A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is about three women making history.

Wow. Wow wow wow. This was really very good. We have some real history (a bit altered) and some real people telling a story that made me literally growl at some of the minor characters. I felt a great deal of joy from seeing those women succeed against the odds.

This movie brings attention to three women who ought not to be forgotten - Katherine Goble Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan. Working as "computers" at a time before our futuristic machines existed, these were women who contributed heavily to a field dominated by white guys in ties. The problems they faced and handled should not be forgotten. The math they did should inspire little girls everywhere of any ethnicity.

On the personal side, I once interviewed a woman who had worked a bit with John Glenn, and said he was the nicest guy she'd ever met. His portrayal in the movie certainly seems to back that up.

The good: Lovely acting by the three leads, who manage that perfect blend of endurance and strength that any female mathematician would have to have - and that they, in particular, would have to have in spades. The story was told at a relatively brisk pace, keeping most of the focus on Katherine, but not neglecting Mary and Dorothy too much. The drama surrounding Glenn's capsule was enough to make me hold my breath for a moment until I remembered that Glenn became a Senator and definitely survived the flight.

The bad: The movie tried to cover too much, and so gave us less on some interesting stories. I really wanted to see more on how Mary got along with her group and what she actually did with them. There were a lot of things happening in the world at the time, and while they are mentioned, at times I felt like there was too much of a disconnect. It was an ambitious movie, and I'm not entirely sure it succeeded in getting everything about those three women and that time across. This is a nitpick, by the way - please don't think I didn't enjoy it.

The other flaw involves where the story diverges from real history. I hope the movie inspires people to read the book it's based on and to look for the truth about what happened, because there were enough changes to make this fiction and not fact. I get the need to condense and dramatize, but NASA was considerably more integrated than this movie made it appear, and there were a lot more people involved that couldn't get screen time.

Conclusion: This isn't going to be an easy category for me to rank. I already changed my rankings twice since sitting down to write the review... I'm not at all sure where this movie will end up.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've watched all the entries. Check them out in my Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Rogue One

Rogue One is about rebels trying to find hope in a hopeless situation.

I saw this in the theater and, while I liked it, I was very depressed after seeing it. I kind of didn't want to watch it again because I knew I would feel the same way. Well, it was easier knowing exactly what was coming. I felt less of a shock. Don't get me wrong, it was still painful, but it wasn't the same sort of grief as when I first saw the movie.

The good: Great characters that you slowly attach yourself to, and feel for deeply as the movie goes along. "I am one with the Force, the Force is with me." Chirrut and Baze stole the show with their incredible friendship and trust. The hopelessness of the entire situation is constantly brought home with all the various problems. And every time you think they've solved it, something else goes wrong - just as it ought to in a good movie. Good triumphs in the end. There's plenty of nostalgia for people who grew up with Star Wars - lots of little references and nods that were enough to take my breath away at times. The uniforms and clothing, in particular, were great. I was also amused by the appearance of a couple of baddies that Luke meets early in his first movie, too. I like the inclusion of the crystals and their importance to the Death Star's weapon - the same thing that powers a lightsaber destroys worlds. But it also was used in Jedi temples.

The bad: Everybody dies.

Also, I think there was something odd with Felicity Jones' makeup in some scenes, as her mouth really bothered me. It's not the same throughout the movie, though, so I think it had something to do with lighting and makeup.

The other thing that annoyed me was the CGI of Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin. Both were overly stiff and clearly CGI. Tarkin was more annoying because there was more of him on-screen, but Leia's wide-eyed look was just wrong. Peter Cushing was a nuanced actor, and the CGI did not do him justice even a fraction.

Conclusion: While I certainly enjoyed this movie, it's far from my favorite of the year. I think it just slips into third place, above Arrival, purely on nostalgia power.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've seen Ghostbusters, Rogue One, Arrival, Stranger Things and Deadpool. I need to see Hidden Figures.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is about four women using science, smarts and quips to save New York from a ghost apocalypse.

