(1) On this day in history —
September 15, 1949: The Lone Ranger TV series debuted with American Clayton Moore and Canadian Jay Silverheels.
(2) It’s a small world. How small? Ann Leckie, while plugging David Steffen’s Long List Anthology Kickstarter, show how small in this startling admission:
If you’re a longtime reader, David Steffen’s name might sound familiar. He runs the Submission Grinder, an online sub tracker for writers, and he is also the current champion of Ferrett Steinmetz’s Rejection Challenge. He received a rejection to a story some five minutes after he submitted it. The submission was to Podcastle, and was very short, and was timed exactly perfectly for the slush reader to respond to it almost immediately. I know this because I was the slush reader in question. High five, David! I’m exceedingly glad you’re doing this antho.
(3) The first film Alfred Hitchcock worked on, once believed lost, will be shown publicly this week.
A “lost” Hitchcock film that has not been shown publicly for nearly 100 years is being screened this week at the British Silent Film Festival. Three Live Ghosts (1922) was one of the first films that the young Alfred Hitchcock worked on and had been thought lost forever.
It has just been discovered in a Russian archive and is being publicly shown thanks to Laraine Porter|, of De Montfort University Leicester’s renowned Cinema and Television History (CATH) research team. It is one of dozens of screen gems being shown as part of the festival – the UK’s largest event dedicated to silent films, supported by the British Film Institute. Laraine, who has organised the three-day film festival at Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema, said: “No-one has seen this since 1922 and many Hitchcock scholars thought it was no longer extant. He was credited as a title designer, but it is likely that he would have been involved much more than that. “When you read his interviews he is talking about helping out and advising, and in those days it would have been a much more communal atmosphere on set. ?“What is also interesting is the role that his wife, Alma, played because she was an editor and collaborator yet received little attention.”
(4) A wonderful video about Penguin Random House midnight launch of Terry Pratchett’s The Shepherd’s Crown.
(5) Gizmag says it’s time to sell you the Star Wars Devon Dark Side Watch.
Companies the world over are clamoring to release licensed merchandise ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The recent Force Friday saw numerous products launched on an expectant public, but while most are priced between a few dollars and a few hundred dollars, rarer items come with a heftier price tag. One example of the latter is the limited-edition Star Wars watch from Devon, which will set Star Wars fans with very deep pockets back US$28,500….
Star Wars by Devon is actually based on the Devon Thread 1 model, but with plenty of Star Wars details added to ensure it will delight fans. Owners will be able to spot Darth Vader’s helmet, the wings of a TIE Fighter, and the Imperial Crest embossed on the crown.
(6) Where’s the Official WSFS Ears-Are-Burning Fire Extinguisher? Kevin Standlee sure could use it about now.
I’ve been getting e-mails now talking about unspecified “rumors” about what happened at the 2015 WSFS Business Meeting. Well, the minutes aren’t finished yet…., but there’s no secret about what happened at the Business Meetings this year…..
(7) Jim C. Hines has a take about the Maynard/Valente exchange in “Cool Kids”
I get that a lot of us struggled growing up. We felt excluded, and we envied those who were more popular, more successful, more comfortable with themselves and their friends. Most of us continue to struggle. It’s part of being human. But this whole “Nerds vs. Cool Kids” thing is bullshit. It’s the same artificial and simplistic us vs. them, left vs. right, puppy vs. anti-puppy, Hero vs. Villain garbage that’s been poisoning people for ages.
There will always be small-minded people trying to divide the world into Us and Them. Some of these folks have found that dispensing poison earns them attention and followers.
That doesn’t mean the rest of us have to drink it.
(8) Disney is working towards a new Mary Poppins movie (not a remake or a reboot) says The Hollywood Reporter.
The new story will be set around 20 years after the tale of the classic 1964 movie that starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It will also take its cues from the book series that P.L. Travers wrote. (The original, published in 1934 is based largely on the first book. The last book in the series was released in 1988.)
