While I've fallen off the face of the web, I have done a little work on reading/watching the Hugo finalists and getting ready for voting. Sadly, I haven't had the energy or will to write about it, until now, and I'm pretty sure I won't have time to write about all of them. So I'll just do what little I can before voting ends.
After last year's attempt to be completely fair in my judging resulted in me wasting my time on total garbage, I decided this year to avoid any works created by rapid puppies, which whittled down the list a bit before I even started.
Because the puppies nominated a bunch of good stuff this year, that many others nominated as well, I am NOT going by what they nominated. That would throw the baby out with the bathwater.
So, let's start with the novels. I had read all but one before the finalists were announced. That one I hadn't read was "The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass" by Jim Butcher, which was easy to get from the library and read.
"The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin is haunting and strange and hints at a completely different world and culture. There is a narrative at work that is amazing and deep, and I loved it and am looking forward to the second book to see if some of my guesses were correct. The biggest flaw was that it was slightly drawn out in some places, but not badly so. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
"Uprooted" by Naomi Novik has the best opening lines of any of these books, which isn't enough to put it on top, but combined with how good it is overall, it's worth noting. The characters are fascinating and the premise is both fun and a bit of a challenge to figure out. There are a few squicky moments between the lead characters, but I felt they emerged naturally from the situation and were resolved in a way that doesn't diminish the main character. Overall, an excellent book.
"Ancillary Mercy" by Ann Leckie is a lovely finale to a great trilogy. I was not expecting the solution that came out of everything, but it worked for me. The entire trilogy was solid and twisted my brain in good ways. I love the use of language to challenge perceptions and found this to be a good read.
"Seveneves: A Novel" by Neal Stephenson is way too long. It's also two completely different books thrown together to create a kind of symmetry that's both good and bad. I have a lot of issues with the science, although it's one of those "suspension of disbelief for the sake of a story" things. Not my favorite of the bunch. In fact, although it's a good read and decent book, I have to put it at the bottom of my list.
"The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass" by Jim Butcher is a fun little read, a bit of a popcorn book. I put it slightly over "Seveneves" because I found it more readable and interesting, but it's still not really in the same league as the top books. The characters are varied and have a great deal of potential, but still manage to come off as slightly stereotypical. Future books in this series will determine if they stay that way.
So, while I enjoyed all of them, a nice surprise, it's between "The Fifth Season" and "Uprooted" for the top prize, and I'm probably going to put "The Fifth Season" first and "Uprooted" second.
Showing posts with label Hugos 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hugos 2016. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Hugos...
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Audio Blog - My Thoughts on Hugo Novel Finalists
Download as MP3.
This runs about four and a half minutes. Please, if you actually listen to it, feel free to leave feedback. Am I too quiet? Do I talk too fast? Do you like it, want more? Hate it, think I ought to stick to writing? I need some feedback like I need water. I'm parched.
Hugos Packet
The standard packet for this year's Hugo Awards is out now at the convention website. I have already read all five novels, so I'll just be skimming each to remind me before I vote.
For the rest, my plan for this year is considerably different than last year. First off, if it was published by the lead rabid puppy's vanity publishing house, I will not read it and leave it off my ballot. If it was put on the ballot by the rabid puppies and the creator was actively happy about being slated, I will not read or look at it and I will leave it off my ballot. I will also not read or put on my ballot any work by any creator who uses the term "Social Justice Warrior" as an insult. Last year I gave every entry a try. This year I will not, because of how much crap I had to read last year to find the very rare gems.
I will put "No Award" at the bottom of every ballot that is not filled with actual worthy choices, like last year.
To make my decisions on what to look at, I'll be using the slate report at File 770 and Spacefaring, Extradimensional Happy Kittens' reaction report. Honestly, it's not going to be easy. Some of the writers are weasel-y, some were involved in the sad puppies but don't like the rabid puppies and some are just having a "gay old time" with the entire thing, to quote The Flintstones. However, eliminating anything involved with Castalia House makes the list considerably more manageable, which I will need once MidAmeriCon II releases the Retro-Hugo packet.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
A Sunday Review
TV this week:
- Gotham: "A Legion of Horribles" - This is really winding up for a massive season finale. One question - is that Clayface or False Face? It seems like it could be either. Ok, good stuff. The return of Fish, which we were expecting. Lucius Fox being intelligent. Selina's street smarts working in her favor. Nygma's sheer joy at being bad. I also like Ethel, Hugo's assistant. The Court of Owls? Is that who the big bad is? I'm impressed by the number of cliffhangers this episode seems to have, and it will be very interesting to see what happens in the season finale next Monday.
- The Flash: "Invincible" - Poor Barry didn't get it. The Speed Force wasn't just helping him handle his past grief, it was trying to prepare him for a big loss to come. I love how the team comes together in this episode to try to help Barry tone down his feelings of superiority. I also enjoyed how Cisco is finally coming into his powers. The fact that he was able to protect himself with his abilities was interesting. But that final bit of the show, where everyone is gathered and the truth came out to at least one confused young man... that was impressive. The finale of Zoom was painful, but the Speed Force practically told Barry it was going to happen - he just wasn't listening.
- Arrow: "Lost in the Flood" - While there are some repercussions on the news about the nuke, I'm thinking there would be a heckuva lot more outrage, fear and panic. Then again, we're only seeing one angle. For all the viewers know, the rest of the world could be running around screaming. The remainder of the episode was so-so. Felicity's parents are amusing, but not my favorite parts of the show. Seeing Curtis again was good. But mostly I just want this plotline to finish.
- Legends of Tomorrow: "Legendary" - Well, that was quite a finale. I didn't actually expect them to finish off Savage. I'm more than a little confused about how they did it, and what it did to the timeline, but I gather it was all happening in a paradox anyway. So my own personal pet theory (MOPPeT) is gung gur gvzryvar jnfa'g npghnyyl nssrpgrq ol gur qrnguf bs gur cnfg Fnintrf, fvapr gurl jrer vafvqr gur cnenqbk (urapr jnvgvat sbe gur tybjvat ovgf gb tybj). Gur bayl Fnintr jub "qvrq" jnf gur "pheerag" bar, jub unq nyernql zheqrerq Evc'f snzvyl. The cliffhanger was fun enough... I like me a bit of JSA. The next season ought to be good.
- Apr 20th
- Aquaman #51 - After capturing Dead Water, its human form is kept in a near-waterless containment. Turns out the human form has a name and a life, and is completely unaware of what he's been doing, remembering only his last employer... The Scavenger. The art on this is fantastic, with just the right mix of scenes to drive the action home. There's much less humor in this issue, but when Aquaman is basically torturing a guy to keep him from turning into a monster and killing everyone, it kind of gets everyone down a bit, I think. Mera had a good role to play, but that stupid outfit is not winning me over. Seriously, she's her own woman. She hardly needs to dress like Aquaman to earn respect. Beyond that nitpick, I quite enjoyed this issue and I'm reallly looking forward to the next one. I'm liking the team of Abnett and Cifuentes, and hope they stick with the book for awhile.
- Titans Hunt #7 - The threat is so great that destroying the potential pawns is the only way to stop it? What about knocking them all unconscious until you can get a handle on the problem and stop it, rather than slaughtering people? Oh well, you don't expect an organization called Diablo to be friendly. The pair of Diablo agents with big letters on their chests made me think of Team Rocket from Pokemon. Silly. They weren't quite as silly in action, but terribly hokey and stilted. There wasn't really enough of Aqualad in this issue for me. While the lead trio is nice, I just want a bit more from them than walking up a staircase. Again, the issue seemed to be padded out a bit more than needed. I think this entire mini-series could have been done in half the length.
- Teen Titans Go #15 - The first story, with the scaredy-pants, was mildly amusing except for the major plot hole (he put them on over his tights, so taking them off shouldn't have "pants" him). The second tale featured a little bit of Aqualad, although I see Raven and Starfire no longer have little hearts whenever they look at him, and Raven seemed to even be ug-ing at him. Amusing issue, but only just ok.
- Astro City #34 - There must be a lot of ex-supervillains in the Astro City universe, and the big bad definitely takes advantage of that. Carl is a good person at his heart, and this issue was kind of an "aw shucks" finish to a somewhat scary tale. He helped his friends and stopped a villain, but also showed how human he was while he was at it. A great little story.
- Back to the Future #7 - Marty is sure into the adventure, but it's really not good news for Doc. Things get more and more mysterious as the issue plods along... the reveal of Doc's "car" was a little extended. The final bit, a contest between Needles and Marty, is just dumb. As I've said before, I prefer the stories set before the movie that fill in the background of the characters. This story hasn't really gripped me.
- Dirk Gently: A Spoon Too Short #3 - From the hairstyle, it's got to be Dirk as a child, right? Beyond that, I'm not sure what to say about this. It defies any logical description, and laughs at attempts to explain the plot. You almost have to read it to get it. I'm not a huge fan of this character, but this isn't a bad series so far.
- Huck #6 - I really enjoyed this book. It's a fairly simple tale of people who didn't deserve the pain they suffered. I particularly like how smart Huck and his mother actually are, and how humble they decide to be about it. Huck's desire to help people makes him a hero to look up to, and his mother's ability... well, that's something terrible and wonderful, especially when combined with Huck. The final page was nicely brutal and a good contrast to Huck's forgiving nature. A lovely series, well worth reading. Get the collection, folks, if you missed the individual issues.