I saw the original Ghostbusters as a child, and even watched the sequel when it came out. I hated the sequel, but loved the original until I started really thinking about it. Venkman was a stalker, and he was actually incredibly creepy if you think about his actions. Anyway, I'm not reviewing that movie, but it might be relevant to understand that I loved the original but have issues with it now that I'm an adult. When I heard there was going to be a remake, I just rolled my eyes. When I heard it was going to have an all female team, I wondered if it was just an awful gimmick. When the online backlash started before the movie was even done filming, I found myself wanting to see it more, just to spite the people who hated it for no reason. But I still was more than a bit reluctant, because I didn't see how the movie would work with genders reversed.

I saw the movie while it was still in theaters because a friend of mine saw it and realized it was perfect for me. They bought me tickets long-distance to basically make me see it. To say I enjoyed it would be a vast understatement.

It was literally the first time I have ever, in my life, sat in a theater and felt that someone had made a movie for ME. Not for the guy sitting next to me, not for some insecure girl who wants unrealistic romance, and not for children. But for me, a grown woman who happens to be a nerd who was tormented for being smart as a girl.

I expected a shot-by-shot remake, not a complete reimagining, and was delightfully surprised with the result. I felt like the movie was both its own thing and a tribute to the past. It doesn't reduce or insult the original movie - it just adds to the Ghostbusters mythos.

The good: I love the interaction between cast members and the relationships that formed as the movie progressed. The cast was the best thing about this movie, with Erin, Abby, Holtz and Patty working together so perfectly that I had no problem hanging out with them for the duration. I adored the callbacks to the original, as well as the cameos. The plot was a bit less problematic than the original, and even though the bad guy is a twit, I do manage to almost feel for Rowan when he talks about the abuse he's gotten all his life.

The bad: Patty's character should have been the one to figure out that the locations were in two lines. The thing about Patty is that she had more practical knowledge than all the others put together, and was clearly just as smart as the others. I almost felt like that chasm should have been addressed - the fact that she probably didn't get the same opportunities and that's why she wasn't building the devices and writing the theories like the others. I didn't see her portrayal as particularly racist, but I'm not the best judge of that. I do know that without her on the team, the other three would have been stuck... Patty figured out the device and identified the bad guy. Patty provided the team with transportation. Patty was the one who got jumpsuits for the team. In short, the team would not have functioned without her.

The movie didn't do as well as it ought to have done, which means there will be no sequel. Considering how crappy Ghostbusters II was, that might be a blessing - but I loved the call out to Zuul at the end of the credits. I think this crew might have turned in something great, if they'd been given a chance.

Conclusion: This movie brought me a lot of joy. After rewatching it I still found myself smiling. I don't know where it will go on my list, but so far I can't see myself being upset if any of the finalists win... all of them are just that good.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've seen Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Rogue One, Arrival and Deadpool. I need to see Hidden Figures. I still need to rewatch and review Rogue One.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Stranger Things, Season One

Stranger Things, Season One is about a missing boy, an exceptional girl, and something gone horribly wrong.

It's important to note that this clocks in at just under seven hours of viewing time, which makes it a lot longer than any of the other finalists. That extra time, combined with the nature of a television show as opposed to a movie, gives it a slight edge over the other finalists. It simply has more room to tell its story. That said, I didn't binge-watch it in seven hours - I binge-watched it over several days.

The story was set in 1983, and I'm amused that I would have been just about the same age as Mike and his friends that year. As far as I can remember, nothing like this happened to me at that age.

The good: I could spend all day listing what I enjoyed about this show. It was suspenseful, the child actors were actually good, the music was absolutely perfect, the plot moved along at a great pace. The monster didn't show as more than a shadowy blob until the right time for it to be exposed. The revelations of what happened to start the entire sequence of events was teased out carefully, without holding so much back that the viewer wants to scream "get on with it". It ended on both a high note and a sad note, with plenty of hints of a possible sequel (which apparently will be available on Halloween).

The bad: Barb... oh, Barb. *sobs*

Conclusion: How do I judge this against mere movies? At the moment, this tops the ballot. That might change, depending on how I decide to judge.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've seen Ghostbusters, Rogue One, Arrival, Stranger Things and Deadpool. I need to see Hidden Figures. I still need to rewatch and review Ghostbusters and Rogue One.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - The Expanse: "Leviathan Wakes"

The Expanse: "Leviathan Wakes" is the season finale of a show set in the future.

