Wednesday reading meme (aka the Hugos)

[maharetr]

 

Excerpt write-ups (links from the amazing compilation post at file770)

The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi (Tor) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) Spaceship commander fighting off a mutiny and working to save her ship. This was GREAT. I confess I’ve only really read one Scalzi novel – Old man’s war – which I adored, and then I bounced hard off the second in the series at his flat 3^rd person POV voice. (writing first and third person are different skills, and at that point he seemed to have first down really well but not third). I’m delighted to find he’s levelled up hard, since. This was tight and made me smile and then laugh aloud, and then it ramped up the intensity hard. A+ levels of impressed for me. Definitely reading this one, and flat out considering buying it.

 New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) New York of 2140 has everyone living half way up the skyscrapers because New York is Venice levels of flooded. It is such a fantastic premise and I was super interested and the writing is… is it ironic? We’re meant to be knowingly in on the joke and mocking these strutting, pontificating characters, right? Because even if we are, I do not care enough so far to wade through it (…fine, pun intended) to find the plot. I might flip through some more of it if it’s in the voters packet. Maybe.

Provenance, by Ann Leckie (Orbit) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) This is a well-written, well-constructed, and grounded –in-its-world opening, and I just…am not personally hooked. I’ve only read the first of Leckie’s Ancillary series, and I vaguely remember having similar thoughts – she’s good, she’s just not my personal style, says this. I’d be tempted to give it the 50-page rule if it’s in the voters pack, though, as a second chance.

Raven Stratagem, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) oh yes. I read the first in this series last time it was up, and I had no fucking idea what was going on, but I really liked the brief flashes I did understand. This opening gives me a much, much better sense of what’s going on with the worldbuilding, and it’s horrifying and AMAZING and I’d buy the ebook if it’s not in the voters pack.

 Six Wakes, by Mur Lafferty (Orbit) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) This is creepy-awesome. I’m not generally into these murder mysteries, honestly, but the sci-fi trapping and the cloning worldbuilding (holy shit it’s horrifying-awesome) is going to get me over that line. I keep finding myself absently wanting more story (this and Raven Stratagem it feels like) which is an excellent, excellent sign, even if it is claustrophobic enough that it’s going to be daytime reading only, probably.

 The Stone Sky, by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit) (excerpt) (Overdrive excerpt) I am torn on even starting this one. I loved the first one, didn’t start the second one because…reasons? I ran out of time? It seemed too deeply (appropriately) grim for my headspace? I can’t remember. Point is, I haven’t read the second one, and I’m assuming it’s going to be crucial to my understanding of the third, so I Hesitate. It’s possible I might have the reading time to get through both? But our internet might need to be out forever for that to happen (knock on wood!)