Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels discussion

Getting anxious to see the Hugo nominee list so I looked up a few predictions. Nominations are due March 14. The novels below seem to be getting the biggest buzz. I've only read two of these at this point.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Armageddon Protocol by Dan Moren (#4 of a series)
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

I have read all except:

Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Armageddon Protocol by Dan Moren (#4 of a series)
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

I will not be reading Those Beyond the Wall as I abandoned the first book in the series.

The Armageddon Protocol is #4 in a series, so that's out for now.

And Someone You Can Build a Nest In might be too creepy for me, but I am willing to try if someone else wants to.

I keep putting up The Familiar to read in another group, but it has not been chosen. So I'm wondering . . . will anyone here buddy read it with me? And Alien Clay--the other group read it, but I didn't yet--so I need to read it soonest. Anyone with me for the mid to end of March for both or either of these?

There is a Locus recommended list with more options: https://locusmag.com/2025/02/2024-rec...

Kateblue wrote: "I keep putting up The Familiar to read in another group, but it has not been chosen. So I'm wondering . . . will anyone here buddy read it with me?"

While I'm not particularly fond of the only her novel I've read, I'm ready to tackle the Familiar within the next two weeks if interested

Sure, before the end of Feb or afterwards. I will be traveling as of Feb 27, but I can read in the car while my husband drives. And he always drives.

I haven’t read any of the books in the list posted by Allan. I generally like Kingfisher and Tchaikovsky, wasn’t too impressed by the Corey or Bennett books I tried, and haven’t read anything by any of the other writers, except the odd short story. I seem to be getting out of touch, a fairly recent development. 3or 4 years ago I would probably have known some of the books on such a list.

T Kingfisher is usually a crowd favourite for Hugos voters (who I think would vote for her just to get another hilariously weird acceptance speech at this point) but have not noticed any buzz at all for A Sorceress Comes to Call.

The Ministry of Time, The Tainted Cup, and Someone You Can Build a Nest In all seem very well received this year, so I wouldn't be surprised.

I think between the two Tchaikovsky novels, people are more enthusiastic about Alien Clay.

Other ones not listed that have had a lot of attention this year are Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi and Absolution by Jeff Vandermeer. I wouldn't be surprised to see them on a shortlist.

I have bought copies of the VanderMeer and also the Chandrasekera from the Locus list, and read The Bezzle. The one that I think might be a contender is Absolution but I haven't read it yet.

Oh yes, Rakesfall is a likely contender too.

Usually I have a few things on my list, but while I recognize most of the authors none of that stands out to me as something I'm excited to read. Maybe I'm getting old...

Joe wrote: "Usually I have a few things on my list, but while I recognize most of the authors none of that stands out to me as something I'm excited to read. Maybe I'm getting old..."

Tchaikovsky and Bennett are rather good and enthralling reads. A new series by Corey I guess will get solid support backed by their Expanse books and TV series

Kateblue wrote: "The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. . . will anyone here buddy read it with me? ..."

After I wrote that post, I checked availability of the books I hadn't read, and checked out The Familiar. I had some time to listen yesterday & I'm about 40% through it already. It's ok.

Kalin wrote: "Other ones not listed that have had a lot of attention this year are Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi and Absolution by Jeff Vandermeer. I wouldn't be surprised to see them on a shortlist."

Navola looks interesting, I may hit that one next.

The New Releases group read The Ministry of Time last September & I recall the reviews being somewhat unfavorable.

Kalin wrote: "T Kingfisher is usually a crowd favourite for Hugos voters (who I think would vote for her just to get another hilariously weird acceptance speech at this point) but have not noticed any buzz at all for A Sorceress Comes to Call...."

I agree with you - she seems to be a favorite. When I say buzz, I only mean that her novel was in all the short lists I found. The Locus list Acorn linked is much more definitive, I was just looking for "likely" candidates.

Oleksandr wrote: "While I'm not particularly fond of the only her novel I've read, I'm ready to tackle The Familiar within the next two weeks if interested"

OK, Acorn, I will be ready to start The Familiar by Friday at the latest--might even be tomorrow night. How does that sound?

Kateblue wrote: "OK, Acorn, I will be ready to start The Familiar by Friday at the latest--might even be tomorrow night. How does that sound?."

The audio loan is available, on Friday I'll first finish the weekly issue of the Economist and then (mid-Saturday) I plan to start it. Should we make a thread here or in Hot from Printers?

A thread in Hot sounds good. I’ll post any comments I have there as well.

The nominating deadline is March 14 I think; should we make a thread for people to post their picks for the ballot?

