2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit)
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor)
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW)
Have you read any?
I've read Bujold's and Scalzi's which were nice but not really up to a standard I would expect. I started Throne of the Crecent Moon but was unimpressed enough to bailout early.
Underwhelming list of novels, to be honest. A very comfortable and safe list. However, Throne of the Crescent Moon is a spectacular and standout novel. Most the others, the usual suspects even though I'll say I enjoyed Blackout a great deal I'm not sure if it is a Hugo award novel.
I must have missed something, because while I thought it was a pretty solid fantasy novel, I felt the ending was a little rushed, and certainly never would have pegged it as both a Nebula AND Hugo contender. Same with Redshirts, as much fun as I had with it. And it appears Bujold can't write a Vorkosigan novel without tripping over a nomination.Originally Posted by Rob B
The only one I have read is Captain Vorpatril's Alliance.
It is more entertaining but less serious than Cryoburn. It does not have any standout ideas that I would want in a Hugo SF book. I would sooner give one to Komarr.
I mostly like Scalzi but I wouldn't read Redshirts. I find the idea of a Star Trek parody amusing but I wouldn't take the time to read it.
I am biased. I wouldn't give a Hugo to a fantasy novel.
psik
Got to agree: it's a safe, and rather underwhelming list. The one I haven't read is Blackout, which I know Rob liked. The others are all OK, with Crescent being my favourite. Not sure it'll be a winner though. 2312 or Vorpatril's Alliance are more typically Hugo winning material, and whilst I enjoyed both of them, I wouldn't say they were particularly showing authors at the top of their respective games.
Out of the ones I have read:
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW)
2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor)
Mark
I've read the Crescent Moon and the Vorpatril, and I liked both, but they don't really feel like Hugo material. 2312 sound like a better candidate, but I only read the reviews.
To be honest, algernon, looking at the usual Hugo voting I'm thinking 2312 will be favourite. The only thing that's stopping me is the Hugo love for Ms Bujold, who I normally would have said 'favourite'. But CVA is not the best Vorkosigan out there. Better than Cryoburn, but significantly minor compared with earlier books.
Mark
Redshirts was okay as a comical stopgap novel, but better than Existence, Dark Eden, Railsea, Forge of Darkness, Red Country, Blue Remembered Earth, Great North Road, The King's Blood or even the slightly underwhelming Caliban's War? Definitely not.
Existence's absence is particularly surprising, as Brin used to be a Hugo darling and he's actually written a really good comeback novel (mining similar ground to 2312, but far more effectively). I'd have assumed he'd have been a shoe-in.
I'd agree with that, Wert. Both Rob & I liked Existence, and I enjoyed it more than 2312.
The fickleness of voting!
Mark
for a little disagreement here, I thought Existence the worst piece of self-indulgent junk I've read in a long time - though I give it kudos for ambition;
2312 is bland and has characters that are supposed to be 100 years old and act like US teenagers but i see why people liked it and it is probably the one book here that has claims to legitimacy in any "best of 2012" sff list;
as for the rest zombies are zombies so pretty much junk whoever writes them, Scalzi's expiration date as a writer with something to say in sf has passed a long time ago and while I liked Saladin Ahmed short fiction, his novel was almost unreadable as generic fantasy with exotic scenery;
I enjoyed a lot Captain Vorpatril as it is a really fun "meet the parents" or "married with the mob" in space book, but to even believe such is top sf or sff of the year in any way is ridiculous...
On the other hand this year Hugo scores very high on diversity so comparing with the (more or less) all quality, all male BSFA shortlist it will get a lot of side cheering
I'd forgotten you thought that, suciul.for a little disagreement here, I thought Existence the worst piece of self-indulgent junk I've read in a long time - though I give it kudos for ambition
Just for comparison, here's the BSFA list:
Jack Glass by Adam Roberts (Gollancz)
Dark Eden by Chris Beckett (Corvus)
Empty Space: a Haunting by M. John Harrison (Gollancz)
Intrusion by Ken Macleod (Orbit)
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Jack Glass was the winner: but yes, an all-male list.
Mark
i think this might be the weakest list i can remember in recent years. i dont always see the appeal of certain nominations but this seems kind of crazy.
Was Existence well received? Barring a few quarters here and there is seems to have disappeared quickly. It did not even make the Locus recommended list for example, which of course only represents a section of opinions.
I hardly read anything published last year, but going through that Locus list there seem to be a lot more works I would have like to see based on impressions alone (say, Arctic Rising, vN, Blue Remembered Earth, The Fractal Prince, Drowning Girl, ...). But for the Hugo for some reason I have the feeling it ought to be about innovativeness and ideas over writing/popularity/fun, but I have No idea where that ideal comes from.
Wow, that is a seriously weak list of finalists. Redshirts? Really? It was a nothing book. There were some good books out last year. Were I a writer of one of those I think I'd be justifiably pissed.
I've read the Ahmed, the Scalzi, and the KSR. Like several others, I found the latter two underwhelming. I thought I was the only one who really liked Throne of the Crescent Moon, but apparently not. I didn't nominate it however as there were other books I liked more. I have no interest in Bujold or Grant.
I noticed that Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant got five nominations this year, one more than last year. Two of those are in the same category (novelette) for crying out loud. Further proof that she's the Hugo's favorite new darling. Next year I'm sure she'll get nominated in every single category including the Campbell, of which they'll change the rules just so they can nominate her.
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