SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

This challenge is based on the 2013 Nebula Award nominees, which were announced on 20 February. The aim of the challenge is simply to get as many points as you can by reading as many of the nominated books and stories as you can. I've included the Andre Norton nominees of YA sff to give you more choices.

The system works as follows:

1 point for every short story
3 points for every novelette
5 points for every novella
10 points for every novel

The challenge begins (retroactively) on 20 February 2013, and ends when the winners are announced in mid-May (16th-19th; will confirm later). Most of the short fiction is available for free online (legitimately, not as pirate copies!) so you don't have to buy any books if you don't want to.

Here is the list of nominees:
Best Novel
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (DAW; Gollancz ’13)
Ironskin by Tina Connolly (Tor)
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)
Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)


Best Novella (links to online versions to come soon)
On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall: A Novel by Nancy Kress (Tachyon) - Amazon
The Stars Do Not Lie by Jay Lake (Asimov’s 10-11/12)
All The Flavors by Ken Liu (GigaNotoSaurus 2/1/12) - Text
Katabasis by Robert Reed (F&SF 11-12/12)
“Barry’s Tale,” Lawrence M. Schoen (Buffalito Buffet)


Best Novelette (links to online versions to follow)
“The Pyre of New Day” by Catherine Asaro (The Mammoth Books of SF Wars) -
Close Encounters by Andy Duncan (The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories)
The Waves by Ken Liu (Asimov’s 12/12)
The Finite Canvas by Brit Mandelo (Tor.com 12/5/12) - Text
Swift, Brutal Retaliation by Meghan McCarron (Tor.com 1/4/12) - Text
“Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia” by Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 8/22/12) - Text
Fade to White by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld 8/12) - Text / Podcast


Best Short Story (All linked to online texts)
Robot by Helena Bell (Clarkesworld 9/12)
Immersion by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)
Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes by Tom Crosshill (Clarkesworld 4/12)
Nanny's Day by Leah Cypress (Asimov’s 3/12)
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Maria Dahvana Headley (Lightspeed 7/12)
The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species by Ken Liu (Lightspeed 8/12)
Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain by Cat Rambo (Near + Far)


Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (Little, Brown)
Black Heart by Holly Black (S&S/McElderry; Gollancz)
Above by Leah Bobet (Levine)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown; Atom)
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst (S&S/McElderry)
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Random House Children’s Books; Doubleday UK)
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (Harcourt)
Every Day by David Levithan (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Tu Books)
Railsea by China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan)
Fair Coin by E.C. Myers (Pyr)
Above World by Jenn Reese (Candlewick)

Enjoy!

Points:

Lauren - 19
Barbara - 7

Claudia -
Lu -
Varla Fiona -

Cover Love

Novels



Novellas and Novelettes



Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

Novels (10 points)

Novellas (5 points)

Novelettes (3 points)
Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia by Rachel Swirsky
Swift, Brutal Retaliation by Meghan McCarron
The Finite Canvas by Brit Mandelo
Fade to White by Catherynne M. Valente

Short Stories (1 point)
Robot by Helena Bell
Immersion by Aliette de Bodard
Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes by Tom Crosshill
The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species by Ken Liu
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Maria Dahvana Headley
Nanny's Day by Leah Cypress
Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain by Cat Rambo


Total: 19

My Spot!

My spot, if I can manage any :)

My spot!

I'll read the short stories and maybe some of the novelettes and maybe novellas. I don't think I will be able to read the novels.

Read:
Robot by Helena Bell (Clarkesworld 9/12)
Immersion by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)
Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes by Tom Crosshill (Clarkesworld 4/12)
Nanny's Day by Leah Cypress (Asimov’s 3/12)
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Maria Dahvana Headley (Lightspeed 7/12)
The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species by Ken Liu (Lightspeed 8/12)
Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain by Cat Rambo (Near + Far)

Total: 7

I'm not planning to read the novels either; I want to, but only if I have the time.
I read the short stories all in one day, so if you're worried about managing any Lu, then go for those :)

My spot...

I'm going through these starting with the shortest. I liked all the short stories except Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream.

Busy with the novelettes now. I liked both Swift, Brutal Retaliation and Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia. Starting to appreciate short stories more and more. I guess it helps to have a reading list of potential award winners :)

Bump...

