Hugo novelettes
Jul. 7th, 2022 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahnI 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.
"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.
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Date: 2022-07-08 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 12:07 pm (UTC)