[Kamakhya]

Here are the nominees for best novel of 2002:

BEST NOVEL (486 ballots cast)
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
(HarperCollins/Eos)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Morrow)
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (Macmillan
(UK)(2000); Del Rey)
Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod (Orbit (UK)(2000); Tor)
Passage by Connie Willis (Bantam)
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson (Tor)

Which would you vote for? How many and which have you read?

I've only read Perdido Street Station and Passage. Of the two, I would go with Perdido Street Station. I have American Gods and The Curse of Chalion, but I haven't read them yet.

Kamakhya

[Alucard]

My vote is for American Gods. The only other book I've read off that list is perdido, but, even with my limited Judgement, I'm rootin' for Gaiman.

[Keyoke]

I am susprised that Curse of Chalion is in there. Arent hugo's for scifi? I had always thought Curse of Chalion was a fantasy novel..

Heck.. I guess American Gods would be too..?

What do I know eh? Some clarify what the hugo is please. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

American Gods I think should win, though, I havent read the others, American Gods is one of the finest novels I have read in a long time.

Keyoke

[Hobbit]

Keyoke - Yes, this was a debatable point last year, when JK Rowling won. Evidently the Hugos ARE for Sf & Fantasy - it's just that they've tended to be SF (Guess that's a sign of the state of SF at the mo. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif )

Read Perdido - enjoyed it but not as much as many.

Got Passage to read (only dipped in so far) and Chalion. Seen and read very mixed reviews for Passage, very good reviews for Chalion. Bujold's a popular Hugo choice in the past, but it's not Miles, which would have made this a shoo-in for her.

Ken MacLeod's an 'up and coming' - very political- read earlier stuff (Sky Road), but not this. 'Harder' SF - big mates with Iain Banks and similar style, but not much of a chance her I think. Stephen Baxter would stand a better chance.

I quite like Gaiman - read Neverwhere and Stardust, but still can't be persuaded to read this one. It just doesn't interest me at the moment. Sounds rather Stephen King-like to me (but looking at the majority of King's recent output, probably better). Lots of people like it though.

My money's on Perdido.

Hobbit

[Mithfânion]

Of that list I would eliminate (when voting) Passage, Chronolits and Cosmonaut Keep because they're SF and I usually don't go for that.

What remains is PSS, AG and CoC. I've only read American Gods which was super. PSS doesn't really appeal to me, but more than Curse of Chalion which seems like an very standard, run-of-the-mill Fantasy book to me, and not one with a premise I'm interested in.

[smilodan]

I've only read American Gods, but I can't imagine any of the others is better. I'm surprised it's nominated. It's more of a magic realism book. Really quite clever and profound. I'm behind anything that inspires Gaiman to write more!