Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels discussion

This is the thread to discuss eligible novellas. The official definition from the rules:

Best Novella: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) and forty thousand (40,000) words.

Also a reminder: there is a filial group created to discuss only new releases, SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group.

I've only read two eligible novellas so far:

The Test was good enough, nomination-worthy. Many have commented it feels like an episode of Black Mirror.

In an Absent Dream is the fourth book in Wayward Children series and it reminded me a lot of the second book in the series, Down Among the Sticks and Bones. Much better than the third book, Beneath the Sugar Sky.

I plan to read some novellas coming January to March so at least I have some nominations.

I read Auberon: An Expanse Novella, The Menace from Farside, Walking to Aldebaran and The October Man. None of them I rated more than three stars.

I did however read The Glass Cannon from Hexarchate Stories and loved it.

Edit: Apparently Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom from Exhalation: Stories is a novelette. Cool, now I have a nom.

I read Walking to Aldebaran, which I loved, Silver in the Wood, which I liked, and The Test which didn't hit my wow-nerve.

Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky, not bad but not wow.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark, wasn't well received in another group, but for me an easy fantasy mystery. Not award worthy but not bad either

Permafrost by Alastair Reynolds a time travel story with a twist. An idea is interesting but execution was meh

The Deep by Rivers Solomon, I guess a strong contender for Nebula nomination, not sure about Hugo.

I reviewed them all, so if you follow/befriend me, you'll see my reviews on the top ;)

Gabi wrote: "I read Walking to Aldebaran, which I loved, Silver in the Wood, which I liked, and The Test which didn't hit my wow-nerve."

Switch the order of the words "liked"and "loved" and you've said what I would say.

I agree with Antti about "In an Absent Dream".

Miranda in Milan didn't do much for me.

Longer is pretty good. Some of you would probably love it. The author Michael Blumlein died this year. (Not sure if it is long enough to be a "novel".)

I have more thoughts about Graphic Novels, but this isn't the place for that.

More ideas over here:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

I forgot to add another one I've read: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers, which had a nice exploration porn ;) but the ending sounded just wrong, so I personally think it is so-so, but on the author's name (had two novels nominated in last 4 years I guess) this novella likely gets to the shortlist

I thought I said that already, but I totally agree. More people will have read it on the basis of her name and so she will certainly be listed.

I bought it, got it, and got halfway through and got distracted. If it had been as good/readable as her other ones, I would not have gotten distracted

Surprisingly I really liked Silver in the Wood. I couldn't really bring myself to think of it as SF or even Fantasy. Was really more Folklore. But it was really good.

Have any of you seen the nomination ballot?

In the novella category instead of 'publisher' it has a column 'where published', I can understand for shorts/novelettes but novellas often are published individually. For Ted Chiang's Anxiety novella, I guess i could fill the anthology name? But what about other novellas like Auberon?

Silvana wrote: "Have any of you seen the nomination ballot?"

I guess it is to avoid misunderstanding in case they were in magazines like shorter stories or in anthologies. I guess:
1. if part of an anthology/magazine issue - write them
2. if separate, write publisher

Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett

Gave it 5 stars.

I was horrified, fascinated, intrigued - all at the same time. As a Satire it was really quite amazing.

And, Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett, it's only $3.99, so I bought it

Oleksandr wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Have any of you seen the nomination ballot?"

I guess it is to avoid misunderstanding in case they were in magazines like shorter stories or in anthologies. I guess:
1. if part of a..."

Ok thanks!

Kateblue wrote: "And, Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett, it's only $3.99, so I bought it"

I will be interested in what you think of it, Kate

Cordelia wrote: I will be interested in what you think of it, Kate"

Not sure when I will get to it (Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett)