Awards Life- The BSFA Best Novels and Subjective Chaos Best Novellas
Hellooo!
And here in the UK it’s a four-day weekend imminently! There may be chocolate and we go on holiday to Athens very early Sunday morning (I’m pondering how to do the What are you reading thread!). Of course ,I have some reading planned too! But for today let’s catch up on two awards.
The British Science Fiction Association Awards Best Novel
All strong books here and if you’ve not tried them yet then here are the shortlist nominees
The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard
Pirates in space! Need much more than that? Sapphic romances; family sagas, an exploration of rebellion and AI ships. It is quick, intelligent and bristling with ideas and concepts but equally very good at subtle character work as characters reveal their secrets to one another. Hugely enjoyable and also skilled writing as always.
Stars and Bones by Gareth L Powell
A new series from a very talented SF author and this has a fresh feeling mixing classic space opera with a version of humanity evicted from Earth ad now travelling the stars in exile. Despite it being often bloody and violent these new humans are earning to grow up. It’s a really cool meld of old and new SF perspectives that delivers an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
Now this novel is a powerhouse of storis around themes. Our desire to be connected to something and Roberts explores social media’s pull but also links it to wider ideas such as cults nationalism and more. This was a remarkable trip of a book that makes you ponder your own relationship with a digital world.
Ok hands up a favourite of last year and would get my vote. I like to be biased. For ma another novel of ideas and this one explores climate change and humanity’s evolving exploration of nature from fun pastime to trying to save us from our own destruction. Compelling and beautifully written,
City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Finishing things off and by no means least is another compelling read I loved was Tchaikovsky’s return to fantasy with a spellbinding tale of a city on the cusp of revolution. Treating the location and particpats like an ecosystem the sense of dominos lined up to fall is powerful. Just a great book
I honestly can see any one f these win and would hve no qualms about it but as all shortlists do there are some great stories for you to pay attention to
Subjective Chaos – Best Novella
As always a hard round and so many great tales.
Sadly, I did not click with Uncommon Charm by Emily Bergsian. I did not feel I saw anything stand-out in this period-based tale of magic and family secrets. The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia is a good ambitious tale but for me trying to do too much and really feels novel confined to novella space – but an author to watch.
Rosebud by Paul Cornell was a great read. Surreal and yet as the story wraps up makes some points about current well lack of freedoms. Just slightly for me felt rushed in a fe places but well worth your time. The Queen of the High Fields by Rhiannon A Grist is imaginative and uses classic Welsh mythology in a modern world as well as exploring the power of best friends. I always enjoy reading this story. One Arm Shorter Than The Other by Gigi Ganguly is a brilliantly crafted tale of devices; people, love and when you ;least expect it time travel – how all the tales are linked is rather well done. Strongly recommend this one. Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy by Sam J Miller for a story about two things I have rarely any feelings for this tale of boxing and tattoos also offers magic and romance in a way that really sucks you inside the story and impressively has one final trick up its sleeve. Last but not least at all was the stunning The Entropy of Loss by Stewart Hotston a tale of love, final goodbyes, first contact and the power of communication that for me offered something very new.
As you can see we judges have a lot to do so the field is fairly wide on this one
I now turn my attention to SF novels in April!
