature of zombie transmission and the constant blood-testing needed for security. The novel is on less-sure ground when it deals with journalism and politics. Georgia tells us repeatedly that she is dedicated to objectivity and truth, yet when we read her published work it is opinion-filled ranting that has nothing to do with objectivity. She gets special access to her candidate that other media aren’t allowed and instantly she is biased in favor of her candidate. The reader gets little sense of the larger political landscape, either domestic or international. When the story keeps a narrow focus on Georgia and her circle of friends, colleagues, and relatives, with lots of blood and mayhem and zombie fighting, it is entertaining and moves along well. When the novel tries to address larger issues about the media and politics it is frustrating and unsatisfying.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a first novel and a promising one. It stands on its own even though it’s the first book in a trilogy. Yeine Darr is brought to the capitol of a globe-spanning empire and told that she is one of three possible heirs to the dying ruler, setting up a potentially lethal competition for succession. The empire derives much of its power from a pantheon of gods that have been bound and enslaved. The gods have varied and interesting personalities. The great strength of the novel is the first person narrative voice of Yeine, who is in over her head as the story begins. The author puts Yeine through a series of changes and the narrative voice reflects that. Yeine develops a romantic interest in one of the enslaved gods, which is handled well. There is one bedroom scene that is perhaps inadvertently funny, where sex is described in cosmic terms and results in broken furniture.

The Dervish House, set in Istanbul, is the third of the author’s novels dealing with emerging economies in the near future. Prior novels were River of Gods (2004), set in India, and Brasyl (2007), two of the most remarkable science fiction novels of recent years. There isn’t any overlap between these books, except that they each explore non-Western futures. The Dervish House is, I think, the most controlled and enjoyable of the three novels. A detailed picture of Istanbul in 2027 takes shape through a variety of viewpoint characters over the course of five days. Several of the characters live in or near an old converted Dervish house, which becomes something of a character itself. One plot thread turns into a variation on The Da Vinci Code, as an art dealer chases after an ancient artifact, called a mellified man. Unlike The Da Vinci Code, this thread of the story does not wear out its welcome. I was less interested in the story of the gas commodity trader and his plan to manipulate the market. Still, all the threads weave together into a coherent and satisfying whole.

This group of nominees provokes an extreme range of reactions from your humble correspondent, from the exceedingly weak Blackout/All Clear to the especially strong The Dervish House. Foremost among the books that should have been on the shortlist but weren't, Under Heaven by Guy Gaviel Kay was an exceptional fantasy novel set in Tang Dynasty China.

Rankings for the SF Strangelove Hugo Awards ballot for novel:
1. The Dervish House by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
3. No award.

The 2011 Hugo Awards will be presented August 20, 2011 at Renovation, the World Science Fiction Convention to be held in Reno, Nevada.

Related links:
2011 Hugo Nominees
Reactions to the 2011 Hugo Nominees
2011 Hugo Nominations: Novella
The 2011 Hugo Awards: Novelette Shortlist
The 2011 Hugo Awards: Short Story Shortlist
Renovation, The 69th World Science Fiction Convention: The Hugo Awards