My Hugo Votes: Best Novella 2013
Best Novella. Could be a type of coffee? But is actually a written work of fiction between 17,500 and 40,000 words long.
(6) San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant - I'm not going to rant.
(5) No Award.
(4) The Stars Do Not Lie by Jay Lake - An alternate Galileo-type makes a major discovery and unwittingly pits science against religion. Interesting idea, but not well worked out.
(3) After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress - For the most part this was a great ecological thriller and I enjoyed the multi-stranded story-line going from things as small as bacteria to people. Unfortunately, it was spoiled by the heavy-handed and unconvincing ending.
(2) [Hugo winner.] The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson - A heretic is called upon to forge the Emperor's soul and is drawn in further than safety and sense should allow. Good characters, interesting magic system. A little stiff in places, but generally flows along nicely and was an enjoyable read.
(1) On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard - Two women, one fallen from grace and trying to hide it, the other something of a failure in her society despite running a station. Their conflict and family relationships feed into a complex social and political story set in a futuristic Vietnamese empire.
De Bodard packs as much story and character into this one novella as others would into a trilogy. The clear winner, just like in the short story category.
(6) San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant - I'm not going to rant.
(5) No Award.
(4) The Stars Do Not Lie by Jay Lake - An alternate Galileo-type makes a major discovery and unwittingly pits science against religion. Interesting idea, but not well worked out.
(3) After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress - For the most part this was a great ecological thriller and I enjoyed the multi-stranded story-line going from things as small as bacteria to people. Unfortunately, it was spoiled by the heavy-handed and unconvincing ending.
(2) [Hugo winner.] The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson - A heretic is called upon to forge the Emperor's soul and is drawn in further than safety and sense should allow. Good characters, interesting magic system. A little stiff in places, but generally flows along nicely and was an enjoyable read.
(1) On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard - Two women, one fallen from grace and trying to hide it, the other something of a failure in her society despite running a station. Their conflict and family relationships feed into a complex social and political story set in a futuristic Vietnamese empire.
De Bodard packs as much story and character into this one novella as others would into a trilogy. The clear winner, just like in the short story category.