Beyond Reality discussion

We are on to 2022 in our nominations - crazy! What should we be reading in January?

Each group member can make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination. If you would like to make a nomination, please post in this thread with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. The Beyond Reality Google spreadsheet of Previous Books of the Month, which you can find here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Or you can use our previous methods:

b. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month
and/or
c. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding is NOT necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but please keep things civil.

Schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Tuesday, October 19.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Wednesday, October 20 and will run through Monday, October 25th.
• The final run-off polls go up Tuesday, October 26th, and will be open through Sunday, October 31st.

Thanks!
Shel, for the Mods

Nominations so far
SF:
The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson
Inversions by Iain M. Banks
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw
The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams

Fantasy:
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson.

I first read this in 1990 shortly after it was first published in 1989.

From the Goodreads blurb: "A milestone in modern science fiction, a New York Times Notable Book on its first publication in 1989, this is one of a great writer's finest works."

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip

SF: Inversions by Iain M. Banks, one of his Culture novels.

Fantasy: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

SF: Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

That's a pretty sparse list. lets try adding . . .

Fastasy - The End of Mr. Y

Science Fiction - Will Save the Galaxy for Food

I keep thinking one day I will just wear everyone down and they will vote for one of these just to get me to stop nominating them.
Hey, it worked for Dragon's Egg and the 6 people who read it seemed to love it. :D

I'll throw in a couple of options:

Science Fiction: The Praxis - I haven't read this one, but galactic intrigue sounds good

Fantasy: Raybearer - just finished this YA novel in an afro-centric world, and liked the characters and world building

Fantasy—Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith. Smith’s Inda series is perhaps better known, but this book is a standalone (well, it’s a duology published in a single edition) and I really don’t want to start yet another series.

Fellow mods—I don’t know if a duology published as a single book is eligible to be nominated as BotM. If not, I’ll nominate the first part, also called Crown Duel. The second part is Court Duel.

l'd say a duology in a single book is fine, if it's easily obtained that way, which it looks like it is!

Polls are up!

Preliminary SF poll
Preliminary fantasy poll

Vote on final polls here!

Final SF poll
Final fantasy poll