- Legends of Oz Tik-Tok And Kalidah #1 - Old West Oz is a fun universe and this is an intriguing addition. I'm curious about why Tik-Tok would be hanging out with a Kalidah in the first place. The design of Tik-Tok is unique as far as I can tell, with an owlish look I wasn't expecting. The fighting style is pretty neat, and it amuses me that he suffers from the same weakness every version of Tik-Tok has... hence he must have a traveling companion of some sort. The Kalidah is obviously an equal based on certain events. Beyond the team-up itself, we have the plot, which involves a treasure. I wonder exactly how that's going to play out? A decent start. Let's see where it goes from here.
- Doctor Who 4th #2 - Ooh, now it feels like a fourth Doctor adventure, with some bumbling in and pretending to be stupid only to prove he's very smart. Fun so far, but what's on the other side of that gateway? I am very curious if it's something we've seen before, something entirely new, or something from myth (as the cyclops suggest) made real. With a decent cliffhanger, this one promises more fun before it's over. The art is a tiny bit uneven, possibly it's just the coloring. It can be hard to distinguish Carstairs before her incident with the gateway versus after... and just what happened to her. There's obvious clues, but I'm hoping the answer isn't completely obvious once we see it.
- Doctor Who 11th #2.8 - Too many characters crowding the TARDIS, and both River and the Doctor seem... out of character. I really need to know what happened to The Squire and what she really is. Absalom was a nice kick in this one, with his calm talk after beating up a bunch of fellow thugs. But the Doctor is extra manipulative and extra cruel in this. I don't know... I kind of what the story to hurry up and finish. It seems wrong, and I'd like to see a new story to replace it.
Well, what do you know? A Butcher book I enjoyed. Perhaps I just need to come at his series from the beginning in the future.
Anyway, this is the story of... well, it's complicated because there are four or five main characters and the book never really settles on which one is the main story, so the reader can take it from many different angles. My biggest complaint is probably that no one character was given quite enough time to develop beyond a set of stereotypes into something more, although a couple of characters nearly made the jump.
The book itself rumbles along at a decent pace, and the world-building is excellent. I'm curious to know more about the Spires and how they were built (and why) and what the surface actually is. I enjoyed the airships and the concept, expressed by one character, of living her entire life within a confined space to the degree that merely seeing the sky gave her vertigo.
My favorite character would have to be the minor noble, Bridget, who goes to serve in the military as a duty. She probably came closest to breaking out of the stereotype set for her: large, strong girl who is a reluctant warrior at best. The way she deals with both Folly and her goofy talking cat, Rowl, made her the most interesting of the bunch.
Folly is another promising character, with a pure psychological quirk that makes her far more interesting than the rest of the cast. However, the book definitely left me wanting in regard to her and her abilities. That's not a flaw, necessarily, in an ongoing series.
The elephant in the room is the cat in the story. There will be a lot of people who really don't like Rowl and the other cats, but I thought they were handled well for the most part. There was slightly more of them that I really wanted to read, but since those bits almost always propelled the story forward, I won't complain. And, as a person owned by a cat, I can vouch for some of the behavior, although as far as I know my cat hasn't evolved enough to talk.
Overall, this was a fun romp, a good little tale. It's not going to be considered high art, and it didn't make me rethink the fantasy genre. It's certainly a good story, but I read it because it's on the Hugo finalist list. And as good as it is, I don't think it really belongs on that list.
Heading back to the start of the issue, the editorial apologizes again for a long delay in the issue. There's also a note that the crossword in the previous issue was missing a clue, for which the answer was "pyre". But the rest of the crossword answers are not given. Argh!
The first article in this issue is by John Michell and calls Darwinism a myth. Reading it, I can't help but wonder at the definition of Darwinism he's using. It almost seems to me that he's set up a strawman version of Darwin's theory and is whacking joyfully away at it, not paying attention to the real theory behind it. But I'm not sure. I have a sense that I'm missing something. Perhaps it is because some 35 years on we have a better grasp of the flaws of the theory while still being willing to accept the overall theme of it. I don't know. It just seems a little over-the-top and attacking the wrong target to me.
The article on the Runamo Runes is about believing something to be true so deeply that you lose all sense of perspective. In short, there is a vein of rock that wanders along a forest in Sweden and has a lot of cracks in it that resemble runes. The resemblance is enough that a whole lot of people really believed them to have been carved, and one Icelandic professor "translated" them in 1834, after working out that they were in code. Other scientists figured out what the cracks really were, although the professor defended his work until his death. They are now widely considered a natural feature, cracks in the rock, and not something someone carved. This article was republished, revised and expanded, in Fortean Times 177, the 30th Anniversary Special.
Another feature in this issue is a bunch of reports of fortean events from a correspondent in Malaysia. As often happens, the reports are eerily similar to reports from every other country, often with local twists, but equally as often with details that match UFO/strange animal/falling thing reports from around the world and across time. Strange things happen. They always have, and they always will.
I've finally found something in Fortean Times that I really don't want to read in the America Mystica column. It's nearly incomprehensible. It's like reading the worst conspiracy theorist possible trying to link things that have nothing to do with one another through a variety of silly and often contradictory ideas. I got through the first column a couple of issues ago and read one of his very poor reviews... but at this point I don't want to read any more.
Getting back to the fun stuff, On The Trail by Loren Coleman has some advice for Fortean travelers on how to find the best places to visit to find the wierd and wonderful. In the internet age, it's much easier to find the kind of information he talks about, but back in 1981 it wasn't as easy to find such specialized data. I would guess this piece was well received by the audience. I'd love to see a nice online version for my neck of the woods curated by someone like Coleman, actually.
While I'm not really warmed up to Doc Sheils yet, I loved the opening lines of this issue's "Words from the Wizard".
If Nessie happens to be an organic, flesh and blood plesiosaur, then she is no more interesting than a coelacanth: and if Bigfoot is, simply, a type of North American anthropoid ape, he is really no more interesting than a gorilla. No less interesting, certainly, but, equally certainly, no more.He goes on to say that he finds impossible animals, like Owlman, "...a winged thing with an owl's face, a man's body and feet like a crab's claws..." to be far more interesting because it is impossible. Then he goes into a discussion of how he invokes the impossible through shamanistic rituals, and he loses me. Oh well.
Notes from the Trashkashic Records is about television. And there's something deeply odd and satisfying about reading an article that discusses television from 1981... about the time I really started getting interested in what shows were on. As an aside, I discovered quickly that I really didn't care for most shows, but I loved the theme songs to some of them and would watch them only to hear it. There were a few shows my parents wouldn't let me watch, but they'd tolerate (with rolled eyes) me watching the theme songs. The rest of the show? Bah. Anyway, back to the column, author Bob Tarte argues that television was changing the collective value of the culture by expanding what was allowed to be shown on television.
As viewers become bored with TV-reality, it enlarges slightly to accommodate more startling images. Yet these are surprising solely in the context of the medium; 'I didn't think they could show that on TV!' is the classic viewer response to something new.Throughout the piece he namechecks a number of shows, from Ozzie and Harriet, Three's Company, I Love Lucy to Fantasy Island and Cosmos. Honestly, reading this column was a kick in the pants and a lovely walk back through time, as well.
Steve Moore has another report of strange doings from the Eastern side of the world, and there's a goofy report of a pecan tree in Alabama that was whining. There's also some updates on people who tried to solve teh energy crisis with perpetual motion machines. There's a neat page of Antiquities, which reports on a bunch of statues, some wrecked ships and some lost cities. I love these kind of reports. There's also a good set of reports in "Heavens Above" about who discovered Neptune and Jupiter and that Pluto is a double-planet. Another report looks at recent falls of strange things, including frogs and stones. There are more reports of out-of-place big cats, as well.
Phenomenomix is another two-pager in this issue, The Borders of Buffoonery Part 2, in which our bopped-on-the-head hero learns more things that man was not meant to know and gets bopped on the head more times. That's the only comic in this issue, but there is a picture of a twisted chimney under the title "Curiosa".
The letters were the usual mix, with one about winged cats and a bit on an article in the previous issue that I found incomprehensible being a spoof. Huh. The reviews make me want to visit a used bookshop with a list. All around fun issue with a lot to think about. I really enjoyed this one, despite the disturbing theme of the cover article.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Hugo Voting Starts
Voting is open in the Hugo Awards. The packets have not yet been released, but I've already got a good start on my reading thanks to having already read four of the five novel nominations. I got the fifth from the library and hope to finish it very soon, at which point I'll write up a post on all five and try to make a decision.
This year I will be using the slate report at File 770 and people's reaction to being on the rabid slate to help decide what works are not worth reading due to being rabid puppy picks. After last year, I do not feel the need to wade through garbage to find the good stuff again. If it's not a "human shield" or "poison pill" pick by the puppies, I probably won't bother with it.
The retro-Hugos seem to have been mostly ignored by the puppies, I think. There's already some material up to help voters.
File 770 has a post analyzing E Pluribus Hugo and the verdict from the people who wrote the paper on it is that it will not do the job it was intended to do. There is a healthy discussion about it, and other possible solutions to slate nominating at the link, go check it out.