Rob Marshall, who directed “Into the Woods” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” for the studio, will helm the new feature, which will also be a musical.
Songwriting team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who worked on “Hairspray” and “Smash,” will compose new original songs as well a new score.
David Magee (“Life of Pi”) is board to write the screenplay.
As detailed in Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” Travers’ had testy relationship with Walt Disney over the adaptation of the original. But the studio is working with her estate on the new movie.
(9) Not everyone appreciates astronaut and baseball fan Terry Virts as much as he deserves. Virts arranged to present a space-worn Orioles jersey to team manager Buck Showalter. But what was Buck’s response? He wanted to know —
“Do you have rubber gloves when you take it? It’s not like it’s been on the moon or something, right? … You don’t know what bacteria from Mars is up there or something. Next day you wake up and your arms are ate off or something.”
(10) Alexis Gilliland’s Rosinante series lives again in this review by James Davis Nicoll.
But I would credit his Campbell win to the fact that those two novels, The Revolution from Rosinante and Long Shot For Rosinante , really are fun little books, books I was certain I would not regret revisiting after a gap of twenty-two years 3.
(I do understand that’s like saying “Don’t worry, I know what I am doing” while playing with burning plastic.)
(And I hope including the parenthetical sentence spares you from unrealistic expectations of reading a nostalgic puff piece….)
(10) Lorraine Devon Wilke’s “Dear Self-Published Author: Do NOT Write Four Books a Year” at the Huffington Post has elicited much scoffing from some indie published sf writers – and now Baen novelist Larry Correia has deconstructed it in “Fisking the HuffPo because writers need to GET PAID”.
The thing is “good” is a relatively meaningless measurement. Ringo’s fans think they’re good enough to give him mid six figure royalty checks twice a year. Kevin [J. Anderson] lives in a castle. I’m pretty sure the average HuffPo writer considers me a hack, but then again, I get paid, and HuffPo writers don’t (no, really, I was shocked to learn that HuffPo only pays in “exposure”).
That’s a knockout line as long as you don’t remember Correia is delivering this fisking free of charge on a blog.
[Thanks to both Marks, Will R., Martin Morse Wooster, and John King Tarpinian for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Anna Nimmhaus.]
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As far as I can tell, there are people who hate small business: some (not all, but some) of the owners and high-level execs of large businesses. Or, more to the point, they do things because of greed for its own sake that have the same effects on small businesses as if they were trying to destroy those businesses out of personal animosity.
It’s not socialists who extol “bigger is better” and “grow or die” as the basis of a supposed market economy, it’s the capitalists who say that a bank can be too big to fail, meaning so big that it has to be propped up no matter how badly it is being run, and cannot be punished for lawbreaking.
Re the red headed:
I am sorry to say that this appears in Deadhouse Gates, which has recently featured in the brackets…
“such illustrative examples as Uber”
Uber is disruptive technology finally applied to creative destruction. That’s why they are hated so much in certain circles. Bringing up the downsides of such things is just an opportunity for opposing the entire thing, utterly. Uber will eventually be tamed and made non-disruptive, its just one smallish manifestation. We are all on a path to decadent paralysis.
Anecdotes are of limited use. Data is I, I am data.
This is a useful piece (incomplete, and analysis isn’t all there) but hopefully from an ideologically acceptable source –
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2015/02/12/the-decline-of-american-entrepreneurship-in-five-charts/
” it’s the capitalists who say that a bank can be too big to fail, meaning so big that it has to be propped up no matter how badly it is being run, and cannot be punished for lawbreaking.”
And, as a test of modern US politics, which factions do these “capitalists” support ?
The US Right was intensely opposed to “too big to fail”.
@Morat20 That’s actually a pretty common meme among the Puppies. Apparently, I am just imagining that I love Heinlein and can quote his books more than the Puppies I’ve seen talking about him.
I first noticed this a couple years back when Toni Weisskopf called us all ‘fuggheads’ in her semi-coherent rant.
It was especially weird because at the time most of the books I was buying each month were from Baen.
