Hugo 2012 Best Novella Nominees

The Hugo nominations for 2012 were announced in April. Here are the Best Novella nominees for 2012.

“Countdown,” Mira Grant (Orbit) - Review

“The Ice Owl,” Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November/December 2011) - Review

“Kiss Me Twice,” Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s Science Fiction, June 2011) - Review

“The Man Who Bridged the Mist,” Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Science Fiction, October/November 2011) - Review

“The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary,” Ken Liu (Panverse Three, Panverse Publishing) - Review

“Silently and Very Fast,” Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld Magazine, October 2011) - Review

With the Exception of "Countdown," these Novellas are all Nebula Nominees also.

Review: Shipbirth (Nebula Award nominee, Best Short Story)

Nominated: Nebula Award 2011

Synopsis: In an Aztec alternate future history, interstellar ships are a symbiote consisting of machine structure and human minds. Acoimi, a woman turned man, must deal with the aftermath of the failed birth of a ship mind. This is hard for Acoimi because his sister died while giving birth to a ship mind.

If this were just a story about a doctor who helps a dying woman after childbirth, it would be a simple short story of just a few pages. But the real conflict is below the surface. Aliette de Bodard shows us Acoimi who has made three big choices in his life, and none of them have worked out as he thought they would. Even though Aliette de Bodard sets this story in her Aztec future history, it could apply to anyone anyplace. We all make choices in life, hoping to achieve purpose or meaning. Whether those choices work or not, like Acoimi, we have to deal with the consequences.

Where to read this story: At Aliette de Bodard's web site. Epub and Mobi versions are also available there. It might help your understanding of the story to read the author's notes as well.

More by the author, Aliette de Bodard:

The Jaguar House, In Shadow; 2010 Nebula Award nominee for Best Novelette.

Obsidian Shards; 2008 Nebula Award nominee for Best Novelette.

The Triad's Gift; 2007 Nebula Award nominee for Best Novelette.

Hugo 2012 Best Novel Nominees

The Hugo nominations for 2012 were announced in April. Here are the Best Novel nominees for 2012.

Among Others by Jo Walton - Review


Embassytown by China Miéville - Review


A Dance With Dragons, George R. R. Martin - Review


Deadline, Mira Grant - Review


Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey - Review

Campbell Finalists 2012

The finalists for the John W. Campbell Memorial award have been announced by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction. You can see the finalists list at their site. Both Tor Books and Night Shade Books had a good year with three nominations for each publisher. This also appears to be a good year for China Mieville whose novel Embassytown, already nominated for the Nebula and Hugo, picks up another nomination.

Review: The Axiom of Choice

Nominated: Nebula 2011

Synopsis: You make a fatal choice one night that results in tragedy. Was that tragedy predetermined, was it inevitable regardless of what choice led to the tragedy? Or was it the result of your single choice of free will? Could you have chosen differently? In either case, the story follows what happens to your life after the tragedy.

1 - David W. Goldman's story "The Axiom of Choice" appears to explore the question of Free Will versus Determinism. If you choose Free Will go to 2; If you choose Determinism go to 3.

2 - The apparent structure of the story follows those old Choose Your Own Adventure stories that are apparently still popular. Go to 3.

3 - Even though the story is structured like Choose Your Own Adventure, the protagonist (aka You) is forced into a particular set of choices. If you make your own choices, go to 4. If you are forced into choices, go to 5.

4 - Are you making your own choice? Or is the universe choosing for you? Go to 5.

5 - Are you really forced? As Rush sang, "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." Go to 4.

6. Even though the structure of the story forces you to follow a particular path and all the tragedy that befalls you appears to be pre-ordained, by the end of the story...Well, you'll just have to choose to read the story to find out what happens to you in the end.

Where to read this story: Author's web site

More by the author, David W. Goldman:

All of his published work is available on his web site.

The story "The Story of His Life" is included in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future XXI


The story "Radical Acceptance" was first published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact and reprinted in Prime Codex

Review: Her Husband's Hands

Nominated: Nebula 2011, Bram Stoker 2011

Synopsis: A horrific war and advances in medical technology make it possible for severely injured soldiers to return to their loved ones. For Rebecca, that means all that returns from the war are her husband's hands: alive, sentient, and with all his memories. She and Bob must learn to deal with the consequences.

I will admit that in the first few paragraphs I was incredulous. Really? His hands are alive and sentient? (And this is in a genre populated by all kinds of implausible ideas.) But medical science has made many advances recently, and injuries that would have been fatal in the 20th century are now being treated.

After I willingly suspended my belief, I was drawn into the story and the problems faced by Rebecca and Bob. Rebecca faces the struggle that many people do: How do you continue to love someone, when they are changed beyond who you knew them as?

Where to read this story: Lightspeed Magazine

More by the author, Adam-Troy Castro:

Arvies by Adam-Troy Castro

Nebula 2011 Andre Norton Award Nominees

It's May and that means that the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will soon be presenting the  annual Nebula Awards. Here are the nominees for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2011.

Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor (Viking Juvenile) - Review
Chime, Franny Billingsley (Dial) - Review
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) - Review
Everybody Sees the Ants, A.S. King (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) - Review
The Boy at the End of the World, Greg van Eekhout (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) - Review
(Winner) The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman (Big Mouth House) - Review
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson (Greenwillow) - Review
Ultraviolet, R.J. Anderson (Carolrhoda Labs) - Review

Nebula 2011 Ray Bradbury Award Nominees

It's May and that means that the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will soon be presenting the  annual Nebula Awards. Here are the nominees for the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation for 2011.

Attack the Block, Joe Cornish (writer/director) (Optimum Releasing; Screen Gems) - Review
Captain America: The First Avenger, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely (writers), Joe Johnston (director) (Paramount) - Review
(Winner) Doctor Who: “The Doctor’s Wife,” Neil Gaiman (writer), Richard Clark (director) (BBC Wales) - Review
Hugo, John Logan (writer), Martin Scorsese (director) (Paramount) - Review
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen (writer/director) (Sony) - Review
Source Code, Ben Ripley (writer), Duncan Jones (director) (Summit) - Review
The Adjustment Bureau, George Nolfi (writer/director) (Universal) - Review