And in other award news, the Nebula award winners were announced, and nearly all the winners were women. Many of the winners have also been nominated for the Hugos.
Friday, May 06, 2016
Hugo Replacements Announced
Since two finalists withdrew from contention, Thomas Mays in the short story category and Black Gate in the fanzine category, the Hugo administration has announced the two replacements.
- For Short Story, "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer (blog) is the new finalist. This is a story I nominated. In celebration, Kritzer put two collections on sale on Amazon.
- In the fanzine category, Lady Business is the new finalist. I know very little about them except that they are related to the Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom that lists tons of eligible works, but I'm excited to check out the suggested reading they've already helpfully posted.
I have started to seek out stories from both the retro and regular Hugos, and I'll eventually post reviews as I get to them.
Lastly, I will note that another finalist, Chuck Tingle, has started to get some attention for his antics. I believe, although I'm not sure, that nominating him will backfire/has backfired on the rabids.
Monday, May 02, 2016
Some links and a rant
NASA is trying to grow potatoes on Mars. According to a Wall Street Journal article, scientists are trying to find a potato that will grow at cold and low-pressure conditions, and is also good for food. Of course, they can't grow in the open air on Mars:
the temperature averages minus 84 degrees Fahrenheit, with lows of minus 284 degrees, according to NASA. It has high levels of radiation and over 60% less gravity than Earth. Its atmosphere has 96% carbon dioxide, with only a tiny amount of oxygen. Then there are the dust storms and salty water.Still, to test the soil conditions, scientists are planting crops in soil from the Pampas de La Joya Desert in southern Peru. If the tests are successful, then a simulator will be made that mimics the conditions the plants would endure in a dome on Mars.
When I first read this headline: Wolverines Are Now Being Trained to Find Avalanche Survivors, I thought it was some sort of Marvel Comics promotion. D'oh. No, it's an actual effort to use wolverines, the actual animals, to hunt for people in avalanches. Wolverines are small, smart, and work well in the snow. The trick is getting the wolverines to imprint on humans soon after birth, as well as breeding them in captivity.
My friend Michael Sensei went spelunking and took some photos and video of Yugen Cave. Makes me want to head up to Bellingham and visit that cave I went to with friends once.
Children have been doodling all throughout time. I love these scraps of art by a 7-year-old boy named Onfim living in 13th century Novgorod, Russia.
Optical illusions are not universal, which was a surprise to me. There's a couple of examples of how people perceive illusions differently in the article. Be sure to read the comments, lots of insight and some corrections there.
This documentary sounds fantastic. I wish I lived near enough to an IMAX theater to go see it.
George R. R. Martin has an epic response to a writer who thinks, for some bizarre reason, that because Martin once purchased a story from him that Martin must therefore love everything that writer has ever written. The reasoning is so twisted and wrong it hardly bears giving any thought to, but Martin calmly and completely demolishes it and the writer (who, incidentally called Martin a liar, to boot). Nicely done, Martin.
Spacefaring, Extradimensional Happy Kittens has a round-up of people's responses to being included on this year's rabid puppies slate. Many asked to be removed and were not. Some support the rabids. Because this year the rabids included "human shields" in their slate, the overall situation is much more complicated than last year, in which a near-total rejection of the slate was reasonable, as very few of the nominations were Hugo-worthy. This year the rabids included works that would certainly have made it to the final ballot... but other good works were still kicked off. Voters are going to have to decide if it's more important to them to punish the slate or more important that a good work get the Hugo. It will not be an easy choice.
One last Hugo rant after the fold. Feel free to skip it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Some Hugo Thoughts...
Obviously, I'm going to be a little obsessed with the Hugos for a bit. Even if I was still working full-time, I'd want to comment on the situation. With a little more time to spare (although job hunting is extremely time-consuming and annoying) I can say a little more.
Let's start with a report this morning that a finalist has withdrawn after realizing that the slate he willingly participated in ran the whole category. You can check out the effect the slates had on the final lists at File 770, which had some problems last night and crashed.
George R. R. Martin has weighed in on the situation. I think there's an admission in there that simply getting more people to nominate isn't going to work. He, like me, was optimistic that a larger turnout could counter the effects of the slates. While that may have worked in some categories, the rabid slates ran multiple categories anyway. I firmly believe now that EPH and, yeah, maybe 4-6, are the only way to fix the nominating process to keep people from gaming it.
The rabids this year pulled a nasty dirty trick... they picked a number of works that were likely to be nominated and put them on the slate. My guess is they think this means they can claim victory either way. If their "choice" is awarded the Hugo, they say, "Look, we nominated it!" while if it's no-awarded, they can say, "Ha, you hate your own favorites!" In addition, if the creator's withdraw their work, the rabid morons can say, "We got another SJW to quit, yay!" So there is no victory situation for non-puppies in their eyes... except.
Except I never looked at the slates before I nominated, and I put Penric's Demon on the "Best Novella" list, so I'm going to vote for it regardless of the slate. The Sandman: Overture was likely to make the cut anyway. Why wouldn't I vote for it? In the end, if those works that were likely to make it anyway get the Hugo, the rabids won't have won because they hate those works. So there is a victory situation for non-puppies... vote on merit and not because something did or did not appear on a slate.
That said, I will not read any of the crap from the rabid puppies vanity press this year. I just won't do it. If a work was published by the organizer of the rabid puppies slate, I will know not to bother with it. Not one of the things published by that press that I read last year was worth the time. I'm not going to put myself through it again. All of them will be left off my final ballot as "revenge" for making me read their crap last year.
This year I'm also excited to be working on the 1941 Retro Hugos... it's going to be a thrill to hunt some of those down. I'm a little concerned about a couple of the categories, particularly fanzine, and I hope there's something in the packet about those. The movies will be good movie night with hubby fodder, so I'm looking forward to hunting them down.
Ok, time to get to work on the job hunt.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Hugo 2016 Finalists
BEST NOVEL (3695 ballots)
BEST NOVELLA (2416 ballots)
BEST NOVELETTE (1975 ballots)
BEST SHORT STORY (2451 ballots)
BEST RELATED WORK (2080 ballots)
BEST GRAPHIC STORY (1838 ballots)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM) (2904 ballots)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM) (2219 ballots)
BEST EDITOR – SHORT FORM (1891 ballots)
BEST EDITOR – LONG FORM (1764 ballots)
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST (1481 ballots)
BEST SEMIPROZINE (1457 ballots)
BEST FANZINE (1455 ballots)
BEST FANCAST (1267 ballots)
BEST FAN WRITER (1568 ballots)
BEST FAN ARTIST (1073 ballots)
JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER (1922 ballots)
* Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility.
For the record, nine of my nominations are finalists.
1941 Retro-Hugo Finalists
The finalists are in for the Retro-Hugos, and here's the full list:
BEST NOVEL (352 ballots)
BEST NOVELLA (318 ballots)
BEST NOVELETTE (310 ballots)
BEST SHORT STORY (324 ballots)
BEST GRAPHIC STORY (92 ballots)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM) (250 ballots)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM) (123 ballots)
BEST EDITOR ‐ SHORT FORM (183 ballots)
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST (117 ballots)
Note: Category has 6 finalists due to a tie for 5th place.
BEST FANZINE (63 ballots)
BEST FAN WRITER (70 ballots)
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
Quick Update
I need to go to work soon, so I can't write much.
Work has been... stressful. So much so that I, as I have said before, basically turn off when I get home. I would like to write more of what I want to write, but that hasn't been an option the last few months. We're adjusting to a new house style and a new publisher and it's just taking longer than it ought to be taking. Depending on the day, I'm either deep in despair that we'll ever get on an even keel or hopeful that we're finally starting to "get it" and making progress.
That said, I finally received my Hugo PIN, and I'm starting to sort through my reviews from last year and working on figuring out what I want to nominate. I haven't had time to read in the past few months, thanks to the new boss, but I hopefully have enough to get started. I'm excited to be nominating for the first time, and I hope to get it "right" in the sense that the stuff I put on the ballot is truly the stuff I think is the best I read published last year.
I tend to obsess. I think most of my readers have figured that out by now. I've got a handful of current obsessions at the moment. One is my so-far pathetic attempts to start a Doctor Who club locally. I know there's the interest, and I know my hubby's model for a club (bring food, watch Doctor Who, have fun, no fees) should work, but I'm having trouble reaching the local fans, since they are all students. And since hubby is subbing a lot in another district, he can't spread the word. Ug.
Another obsession is Fortean Times. I had a thrown-together page of cover scans, but I upgraded it to a wiki over the weekend to make it easier to update. I was getting tired to hand-writing the HTML files and uploading it via FTP, when with a wiki I only upload the latest scan once and then it's got all the sizes automated by the wiki. Of course, being an obsessive, I started to index issues while I was at it... hey, don't judge me. I know what I am.
The final recent obsession is with a slightly local news incident, which I refer to as the Bird Sanctuary Bozos. Living in a largely conservative area, I know a lot of people who sympathize with the cause of the bozos, but I find it hard to accept that most of them would support the people who did the occupation if they knew even a little about the background of those people. I ended up writing a long Facebook post about it, which I will reproduce after the fold. I have no idea why I'm obsessed about it, I got obsessed long before I knew that some of the "protesters" claim to share my religion (they understand their religion about as well as they understand the Constitution, which is to say: not at all). All I know is that they fascinate me, like watching a car wreck or something, and for a time I couldn't get enough about their antics. Now only a handful of people are still paying attention, since the media has mostly moved on, but I'm still curious to see how it turns out and find out what damage they actually did to archaeological sites in the area... a crime for which I hope they pay most dearly.
