SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases discussion

This folder was supposed to be for discussing recently (within a year) published novellas, esp. ones that may end up nominated for major awards, such as Hugo, Nebula or Locus. but see problems in the post immediately below

OK, I cannot make this be NOT in general group, and I can't make a novels group to match the short stories and novelette discussions already here. I give up. I can never get new folders to be created properly.

I also want a folder for 1944 nominations, but I cannot do that, obviously, even though I haven't tried. So Z, please make these folder since I am incompetent.

And get rid of the other "general" folder which I got to go away once but which, when I tried for the third of three times to make came back in "general" instead of in "novellas" despite my best efforts

And here is the info I came over here to deposit, but which I cannot put where I want, in a division of 1944 stuff because I cannot make the division

Sirius: A Fantasy of Love and Discord by was supposedly published in 1944 https://smile.amazon.com/Sirius-Fanta... $2.81

Worlds Beginning is supposedly also published in 1944 by Robert Ardrey https://smile.amazon.com/Worlds-Begin... $5.99 way too much

As I glanced at the Amazon page for Worlds Beginning, I used the "Look Inside" function. And when I slid down to the bottom to see if there was a good sample, I found that the very last line of the sample had the "N" word in it. A guy is complaining that he is ashamed because an "N" is at his bench, doing his job. There's several paragraphs about it, actually.

I think I have read enough of Worlds Beginning already.

Also, there's a fantasy novel--Land of Terror--a 1944 fantasy novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs

It's Pellucidar #6

Ok, Kate, moved this thread to General.

A general note about threads or why I haven't made "novel" and "novella" threads, but "novelette" and "short story"?

The answer is in how Goodreads works. A group can link a Folder but not a Thread to a particular book. If you go to a book page, scroll down all reviews, at the bottom there are linked Folders (if mods linked them). Thus if outside reader wants to jump in, we need a folder for each book.

Novelettes and short stories aren't usually presented by GR as separate entities, therefore I made folders for them and each one can be discussed in a thread

I created Retro 1944 folder here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

However, a general question - while it is ok to have it here, what members think - is 1944 belongs here or in the parent group? If we take a look at our this year discussion of 1943 there was less of it than of newer stuff, so it can be concisely kept in N/H group.

I'm ok with either version

As you have put discussions in H&N novels, I am good with it being there. I always thought it we kept the H & N process over there we might attract more conversation.

Kateblue wrote: "As you have put discussions in H&N novels, I am good with it being there. I always thought it we kept the H & N process over there we might attract more conversation."

ok, agreed. In this group we'll specialize in new releases and book per thread discussion, while there we'll aggregate

I really liked Silver in the Wood. I thought it was more folklore than SF or Fantasy. But at the same time was really good. Modern rather than old fashioned. And included a queer line through the story.

Yesterday I read The Survival of Molly Southbourne, the sequel to Tade Thompson's The Murders of Molly Southbourne. I enjoyed its creepy violent weirdness as much as the first, and it's a really short read, definitely on the shorter side of the novella category at ~100 pages. I don't think it's got much of a chance to be nominated since it's a sequel but I'm considering it myself, and recommend the (currently) duology.

I definitely have to read those this year, Kalin. I loved Thompson's Rosewater trilogy.

Thanks, Kalin for the hint, I may try this novella. Right now I plan to go through Forward Collection of novellas (and maybe novelettes, have to check length). in the second half of January, after finishing monthly readings

I've just finished Permafrost by Alastair Reynolds. Gave it 4 stars. I really liked it. Well written. A rather nice mix of "time travel" and "dystopia".

Cordelia wrote: "I've just finished Permafrost by Alastair Reynolds. Gave it 4 stars. I really liked it. Well written. A rather nice mix of "time travel" and "dystopia"."

Yes, it has an interesting premise but I was unable to connect with characters

Oleksandr wrote: "Cordelia wrote: "I've just finished Permafrost by Alastair Reynolds. Gave it 4 stars. I really liked it. Well written. A rather nice mix of "time travel" and "dystopi..."

Yes. They were a bit distant, weren't they. But I always think that short books have a bit of a problem getting their characters across.

I started and -- for now -- have DNFed The Deep by Rivers Solomon. My loan at the library expired. I did put another hold on it but this novella didn't grab me at all, and I expect that even if I finish it I'd give it may 3 stars at most. I read the first two chapters. It could be just that I'm too stressed out right now to concentrate too heavily, and have spread myself across too many books, but that's where I'm at.

In novellas, I'm still looking forward to trying This Is How You Lose the Time War and now The Test.

Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett was quite amazing. A satire of a near future America. I gave it 5*

Kalin wrote: "I started and -- for now -- have DNFed The Deep by Rivers Solomon. ."

it is quite a heart-wrenching book. The author is talented but too much anger for my taste.

Cordelia wrote: "Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett was quite amazing. A satire of a near future America. I gave it 5*"

I definitely need to read it even if my views on gun control I guess differ from the author's (in Ukraine personal firearms are illegal and this is also not good. Lax laws in some of the states of the USA are needed to be strengthened, no assault rifle sale, more rigorous and obligatory test are for sure needed).

I am very much in favour of strict gun control. I live in New Zealand and nobody carries guns. Strangely I always thought that our gun controls were very strict, but after the big shooting last year the govt has been doing a big buyback of guns. And has made most guns illegal = I thought they already were.

Vigilance I read as "Satire". I kept thinking of Swift's A Modest Proposal I'm sure he didn't really intend that the English should farm the Irish people for food.

Yes, I've heard about a recent shooting in NZ and my condolences to the victims, but on average homicide rate in Ukraine is 6.2 per 10000 inhabitants (guns officially banned) vs 0.7 in NZ (see https://dataunodc.un.org/GSH_app ), my point is that different countries on different levels of development (and trust to institutions, incl. police) need different level of access of population to guns. Sorry for the offtopic, I just wanted to make myself more clear. Back to novellas!

Not sure where to post this so I pick here . . .

Z, there have been links to the Nebula list posted here, but I can never make it work. I go there, but the website is empty. Can you post it again and I will try again?

Kateblue wrote: "o the Nebula list posted here, but I can never make it work. I go there, but the website is empty. Can you post it again ..."

Ok, here it is https://www.sfwa.org/forum/reading/2-...

popped right up thanks--don't know what I did wrong before--old computer at home, perhaps

Were there more books listed last year???