You have to read this (2012) book

With that description, about two dozen con members, including Beth Mitcham, Manny Frischberg, and I as panelists, shared recommendations and Hugo-related thinking at the Foolscap 2013/Potlatch 22 combined convention in Redmond, WA on February 2.

I promised notes, and here they are. The list of recommendations is first, and then notes about what would disqualify an otherwise-eligible book from consideration, and what we’re suckers for.

Recommendations:

• Angelmaker, by Nick Harkaway
• The Far West, by Patricia C. Wrede
• Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore
• Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Silver, by Rhiannon Held
• Thieftaker, by D. B. Jackson (especially because the magic and history sync up so well)
• Redshirts, by John Scalzi (because fannish and magical and tells a good story. Similar to “Stranger than Fiction.)
• Dodger, by Terry Pratchett
• The Hydrogen Sonata, by Ian M. Banks (because BOOYAH, we were told by a fan of Big Space Operas.)
• Caliban’s War, by James S. A. Corey (AKA Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) (because “big-ass space opera, plus zombie invasion, plus noir!”)
• The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
• The Fractal Prince, by Hannu Rajaniemi (dark, thick prose, long book)
• Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmed (fun!)
• Blackout, by Mira Grant
• The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente (because language, whimsy, and coming of age female main character who actually has agency.)
• Soul Asylum, by C. L. Raven (note: horror)
• Black Heart, by Holly Black (because the characters are so realistically broken, so messed up, but still work towards good.)
• Seawitch, by Kat Richardson
• Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Forged in Fire, by J. A. Pitts (people really liked it, but I asked for no spoilers! because I’m a book behind.)
• Fair Game, by Patricia Briggs (liked it, but not the best of hers in that world)
• Gunmetal Magic, by Ilona Andrews (liked it, but also not the best of their work)
• The Siren Depths and The Serpent Sea–two Books of the Raksura are eligible, by Martha Wells (because character-driven, no humans, with steampunkish elements. Note that other fans of Wells were in the room, and hadn’t even heard of these–and were super excited to know that there was more of her writing available. Publicity is hard.)
• Dark Currents, by Jacqueline Carey (fun! Light!)
• The Mark of Athena and The Serpent’s Shadow, by Rick Riordan (two books, because fun adventures.)
• Cobalt City Rookies, esp. Kensei by Jeremy Zimmerman (because fun coming-of-age girl superhero story)

Mentioned, but not recommended for a Hugo by those in the room:

• Team Human, by Sarah Rees Brennan  and Justine Larbalestier (a fun read and also Hugo-eligible, but folks thought it might be unworthy of a Hugo because it was a reaction to another book.)
• The Casual Vacancy, by J. K. Rowling (mentioned, but then not actively recommended, because it’s not science fictional or fantastical enough.)
• Blue Remembered Earth, by Alastair Reynolds (liked it, but the story didn’t really gel)
• Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (because the women were bizarre, unrecognizable as humans)
• Wild Wild Death, by Casey Daniels (about a fashionista in New Mexico)

What makes a book not Hugo-worthy?

• Part of a series, and can’t stand separately from that series. Agreed that it’s probably unfair.
• Not as good as the author’s previous works (whole room agrees that it’s totally unfair, and yet true. It’s just not about the rest of the nominees or the rest of the books.)
• Unmotivated transformation of a character–when they suddenly start making decisions and acting differently than they have the whole story so far, and there’s no reason for the change
• Breaking the story’s own internal rules
• Pinheaded politics (like when the author sets up a strawman for ideas they don’t like, but doesn’t do those disliked ideas justice.)
• Author intrusiveness (unless it’s done very well.)
• Broken economics (like when there is no source of fabric, food, or water… and yet folks survive for generations.)
• Lectures about the author’s point of view.
• Women lacking agency
• Deus ex machina
• Predictable stories

What are we suckers for (what do we love to see) in a novel?

• Steampunk elements
• Characterization and dialogue
• Science fiction ideas (Stephen Gould and John Scalzi were brought up as examples of authors who do this well)
• Humor
• Coming of age
• Not formulaic
• Aliens who aren’t humans in alien suits
• Real social/interpersonal/societal conflicts
• Agency
• “Off-mythology”–mythologies we don’t hear enough about (like Norse, for example, and unlike Greco-roman.)
• Networks of characters
• Moral ambiguity–characters making tough choices
• Technology as it affects people
• Books from which we learn something–especially when what we learn is plausible or “real.”

Note that I didn’t capture who recommended what, and might have missed a thing or two–feel free to comment, add, disagree without trolling, etc. Thanks for participating in the discussion.

Tags: awards, books, foolscap, Hugos