Well, time to get dressed and head to work, so if you are interested, my Facebook rant is below...
Sunday, October 11, 2015
A Sunday Review
The File 770 folks have been talking about this book non-stop for months, so I decided to take a break from Hugo reading to read it. That may have been a mistake, as I now want to read the other books in the series. But I think I'll allow myself a rest and go back to potential 2016 Hugo works first.
The story concerns a woman/girl who ends up in a very strange town with holes in her memory and some very strange talents. The result is a hodgepodge of story that slowly clicks into place as the book rushes to a painful but powerful conclusion. I was gobsmacked by the whole thing, honestly. It was overwhelming on multiple levels to the point where I'm going to have to reread.
Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Wnzr vf na vagevthvat punenpgre, qvssvphyg gb haqrefgnaq ng gvzrf. Fur'f chfuvat sbejneq jvgu rirelguvat fur'f tbg orpnhfr fur unf fbzr frpergf gung fur pna'g erzrzore. Gung naq gur pynjf. Ohg fur'f pyrneyl pbzcnffvbangr naq pnerf nobhg ure ubabe naq ubarfgl, juvpu znxrf fbzr bs ure pubvprf n yvggyr bqq. Fgvyy, V rawblrq ure dhrfgvat nebhaq, yvxr n Q&Q cynlre rkcybevat gur pvgl.
Gur angher bs qvivavgl frrzf gb or n znva gurzr va gur pbagrkg bs gur fgbel. Fur'f zbabgurvfgvp, juvpu vf nccneragyl ener, ohg fur'f va n pvgl svyyrq jvgu tbqf gung unir npghny rssrpg ba gur jbexvatf nebhaq ure. Vg'f irel vagrerfgvat gb abgr ubj Wnzr naq gur cevrfg jbex bhg jung'f unccravat va qvssrerag jnlf. Gur npghny nafjre vf arire dhvgr frggyrq va gur raq. Gurer'f n zhygvirefr, naq fbzr xvaq bs rirag fcnaavat znal havirefrf, ohg jung ure tbq npghnyyl vf arire trgf rkcynvarq va guvf obbx.
Juvyr cneg bs zr yvxrf gur jnl gur fgbel yrnxf bhg va ohefgf naq fgernzf, urer naq gurer, jvgu gur ernqre xabjvat irel yvggyr zber guna Wnzr ng nal cbvag - cneg bs zr jnf qvfngvfsvrq ng gur wbygvat fprar punatrf naq gur jnl gvzr sybjrq va svgf naq fgnegf. Gur obbx jnf obgu snfpvangvat naq ernyyl veevgngvat. Jura V ernq gung vg jnf gur nhgube'f svefg rssbeg, vg znqr zber frafr, ohg V jvfu vg unq tbar guebhtu n pbhcyr zber rqvgf orsber choyvpngvba. Vg pbhyq unir orra n ybg fzbbgure n ernq jvgubhg ybfvat vgf vzcnpg. V jbaqre ubj zhpu gur nhgube vzcebirf bire gur arkg srj obbxf?
Gur fhccbegvat punenpgref jrer sha. Gur jvqbj va gur xvgpura, gur ovmneer vaaxrrcre, gur eviny npebff gur fgerrg... ybgf bs arng crbcyr gb zrrg va guvf bar. Cneg bs gur wbl bs guvf obbx jnf gheavat nebhaq naq svaqvat n arj punenpgre shyyl syrfurq naq ernql gb tb ba gur arkg cntr. V xvaq bs ubcr gb trg onpx gb gur pvgl riraghnyyl naq purpx va ba rirelobql.
In conclusion, a strange and interesting book. I can't recommend it without reservation, but it has rewards for the careful reader.
Short story reviews:
- "Going Endo" by Rich Larson is about a tech who kind of falls for a bio weapon in the strangest way. I'm still not sure what to think of this one, except that it's all about sex and yet it's all about other things as well. But mostly sex. Interesting story with a good voice for the main character, but not for the overly chaste, I think.
- "The Ninth Seduction" by Sean McMullen is about goblins and elves and beauty and the loss of beauty. This was actually a really intense read once I figured out what was happening, which was fairly clear when the ship didn't leave. In the end, it seems like the main characters all got what they wanted, which is even stranger. It's a chilling little story, in that way.
- "Time Bomb Time" by C.C. Finlay is a story that (spoilers) ernqf gur fnzr onpxjneqf naq sbejneqf. Gur snpg gung vg'f zbfgyl n tvzzvpx fgbel jbexf ntnvafg gur bqqf bs zr abzvangvat vg sbe nalguvat, ohg ba gur bgure unaq, vg'f n qrprag yvggyr fgbel. V'z abg rira tbvat gb nggrzcg gb jevgr n erivrj va gur fnzr fglyr, nygubhtu gur gubhtug pebffrq zl zvaq.
Movie review:
- The Martian - I'm sure most of my readers have already seen it, but I'll still rot13 just for the handful who haven't. Nf jvgu nal nqncgngvba bs n abiry gb svyz, gurer jrer fnpevsvprf. Va gur obbx, Znex vf jevgvat uvf ybt ragevrf. Va gur zbivr, gurl ner ivqrb ragevrf. Gurer ner n pbhcyr bs znwbe punatrf va gur zbivr sebz gur obbx, vapyhqvat gur erzbiny bs na ragver frdhrapr bs riragf qhevat Znex'f ybat bireynaq gevc ng gur raq. Rirelguvat ng gur raq bs gur zbivr - nyy gur arng hcqngrf ba rirelbar - nyfb jrer abg va gur obbx. V ybirq gur obbx naq V ybir gur zbivr, ohg gurl ner qvssrerag navznyf. Gung fnvq, V nqberq gur zbivr sbe znxvat areql frrz njrfbzr naq znxvat n gevc gb Znef frrz cbffvoyr. Ng gur zbzrag, jr qba'g unir gur grpu gung jbhyq or erdhverq sbe Znex gb fheivir. Nyzbfg nyy bs vg rkvfgf, ohg gurer ner fbzr pehpvny zvffvat cvrprf naq gur zbivr znqr vg jbex ol whfg abg zragvbavat gur ceboyrz. V'z fnq gur Ndhnzna ersrerapr qvqa'g znxr vg vagb gur svyz, ohg vg jnf va n cebzb, juvpu jnf pbby. V nyfb sryg gur punenpgref bhgfvqr bs Jngarl jrer orggre ernyvmrq va gur zbivr guna va gur obbx, fvzcyl orpnhfr jr frr zber bs gurz qverpgyl. Hfhnyyl vg'f gur bgure jnl nebhaq, ohg vg'f na hahfhny glcr bs obbx. V nyzbfg jvfu guvf unq orra bar bs gubfr pnfrf jurer V fnj gur zbivr svefg, orpnhfr V pna'g uryc ohg pbzcner gur gjb va rirel jnl naq V'z univat n uneq gvzr whfg gnxvat gur zbivr ba vgf bja. V guvax gur zbivr jnf irel jryy qbar naq sha, ohg V'z abg fher vg unf n ybg bs erjngpu inyhr. It'll be on my Hugo nomination form for sure.
TV this week:
- Doctor Who: "Before the Flood" - I admit I'm annoyed that it appears this season of Doctor Who is going to be all two-parters. I shouldn't be: I generally like well-done cliffhangers. But for some reason, this has annoyed me. I also like well-done stand-alone episodes, and from what I'm hearing, we aren't going to get those this year. Ok, back to the actual story... There were plot holes. Several of them. The biggest and most annoying is gur zrgubq ol juvpu gur Qbpgbe orpnzr n tubfg. Ur fnvq vg jnf n ubybtenz. Avsgl. Ohg, nf n ubybtenz, ubj qvq vg ghea bss gur Snenqnl pntr? Naq B'Qbaaryy'f qrngu jnf jebat jebat jebat! V ubcrq gung gur Qbpgbe jbhyq svther bhg ubj gb erirefr gur "qrnguf" ng gung cbvag... boivbhfyl nf n qrnq zna jnyxvat ur jbhyq unir gb, evtug? Ohg ur qvqa'g, naq gung veevgngrq zr n ybg. Va snpg, gur obbgfgenc cnenqbk pbzovarq jvgu gur zntvpny ubybtenz cerggl zhpu qrfgeblrq gur rcvfbqr sbe zr. Vg jnf jryy-npgrq naq zbfgyl jryy-jevggra, ohg gurer jrer ovgf gung jrer whfg fb jebat gung V'z tbvat gb unir gb whfg fvtu naq fnl, "gvzrl-jvzrl penc ntnva". Bar ynfg gubhtug, gur fprar bs Pnff orvat punfrq naq svthevat bhg gur qnatre ol gbhpuvat gur sybbe jnf irel avpryl qbar. Pnff jnf gur orfg cneg bs jung fubhyq/pbhyq unir orra n irel tbbq fgbel. So, in summary, I'm feeling a bit let down by this one.
