The nominees for the 2011 Hugo Awards were released on Sunday, which is the sort of thing I usually blog about here, so you might think it's just our flaky DSL that's kept me from saying anything about it. that's only part of the story, though. I haven't said anything about them in large part because it's a really uninspiring bunch of works.
I've only read two of the Best Novel nominees at this point, Cryoburn and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and I'm not enthusiastic about either. I have fairly low expectations for a Miles Vorkosigan novel relative to a lot of fans, but Cryoburn failed to meet them: the main plot is shaggy and aimless, and it feels very much like a novel of obligation rather than a story that needed to be told. And the ending is ridiculously cheap. I probably would've liked The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms more if I hadn't read a bunch of urban fantasy right before it, but as it was it reminded me too much of the "My Awesome Werewolf Boyfriend" plot, which I have grown to really hate.
The only remaining book that looks at all interesting is The Dervish House. I really disliked the last Connie Willis book I read, and nothing I've heard about Blackout/ All Clear makes me think I'd like it any better. And then there's Feed which reminds me that there's one currently fashionable topic that I'm less enthusiastic about than steampunk, which is zombies. I've heard people say good things about it, but the website just makes me twitch-- zombies plus "new media" triumphalism? Not just "Meh," but "Enh," bordering on "Bleagh."
So, on the whole, I'm not fired up to read any of these books. In short fiction, the Ted Chiang story was perfectly good, I didn't think much of the Peter Watts story, and I should know better than to click through to a Kij Johnson story that someone else reviewed with a "shudder."
Is there something absolutely brilliant in there that I'm missing? Otherwise I'm going to pass on buying a voting membership this year, because the right to vote for James Nicoll and Lev Grossman is not worth of order $100 to me.
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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is urban fantasy? That's news to me.
Also, The Dervish House is surprisingly good. I've bounced off every other book that author has ever written, but tDH sucked me in. There was some goofiness of technobabble, but it wasn't much and it frankly wasn't that important.
This post is strikingly similar to my recent ramblings on the subject. If I were not attending this year, I don't think I'd pay for the right to vote, either.
I'm also underwhelmed by this year's slate. Once again a lot of good fantasy came out last year and only one made the novel ballot. And the fact that multiple(!) Dr. Who episodes make the short ballot make me really doubt the taste of most voters, at least in their TV watching. The final season of Lost was eligible and The Walking Dead first season, and three Dr. Who episodes make the ballot? That's a joke.
Feed is one of the worst books I've ever read. It's set against the backdrop of a presidential election, and the author doesn't understand the U.S. electoral system in the slightest. The writing is stilted, the characters are flat and uninteresting, and the world-building is imbecilic. "Bleagh" is entirely the right reaction.
I found another Watts´ story that was far more impressive.
In his novelization of a computer game (Chrysis: Legion) Peter Watts manage to accomplish the impossible by writing a GOOD novelization of a game!
For instance, (quoting an online review at Amazon) "he retcons the stupid stuff. -The writing for your average FPS isn't exactly Nobel laureate quality stuff. Peter picks at these weaknesses, holds them up to the light, and gives them plausible explanations. Even when these explanations are an obvious patch on a massive plot (or logical) hole, they're a riot to read."
In terms of quality, the action is on a par with some stuff by Iain Banks or Neal Asher -not bad. And Watts managed to come up with the only credible explanation I have ever read of why aliens would be remotely interested in our world.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is urban fantasy? That's news to me.
It's not, but the plot turns on something that is highly reminiscent of the "My Awesome Werewolf Boyfriend" thing that ruins too much modern urban fantasy.
I shouldn't be too surprised at the meh-ness of the nominees, since I had a really hard time coming up with things to nominate. But still, I am underwhelmed.
It's not, but the plot turns on something that is highly reminiscent of the "My Awesome Werewolf Boyfriend" thing that ruins too much modern urban fantasy.
I am genuinely baffled by this comment. I think I understand the MAWB thing, in general. I can't figure out how that applies to this book, though.
If I were to read just your comments, I would be expecting one of those cheesy write-them-bythe-dozen novels set in some real world city (Chicago, New York, London, whatever) where standard supernatural types exist (vampires, werewolves, faerie, etc) without having actually changed the social fabric of those cities. And I'd be expecting the protagonist to be pictured prominantly on the cover, wearing the mandatory tank-top or sleeveless-tee, staring pensively-yet-sultrily into the middle distance... as required by the Genre Conventions of 2004. You know, one of those books, which is what I think of with MAWB.
But this obviously isn't one of those. Not even remotely.
Is this something you can say more about without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet?
He doesn't like the portrayal of Nadadoth.
But this time the werewolf boyfriend really is awesome...
In fact, too awesome :). Rather like an unfalsifiable statement.
Is this something you can say more about without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet?
It's a plot thing, not a setting thing. The narrator very quickly becomes involved with a character who is dark and dangerous but fascinating and irresistable, in the same way that Werewolf Boyfriends tend to be in cheesey urban fantasy. There's a bunch of "I know I shouldn't be involved with this person, but I'm powerless before his awesomeness..." sort of stuff, which has started to really grate on my nerves.
Lev Grossman? Best New Writer nominee? Cripes, if you had paid the dues I'd demand the money back. His book sucked. He brings down the rest of the group.