My slow progress through the list of works which won both Hugo and Nebula has now taken me to the awards made in 1984 for work of 1983; two winners, both of which are based on humanity's manipulation of genetics, but in very different ways.

The second paragraph of the third section of “Blood Music” is:He explained with his characteristic ( Read more... )

Second paragraph of third chapter: Lieutenant Uhura's quarters were a notable exception. They were richly, tastefully decorated with hanging fabrics, a non-regulation assortment of pillow-couches and a chair made especially for the extremely sensitive skin of a Deltan - a chair which was sheer heaven for a human. Sculpture ranging in size from a ( Read more... )

Second paragraph of third chapter: "Gerber's a good fellow," Botnik said. "But he hates being kept in the dar. So tell me - why are we keeping him in the dark?" Botnik was a big man with a deep voice, a tight stomach, farmer's hands, and sandy hair - attractive, had she the energy to think about such things. Ten years younger than her, she guessed ( Read more... )

Yet another of the Arthur C. Clarke award nominees, and one which really failed to impress me. Bear is regarded as one of the hardest of hard sf writers, but even so he has managed to create characters I actually cared about in other books of his that I have read. Perhaps I was wrong to try and read this during my travels at godawful hours of the ( Read more... )