The Evil Eyebrow

Category: Hugo Project

  • Hugo Awards 2010

    The 2010 Hugo nominations closed last night. The categorical selections for final voting will be announced on April 4. I’m excited! At least, a little bit.

    Last year, I had the privilege of randomly having read three of the five nominated novels. I made up the other two in quick order. This year, I haven’t read much that might get placed on the ballot. The only book I’ve read that I would consider for this year’s Hugo nomination was Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan, but we’ll see. I hear that China Miéville’s The City & The City is worthy, but the Library does not have a copy yet (I’ve also been making an effort to cut down on the number of purchased books. I love paperback swap!)

    Once the nominations come out, I’ll either hit up my friends around here who might have the novels, or do some more intensive library searching. After all, I believe I have friends and acquaintances who live in every county and city in the Atlanta Metro area. I can probably convince someone to borrow me a copy of the novel I’m looking for.

    On another note, my Hugo Novel Reading Project is coming along. I’ve read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin (didn’t like it) and To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Phillip Jose Farmer (liked it, but not enough to read the sequels). I also added Gateway (liked it) by Frederick Pohl to the list. Then there was Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman. I’ve got no idea why that book won the Hugo. I mean, it was an ok novel, but best novel of 1998? The competition (none of which I’ve read) must be terrible. Then there was Hominids by Robert Sawyer which I just thought was weird (and preachy). I started to read the Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon but couldn’t get into it. I’m very strict nowadays about books that don’t engage me.

    I’ve had a good run of past-year’s Hugo novels this year. Hopefully I’ll be able to add this year’s Hugo Nominated books without too much trouble.

  • Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

    Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel CoverIn keeping with my goals from the Hugo reading project I finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke yesterday. My review of the book is: A delight and I’ll never read it again.

    I won’t re-read it because it’s a freaking thousand page tome! It’s huge, and would probably have been better read in the hardback. The paperback started to give me hand cramps and I found it necessary to break one of my most fundamental rules with respect to paperbacks: Never Bend The Spines. The middle section required it or I would have had to take breaks to keep my left hand from yelling at me.

    This book was a delight because of the detailed interweaving of current events, backstory, “historical” tidbits and character development that at times threatened to overwhelm the reader. The story begins in the first decade of the 19th Century, set in England, and chronicles the re-establishment of English Magic throughout the isles of Britain. The failures and victories of the two title characters make up approximately 60% of the volume with the rest being attributed to the various people in orbit around them and the footnotes (many many footnotes) concerning the history of English Magic. The tone of the novel is Edwardian and if you are a fan of Jane Austen or any of the “society novels” set in England, you’ll like this book.

    There are a bevy of characters but Ms. Clarke introduces them in a fashion that makes it easy to keep track of who is who. Not like some other authors I can name for whom you need a Dramatis Personae list to have a clue.

    Two thumbs up! Yay for the Hugo Project!

  • 2009 Hugo Awards (Nominations)

    The 2009 Hugo award nominations are up and available for viewing! Surprise of surprises, I’ve read three of the five best novel nominees.

    Best Novel
    (639 Ballots)

    * Anathem by Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
    * The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
    * Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen; HarperVoyager UK)
    * Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit UK)
    * Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (Tor)

    Since last year I’ve read Zoe’s Tale, Little Brother (I gave a copy of this to my oldest nephews) and Anathem. I will probably get around to reading the other two before WorldCon in August. They’d been on my list already. Must remember to put them on reserve in the Library…

    As you may know, I have a love/hate relationship with the Hugos. At least with the Best Novel Hugo. My project to read the Hugo best novels that have escaped me is coming along, although I wish I could report more success. I started with To Say Nothing of the Dog but I had to give up on it about a third of the way through. Now I’m reading Hominids which is working out better for my reading style, but still not something I’d really recommend to others.

    Sigh.

    Next book on the list is Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Hopefully!

  • Hugo-Winning Novels == Blah?

    To Be Read

    I have a theory.

    My theory is that I don’t like Hugo winning novels. If you’re not familiar with the Hugos, it’s like the Academy Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy. There’s a whole bunch of categories, but the one that gets the most attention, and that I’m talking about now, is “Best Novel”.

    Back to my theory. I have picked up several books simply because they won the Hugo. This was because I was looking for something to read and I figured I might as well go with a book that was recommended through a vote. So far, my track record for actually liking these books is poor. Let’s review.

    1. A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Tie in 1993: Couldn’t get more than a third of the way through it. Every time something seemed to be happening…it didn’t. Gave the book away.
    2. Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card. Won in 1987: The book prior to that in the series, Ender’s Game (won in 1986!) was fabulous. Speaker for the Dead was deadly dull. Interesting concept, but I read for fun, not for concepts.
    3. Neuromancer, by William Gibson. Won in 1985. Yes, I know it’s the book that started Cyberpunk. That doesn’t mean I didn’t find it difficult to fathom and somewhat boring.
    4. Downbelow Station, by C. J. Cherryh. Won in 1982. Oh…my…god was I depressed before I put the book down. And I only got about a third of the way in. No thanks.
    5. The Dispossesed, by Ursula K. Le Guin. Won in 1975. Booooring. I’m glad I read it, but I’ll never read it again. My sister Cindy will probably send me a mail bomb because of this comment.
    6. Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke. Won in 1974. This was more like a space engineering treatise than a good book. I didn’t read the sequels because the first one didn’t capture me.
    7. Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. Won in 1962. This was one of those novels that you must read if only to maintain your geek credentials and grok everyone else’s. However, I wasn’t sold on its glorious nature. Would not Buy Again.
    8. A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. Won in 1961. I’ve tried, and failed, to read this book 3 times. I may give it one more chance before deep-sixing it.

    That is eight books of fifty-five that I didn’t like. What about ones that I did?

    1. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Won in 2002. Fabulous.
    2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling. Won in 2001. This award I find amusing because I believe it was surfing the wave of popularity rather than any real deservedness. Of all the HP books, HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban would be my pick. I still liked Goblet, though.
    3. The Diamond Age, by Neal Stephenson. Won in 1996. This is one of my favorite books, ever.
    4. Enders Game, by Orson Scott Card. Won in 1986. Also one of my favorite books, ever.
    5. Foundation’s Edge, by Issac Asimov. Won in 1983. This one gets a thumb up (but not two) from me. I’ll still qualify it as a book I liked, though.
    6. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman. Won in 1976. Excellent book.
    7. Ringworld, by Larry Niven. Won in 1971. There isn’t much written by Larry Niven that I wouldn’t have buried in my coffin with me.
    8. Dune, by Frank Herbert. Won in 1966. Great great story. I can see the point of view of people who don’t like it, but I think it’s great.
    9. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein. Won in 1960. Another of my favorite novels.

    That makes nine novels of fifty-five that I like, and eight that I don’t (I could take this further and also analyze the novels that were nominated, but that’s a bit much, for reasons that will be explained in a moment). You would think that a greater than 50% success rate would make me happy, no?

    No!

    I demand 100% client satisfaction! And in order to have a good data set before sending in my lawyers, I’ve decided that I need to read the rest of the Hugo-winning novels and see which ones I like. Through the good services of Paperbackswap.com I have acquired several of them, and we’re waiting for them to come to the top of the queue before I start digging in. To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis (1999), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (2005), and Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer (2003) are the first in line. I also have The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold, which is the first book in a trilogy before Paladin of Souls (2004).

    So, I’m going to read the rest of the Hugo list and see what opinions I end up with. I’ll let the interwebs know how it’s coming along.