Honestly, I haven't got a clue what happened in this. Ok, no... there's a couple of guys suffering from radiation poisoning trying to get to a ship, and their crew is also trying to get to the same ship. There's a whole bunch of people dying in bizarre and horrible ways. And the whole thing apparently takes place on a space station built into an asteroid or something, because they discuss digging it out. And there's a few scenes of a woman on Earth, I think, but I'm not sure what that was all about.

The good: It seemed to be well acted and nicely produced. There were a few good effects. The location/set was suitably moody and dark.

The bad: I didn't understand what was going on because this was the finale, and even the "previously" scenes didn't give enough context to know what was happening. I read a couple of online summaries of the show after watching it and I still don't know what happened. The words 'confusing' and 'convoluted' spring to mind.

Conclusion: Perhaps if I had the time and energy to watch this from the beginning, I would like it more. As it stands, though, this is the last item on my ballot.

My ballot will have Black Mirror at the top, although both Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards" and Splendor & Misery gave it a run for the money. I'm not sure which order I'll put those in, but they will be next. Doctor Who gets the fourth spot on my ballot and Game of Thrones: "The Door" will have the fifth spot. The Expanse will take up the rear.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched or listened to all the entries. Check out my Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists for more of my thoughts.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards"

Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards" brings a couple of plotlines to a close and opens the door to the season finale.

This episode is much more focused than the other finalist from the show, and, frankly, it makes a big difference. Only two of the threads are explored, both as final battles. And we get to see the dragons in action, which is pretty fun.

Again, I'm unsure whether this episode would make sense to anyone who hasn't seen the show or read the books, but frankly it was good enough to overcome a lot of that. Just the scene where Tyrion and Daenerys turn the tables on the invading fleet was a pure gold moment. Add in the gritty and horrible battle in the North, and it's just a really solid episode all around.

The good: So much good... the episode opens with a literal bang, and just keeps the tension up for the entire time. I'm not usually a big fan of "fight scenes", but this show does them well. Both the battle of Meereen and the battle for Winterfell were filmed in such a way to make the entire thing come alive. The dragon attacking the boat - I swear I felt the flames as the sailors were burned alive. And Jon's struggles to stay alive on a chaotic and desperate field were terrifying. Rickon's death was shocking, but not unexpected, considering Ramsay's nature (which is made clear in the books). Wun Wun was great in the battle, and his death was suitably sad.

The bad: Anyone unaware of what Ramsay did to Sansa might be a little surprised at that brutal ending... but otherwise my only nit of this episode is the amount of gore. This series really doesn't hold back in showing exactly what happens to the human body when it's abused/dismembered.

Conclusion: This is hard... I think this will stay below Black Mirror, but now I'm conflicted on whether it should be second or third on the ballot.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", Game of Thrones: "The Door", and listened to Splendor & Misery. I need to watch The Expanse.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Arrival

Arrival is about first contact with an alien species.

I knew this was a story about linguistics, but I had no clue just how much about linguistics it is. I have long considered the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis to be true enough in the most simple way - people are influenced by the languages they know and speak... and cultures, in turn, influence how language changes. This movie takes the theory to extremes that I find problematic from a reality point of view, but I adore from a science fiction point of view.

The good: The acting was great in this and the characters we needed to see as real people quickly became real to us. Because the movie is definitely more a concept movie than a character-driven movie, there wasn't too much need for any serious identification beyond the main character. I loved how the movie played with the concept of time, revealing the story of Louise's daughter carefully to not give anything away. I also adored the nicknames they gave the aliens. I also liked the method of getting the phone number and the way the message was conveyed to Louise to give to Shang. The gravity inside the ships was a neat visual trick, and I was amused to see the birds - always taking birds with us, aren't we?

The bad: As I said, the movie takes the initial concept to the extreme and doesn't examine other issues raised by the results - such as free will. While I love it as a thought experiment, it was just a bit too much to swallow as anything other than that.