No it isn’t. Uber is just the inevitable repeating of the historical example set by so many companies who set up to operate in a space that had as yet no legal oversight, a practice which has a longer history than the US itself and which goes right back to the Dutch and their tulips; and far, far further if you don’t stipulate that it has to be a company.
There are many, many, many examples today of truly innovative companies; but they’re generally characterised by actually producing something; not just figuring out how to avoid overheads on an existing product/service which were put in place for a good reason.
” but they’re generally characterised by actually producing something’
I’m the (ex)manufacturer here 🙂
But services are useful too.
Uber provides a service which is more convenient than the licensed taxis, buses, etc., and has attracted customers for that reason. The old service providers were hiding behind regulation and were unwilling to improve their service levels. Hence Uber. But Uber will be regulated, I think in short order, and it will use this regulation as a barrier to entry, to prevent the rise of Uber MkII.
I love the inherent conflicts in that statement. Uber will get regulated because society as a whole can’t afford a taxi service where your taxi driver can be a convicted murderer or rapist who is given your home address and phone number if you use the service, but that’s a bad thing because they can use that regulation to prevent the rise of another company which would have exactly the same problem; all while ignoring the point that actual workers for Uber (I’m sorry; sub-contractors) are being screwed over as badly as the customers by Uber’s dodging of regulations that apply to employee protection.
Meanwhile, companies like IBM can fire every US worker they have because of lax US standards on employee rights and protections, ship all their work overseas to other countries, pay almost no tax in the US, and yet all that is seen as good because it means less regulation in the industry.
Y’know what? You’re spot-on correct and you guys should continue to do that. It’s great for our economy over here… and we’ve carefully removed some more regulation as regards taxes just to help that process along 🙂
You know… You don’t have to feed the self-professed troll. I mean, unless you’re enjoying it, I guess.
@Maximillian
Yes, I think awhile back there was a solid week of having to inform various Puppy visitors that no, none of us hate Heinlein (although a couple are somewhat indifferent). I suppose one of the leader types must have posted some sort of SJWs hate Heinlein message up somewhere.
I’m not sure I like being shoved into a giant strawman covered in labels I don’t agree with. Especially since they keep talking about setting things on fire…
(Here in 7233 Heinlein is worshipped as a minor deity, but is a lesser member of the pantheon compared to Leckie who went on to write the stunning epic Cinnamon Rolls In Spaaaaace (And The AIs That Love Them), although some heretics feel it was derivative of her earlier work.)
@tintinaus
I’ll ask Shaun about it.
” they can use that regulation to prevent the rise of another company which would have exactly the same problem; ”
That’s correct, this stuff is expensive, and it scales well. So if Uber MkI is already the big dog, their HR and legal departments, not to mention their liability insurance package, can provide decent a**-covering for a smaller fraction of their revenue than Uber MkII, and can threaten to undercut them, one way or another. Thats all in Schumpeter. A prophet.
“Meanwhile, companies like IBM can fire every US worker they have because of lax US standards on employee rights and protections”
True. As can any other company anywhere. Elsewhere (where things are uneconomically expensive) they just don’t hire people in the first place. What does not happen actually can be measured almost as well as what does happen. None of this misfortune can be regulated or organized away.
“ship all their work overseas to other countries, pay almost no tax in the US, and yet all that is seen as good because it means less regulation in the industry.”
They do pay tax, though US tax policy on overseas operations is extremely treacherous to navigate – which is yet another barrier to entry. The big guys get to pull an IBM. And to keep things weird they back Democrats, or at least Republicans willing to play the big dog game.
Odd how I never mentioned math at all and yet the stereotypical belief that girls, much less pretty girls, are not good at math, has just been assigned to me.
I suspect the same process is at work with the testimonies that films like Heathers are somehow true to life and that the popular kids are the bullies and the lowly nerds the victims. The most popular kids actually are among the least aggressive and though the great middle and upper-middle ranks ranks do most of the bullying, they actually are more likely to be targeted themselves for bullying by their middle and upper-middle status rivals than the twerps.