- Gotham: "The Last Laugh" - So, they pulled off the big misdirection. Vg jnf nffhzrq gung Wrebzr jbhyq tebj hc gb or gur Wbxre - vafgrnq, vg ybbxf yvxr ur'f tbvat gb or gur vafcvengvba sbe gur Wbxre be Wbxref (yvxr va Ongzna Orlbaq, znlor?). V ernyyl qvqa'g rkcrpg uvf qrngu, ohg url, guvf fubj yvxrf gb mnt jura rirelbar vf rkcrpgvat n mvt. Zl snibevgr cneg ol sne jnf Nyserq'f nggrzcg gb cvpx hc Yrr naq uvf qvfthfg jura ur frrf Yrr naq Wvz xvffvat. Urnq bire urryf, gung jnf Nyserq. Naq fvapr V xabj gung va ng yrnfg bar irefvba bs gur zhygvirefr Nyserq naq Yrfyvr unq fbzr fbeg bs uvfgbel, V jnf gvpxyrq ol rirel fprar jvgu gur gjb. Gur fprarf bs Wrebzr jvgu uvf sngure jrer nyfb jryy-qbar va n ubeevoyr fbeg bs jnl. A decent little episode.
- The Flash: "The Man Who Saved Central City" - This didn't pick up from the cliffhanger at the end of the first season... no, instead we got a "six months later" scenario va juvpu Ebaavr unq fnpevsvprq uvzfrys, Pnvgyva jnf fgnlvat njnl sebz FGNE ynof, Pvfpb vf jbexvat jvgu gur cbyvpr naq Oneel vf n pbzcyrgr ybare. Jr riraghnyyl yrnea jung unccrarq va gur pyvssunatre, naq jub gur gvgyr ernyyl ersref gb... naq ubj Oneel oryvrirf vg vfa'g uvz, vg'f Ebaavr. V yvxrq ubj Oneel jnf ercnvevat nyy gur ybpny ohfvarffrf ng avtug, ohg V jbhyq guvax ur'q or pybfre gb orvat qbar nsgre fvk zbaguf. V nyfb yvxrq ubj gur grnz chyyrq vgfrys gbtrgure qrfcvgr Oneel'f qrfver gb or nybar naq urycrq uvz... ntnva, qrfcvgr uvf qrfverf. Gur snagnfl nqiragher ng gur ortvaavat, jvgu Oneel fheebhaqrq ol sevraqf naq urycrq bhg ol Sverfgbez, jnf nyfb arng. V bayl unq gjb ceboyrzf jvgu guvf rcvfbqr. Gur svefg vf n fgehpgheny ceboyrz qhr gb gur gvzr gjvfg gung unccrarq va ynfg frnfba'f svanyr: vs gur Erirefr Synfu irefvba bs Jryyf arire rkvfgrq, ubj pbhyq ur yrnir FGNE ynof gb Oneel? Va snpg, ubj pbhyq Oneel rkvfg? Gur ragver gvzryvar bs Gur Synfu vf fperjrq hc. Ohg gung svany fprar znl unir gur nafjre gb gung ceboyrz. Gur bgure ceboyrz jnf Oneel'f qnq'f pubvpr gb yrnir. Qhqr, lbhe xvq jbexrq cerggl zhpu uvf ragver nqhyg yvsr gb trg lbh serr, unat nebhaq n ovg naq OR jvgu uvz. Overall? I enjoyed it a lot. There's a lot of possible future stories to explore and things I need to see happen, but it was a good first episode.
- Arrow: "Green Arrow" - So Ollie is a good cook? After the end of last season I wasn't at all sure how this show could continue. But then, this show is consistently twisty. Guvf rcvfbqr erfrg gur fgnghf dhb, naq qvq n tbbq wbo ng vg, V guvax. V yvxr gung Sryvpvgl xrcg ure unaq va, rira gubhtu fur jnf npgvat yvxr n unccl ubhfrjvsr. V'z fnq gung Byyvr'f fbhssyr jnf vagreehcgrq, ohg abg fhecevfrq. V jnf fubpxrq ol gur eriryngvba nobhg Pncgnva Ynapr. Ubjrire, V'z nyernql oberq ol Qnzvra Qneux naq ubcr ur tbrf njnl fbba. Gur svany fprar jnf zrnag gb znxr hf guvax Sryvpvgl qvrf, ohg qhr gb gur angher bs guvf fubj, V unir ab vqrn jub vf ernyyl va gur tenir. Nyy V xabj sbe fher vf gung guvf jnf n fnynq bs na rcvfbqr jvgu n ybg bs bqq zbzragf. I liked it, but it wasn't the best episode.
- Aug 26th
- Justice League of America #3 - I find the complete lack of Aquaman disturbing. I also like how the priest explains there are more problems that need to be solved than just feeding people. I can't help but think in a super-hero universe, those problems would be worse in many places... and I don't see Rao as likely to solve them in a single day.
- Aquaman #43 - And we finally get the real reason Mera turned on Aquaman. Frankly, that makes a lot more sense than anything I'd come up with. While I'm not happy to see this turn of events, it is a bit of a relief.
- Sinestro #14 - I was not expecting Nax to have such a ... useful ability. Not one that complements Soranik as deeply as that did. Surprisingly, I like Nax. So, there's two characters in this book I can stand.
- Batman '66 #26 - Poison Ivy in all her flora. Nice origin for the character here, and funny how Batman and Robin figure out where she is (an all-night custard stand? Really?). Very fun issue.
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #3 - It still doesn't make any sense, but it's making less nonsense in this issue than the past two, if that makes sense. Which it doesn't. I just don't think this way.
- Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #4 - Yeah, the book has been hinting at Dorothy's change since the beginning. It's about time something along those lines happened.
- Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #3 - Continuity bomb, huh? Well, that's it for continuity if Marinus is involved. Let's see what happens next.
Sunday, October 04, 2015
A Sunday Review
First up: the completely *non-spoiler review. Starting almost 20 years after na vasnzbhf qrongr raqrq gur rkcrevzragny Whfg Pvgl (na nggrzcg gb perngr Cyngb'f Erchoyvp va gur qvfgnag cnfg), guvf obbx fubjf ubj gur senpgherq cbchynpr trgf ba jvgubhg uryc sebz Nguran naq gur ebobg jbexref fur cebivqrq. This book is not nearly as unsettling as the first in some ways, but in other ways... whew. It's a wild ride. *It's been pointed out that my non-spoilers were not non-spoiler enough. My mistake, and a big one. I apologize to anyone who was spoiled.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Vg'f 20 lrnef ba naq gur obbx cerggl zhpu fgnegf jvgu gur qrngu bs Fvzzrn, gur Znel Fhr bs gur svefg abiry. Fur'f orpbzr terng juvyr chefhvat rkpryyrapr naq yvivat va gur Erzanag bs gur Whfg Pvgl. Fur'f nyfb unq n qnhtugre, Nergr, jub orpbzrf gur guveq ibvpr jr ernq va guvf abiry. Yvxr gur svefg, gur puncgref fjvgpu orgjrra cbvag-bs-ivrj bs guerr punenpgref, gjb bs gurz gur fnzr sebz Gur Whfg Pvgl.
Boivbhfyl, gur ovttrfg greebe bs guvf obbx vf jung Ncbyyb qbrf gb Xrorf/Zngguvnf. Vg vf, sbeghangryl, abg eraqrerq gbb qvfgvapgyl va jevgvat. Ohg vg vf qrfpevorq rabhtu gb znxr zr srry zber guna n yvggyr fvpx. Gur npgvba vf gur erfhyg bs Ncbyyb ernqvat Fvzzrn'f qvnel: jung jnf 1/3 bs gur cerivbhf obbx. Nyy bs gung jnf oehgny, naq nyy bs gung jnf arprffnel gb rkcynva gur npgvbaf bs gur punenpgref vaibyirq, V guvax.
V nyfb rawblrq gur wbl bs Ncbyyb'f puvyqera nf gurl ernyvmrq gurl unir cbjref naq pna orpbzr qrzv-tbqf. Orggre lrg, gurl ner yvxryl gb orpbzr na npghny cnagurba ng gur raq bs gur fgbel, nsgre Mrhf chgf gurz va gurve arj ubzr. V jnf nyfb cyrnfrq gb frr gung gurl unq n pubvpr. Zhpu vf znqr bs ubj vzcbegnag vg vf sbe crbcyr gb unir n pubvpr. Gur ragver frevrf eribyirf nebhaq gung vqrn gb fbzr rkgrag.
V sryg guvf obbx uryq gbtrgure fyvtugyl orggre guna gur svefg obbx, ohg gbtrgure gurl znxr n sbezvqnoyr grnz. Qrsvavgryl fbzrguvat V'z tynq gung V ernq. Guvf Uhtb guvat unf fbzrguvat tbvat sbe vg, boivbhfyl!
In conclusion, I believe nominating The Just City/The Philosopher Kings as a single work may be appropriate and may be something I will do. I'll have to think about it a little more, but I think they work best together.
Short story reviews:
- "Miriam and I, After the End" by I. Verse is a short tale of what happens to a robot caretaker after the end of the world. I quite like the "voice" of the robot, telling us how it got into the situation its in, and I can't help but feel for Miriam, who isn't feeling anything but is still cared for. A strange little story.
