Hugo novelettes

[cahn]

I read these! I just... kind of don't have a lot to say about them? They were (with one exception) fine! But not really standouts really, even the ones that I liked?

"Bots of the Lost Ark" (Palmer) - I totally enjoy Palmer's bot stories, and this was no exception! If you've read one of Palmer's bot stories you know what you're in for -- an enjoyable bot adventure.

"Colors of the Immortal Palette" (Yoachim) - Did you know that it's bad to discount woman artistes just because they're women? Okay, that's not all the story is about, but for the first half or so it seemed like that was quite a lot of it. I also felt like, for a story that was all about art, I never really got the sense of the craft and the skill of the art that I wanted to. Anyway, this was a more strongly written story than I'm making it sound, and I did like it, but sometimes it could be pretty unsubtle about its agenda.

"L'Esprit de L'Escalier" (Valente) - If you think reading a story about That Guy as Orpheus in a modern marriage with a zombie Eurydice sounds fun, you will love this story. If you think this sounds like a nightmare, you probably won't like it. I was somewhere in between -- I thought it was interesting with some interesting ideas, and it definitely ranks higher than some Valente I've read, but it's neither a favorite or a dis-favorite.

"O2 Arena" (Ekpeki) - I really didn't like this story and I'm kind of amazed that other people (like Nebula voters) seem to like it. The writing is just not great. It seems full of telling, not showing; it's is all very dystopia, and it features a woman who gets cancer and is eventually fridged to motivate the main character, and it's even more preachy than the Yoachim. I had to wonder why our society still looks [sic] down on women so much. Was gasping your lungs out in between toiling to purchase filters and breathable air in an atmosphere ruined by global warming not enough? Or was the audacity of being here, daring to compete with men in the most lucrative and influential profession in the Republic, simply too bold?

"That Story Isn't the Story" (Wiswell) - this was fine! Story of a kid who escapes.

"Unseelie Brothers, Ltd." (Wilde) - again, this was fine! I enjoyed it! I always like stories where people make things and which are shiny, and the shiny dresses here were great. And unlike "Palette,"
I felt like I understood why the dress-making was interesting (though, idk, it may just be that I have been interested in crochet lately, which is sort-of-kind-of related I guess, and not interested in painting). I feel like it didn't really aspire to be more than a fun story, though?

I guess Bots > Unseelie > Escalier > Palette > Story > No Award > O2, but I don't think I really have strong opinions here except that I liked Bots the best and O2 the least.

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

We do seem to be fairly in sync on these as well, other than that I liked 'Palette' more and 'Unseelie' less. Come to think of it, that might be 'cos I have equally negligible interest in painting as in dressmaking, and 'Palette' had more things going on besides the art, so worked better for me. The lack of subtlety did bother me, and the hammering home of the message about female artists made it so that I liked the first half of the story quite a bit less than the second half, once Mari had other things going in her life as well.

If you think reading a story about That Guy as Orpheus in a modern marriage with a zombie Eurydice sounds fun, you will love this story. If you think this sounds like a nightmare, you probably won't like it.

Pretty much XD And I was also somewhere in-between.

As you know Bob, I am also completely mystified by O2 Arena's Nebula win. Did they just want to give it to someone who wasn't American or British? I can't find anything in the story itself that would make it worthy of the win... Sometimes awards be like that, though, I guess.

[cahn]

Yes, that's true -- the second half of "Palette" I did like rather better. That first half really turned me off, though, I think.

Yeah, my only guess is that they wanted to give it to someone not American or British. I'll be interested to see how it does at the Hugos.

[sophia_sol]

Yeah, I'm with you on there not really being standouts in this year's selection of novelettes! I ordered the stories differently than you, and had some moderately different reactions, but...yeah, no real strong feelings.

[cahn]

Yeah, and that's fair! I could imagine ordering them differently. But nothing that really stood out the way that "Oaken Hearts" did.

[sophia_sol]

YEAH, alas!! oaken hearts is just so good

[primeideal]

I haven't read "Unseelie" and will probably skip the Valente, but my ordering of the others agrees with yours!

[cahn]

Heh, fistbump of solidarity! And the Valente is well worth skipping if "zombie Eurydice" is not your thing, and I imagine there aren't too many people for whom it is their thing!