Actually still almost a tossup between AMONG OTHERS by Walton and LEVIATHAN WAKES by Corey. I saw the ending coming for LW, but not the details of how it would work. I think that was pretty much a happy ending for Miller? More or less? Anyway, I’m putting EMBASSYTOWN third and I don’t care about the other two on the ballot. Just don’t think it’s appropriate to put a fragment of a series in for the award. Maybe they could add a category for Best Finished Series? And Martin could win that about twenty-five years from now, when he finally finishes his series.
For novellas, for me, the top three are:
1. The Man Who Bridged the Mist (link two posts down)
2. Silently And Very Fast
3. Kiss Me Twice (scroll down for the link)
For novelettes, for me a weak category, I’m picking:
1. Six Months, Three Days
and although I’m filling in the ballot, frankly none of the others much appealed to me, so I hope my pick wins.
For short stories, my picks are:
1. The Paper Menagerie, which I found genuinely moving.
2. The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees, which I thought was amusing. You can actually tell the bees are haplodiploid*, if you know how to read between the lines! Which is funny!
3. Movement, which I liked well enough.
And again, I’m filling out the full ballot, but really I’m not too blown away by this category in general. But you should keep in mind that I honestly don’t care much for short stories, so I may not be the best judge.
Aaand . . . one more link, for something quite different!
Charlotte, of Charlotte’s Library, offers a very nice review of HOUSE OF SHADOWS. I particularly liked the “Crisply professional” sentence followed by the “Utterly egocentric” review.
Ah, review time! Nothing like it! I will be quite nervous while waiting to see what people think, so a nice review like this one is a good way to start off!
* Haplodiploid species, which is to say bees and their relatives, have diploid females and haploid males. Want a son? Don’t fertilize the egg and presto! A boy. This has interesting behavioral and evolutionary consequences.
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Very nice review, indeed. I was a little surprised that she viewed it as completely self-contained, since at least 1 of the 3 protagonists is clearly set up for more plot (Taudde, of course. Leilis is also going to be part of his romantic subpot, probably). But it’s good to hear that it felt self-contained to her. And yes, the selection of first sentences for the review are a hoot.
i thought it read as completely self-contained, too. Rachel could do more in that setting, with Taudde and others, if she wants, but she doesn’t have to. Nothing in the way HoS concluded requires more.
I’d be delighted if she does revisit Taudde and Leilis, but that’s different.
Thanks for pointing out “The Paper Menagerie” and the “Cartographic Wasps” as well as “The Man Who Bridged…” I probably wouldn’t ever have noticed them otherwise, and they were well worth reading.