Tournament of Books discussion

Final round decision from past judges between the Tsar of Love and Techno and Version Control (who both defeated the zombies set against them!)

First, a huge thank you to all of you! I love this little corner of the internet more than I can express.

Thanks especially to all the judges, who are flexible, dynamic, creative, and all-around delightful bookworms. Each of you did a lot of reading on a pretty tight timeline, and you were all on-time with your decisions, which is actually pretty awesome. This wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if all of you hadn't been willing to give your time and put yourselves out there. You are the best.

An even bigger shout of appreciation to our peerless moderators, Amy and Lauren. Among all the other things they routinely do to keep this community ticking, they jumped in to make sure that we stayed on schedule when I dropped the ball due in June, and were kind and concerned rather than annoyed when doing so. (There was a family health kerfuffle. All is well now.). Thank you ladies; this absolutely wouldn't have been possible without you.

This has been a source of great joy for me since it's inception and I am so thrilled with how it all turned out. Looking forward to both the official 2022 ToB and whatever we decide to do here next fall!

Without further ado, the final decisions!

Tristan:I advanced "Version Control" to the final, but it is isn't even in the same league as "The Tsar Love and Techno". I've recommended Tsar to anyone who asks for a book recommendation. I love how Marra's writing comes across like a confession in diary of the protagonists. I feel like I'm getting a glimpse inside the mind of someone else. This decision boils down to a good book vs. a great book. The great book must win. My choice is "The Tsar Love and Techno."

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 1 ~ Version Control: 0

Jenny: I read The Constellation of Vital Phenomena, one of my top novels of all time, twice before I read The Tsar of Love and Techno, so I was primed to notice the places it intersects with his previous work - the art amidst conflict is a continuing theme. Anthony Marra's curiosity about people in power - their eccentricities, their humanity - really shines through in this. I still go look at Ramzan Kadyrov's Instagram account from time to time to send chills up my spine. I choose The Tsar of Love and Techno

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 2 ~ Version Control: 0

Teresa: I discovered both of these books through the TOB, and either would be a deserving winner! *The Tsar of Love and Techno* is among my favorite examples of the novel in stories, and I’ve recommended it more than once to readers looking for good examples of the form. But, for me, it could never stand up to *Version Control*, one of my top books of the decade, a book that grabbed me each time I read it and never quite let go, even after I finished. So my vote goes to *Version Control.*

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 2 ~ Version Control: 1

Drew:And I thought the first half of Dexter Palmer's *Version Control* was weird when I first read it in 2017, with its sense of things being slightly wrong or slightly off from how they 'ought' to be! Oh, sweet summer child, little did you know. Still, it didn't deliver the fullness (for me) that Anthony Marra's *The Tsar of Love and Techno* did and continues to do. May this little mixtape continue to live on, regardless of which universe we're in.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 3 ~ Version Control: 1

Gwen: For me, this was an easy match-up to judge. Version Control's clever concept, while entertaining, is hampered by an overlong buildup. I felt like skimming to get to the action. In contrast, The Tsar of Love and Techno's intricate system of linked stories had me slowing down to savor the connections, flipping back and forth in the book with delight, repeatedly charmed by Marra's language and wit. My vote goes to Love & Techno (despite the unfairly harsh jab at Houston in the story "The Grozny Tourist Bureau').

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 4 ~ Version Control: 1

Ellen: Looking back at my initial Goodreads ratings for both these books, I see I gave each of them 4 stars, and did not write a review of either, so I don't know what led to those ratings.  The experience of re-reading them was eye-opening -- I did not remember one. thing. about *The Tsar of Love and Techno,* except maybe -- vaguely -- that it was made up of interconnecting stories.  But I may have gleaned that from the blurb.

In contrast, I had distinct memories of *Version Control*.  I know that since I read it, every time someone mentions "self-driving cars", I've experienced a full body shudder, and, before opening it this time, I could have given you a pretty accurate general idea of the plot and structure.  It had stuck with me.  And, when I DID open it, just reading the first page brought much, much more back.  Its prospects with me were also not hurt by the fact that I was really taken with his subsequent book, *Mary Toft: or, the Rabbit Queen*, or that Dexter Palmer actually attended one of my book clubs on Zoom to discuss it with us. I'll admit that he MIGHT have had a slight unfair advantage.