@buwaya
“And, as a test of modern US politics, which factions do these “capitalists” support ?
The US Right was intensely opposed to “too big to fail”.”
I suppose this may be a surprise to you, but it turns out that George Bush is not actually a Democrat.
So I think you haven’t quite understood the problem with Uber. There is no overhead expense for them; they offload it onto their employees. There is no liability insurance package; that’s left to their employees. Uber the company essentially does nothing other than maintain an app.
Sorry, no, we all kept our trade unions because while we like reading Dickens, actually living Dickens is just a step too far for most of us. This whole “at will” thing strikes us as being as smart as allowing medical bankruptcy to exist as an actual thing outside of history books and “why we don’t this” example lists. Sounds like a nice idea in your teens, not so much the moment you have any actual responsibilities in life.
“but it turns out that George Bush is not actually a Democrat.”
George Bush would, these days, be to the “left” of the Republican plurality. Thats if the left-right scale works at the moment.
Things change, interests realign. Wall Street flipped Democrat many years ago.
Mike, any chance Buwaya’s posts can be held in moderation indefinitely? I can’t run the plonk file on my phone or tablet and he really makes the site less enjoyable.
“So I think you haven’t quite understood the problem with Uber. There is no overhead expense for them; they offload it onto their employees. ”
When they are “tamed” they will have overhead expenses. Its only a matter of time until they are regulated. These regulations will apply to potential competitors, thus creating a barrier to entry.
As for the value of labor unions and the like – I suggest you consider the idea that they are not a cause but an effect. These things are possible under a certain set of circumstances, but they cant prevent economic realities from ultimately prevailing. At best they can extract a bit more out of the margin for a little longer.
.
Harland and Wolff for instance, I guess across the border from you. In the US they would be just over the next county – I see they employ 500 people these days.
That was a huge outfit at one time, tens of thousands of workers, and IIRC it has been organized, unionized, under various regimes and schemes of regulation and subsidy over the decades. And its not like it hasn’t innovated either. But now, after all that, its a remnant.
Yes, Heinlein is so hated amongst the WSFS that my last Worldcon badge has a “Heinlein Society” ribbon hanging from it. I went to their party. Bheer was had. And Bob (still a minor god here in 9033) is so despised that every blood drive at every con is in his name, with a little note in the program book and all.
Teddy’s obsession with Scalzi is, as John has said, a silly little man-crush. John wouldn’t argue dumb shit under the bullshit terms Teddy wanted (and runs rings round him in rhetoric*, logic, debate, talent, etc.), thus we hates it for ever, precioussss! Teddy wanted Lincoln-Douglas, but sadly failed to fill either. Aristotle-Plato? Aristotle! (not)
Pups’ problem is (other than being Pups) that they, too, wanted to argue dumb shit from false premises, and Scalzi plus the Whatever commentariat handed their asses to them, very politely, with those pesky facts. So, since reality has a liberal bias, they had to retreat to their own doghouse where they could make up words to mean what they wanted.
Plus, since he started off with milSF, Scalzi was supposed to be an ammosexual bigot, and turned out to be such a traitor to the macho SWM cause**, what with not owning any guns, having a fancy degree, and thinking wimmenz, gheys, atheists, the poors, and PoC are just as American as anyone. Also, his ability to rock a Regency dress without it affecting his sense of manhood, and have a gorgeous wife and daughter and acres of land.
This whole “cool kid”, web of trust, making up new insults is so very, very junior high/middle school (Age 11-14 for you foreigners). Picture a tween Lurkertype (wearing some truly hideous glasses and braces with headgear) on the playground, looking at boys and saying “They’re so immaTURE!”
It’s just as well they called themselves Puppies, since pretty much everyone except them has noticed they aren’t full-grown emotionally and are still pissing on the rug.
*woo! didn’t even do that on purpose! LITERARY!