The Hugo nominees (also sci fi and fantasy) are set to be announced on 30 March. I was thinking of adding them to this challenge, and extending the deadline to whenever the Hugo winners are announced.

However, this challenge hasn't exactly been popular - should I just leave it and let it die? Or should I give you more time and add more books and stories?

I haven't been participating, even though I'm itching to! Work has been crazy busy and I got a promotion which means more and more work. :( I should be happier, but hey, I was used to all the idle time.

I really want to read the short stories. I just haven't found the time yet. If you give me some time I will read them. :)

So should I add the Hugo stuff and extend the challenge? Or let it finish in May with just the Nebula nominees?

*mute*

I haven't really got into this challenge. I read a couple of the short stories, but did not find them that gripping and moved on to other things...

Ok, I'll leave the Hugos out. There are a few works that were nominated for both, if you're looking for something that came with an additional 'recommendation':

Novels
- 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
- Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

Novellas:
- On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard
- After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall: A Novel by Nancy Kress (Tachyon)
- The Stars Do Not Lie by Jay Lake

Novelettes:
- Fade to White by Catherynne M. Valente

Short Stories:
- Immersion by Aliette de Bodard

Varla Fiona wrote: "I haven't really got into this challenge. I read a couple of the short stories, but did not find them that gripping and moved on to other things..."

You don't want to list them for a few points anyway?

OK, so sadly this one was a bit of a dud, with only two people actually taking part (including me). To make it worse, I also forgot that the challenge ended on the 19th, the weekend when the winners were announced. But for what it's worth, here are the results:

Scoring:
Lauren: 19
Barbara: 7

The award winners are:
NOVEL: 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

NOVELLA: After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress (Tachyon)

NOVELLETTE: “Close Encounters” by Andy Duncan (The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories)

SHORT STORY: “Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)

ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOK: Fair Coin, E.C. Myers (Pyr)

Of the winners, I only read "Immersion". Wouldn't have been my choice; I thought "Robot" and "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" were much better. I liked "Fragmentation" more too.

I wasn't able to read "Close Encounters" so I can't really comment on it, but out of the novellettes that I did read I liked "Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia" by Rachel Swirsky the most.

For what it's worth I liked this challenge and only time and money kept me from reading anything other than the short stories.

I can understand why "Immersion" won. It is very relatable with issues that are starting to play out in real life.

I didn't like "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species". I liked the idea behind it but I was planning on reading a story and this felt more like non-fiction and just wasn't able to interest me. if it was done differently it could have been great.

I also liked "Robot" even if it was a bit groose and I didn't think it would win.
"Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes" and "Nanny's Day" are the other two stories I liked.

"I didn't like Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream" at all. I didn't even understand why it was among the nominees.

"Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain" again had an interesting concept but I think it could have been better.

I can understand why "Immersion" won too, but more because of its political themes than anything else, which I find just a tad boring.

What I liked about "Bookmaking Habits" was the very fact that it had a non-traditional structure. Same with "Robot". Both stories explore ideas in a way that novels can't.

I didn't like "Give Her Honey" either. I just didn't get it, it was so random.

I think "Planet Porcelain" relies too heavily on what the tourist does to her. Otherwise, the whole idea of porcelain aliens is just a bit silly.

I do believe these awards are never entirely objective there is always a political and current events thing going on in the background.

I did like the stucture of "Robot" although in the beginning I was like what, are you talking to me? Of course that is part of the effect the author wants to create. I liked it a lot because it was one of the few stories that was complete. I didn't feel like something was missing. Some of the other stories would have been better if there was another chapter and Robot can stand alone.

I would have loved to see "Bookmaking Habits" as part of a larger story. Maybe about an intergalactic library where these things are discussed in daily life or something. It just didn't feel like a story just a random supply of "facts".

"Give Her Honey" confused the s**t out of me. I have reread it and I still don't get it. I couldn't really tell you what it is about or what the point is and I just couldn't follow the narrative.

I liked the porcelain aliens and I do think it is an interesting concept but I didn't like the tourist bit. Like you said it relies to heavily on him and there are other ways the story could have gone that would have made it a lot more interesting.