SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I just finished the last of the 2008 Hugo Award nominated novels. Here's how I would rank them.

1. Brasyl by Ian McDonald
2. Halting State By Charles Stross
3. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
4. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
5. Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer

So, better late than never. Did anyone else read all five of the nominated books???

I only read Halting State and Brasyl. I'd say I liked them both about equally. Neither one blew me away, though. One of these days I'm sure I'll get around to Last Colony and YPU but I have no interest in Rollback. Only book I've read by Sawyer was Calculating God, which I thought was very interesting, but I didn't like Sawyer's style at all.

I can say that Im *most* interested in Yiddish Policemens Union, then Rollback, but I would eventually like to read them all. I havent had the time with all the other books Ive been reading...

Ginnie, I don't think it's so much genre ghetto as the fact that "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" doesn't seem particularly science fiction or fantasy-like. Sure, it's an alternate history, but everything in it is technologically either very today or slightly passe. I thought that "Brasyl" and "Halting State" were equals to it from a literary standpoint and superior from a science fiction standpoint.

By the way, "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" won the Hugo this year.

Ben,

I'm with you. I was never able to finish a Sawyer book. He's won a Hugo before and, according to his website, is "currently in the middle of writing a new trilogy about the World Wide Web gaining consciousness, under a six-figure deal jointly with Ace Science Fiction (a division of Penguin USA) and Penguin Canada."

He is certainly one of the best known Canadian SF writers and yet, I still can't get into his books. Go figure.

I really enjoyed "Halting State". I find Charles Stross to be consistantly interesting and intelligent. He is always worth reading. I had a tough time getting into Brasyl, but I really enjoyed "River of Gods" also by Ian McDonald. The characters were wonderful and his vision of a future India was very exciting.

I felt the same way about Brasyl. Loved River of Gods, but Brasyl was missing something.

I'm in the middle of the Yiddish Policeman's Union and as alternate reality it reminds me of The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde or Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Matthew Pryce.
The differences are subtle and mostly social not technological.

My question about YPU would be whether it is truly accessible to readers who understand little or nothing about Jewish life.

I think its a really good book. I also think that readers of speculative fiction are exposed to lots of different cultures in science fiction and fantasy so that the fact that its about jewish life should not throw readers off too much.

I also read Halting State, which I thought the first 3 quarters of was great.

I have read Sawyer before -- he always seems to be nominated because his novels are standalones novels with well conceived plots and one central idea, but I am not really that interested in his books.

Halting State and The Last Colony are definitely fun reads, but did not 'blow my hair back'. Both authors have written better work, Stross is better with Accelerando and Old Man's War is Scalzi's best (that I've read so far).

Both authors had 'podcast' interviews on these specific works recently (check out 'the agony column').

The Man in the High Castle is a STRONG recommendation if you liked the Y.P.U.

"Old Man's War" was definitely better than "The Last Colony." However, my favorite Scalzi work has to be The Android's Dream.

I thought "Halting State" was much, much better than "Accelerando". I hated "Accelerando" with a passion.

It's been a couple of years since I read "The Man in the High Castle", but I think it was probably better than "The Yiddish Policemen's Union". Other people will probably disagree with me, but that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it. ;)

Sandi wrote: "I don't think it's so much genre ghetto as the fact that "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" doesn't seem particularly science fiction or fantasy-like...."

I heard about this book well over a year ago at a in-person book club - I know very little about it except that this person raved about it. From their description it did not see sci-fi or fantasy - but I guess it is alternative history? It has always "floated around" as something I should read sometime but I'm going to probe a bit more here on GR for people's opinions and maybe move it up on the list.

I read the Yiddish Policeman's Union a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it. The writing was excellent (I wish I had my copy here so I could quote one of my favorite bits). That said, I think the alternative reality serves mainly as the engine under the hood of the main story; you know it's there making things happen but not much attention is paid to it. I think that may actually be a tribute to Chabon's writing abilities; he created characters and a story that exist inside an alternative reality but are so recognizable that they feel familiar. That may be why the science fiction aspect feels so muted. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a mystery with great characterization, but not necessarily someone who asked for something "sci-fi".

I have read or started reading 4 of the 5. Am surprised The Last Colony made the list: it is a solid novel but does not stand out. It could have been written 50 years ago. The other novels are worthy of nomination (Brasyl by reputation. It's the one I have neither started nor finished...

I'm impressed you have read all five!

Nick wrote: "I'm impressed you have read all five!"

This year, I'm going to try reading all the nominees before the winner is chosen. Unfortunately, that might mean buying a few hardbacks.

I wonder which books will get nominated in 2009. I'm going to assume that Anathem will, but what else was Hugo level?

Sandi wrote: "Nick wrote: "I'm impressed you have read all five!"

This year, I'm going to try reading all the nominees before the winner is chosen. Unfortunately, that might mean buying a few hardbacks.

I won..."


Sandi, here's the URL for posting 2009 Hugo nominations.

http://www.anticipationsf.ca/pub/hugo...


-Nick

Nick wrote: "I have read or started reading 4 of the 5. Am surprised The Last Colony made the list: it is a s..."

Nick, though I have not read The Last Colony, I know what you are saying. Scalzi is fun to read but his Old Man's War series just seems like an amalgam of several SF classics. He also seems to let his "cool ideas" take precedence over a coherent universe.

M.d. wrote: "Ben,

I'm with you. I was never able to finish a Sawyer book. He's won a Hugo before and, according to his website, is "currently in the middle of writing a new trilogy about the World Wide Web gai..."

Have you tried Rollback? I wasn't a huge Sawyer fan before I read it....