** you were supposed to be the Chosen One, Anakin!
@Tintinaus
Paul said you wanted to know what’s the deal w/ the survey I ran. Here’s a somewhat old explanation for where things are: http://shaunduke.net/on-hugo-awards-two-scholarly-projects/
Currently, we’re drafting a longer academic essay for submission to an online academic journal (in part because this will make it accessible to the general public) and a shorter work for (we hope) Strange Horizons. We’ve anonymized all of the data for the non-US fandom survey and have collected a lot of data from Twitter during the nomination announcement period and the winners announcement period. Now, it’s all in the writing.
We may be able to share some snippets as we get everything put together. They’ll probably end up on my blog if we do that. I’ll talk to my colleague about it 🙂
OK, I’ve got the Big Round prepped. All of the winners from the various Heats have been thrown together for the start of the Battle for the 21st Century!
You can vote for a work, a tie, abstain, or vote for a completely different work (published 2000 or later) which *should* have been on. And —
Due to ties in the Heats, one set is a three-way battle. I’ll use instant run-off for that one, so please rank them as you would a Hugo ballot with 1 your top pick; you don’t need to rank all three (i.e., you can go 1-2-3, 1-2, 1, or abstain).
I’m going on a weekend trip in a couple of days, so after this round there will be a break while I’m away before the next one; I’ll probably be able to get back to it on Sunday.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
Fudoki, Kij Johnson
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
White Apples, Jonathan Carroll
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Child of a Rainless Year, Jane Lindskold
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
Liar, Justine Larbalestier
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Diviners, Libba Bray
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
Chime, Franny Billingsley
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
Maplecroft, Cherie Priest
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Conrad’s Fate, Diana Wynne Jones
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Zoo City, Lauren Beukes
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Fire Logic, Laurie J. Marks
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliot
29. SECRET TEXTS
Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The March North, Graydon Saunders
Abhorsen, Garth Nix
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
Hmph. I got bullied for being Ginger, not for being ginger.
Oh, yeah, the social exclusion instituted by the mean girls, that was a big thing of theirs; but I showed them by becoming one of the boys instead, at least until middle school.
It did mean that my social interactions with women were a little strange in college (a women’s college, too, in utterly oblivious irony), but overall I’ve managed to be socially androgynous for years now.
I can’t decide if the way you guys are team-trolling buwaya is more hilarious or more mean. Either way, I love it.
Ok, it’s long past the witching hour here in the City, though we do, of course, offer 24 hour access to the global markets, so I can hope to avoid the attention of those who would regard me as a traitor to all that we hold dear, ie. Making Lots Of Money, should I proffer pro bono observations on this.
It wasn’t capitalists who argued that banks are too big to fail. It was the banks.
Anyone who have ever gone Mano a Mano with the financial markets knows perfectly well they doesn’t give a toss about capitalism; why on earth should they? What they care about is making as much money as possible, and they really don’t care how they do it; why should they?
I have a great of admiration for Scalzi’s deal: both sides are going make a lot of money, and what Scalzi has created has hedged the risks of his deal for the next ten years at no cost. I appreciate that hedging instruments may not be everyone’s cup of tea, so the short version is: they’re expensive, and if you can do it for free you are way, way, ahead.
For someone who has lived in the City of London for over 30 years, and has seen an awful lot of things crash and burn, to say that I admire a non-specialist’s deal is just about unheard of, particularly since I am generally thought to be one of the harshest critics of financial instruments around.
This no doubt stems from the fact that people whose job it is to determine the taxation treatment of financial institutions and financial instruments tend not to be misty eyed and generous souls, at least when it comes to engaging the brain. I think it fair to say that no one who has ever met me would classify me otherwise.
I’m probably pushing the limits of pro bono when I say that, in my view, much of the Puppidum campaigns have been driven by a powerful but wholly ill informed belief that they understand markets. The first rule of the market is, after all, get paid.
