Hellooo!

So for this edition lets start off with Hugo Novelettes…this will be short.

So I really enjoyed O2 Arena by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki- set in a future Nigeria where oxygen is in scare supply and it’s not unusual for someone to enter underworld fights to the death for life changing sums. The story explores corruption and how even those in the university educated classes are still all in thrall to the system - could have done without a female character whose life and death drives the tale but overall a very good story exploring a dystopia from a different perspective.

The rest of the group I sadly couldn’t click with full stop. None of the other stories grabbed me. Unusual but all didn’t for me give me anything to hook into or talk about and many felt quite old fashioned in approach and overall boring.

Now onto Novellas!

Across The Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire - this felt strangely familiar and on one level enjoyable but on another it strongly reminded me of all the other books in the series following what is now turning into a formula and overall this adds nothing new and for me several years into this series I think to get into a best of list you need to show that.

The Past is Red by Catherynne M Valente - Talked about this in Subjective Chaos and this tale of environmental dystopia for me is one where the loud style gets in the way of the story. For me doing something brave in format and I can see why it’s in the list but subjectively not a tale that works for me.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow - also discussed for Subjective Chaos and for me a disappointment. It lacks the complexity and charm of Harrow’s novels and in many ways for me felt like a 1990s teen drama which weirdly is one reference it makes itself

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - I really liked this it’s an SF parable with an unusual utopian setting and an exploration of being human. It’s enjoyable but ultimately I’m not sure it’s one that will stay with me for long.

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky- so nice to see one of the most interesting authors in SF recognised and this tale is an usual blend of SF and fantasy very much using the ideas of magic and advanced science. I really liked that we had a male character with mental health struggles in one of the leads. Smart, past paced and for me a lot to enjoy.

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard - this story like Tchaikovsky’s has a great mix of the big story affecting a kingdom and a more personal battle alongside it. Here I really loved the parallels of colonialism and toxic relationships plus the subtle use of micro aggressions to show partner dynamics. It’s smart fantasy and I love that kind of story.

For me the top two tales really stand out quite a bit in front of the rest.

Lastly and stretching the format of the Short Shelves let’s talk Novels!

Project Haul Mary by Andy Weir - or should I call this Project Hail Martian? I didn’t like at all The Martian and trying to read this as a holiday beach read I tried to give this the benefit of the doubt but I’m afraid it’s another DNF - it felt so old school SF that I expected it to be wearing a beanie and yet the SF elements talked about were so basic high school ones that I didn’t feel my brain stretched. It came across smug and cosy. I really hate cosy stories.

After that I didn’t have a single problem with anything else being on that list.

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - a very lyrical and unusual historical fantasy with a compelling lead who refuses to let her gender control her destiny. My only reservation is it clearly feels only part of the story which I can’t wait for but I’m not entirely sure I’d give it first place

The Galaxy and The Ground Within by Becky Chambers - for me the capstone to the Wayfarers series distils a lot of the earlier themes into a gentle but thoughtful exploration of aliens in a massive traffic jam. Does this work without the other books - yes but I think this needed the other books to link and build on. On its own it’s enjoyable but its better in its wider series role.

A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark - oh I loved this one. History is being played with from a different angle and the use of middle eastern and African mythology plus discussion of colonialism turned this into something light but smart. You can guess the mystery’s culprit early on but this is a tale shining in inventiveness.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki - this was one of my favourite reads of last year. A charming, strange and emotionally compelling mix of science fiction and fantasy with found families; love and exploration of wanting to be successful versus creating art. It also contains doughnuts. It’s not like anything else I read last year and for me would be a worthy winner.

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine - now I finally read this in Subjective Chaos and this would have been a best read of 2021. Now looking at my comments this story without the earlier A Memory Called Empire may not have worked so well but there is a wonderful reversal of format and use of new characters and situations that I suspect even if I’d not read the earlier story I’d had been impressed. The theme of Empire, responsibility, communication and doing the right thing all for me was being written with such eloquence and thoughtfulness it still lingers in my memory. It’s my favourite of the five worthy novels (Sorry someone needs to get Weir to read these and ask him to try harder) by a slender margin but just grabs my SF heart to win top vote.

Final thoughts on this year’s set of awards I think Hugos can go in cycles and this overall suite felt a little repetitive and I saw a lot of recurring names where I’m sorry to say I felt the work didn’t really stand out against the wider group of books I read last year. The Novels group was a pleasant exception but I do recognise this group shows the larger state of the fandom field albeit one very US focused. be interesting to see where the Hugos go next