- "The Cubicle Witch" by James Luther Reinebold is a quick but jolting fantasy of the modern office building. Having seen more than a few offices in my life, I'm just glad I never got to the point where a 13th floor accountant-turned-witch would be something I'd feel like turning to for help. But then, I've always been the type to leave a situation like that first.
- "The Pixie Game" by Anna Zumbro is set in a fairly normal universe, except for the well-known existence of pixies. Gage takes a dare and regrets it. Cute little story, but there's not a lot of *ahem* bones to it.
- "Pot" by Chuck Rothman is a very silly story about a leprechaun and his gold. It's a bit of a stinker, but somewhat funny.
- "Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Apocalypse" by Claire Spaulding is a spare tale about love at the end of the world. Like most of the stories I'm finding on Daily Science Fiction, there's just something missing. It's not a bad story, but it needs more to be a great story.
TV this week:
- Doctor Who: "Under the Lake" - I didn't know this was a two-parter. I was engrossed enough that I didn't figure it out right away. Which is both good and bad. Good, because it means I really enjoyed the story. Bad, because at the cliff-hanger I just yelled "ARGH!" Ok... let's see. Good things: it's nice to see Clara and the Doctor just out having adventure, and some of the patter between the two (mostly on Clara's part) was fun. The crew of the station was great, with a simply awesome second-in-command. V jvfu jr'q unq zber gvzr jvgu gur pbzznaqre uvzfrys. Gur genafyngbe vf n xrl punenpgre - V'z fher rirelbar svtherq bhg jul ur jnfa'g xvyyrq, evtug? Ur arire ybbxrq ng gur jbeqf, fb ur pbhyqa'g orpbzr n genafzvggre, fb uvf qrngu jnf cbvagyrff. V jnfa'g fher nobhg gur raq, rfcrpvnyyl ubj gur gvzrl-jvzrl ovgf jbex. Next Saturday cannot come fast enough.
- Gotham: "Knock, Knock" - Whew. I really was not expecting that one. I mean... obviously a pile of lunatics running loose is going to cause problems, but I really didn't expect those particular actions. In fact, those were about as far from what I was expecting at this point in the season as it's possible to get. So, svefg gurer ner zheqref ng gur arjfcncre'f bssvpr, gura n fpubby ohf shyy bs purreyrnqref arneyl trgf sevrq. Gubfr ner onq rabhtu, ohg gura nqq va gur cbyvpr znffnper (uneq gb gryy ubj znal bssvpref qvrq irefhf ubj znal whfg ynl fgvyy hagvy gur qnatre jnf tbar) naq vg'f haoryvrinoyr. Naq gur pbzzvffvbare! Qnat, Revp cerqvpgrq fur jbhyqa'g ynfg gur frnfba, ohg fur qvqa'g znxr vg guebhtu gur rcvfbqr. Gur bgure cybgf jrer terng... Nyserq unq fbzr ybiryl zbzragf va guvf rcvfbqr, vapyhqvat uvf senax gnyx jvgu Yhpvhf Sbk. Altzn'f fhocybg, fubeg nf vg jnf, bs fnivat Xevfgra jnf bar bs gubfr gjvfgf gung'f obhaq gb unir artngvir pbafrdhraprf va gur shgher. I really doubt this series can keep up this level of action. I'm kind of expecting to be let down like I was with last season. But so far so good.
- Aug 19th
- Justice League #43 - Luthor isn't usually this stupid, is he? I'm still annoyed at the lack of Aquaman in this storyline, but not very annoyed, because it's a crappy storyline, so it's best Aquaman's not involved in it.
- Harley Quinn & Power Girl #3 - *speechless* *shaking head* *stunned open-mouthed staring* *wrinkled eyebrow and mild frown* *speechless* *disturbed laughter* *befuddlement*
- Green Lantern: The Lost Army #3 - This entire situation is nasty, but I'm actually vaguely interested in how this is going to play out. I actually sympathize with Guy for once. Very odd.
- Teen Titans Go #11 - Cyborg's facial hair and Raven's family. Well, they can't all be winners. But I am amused by the cover, at least.
- Astro City #26 - So, the overall arc is getting a bit stickier. The heroes are thinking about the next generation and worrying about getting older. Interesting. And this is a nice tribute to the first issue.
- Oddly Normal #9 - Ok, this is fun on several levels. Lots of potential for new stories set up, and a new character introduced, along with a resolution to a past one. Nice.
- Fiction #3 - Ah, I'm seeing links to Doctor Who in this one. There's a very old DW story that uses the exact method seen here to get out of trouble. Hrm.
- Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #2 - Trying to avoid something always seems to make it happen, yes? The Keys of Marinus is one of my favorite serials of the original series, so I'm eagerly awaiting what happens next.
- Rivers of London #2 - Still not making a whole lot of sense to me, but I'm following the gist of it, I think. Fun stuff.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
A Sunday Review
Walter Rhein contacted me about two months ago after reading my review of Turn Right at Machu Picchu and asked if I could read his book about living in Peru. I was a bit reluctant: I was afraid with my current Hugo obsession I wouldn't want to take time out to read a non-fiction book. However, I agreed, and I started to read it chapter by chapter in between other readings. This is the perfect book for casual reading - almost every chapter stands alone well, and Rhein sprinkles in enough information within chapters to get the reader quickly back up to speed if it's been awhile between readings. Toward the end of the book I found I was reluctant to stop reading to get to other stuff, so I finished off the last third in a day... although it took me weeks of doling out chapters to get that far. There are 42 chapters, and each one is short and fun.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). V sbhaq gur svefg puncgre gb or n avpr vagebqhpgvba gb gur obbx nf n jubyr - gur nhgube vf ba n ohf fgbccrq ol zra jvgu NX-47f. Gur fvghngvba vfa'g erfbyirq hagvy gur svany puncgre naq jbexf irel avpryl nf n obbxraq gb gur frevrf. Vg jnf nyfb pbzcryyvat, znxvat zr jnag gb pbzr onpx naq frr jung unq tbggra uvz gb gung cbvag, juvpu vf n arng gevpx.
V jba'g tb puncgre ol puncgre, ohg fbzr bs gur zbzragf gung ernyyl fgbbq bhg sbe zr jrer gur puncgre ba orq ohtf naq gur arkg puncgre gung gnyxf nobhg gur nhgube'f lbhgu jvgu pbhfvaf jub jrer n ovg jvyq. Gur jubyr xvqarl fgbarf nqiragher jnf nznmvat gb ernq nobhg. V jnf nzhfrq ol gur sbyx xabjyrqtr gung ur rkcrevraprq va phevat vg. Va snpg, whfg nobhg rirel zrqvpny gnyr jnf unve-envfvat naq lrg nzhfvat. V pna fnl vg'f nzhfvat orpnhfr V qvqa'g unir gb yvir vg.
V ybirq gur gnyr bs Fcnavfu zvfgnxrf naq jung rirelbar gubhtug ur nfxrq gur jnvgre sbe. Gung jnf cevpryrff. Nf jnf gur gevc gb Znpuh Cvppuh jvgu uvf sevraq Tenql. Va snpg, gur ragver frpgvba jvgu Tenql jnf ernyyl sha gb ernq... evtug hc hagvy gur svany cnentencu bs puncgre 23, ng juvpu cbvag V chg gur obbx qbja naq nyzbfg pevrq sbe n zna V'q arire zrg.
Sbeghangryl, gur arkg puncgre jnf na nqiragher va uhzbe naq Xnsxnrfdhr ohernhpenpl. Gurer ner n pbhcyr zber ivfvgf gb gbhevfg fcbgf, zbfgyl gbyq va n jnl gung znxrf lbh ernyyl jnag gb tb purpx gurz bhg. Gurer ner nyfb fgbevrf nobhg grnpuvat gung znqr zr teva. Grnpuvat Gur Pnyy bs gur Jvyq gb n ohapu bs puvyqera jub unq ab pyhr jung fabj vf jnf ybiryl. V nyfb ybirq ubj ur uvq uvf xabjyrqtr bs Fcnavfu sebz gur angvir grnpuref. V'ir urneq bs crbcyr qbvat gung fbeg bs guvat orsber, whfg abg nf ybat nf gur nhgube fnvq ur pneevrq vg ba. V nyfb ybir uvf ivrj bs rqhpngvba naq jul cresrpgvba fubhyq abg or gur tbny. Irel avpr fghss gurer.
V jnf nyfb nzhfrq ol gur vapvqragf juvyr ur jnf n wbheanyvfg jvgu n cerff cnff. Lrf, gur guvatf ner zntvpny. V ybir zvar, nygubhtu V eneryl unir gb hfr vg. V gubhtug uvf rkcrevrapr jvgu gur Cerfvqrag jnf cerggl shaal. Ur qvqa'g qb nalguvat jebat, rvgure. Gur gevpx vf gung lbh ner gurer gb trg fbzr xvaq bs fgbel. Gung'f nyy ur arrqrq gb qb, naq urpx, ur qvq vg! V qba'g xabj vs ur jebgr nobhg vg sbe gur jrofvgr, ohg ur tbg vg sbe gur obbx, fb gung jbexf. Ur fubhyq unir oebhtug n cra naq abgrcnq jvgu uvz, nf jryy, ohg V'z vzcerffrq ur tbg nf sne nf ur qvq. Nzhfvatyl, ol yrnivat n yvggyr rneyl, ur znqr uvzfrys ybbx n yvggyr zber cebsrffvbany. Ur tnir gur vzcerffvba ur jnf bss gb svyr uvf fgbel. V ybir vg!