And finally, I have been bewailing the absence of goats to eat the grass on the slanting roof of the building across the road, but it turns out that it’s not grass. These are bushes, and frankly, without RedWombat to give me some hints at what they may be, I am going to stick with the nice generic bushes. I’d offer to take photographs but I’m still trying to organise the 3,000 or so on my iPad, so unless RedWombat pays a flying visit to London they are going to stay as nice generic bushes…
OK, all right, if all you guys want is anti-puppyism, here goes –
John C Wrights web presence is counterproductive, self-indulgent, undisciplined, and a misuse of his talents. He annoys people he shouldn’t, does not persuade, and does little to promote our mutual religion and mutual world view.
He often (more, lately) gets into positions that he cant adequately defend. Controversialism is best left to Vox Day, who has a talent for it.
There’s also the matter of the sin of pride.
There’s a reason the Spanish hermandades (the religious lay societies typical of Hispanosphere cities) wear hoods – Ku Klux Klan hoods by US standards. Its because the whole idea is that such things should be done with as little a sense of self as possible. The members must do their good works anonymously, letting not the right hand know what the left hand is doing, and in their displays of religiosity they must remain anonymous. Non nobis domine indeed.
Berating the heathen works poorly. Visiting them, as Francis Xavier with his bell, is a humbler and more useful approach.
He can be very, very funny if he wants to be (his proper bell I think), it was one of these posts that led me to his site. But that seems to have gone away. A lighter touch, a friendlier face, and more time spent on brilliant writing would better serve.
@ Heather Rose Jones
I live in a pretty-much perpetual state of “Well, haven’t put out a book for six months/haven’t done a great painting in X time, so everyone will forget I exist and I will die friendless and alone and be eaten by my cat.”
Ooh, bracket!
1. Tanya Huff
2. -18 abstain
19. J. K. Rowling
20. Scott and Barnett
23. Pratchett
25. Beukes
27. Bujold
31. Jones
Abstaining in all the skipped ones. Some I’ve read only one of the pair; others I’ve not liked either that much.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Pass
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
19. DUELING WIZARDS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliott
29. SECRET TEXTS
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
Child of a Rainless Year, Jane Lindskold
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliot
29. SECRET TEXTS
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
Abhorsen, Garth Nix
@RedWombat,
Wait, doesn’t everyone want to be posthumously consumed by their cat(s)?
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Maplecroft, Cherie Priest
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliot
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Incidentally, Kyra, were you always this cruel or was it a trait you had to carefully nurture over the course of some years?
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
ARGH!!! Brennan by a dragon whisker.
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
abstain
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
Fudoki, Kij Johnson
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
abstain
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
White Apples, Jonathan Carroll
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
abstain
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Child of a Rainless Year, Jane Lindskold
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
Liar, Justine Larbalestier
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Diviners, Libba Bray
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
Chime, Franny Billingsley
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
abstain
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
Maplecroft, Cherie Priest
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Conrad’s Fate, Diana Wynne Jones
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
TIE DAMMIT!
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
oof. tough one. But Fforde gets it because I know I’ll re-read it.
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Zoo City, Lauren Beukes
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Fire Logic, Laurie J. Marks
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliot
abstain
29. SECRET TEXTS
Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The March North, Graydon Saunders
Abhorsen, Garth Nix
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
Abstaining on a lot for reasons of unread opposition, though a couple of these votes are against books I didn’t read because of other authorial experiences. But some favourite books (BEAR!!) are in abstained brackets, so next heat, if they survive…
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
Easy choice, though Blue Girl had fewer of the deLint flaws than I feared.
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
ouch…
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
I HATE THESE DICE!!!!!!!!!! But Conrad’s Fate is not quite Jones’s peak and Night Watch is Pratchett’s. These two authors, incidentally, are shelved together and apart from most other books in my library.
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
Marks’ work is well-praised and deserves more audience, but Bujold steamrollers most things.
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
2 Abhorsen, Garth Nix
1 The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
Back to the bracket racket:
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
5. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
8. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
13. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
15. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
23. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
25. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
27. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
30. