Hugo Nominations part 3, and some bonus random crap
Best Short Story
Amaryllis, by Carrie Vaughn - a sweet, simple story that left me content. I have a hard time liking most short stories that I read, but this one did a good job of balancing world building with plot and characters, and I didn't feel like it was gimmicky (sometimes I read a short story and feel like they wrote it solely for the "cool ending" they thought up that maybe isn't quite as cool as they thought... but not this one).
For Want of a Nail, by Mary Robinette Kowal - this one's about a robot that is malfuntioning... well, it's more than that, but I can't spoil it. I liked this one, but it probably will have more impact on a slightly older generation. Like maybe 5-10 years older than me.
The Things, by Peter Watts - apparently this one is a popular vote; it's a little too odd for my taste, but it's well done. It's told from the point of view of an alien creature who is trying to conquer earth. Interesting premise, well written, and not my personal preference, but I can see how someone would like it.
Ponies, by Kij Johnson - I don't know about anyone else, but I found this short story to be rather distubing. It left me simultaneously with a morbid curiosity to see what everyone else thinks of it, and a wish that I hadn't read it. Take that for what it's worth. Maybe it was trying for that...
~~~
I let rhb vote for the rest, since I didn't research those so much. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World got our #1 vote for best dramatic presentation long form, but all of them were excellent movies. (Well, HP7-1 wasn't my favorite - too much sitting around in tents, but it wasn't a bad movie by any means. And Inception was about 30 min too long during that one scene chasing people in the snow.)
Dan Wells and Larry Correia were our top picks for the Campbell; I've heard good things about Saladin Ahmed but haven't tried his stuff yet, and the other two are new to me. I'll probably take a gander at some of their writing sometime, since if they're in the company of Dan and Larry, it's a pretty good chance I'll like it.
Moshe Feder is Brandon Sanderson's editor, so of course he was a good pick for best editor long form. Plus rhb met him at World Con yesterday and chatted with him for about an hour, and apparently he's really cool. CONNECTIONS!
So in case you haven't gathered, rhb went to World Con this week. My apartment is very, very quiet. I think he's at a Tor party right now. I'm not going to bed til I hear about it, though I might have to settle for a text since it's an hour earlier over there in Reno, and I suspect he's milking this party for all it's worth... or at least I hope he is.
Tonight, as part of my campaign to not sit in a quiet, quiet apartment all night (again), I went with my sister in law and her five kids to "back to school night". It was quite the adventure. I spent most of the time making sure young T (nearly 2) didn't escape into the crowds, though it was usually a safe bet that he'd be by the nearest drinking fountain if he did. Now my feet are tired of standing and I'm wishing I had a foot bath, but I'll probably settle for a subpar foot rinse and some foot stuff from work instead.
Last night I decided to exercise. Unfortunately, I began at 11pm. Still, I'll take it. I may not have gotten to bed as early as I intended, but when do I ever? And nobody was home to mind if I got sweaty, so I had to take advantage of it. I'm not even sore today. I wonder if that's because I slept right after, or didn't work out as hard... well, I guess there are a lot of reasons it could be, so I'll pretend it's a good thing. XD
I'm glad I don't live alone normally. It's nice to have a little reminder now and again of how wonderful rhb is, and what I'd be missing if I'd made different choices 4 years ago when we first met. It's especially nice when those reminders don't last very long. :) In the meantime, I'll try to make the most of everything.
Now Mom can't complain that I haven't updated in ages... Three in one day! That should tide me over til... let's see... about November, by my count. :P
Amaryllis, by Carrie Vaughn - a sweet, simple story that left me content. I have a hard time liking most short stories that I read, but this one did a good job of balancing world building with plot and characters, and I didn't feel like it was gimmicky (sometimes I read a short story and feel like they wrote it solely for the "cool ending" they thought up that maybe isn't quite as cool as they thought... but not this one).
For Want of a Nail, by Mary Robinette Kowal - this one's about a robot that is malfuntioning... well, it's more than that, but I can't spoil it. I liked this one, but it probably will have more impact on a slightly older generation. Like maybe 5-10 years older than me.
The Things, by Peter Watts - apparently this one is a popular vote; it's a little too odd for my taste, but it's well done. It's told from the point of view of an alien creature who is trying to conquer earth. Interesting premise, well written, and not my personal preference, but I can see how someone would like it.
Ponies, by Kij Johnson - I don't know about anyone else, but I found this short story to be rather distubing. It left me simultaneously with a morbid curiosity to see what everyone else thinks of it, and a wish that I hadn't read it. Take that for what it's worth. Maybe it was trying for that...
~~~
I let rhb vote for the rest, since I didn't research those so much. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World got our #1 vote for best dramatic presentation long form, but all of them were excellent movies. (Well, HP7-1 wasn't my favorite - too much sitting around in tents, but it wasn't a bad movie by any means. And Inception was about 30 min too long during that one scene chasing people in the snow.)
Dan Wells and Larry Correia were our top picks for the Campbell; I've heard good things about Saladin Ahmed but haven't tried his stuff yet, and the other two are new to me. I'll probably take a gander at some of their writing sometime, since if they're in the company of Dan and Larry, it's a pretty good chance I'll like it.
Moshe Feder is Brandon Sanderson's editor, so of course he was a good pick for best editor long form. Plus rhb met him at World Con yesterday and chatted with him for about an hour, and apparently he's really cool. CONNECTIONS!
So in case you haven't gathered, rhb went to World Con this week. My apartment is very, very quiet. I think he's at a Tor party right now. I'm not going to bed til I hear about it, though I might have to settle for a text since it's an hour earlier over there in Reno, and I suspect he's milking this party for all it's worth... or at least I hope he is.
Tonight, as part of my campaign to not sit in a quiet, quiet apartment all night (again), I went with my sister in law and her five kids to "back to school night". It was quite the adventure. I spent most of the time making sure young T (nearly 2) didn't escape into the crowds, though it was usually a safe bet that he'd be by the nearest drinking fountain if he did. Now my feet are tired of standing and I'm wishing I had a foot bath, but I'll probably settle for a subpar foot rinse and some foot stuff from work instead.
Last night I decided to exercise. Unfortunately, I began at 11pm. Still, I'll take it. I may not have gotten to bed as early as I intended, but when do I ever? And nobody was home to mind if I got sweaty, so I had to take advantage of it. I'm not even sore today. I wonder if that's because I slept right after, or didn't work out as hard... well, I guess there are a lot of reasons it could be, so I'll pretend it's a good thing. XD
I'm glad I don't live alone normally. It's nice to have a little reminder now and again of how wonderful rhb is, and what I'd be missing if I'd made different choices 4 years ago when we first met. It's especially nice when those reminders don't last very long. :) In the meantime, I'll try to make the most of everything.
Now Mom can't complain that I haven't updated in ages... Three in one day! That should tide me over til... let's see... about November, by my count. :P