In conclusion, if you are any kind of traveler or, like me, wish you could be a traveler, this is a great book to read. I also heartily recommend it to younger readers, high school age. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to give it to just about any teenager. The worst activities he gets up to, that he describes, involve drinking. And even those result in some lessons learned. But high school or college kids would get a lot out of the stories in this book - from the willingness to take risks to the understanding that sometimes bad things happen. I may have been reluctant to start this book, but I'm very glad I read it.
Television shows:
- Gotham: "Damned If You Do..." - An episode that sets up the new status quo, showing Penguin consolidating his power while Jim is demoted to street duty. There's a point in this episode where Bruce shows his twisted reasoning that will eventually lead him to take up the mantle of Batman - and shares that reasoning with Jim, who takes it to heart. And that's really the entire point of the show. Bad choices are made that result in horrible things with the goal towards creating a greater good. What are the consequences of those bad choices going to be on the people who made them? We also see Nygma falling further into mental breakdown with an interesting scene at a mirror. The Riddler has been both villain and anti-hero in the comics, this show may try to give him all the levels he's had in the comics.
- Doctor Who: "The Witch's Familiar" - Missy is truly an amazing character. I definitely see the roots of the original Master in her portrayal, along with the gathered insanity of the others. Her tricks in this one were lovely from a story standpoint. However, the absolute best moment of all came in the beginning, (spoilers) jura Zvffl vf gryyvat Pynen gur fgbel nobhg gur Qbpgbe naq Pynen fnlf gur Qbpgbe tbg njnl. Zvffl'f erfcbafr (naq gur ivqrb bs gur Qbpgbe nybat jvgu vg) znqr zr cnhfr gur fubj fb V pbhyq snyy bhg bs zl punve ynhtuvat: "Ab, ur'f gur Qbpgbe. Ur sryy vagb n arfg bs inzcver zbaxrlf. Ohg gung'f nabgure fgbel!" V'z abj tbvat gb fcraq fbzr gvzr guvaxvat nobhg inzcver zbaxrlf, V guvax. Gur bgure gryyvat zbzrag jnf jura Zvffl gevrq gb trg gur Qbpgbe gb xvyy gur qnyrx juvpu unq xvyyrq Pynen. Irel zhpu ure guvat. Was it a great episode? Yes and no. It had some moments, but it dragged a little in the middle.
Novella review:
- What Has Passed Shall In Kinder Light Appear by Bao Shu is one of the more interesting stories I've read this entire year. Originally I was a bit put off by it because I thought the writer was getting basic stuff wrong... then it hit me what was happening. At that point I started to really enjoy it. While it probably could have been a tad shorter, it was still quite excellent. I'm not sure about the ending, but the whole thing was so good that by the end I was enjoying it enough it almost didn't matter. In short, definitely a contender for my Hugo nomination ballot.
- Aug 12th
- Justice League United #12 - So the team works after all? I wonder very much about Mera on the hunt for Aquaman all on her own, but at least Animal Man keeps his word. As for the rest, the team probably ought to listen to Etrigan on this one.
- Earth 2 Society #3 - Ok, I liked the bits with Lois' story, but I'm not really sure what to make of the rest. I'm not sure I get where this story is going.
- DC Comics Bombshells #1 - Ok, I'm in. The total subversion of the Batman origin was lovely. This is fun from start to finish, with a pleasant kind of art that amuses me. The stories are promising so far as well. I know Mera shows up soon, so I'm just going to really enjoy this book, I think.
- Arrow: Season 2.5 #11 - Well, that's kind of an anti-climax for the final scene, since we know he survives. In fact, all of season three is already over, so there's no question at all. This book was a neat enough idea, but it just falls down in places.
- Star Trek/Green Lantern #2 - For whatever reason, it took me forever to want to read this book. I literally would read the first page, say, "eh" and move on to a different book. Once I got past the first page, it wasn't bad, but honestly, I'm just not that interested in it. Which is strange, because usually I love cross-universe stories like this. I will just note that whoever is writing the book got the spectrum lanterns all wrong, as well. Oops.
- Empire Uprising #4 - Wow. Everyone in this book is pretty evil, but this guy takes the cake, I think. I also wonder about Lohkyn - I remember him from the original series. A good character, even though his fate was unpleasant. I'm not sure about that final splash, though. Going to have to keep reading.
- Rebels #5 - Honestly, this series feels like it's been going a lot longer than five issues, and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I feel like I need to go back and reread the first four issues, though. There's stuff I feel like I'm missing.
- Secret Wars 2099 #4 - I really hate Miguel in this book. Roberta, on the other hand, is very cool. And seeing Hercules and Sub-Mariner trying to drink each other under the table was great.
- SpongeBob Comics #47 - I love the fishstick. I don't know why, but it really amused the heck out of me. The rest is more of the usual - fun if you like the humor in SpongeBob.
- Doctor Who 10th #14 - Oooo Pyramids of Mars references! Awesome. I wanna read more of this one, especially after that cliffhanger.
- Doctor Who 11th #15 - Well, 15 issues in we finally get the finish to the story that started in depression with a rainbow dog. Good stuff, and I'm glad we've sorted out Jones and ARC. I'm curious where the story will head next.
- Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #1 - Clara goes to stop a paradox but apparently causes the very paradox she went to prevent? Is that what I'm reading here? Good job Clara!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
A Sunday Review
This is yet another book I jumped into without reading anything more than "it's good!" from a bunch of people. Seriously, this is very unlike me, and I have expected to be disappointed, but mostly I've been extremely impressed by the quality of the works.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. The story is set in a small valley threatened by an evil Wood, and it starts out with the most perfect opening:
Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.If that doesn't draw you in, nothing will. The plot from there seems a bit obvious, until it isn't any more. The main character's name is Agnieszka, pronounced ag-NYESH-kah, as pointed out in the acknowledgments in the back of the book. I would have liked to have read that bit at the beginning... but that may be the biggest flaw I found in the whole thing.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Gur angher bs gur Jbbq vf gbyq ragveryl, ohg va gubfr synfuonpxf-bs-Gehgu gung V jbhyq svaq vaperqvoyl qvfgheovat gb qrny jvgu, crefbanyyl. V jbaqrerq rneyl ba jul gur Qentba qvqa'g vafvfg ba qbvat gur Fhzzbavat ba gur dhrra, rkprcg sbe gur snpg gung ur jnf gbgnyyl rkunhfgrq naq arneyl qrnq. Lrnu, vg jnfa'g rknpgyl n zlfgrel ubj gung fgrc va gur chetvat tbg zvffrq, ohg vg jnf fbzrguvat gung jbhyq unir ceriragrq nyy gur erfg... juvpu vf, bs pbhefr, jul vg qvqa'g unccra.
V unir unq n erpheevat qernz va juvpu n zntvpvna gnxrf n jbzna/tvey (nyjnlf cynlrq ol zr va gur qernz, ohg arire npghnyyl zr) naq gryrcbegf ure gb n pnfgyr jvgu n zneoyr sybbe, yrnivat ure va gur unyy ba ure unaqf naq xarrf fvpx sebz gur cnffntr. V jnf fghaarq gb ernq cerggl zhpu gung rknpg fprar va gur bcravat cnentencu. V nqzvg gung znqr zr rira zber phevbhf guna V zvtug unir nyernql orra nobhg gur obbx, naq cerggl zhpu przragrq vg nf "zvar" va zl zvaq.
Znerx vf obgu cngurgvp naq njrfbzr, ohg zbfgyl cngurgvp. V ybir gur fprar jurer Ntavrfmxn orngf uvz hc. Dhvgr fngvfslvat. V nyfb rawblrq gur snpg gung fur svanyyl ernyvmrf jung fur vf qhevat gung fprar.
Gur bcravat puncgre nyfb gryyf lbh n ybg gung vf yngre hapbirerq... yvxr jul gur tveyf yrnir gur inyyrl. Va fubeg, gurl ybfr gurve qrrc pbaarpgvba gb gur cynpr naq ernyvmr whfg ubj greevslvat naq qnatrebhf vg vf gb yvir gurer. Nal abezny crbcyr jbhyq or vapyvarq gb yrnir gur inyyrl jura zbafgref uhag gurz, cbyyra snyyf ba gurve svryqf naq cbvfbaf gurz naq na ragver ivyyntr vf fjnyybjrq hc va yvivat zrzbel ol gur rivy bs gur Jbbq. Lrnu, abezny crbcyr... ohg cneg bs orvat hcebbgrq ol gur Qentba vagb uvf pnfgyr vf n fybj ybff bs pbaarpgvba gb gur ynaq. V sbhaq vg obgu gentvp naq jbaqreshy jura V svanyyl haqrefgbbq.
Gur jbeyqohvyqvat vf vagrerfgvat. Gur jvgpurf naq jvmneqf nccneragyl unir irel ybat yvirf anghenyyl, nf gur bar punenpgre jnf qvfpbirerq orpnhfr ur'q fcrag 40 lrnef vyyhzvangvat znahfpevcgf naq unqa'g ntrq. Gurer ner nyfb aba-uhzna enprf ba gur jbeyq, nf jr riraghnyyl frr gunaxf gb gur gevcf vagb gur jbbqf. Abg whfg zbafgref, ohg bgure glcrf bs perngherf. Gur guvat gung vagrerfgf zr zbfg, naq znxrf gur raqvat fngvfslvat qrfcvgr n lrneavat gb yrnea zber, vf ubj Ntavrfmxn jvyy yvxryl fhpprrq va ure svany dhrfg orpnhfr bs ure ybat yvsr. Senaxyl, sebz fgneg gb svavfu V ernyyl rawblrq guvf obbx.
In conclusion, if you enjoy fantasy at all, this is a great book to check out. It drew me in quite unexpectedly and held my interest as well as any book I've read in the past year. I loved the main character and found the plot to have just enough small twists to keep me turning pages. I very much enjoyed it.
Short story reviews:
- "Blue Ribbon" by Marissa Lingen is about 4-H in space. I don't know how much more I can say without giving far too much away, but this is really a great little story about children dealing with extreme adversity that is definitely worth a read if you can get a copy.
- "Madeleine" by Amal El-Mohtar is about a woman who accepts an experimental drug to help her handle severe grief. It starts out seeming normal enough, but veers off into the strange and different... and then into the hopeful. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not sure how long it will stay with me, but it's a good tale.
- "The Extraordinary Extraterrestrial Togo Mouse from Ghana" by Ryan W. Norris is a very silly story about an "alien" creature discovered living deep in Ghana. The first part of the story is basically a conversation between a reporter and a biologist about the possible origins of the creature. It gets silly when the tale goes into a flashback that describes just how the aliens arrived in Ghana and why they are running loose there. Not something I would consider particularly Hugo-Worthy, but a fun story nonetheless.
- "Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys: The Elephant's Tale" by Damien Angelica Walters is not a science fiction or fantasy tale, to the best of my reading ability. It's an extended metaphor with some aspect of fantasy, but I wouldn't call it flat-out fantasy. It won't be on my list.
- "God Mode" by Daniel H. Wilson is about the memories of a man meeting his lover, while the stars are disappearing in the sky. It's a touching and bittersweet story, but I'm not knocked out by it.
Novelette reviews:
- "Karma Among the Cloud Kings" by Brian Trent is about what happens when different human cultures and beliefs end up having differing goals and priorities. In this particular case, I can't see a good result happening for the humans, because they rely on what's outside to survive. I sympathize with them, of course, but at the end I'm worried for them. As for storytelling, this was nicely done, including a clever flashback method. Fascinating story that sticks with me.
- "Entanglements" by David Gerrold is about alternate universes, although it takes its dear sweet time getting to the point. Still, I suppose the set up is important to the notion of looking at the works of alternate "you" in a cell-phone-like device. I think the trick with this one is the final paragraph that at first doesn't seem to be part of the story itself. Ha. I get it. There's a lot going on here, but your mileage will vary. I liked it, but I'm not really sure if it'll stick with me.
New television review:
- Doctor Who: "The Magician's Apprentice" - Well. Wow. Ok, this one requires spoilers all the way through (use rot13 to read). Vg'f byq ubzr jrrx ng Qbpgbe Jub, jvgu HAVG, Zvffl, gur Fvfgreubbq bs Xnea, naq Qnyrxf. Naq na harkcrpgrq nccrnenapr ol n irel lbhat Qniebf. Ubyl synzvat pbjf. Gur unaqf jrer rkgerzryl perrcl, rfcrpvnyyl ubj dhvpxyl gurl znqr gur thl inavfu. Jul qvq Pynen srry vg arprffnel gb qenj n pvepyr ba ure jvaqbj? Gung jnf... bqq. Univat n fvfgre bs Xnea gnyx nobhg Qniebf orvat byq vf n ovg ulcbpevgvpny, vfa'g vg? V jnf nyzbfg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gung Zvffl qvrq, ohg V jnfa'g jvyyvat gb oryvrir Pynen qvrq, abg rira jvgu gur fcbvyref bhg gung fur'f yrnivat gur frevrf. Naq V'z pregnvayl abg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gur GNEQVF jnf qrfgeblrq, fb gung raqvat ybfg n ybg bs vgf vzcnpg sbe zr. V thrff V'z n plavpny byq sna. Birenyy, V gubhtug vg jnf n qrprag rcvfbqr, ohg vg ernyyl sryg yvxr vg jnf ernpuvat gb chyy bhg nyy gur fgbcf - naq V'z abg fher jul. Episode 1 of the ninth series, originally aired Sep 19, 2015.
Older television reviews (these are only the ones that I thought might be good enough to give an award to):
- Gotham: "Red Hood": A pivotal episode in some ways, this one had two points to it that lifted it above the average episode of Gotham, a show that's been very uneven. The first is Fish Mooney removing her own eye to prevent it being used as a spare part for somebody else. It's gross and powerful, but develops the character more than just about any other point in the show. The second point is Alfred's past coming back to haunt him. The bits of his old war buddy talking about the old days was good stuff. The inclusion of the red hood in a storyline is cute, but not necessarily compelling to anyone who doesn't know Batman history, so I don't have much to say about it. Episode 17 of the first season, originally aired Feb 23, 2015.
- Gotham: "Everyone Has A Cobblepot": This one is only good due to the level of corruption it reveals in the Gotham police. The underlying theme of the show is that every single police officer is corrupt, which is a neat trick, really. So this episode shows how that's accomplished, while giving Gordon a chance to use the corruption in the system to his advantage. Is it enough to nominate it for a Hugo? Probably not, but it is an interesting episode with a strange stand-alone concept. Episode 18 of the first season, originally aired March 1, 2015.
- The Flash: "Out of Time": Probably the best episode so far in 2015 of a fantastic series, this one has Barry travel in time... but not until a whole bunch of dramatic and terrible things happen first. The shocker in this episode is the death of Cisco, which had fans screaming and clutching their heads. The next episode looks at the consequences of the time travel, but in this episode the writers cut loose, which made it an incredible piece of television. Episode 15 of the first season, originally aired March 17, 2015.
- The Flash: "Fast Enough": The season finale of The Flash did not disappoint, but I'd be afraid to nominate it because it might not make sense to a new viewer. There is more of that pesky time travel, and some incredible hints of the future to come. The cliffhanger is truly magnificent: a black hole developing that will destroy the earth? Very superheroey. Episode 23 of the first season, originally aired May 19, 2015.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
The next story is about Linda S. Godfrey, who kind of stumbled into the role of chronicling werewolf sightings while working at a small newspaper. After writing about the fact that the county animal control officer actually had a file folder marked "werewolf" to put frequent sightings of such animals in, she started to get tips on other sightings and started a bit of a fever for werewolves in the town. It turned in to a career of sorts for Godfrey, who wrote books about the phenomenom.
The last main article is about Etienne Bottineau, who claimed he could tell if ships were coming from hundreds of miles away in 1782. He called the science nauscopie, and said it was the result of years of study and trial and error. The article dissects what we know of the man and his science.
Strangedays starts out with mysterious noises heard by many people, mal de debarquement syndrom (a neurological disorder triggered by travel), genetically stinky people, a sleeping sickness in Kazakhstan, another visit to Loch Ness, crows in Seattle who bring gifts to humans and snakes... it just had to have an article on snakes. The Conspirasphere talks about monological theories: in which everything fits into a single far-reaching conspiracy. Archaeology looks at evidence for more types of early humans, ancient runes, and children noticing things in plain sight that other people have missed.
Classical Corner covers the dangers of being a baby, particularly a royal baby, in the ancient world. Ghostwatch looks at a theory that some types of mold within old houses might cause people to see ghosts. Alien Zoo looks at an awesomely colored crayfish and tackles an internet "hoax" - a video posted in May that shows how simple it is to make a believable UFO video using CGI.
Speaking of UFOs, the UFO Files looks at yet more failures to prove the existence of alien bodies from a media event that turned out to be based on slides of a mummy from a museum. Blast from the Past looks at the history of chloroform in crime and stories about crime. Strange Statesmen has become a regular feature, this time looking at fairies, folklore and fascism in 20th century Irish politicians.
Fortean Traveller goes to Portland, Maine, and visits the International Cryptozoology Museum. Illustrated Police News recounts the tale of the Countess of Derwentwater, and the fact that no one knows who she really was... or even if she was who she claimed she was. Phenomenomix has part three of the biography of Dion Fortune.
The Forum has a review of a recent dramatization of the Enfield Poltergeist story from one of the people involved in the original event, who also talks about his character in the tv show. Another forum article is about the Queensland tiger what what it might actually be.
The Reviews start with a book about how Victorians tried to teach science with fairy tales, which sounds utterly zany but was one way people tried to deal with the changing times. Most of the books reviewed didn't catch my interest, but there's a couple that might make my list if I keep rereading the reviews. The movie reviews were fun, as usual. The letters page has a response to the article about radio interference in FT327, talking about modern radio interference caused by cheap power supplies. There's also a page of simulacra: trees that look like faces. It happened to me has a letter from a person who suffered from amnesia and forgot who his was, in answer to a mythconception that claimed amnesiacs never forget who they are.
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