But quite honestly, *Version Control* had stuck with me all these years, and *The Tsar of Love and Techno* had not.  And that's enough for me. Winner:  *Version Control*

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 4 ~ Version Control: 2

Isaac: In both of these books, we see ways that the past, which we create and is created for us, haunts us into our present and the future in ways we cannot possibly fathom. In The Tsar of Love and Techno, I loved the way that small moments, some of which seem so inconsequential, reach their hands through the years to touch later generations in powerful ways. It is told in interconnected stories, and what connects us better than our stories? My vote, if you’re still willing to take it, is for The Tsar of Love and Techno

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 5 ~ Version Control: 2

Kathryn: Version Control and The Tsar of Love and Techno are both big expansive novels. While in Tsar that expansiveness feels finely crafted and expertly constructed, Version Control, like the forking code of the Causality Violation Device, is more baggy and unfocused. But for all of Version Control’s bulk, its tangents and forks produce some of the most surprising and interesting sections, which feel fresh and unexpected compared to the beautiful tragedy of Tsar. Ultimately, The Tsar of Love and Techno captivated me through my read, while I felt like Version Control only held my attention in the second half.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 6 ~ Version Control: 2

Moti:At first glance, I thought these two books would be quite different. But the themes of memory and time, where and how we make changes and what adjustments we can even make, turned out to collide beautifully. It was great to get a chance to return to Marra’s Russia. But why stop at airbrushing when you can blink out whole realities? When it comes to their explosions, Version Control is the one I found has reverberated with me the most. Winner: Version Control

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 6 ~ Version Control: 3

Bob:Look, I was as heartbroken as anyone by the end of Version Control—Rebecca’s sacrifice, Philip’s research finally validated must be destroyed (boxed and shunted into a government warehouse somewhere near the Ark of the Covenant), Alicia being forced to take a job she didn’t want. But, to me Version Control was more of a cerebral novel, brainiacs playing with science and time, a novel intelligently told by a clever craftsman; a brainy, heady book. The Tsar of Love and Techno was all heart, all the time, from beginning to end, and today, heart wins out over brains. I vote for The Tsar of Love and Techno

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 7 ~ Version Control: 3

Heidi: How our society develops its morality to keep up with its technology (or fails to) is, to me, an endlessly fascinating question. *Version Control*’s exploration of this issue is nestled in a murky and complicated story in just the way I like, with the author expecting a lot of his readers. Unfortunately, I found the actual reading experience a bit too dry, a bit too much like sitting inside a physicist's brain. My vote, therefore, is with my heart and the equally smart, but significantly more sparkly, *The Tsar of Love and Techno*.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 8 ~ Version Control: 3

Amy; The Tsar of Love and Techno, while full of depth and character, leaves me cold. I couldn't see the humor (and I know there is some) in the heaviness of this dystopian read and I very much need readings with hope these days. Version Control on the other hand is a sci-fi book wrapped in the comedy and emotions of humanity with a side dish of racial microaggressions and critiques on capitalism. I have thought about aspects of this story at least once a week since first reading it in TOB 2017. I choose Version Control.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 8 ~ Version Control: 4

Heather:These are my two favorite books in the tournament, and deciding amongst them was a near impossibility. I rated them both 5 stars when I read them for their respective tournaments, and I've recommended both novels to countless other readers. In the end, I chose **Version Control**, mainly because that book grabbed me from the very beginning and never let go, whereas The Tsar of Love and Techno took a little longer to sink into. But they're both wonderful! Read them both!

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 8 ~ Version Control: 5

Bryn: This is a difficult decision. Neither of these books are in my top 5 of the tournament though I did like both very much. They are both 4 star books for me and they are so different. Version Control is a wonderful combo of character and time travel and Tsar is linked short stories across a group of characters mostly in Siberia and Chechnya. I have to go with The Tsar of Love and Techno I think. It deals with historic events in a way that gets you involved with the tragedies of characters who could have acted them out.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 9 ~ Version Control: 5

Marika: There is a possible world in which I picked *Version Control* for the win, but this is not it. The intricate connections between the stories in *The Tsar of Love and Techno* as well as its writing propelled it to victory over *Version Control*, which offered a fascinating take on time travel and multiverses while really nailing the depiction of academic research but just wasn’t quite as tight, conceptually or aesthetically, as its competitor. *Version Control* seems very much of this time, perhaps even more relevant now than when it was first published, but *Tsar* feels timeless.