From the Locus list, I haven't read 95% of it except Tainted Cup and Mercy of Gods. I am not sure I want to nominate MOG since it was not too exciting for me but for sure The Tainted Cup would be in my ballot. Will add Sheine Leinde for the Lodestar plus The River Judge in the novelette category. But that's about it.

Kalin wrote: "The nominating deadline is March 14 I think; should we make a thread for people to post their picks for the ballot?"

Yes we should I'll try to compose it later today

Oleksandr wrote: "Kalin wrote: "The nominating deadline is March 14 I think; should we make a thread for people to post their picks for the ballot?"

Yes we should I'll try to compose it later today"

We could just post them here rather than start another thread. Up to you though.

Allan wrote: "We could just post them here rather than start another thread. Up to you though..."

I guess this thread is to guess the nominees but the new will be more to advocate what we want not what we expect

Buddy read for the Familiar is here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Finalists to be announced tomorrow at noon Pacific time.

Stephen wrote: "Finalists to be announced tomorrow at noon Pacific time."

Thanks for the info!

Yay!

One hour and 12 minutes to go

Full list here:
https://seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-a....

Best Novel
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Best Novella
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom)
Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar (Tordotcom)
The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (Tordotcom)
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (Nightfire)

Best Novelette
“The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld, May 2024)
“By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)
“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s, September/October 2024)
“Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie in Lake of Souls (Orbit)
“Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
“Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 59)

Best Short Story
“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed Magazine, Jan 2024 (Issue 164))
“Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)
“Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 57)
“Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
“We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed Magazine, May 2024 (Issue 168))
“Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld, February 2024)

So the Wiswell and T. Kingfisher novels are the only ones to make the final ballot for both the Nebulas and Hugos.

Correct. Four added books, two of them by Tchaikovsky!

Suggests there are no consensus major works this year, unless Wiswell or T. Kingfisher qualifies.

The Tainted Cup was the first of Bennett's that I've read, and I enjoyed it. I generally like Kingfisher too, and Tchaikovsky, although I wonder if him being so prolific dilutes his work somewhat. Alien Clay was good though, haven't read Service Model yet.

Stephen wrote: "Suggests there are no consensus major works this year, unless Wiswell or T. Kingfisher qualifies."

I like a year when Hugo voters don't go in for everything the SFWA champions. Especially when it gives us Tchaikovsky as a (finally!) best novel finalist, who isn't the kind of writer SFWA will champion.

So far I'm:
2/6 for novels
4/6 for novellas
0/6 for novelettes and short stories

I'm glad for Tchaikovsky, finally he is gettting the popularity he deserves. It is good to see Bennett too.

Note that after a long absence, Asimov's is back among nominees (novelette).

Uncanny leads among shorter fiction

So far I'm:
4/6 for novels - I guess my personal record of read novels at the nomination day
3/6 for novellas
1/6 for novelettes
2/6 for short stories

4/6 novels (3 recently)
2/6 novellas
0/6 novelettes
1/6 short stories

Finished Service Model, so I'm down to one Hugo, The Ministry of Time, which I already have on audio from the library. Might pause for a quick non-fic though. In the middle of the 4th novella & have the other two on long hold.

Allan wrote: "Finished Service Model, so I'm down to one Hugo, The Ministry of Time, "

Great progress, Allan! I'm waiting for the Hugo Packet to start from the stories up :)

I read The Ministry of Time. There are SO many better time travel stories. I cannot figure out why this one got nominated. She's not that great a writer

Seems to be extremely popular. There are over 400 people ahead of me in line for both hardcover and ebook copies at the local library.

I just finished it myself. I liked it ok as a love story but as Acorn pointed out, there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense. The ending was very rushed as well. I didn’t mind her writing so much but there were too many holes in the plot.

Used an Audible credit to get The Book of Love, so I’ll get to that shortly. I only have that and the Barsukov novel left. I have a few novellas left, but they’re on long library hold. I’ll wait for the package to read the rest.

Kateblue wrote: "I read The Ministry of Time. There are SO many better time travel stories. I cannot figure out why this one got nominated. She's not that great a writer"

True! The start was interesting but is went downwards later

Such as: (view spoiler)[ why was he furious enough to break up with her for good? That made zero sense. He knew the Expats were being scrutinized and that she worked for them. He couldn’t have been dumb enough to think that they couldn’t track them, given the restrictions, agents watching them, etc. (hide spoiler)]

Unexpectedly, The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain came off libary holdin an e-book version. It said it was at least two weeks away, but there it was. So I went ahead & started it. I got engrossed right away, it feels like a quick read.

Allan wrote: "Unexpectedly, The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain "

Note that it was a monthly read last year at Hot from Printers, so you may post your thoughts there

Finished it, commented in the HoP thread. Been on a roll lately, done with all 6 Hugo novels and 5/6 novellas.