Conclusion: I really enjoyed this movie, and it twisted my mind a bit. It's at the top of the ballot at the moment.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've seen Ghostbusters, Rogue One, Arrival, Deadpool and part of Stranger Things, Season One. I need to see Hidden Figures and finish watching Stranger Things. I still need to rewatch and review Ghostbusters and Rogue One.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Splendor & Misery by Clipping

Splendor & Misery, by Clipping, is about a person who escapes slavery on a spaceship but has to live with the consequences.

As an audio album with no visuals, this was a strange experience that's hard to compare to the other finalists in this category. For one thing, the storyline is not clear - I'm not entirely sure I understood all of what the main character, referred to as Cargo #2331, goes through in his journey. Also, I'm not really a big Hip Hop fan - but I listened to this album a couple of times straight through, then listened to it again before I started writing this, and enjoyed it.

The story is apparently told mostly from the perspective of the spaceship's AI. The ship is a slave ship carrying a cargo of humans, who wake from stasis to try to escape. The ship, at the instruction of the crew, releases first sedatives then something stronger into the cargo hold, killing all the slaves except one. The one who survives apparently kills the crew, then sets the ship's course for as far away from civilization as he can get. Most of the songs are about how the ship is trying to understand how the human is reacting to being alone and afraid of recapture.

The good: There is a lot in this album to digest, and apparently a lot of easter eggs if you look deep enough, including references to other albums and lots of other science fiction works. The gospel sections are deeply moving, especially when you consider this as a traditional story of a runaway slave moved to outer space. It's possible to interpret the songs in different ways, but I think the album as a whole does a good job of telling a story and hammering home the terror/boredom/insanity of being a lone human unable to return home and running deeper into the infinite sky.

The bad: My biggest complaint is my own uncertainty that I interpreted the album correctly. There's so much room to wonder at what, exactly, the lyrics mean. I feel like I may have missed too much and fear that I didn't.

Conclusion: An excellent piece of work, which is now second on my ballot, above Doctor Who but not quite amazing enough to knock Black Mirror off the top spot for me.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Game of Thrones: "The Door", and Splendor & Misery [album]. I need to watch The Expanse, and Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards".

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Game of Thrones: "The Door"

Game of Thrones: "The Door", answers a question about a long-time character while advancing the general plot of the series.

Again, I'm struck by the difficulty I have with judging the Hugo finalists. This is an episode of an ongoing show that is extremely dependent on knowing the show. If you aren't familiar with the plot, how on earth could you follow this? As it is, I've read the books and had a good idea of the main characters and about where they were in the story, so I was able to follow most of it once I figured out who the characters were. But do I take into account the difficulty of new viewers, or do I judge it solely on how much I enjoyed it?

The good: The production values on this show are amazing. The plotlines I recognized were very well realized from the book to the screen, although this appears to have gone past the last book I've read in most of the stories. I suspect the reason this episode was nominated was because of the final scenes involving Hodor. The scenes explain why he can only say that one word, and what that word is a corruption of. Basically, the secret was mental time travel by Bran. It's a very powerful scene, nicely filmed in a way that makes it clear what has happened. The attack of the wights is suitably terrifying, as well. It was actually freaky in a horror movie sort of way, but better done than most horror movies.

The bad: The set up for the Hodor revelation is not in this episode, so it would be considerably more powerful for someone who has seen the previous episodes. Again, the problem with a finalist that isn't a stand-alone. Also, only one other plotline really advanced all that much in this episode, as Yara attempts to be crowned ruler only to be usurped by her uncle. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I don't see it as a great episode.

Conclusion: It was fine. I wouldn't rate it higher than the Doctor Who episode, so at the moment it's in third place.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who, Black Mirror and Game of Thrones: "The Door". I need to watch The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Black Mirror: "San Junipero"

Black Mirror: "San Junipero", is about love.

It's actually about a lot more than love, but frankly, this is the kind of story that really helps if you see it cold. I literally had never heard of (or at least paid any attention to) Black Mirror until I learned of this finalist, and I only checked Wikipedia to find out if I was going to be completely confused due to not knowing some previous plotline. When I saw "stand-alone anthology series" I was reassured and read no more.

I just want to say, right now, that if you have not seen this, go find it - seek it out - and watch it NOW before you read any further. Please. It's worth it.

This was a total mind twist and I love pretty much every minute of it. The concept was great, the execution was lovely and the acting added just the right amount of pathos without drowning us in fake emotion. I can honestly say I loved this.

The good: Everything. I enjoyed the slow revelations of what was really happening, the careful set up and deliberate movement towards each new fact. From the start I wondered why the date was made so evident, but that became clear soon enough. And the date... oh, the music! The music was so perfect at every turn. The songs combined with the fashions worked so well. Every time the characters mentioned something strange, like the midnight limitation and the car crashes, I only had to watch a bit longer before that was revealed. Our two main characters are fantastic as well. Yorkie is so perfectly uncertain yet determined, while Kelly was sassy and wonderful, but also exposed her vulnerability. The older characters were also wonderful, with older Kelly being perfect both in her conversation with Greg and her decision to do something great for Yorkie. The final shot of the banks of computers gave me chills, especially with "Heaven is a Place on Earth" playing. Wow.

The bad: If I have any nit, it would be the slow pace - but the pace seemed necessary, so I feel like I'm cheating by nit-picking that. The only other problem I have is something unrelated to the plot itself, regarding what else is available in San Junipero besides nightclubs... are there libraries? Do people make and display art? Is there more to eternity than just dancing the night away? Again, not something that particularly touches on the plot, but something of interest to me.

Conclusion: This is definitely at the top of my ballot, and the remainder of the finalists would have to be incredibly good to push it off. While I can't imagine any being good enough, it would be a delight if one was, because this was SO GOOD.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who and Black Mirror. I need to watch The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", Game of Thrones: "The Door", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Doctor Who: "The Return of Doctor Mysterio"

Doctor Who: "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", is about a boy's run-in with a mysterious man, and how that impacted the rest of his life.

So you mix two of my favorite fandoms - Doctor Who and Superheroes - and you're bound to get something I like, right? Uh, not really. While I certainly didn't hate this episode, I found it to be far from my favorite Doctor Who and not my favorite television in 2016. You see, there is an unease in fandom when something we love is placed into a different context. It's the problem I have with The Big Bang Theory - I can't watch that show at all because I'm supposed to be laughing at myself in an unpleasant way. Whenever I catch an episode I feel like I'm being picked apart by someone who doesn't understand me, and it doesn't work for me. This episode of Doctor Who brought on the same type of unease. It's a pastiche of superhero tropes, mostly focusing on Superman (thus the Harmony Shoal PR people being named Miss Shuster and Miss Siegel). While they didn't get it wrong, it didn't feel quite right, either.

The good: There are two scenes in this episode that really stand out for me. The first is when Lucy and the Doctor sit down with Mister Huffle and she works to get facts out of the Doctor instead of lies. It was surreal and hilarious and worked extremely well in context. The second was right at the very end of the episode, after the Doctor leaves. Nardole explains the Doctor's pain to Lucy and Grant, telling them about River Song. At that moment, I decided I liked Nardole even though he can be terribly annoying.

The bad: The aliens were more than a bit cheesy. I'm also always a little annoyed when a single artifact can give people powers - which happens a lot in both comics and Doctor Who. And, while it might have been sensible for Grant to swallow the device after the Doctor tells him he's a doctor, produces a glass of water and gives him what looks like a funny pill, it seems a little strange to me that Grant wouldn't ask again before swallowing. I found the similarities to Superman to be slightly forced as well, although the Doctor explains that Grant got his powers based on wish-fulfillment, so I suppose it makes sense. It just seems strange.

Conclusion: I'm ambivalent about this episode of Doctor Who. I suppose it goes on top of my ballot by default at the moment, but I won't be surprised if it gets knocked off the top spot by something else.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who. I need to watch Black Mirror, The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", Game of Thrones: "The Door", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Sunday Review

Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Fortean Times #329 (July 2015). A bit of a strange and dark cover, with a werewolf and a soldier. Not my favorite. The cover story is about the Morbach Monster, a werewolf supposedly encountered by American troops stationed in rural Germany near the end of the Cold War. The writer actually visited the place the creature was spotted and learned more about traditional tales in the area, and what's become of the legend started by bored servicemen guarding an ammo dump in the middle of nowhere.

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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