The Tsar of Love and Techno: 10 ~ Version Control: 5

Maggie: I loved Version Control when I read it the first time. I can still remember where I was sitting and what else was going on in my life at that reading moment. It's one of the books that made me a true ToB fanatic. It got my zombie vote. So it came into this match a heavy favorite against a book that I hadn't felt motivated to read until it got all this ToF love. And yet... The Tsar of Love and Techno is stunning. I was transported. I was moved. I couldn't stop. Version Control stood up to reread; it is an excellent book. It's a book that will always have a place in my heart for the reading experience it gave me in that moment I first found it. However, on re-read the beginning was a little slow. Would Version Control have gotten my vote first-read vs. first-read? Maybe. I actually think probably. Ultimately, in this moment,The Tsar of Love and Techno surprised and uplifted me, reminded me why it is worth giving a book a chance when the premise doesn't immediately excite, and proved once and for all that all you other ToB folks are the world's best source of recommendations. It was very close, but my vote goes to The Tsar of Love and Techno with special thanks to all the people whose votes and judgements put it in front of me.

FINAL RESULT: The Tsar of Love and Techno: 11 ~ Version Control: 5

Wow, thanks again for doing this. It’s been such a joy this fall. Thanks for all the judges who gave up time too!

Tsar of Favorites!

Many many thanks to Maggie, Amy, and Lauren. This was a lot of fun, and I'm very happy to have participated in a Tournament as a judge. I very much appreciate this opportunity to read several of the Commentariat's favorites for the first time, including the two finalists. I can't wait for the 2022 ToB and whatever else happens in this marvelous group.

I went ahead and ordered copies of Tsar and Pachinko (the second of which I had as an ebook). Will def give Tsar another spin.

(Those of you who haven't read his first book, though, "Constellation of Vital Phenomena" - check it out!)

Yayayayayayayay!!

If you had asked me a few months ago what I thought the ending of this tournament would be and how I’d feel about it, I certainly would not have guessed I’d be so thrilled by the success of a weird-sounding book I’d never heard of. But thrilled I am! And this weird-sounding book is even weirder and more wonderful than I could have imagined. It won the tournament of my heart!

I read today’s decisions with the same knot in my stomach that appears at the end of the regular tournament, waiting until the moment we tip over half and have our winner. It was an honor to participate, a joy to read and comment with you all, and I can’t wait to see what this beautiful little corner of the internet does next!

Three cheers for the Tsar!

So happy for Tsar. The only book I wanted to win more was There There, so I'm very happy with the ultimate result.

This has been so exciting! What a great finish! I ordered a copy of Tsar, because I wanted to have it in my hands to page-dart and annotate. (I'm HOPING to get it done before the longlist comes out, we shall see!)

I'll be happy with whatever theme is chosen for next year, hoping my life is in a place then where I have the time and space to judge. Really look forward to finding new gems I haven't discovered yet. (I've already found a few from these discussions.) I started reading more backlist books since libraries closed in 2020, when I made myself read the books actually on my shelves...It's helped me remember that dusty old can be just as fulfilling as shiny new.

So many thank you's, especially to Maggie, and to the judges, Amy and Lauren. This group is my favorite resting place on the interwebs, and I've looked forward every day to the intelligent, thoughtful decision and conversations. Aside from my 11 year old, I have no real readers in my life, so finding my people here has been such a joy!

I should have known the Tsar would take it... as much as I didn't connect with Tsar, as Bob says, this was a duel of heart vs. brain. And many of you found that heart in Tsar... it's a little puzzle of a book, expertly crafted, probably badly read by me at the time... I will definitely read Marra's first book soon (and also Palmer's!)

Everyone had such great judgements, the official ToB would be lucky to have you, if they haven't already. Looking forward to whatever happens next in this group (I have been wondering why there isn't an official spreadsheet for ALL the long list/shortlist books together...) My love of the ToB will never waver!

WOW indeed! LOVED this all so much. Thank you to all who participated for being a bright corner of the internet.

Thank you for all the judgements and dialogue, the exposure to books that might interest me. I tip my hat to those who offer all that time and energy in creating a fun and informative way to share book love!

This was a lot of fun guys. And what a relief no mistakes were made in the final judgement ha Tsar is a star! Maybe judges can't be wrong but they can certainly be more right ;)
Thanks to all of the judges and tourney organizers. Your efforts and skills are much appreciated.

As we debated all the rounds I had forgotten who was in the final but I do feel I made the right choice. :)

A fantastic tournament, I look forward to next year. Laurel crowns for organizers and judges! Having judges that are ToB participants themselves makes such a huge difference. There were sadly too many ToB judges over the years who were clueless about the tournament and I even got a 'my agent's making me do this' vibe from some. I think ToB organizers need to rethink how they choose their judges - aiming for those with some literary fame is not a good primary criteria for most people who follow the Tournament every year, I suspect.

Well, this is a day-ruiner. (I kid. I guess.) It seemed like Version Control was the little book that could but it ran into a big bad Tsar.

I'm bummed since Tsar didn't land for me the way it did for most of you. I found it easier to put down than to pick back up. But I can't deny its craft.

This was TONS OF FUN. Thanks to everyone involved. I, too, love this little corner of the interwebs.

Thank you Maggie, Amy, Lauren, all the judges, and all of the tribe of readers here. It is sort of amazing that everyone was willing to step out in faith way back in the spring and invest so much time, for no reason other than the love of reading and talking about books, to make this come off so splendidly. You guys rock!

Fantastic tournament - I second all of the comments above! I think we have some excellent contenders here for judging in the next official ToB tournament. I agree that it makes a difference having dedicated ToB-following readers and hope to see some of this thoughtfulness and brilliance in March. :)

And now we'll wait for the longlist reveal - looking forward to discussing those books with everyone soon!

Lauren wrote: "Fantastic tournament -And now we'll wait for the longlist reveal - looking forward to discussing those books with everyone soon! ..."

Bring on the Long List! See you in March, if not before -- I'll keep checking these threads for all the book recs.

PS I appreciate any and all "This is a great audiobook" title recommendations. :D

Care wrote: "PS I appreciate any and all "This is a great audiobook" title recommendations. :D "

This is probably not on the list but a totally fun and short audiobook is Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke, especially if you've ever been in a teams/Zoom/Slack work situation. Probably fine in print but in audio it's like a play.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Care wrote: "PS I appreciate any and all "This is a great audiobook" title recommendations. :D "

This is probably not on the list but a totally fun and short audiobook is [book:Several People Are ..."

I've got this checked out from the library in print, since none of my local libraries have the audio. Mild bummer.

The rare instance in which a Tournament ends happily for me. I loved Tsar. I think about those brothers and their rocket ship so often. I think about that painting. The dancer. The wannabe dancer/actress. The field and all its sorrows. The “museum” and the Museum. So many achingly beautiful moments. For me, it was a masterpiece.

Thank you to all who had in making this such a rewarding experience. I continue to admire, learn from, and be inspired by you.

I loved both books and am really happy to see them in the finals. I think I would have chosen Tsar over Version if only for its technical feat of linking the stories to make, what was for me, a novel.

Thanks to all the judges for their well-thought arguments and commentary! And thank you to Maggie, Amy and Lauren for making this happen. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you, Maggie, Amy, Lauren, judges!!

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Care wrote: "PS I appreciate any and all "This is a great audiobook" title recommendations. :D "

This is probably not on the list but a totally fun and short audiobook is [book:Several People Are ..."

Thank you Jenny!

I am so grateful to everybody who had a part in this. It was all fun for me but hard work for many of you. Thank you, thank you.

Still a little sad about Milkman but I loved both Tsar and Version and give an edge to Tsar, so this ending is very satisfying.

Mindy

Hell yeah! What a fun little experiment this was -- I've been buried under so much stuff that I haven't been able to really be around for the chatting but I've been lurking and am so glad to find so many other Marra lovers in the fold. See you all for some convo about his new book coming out next year?!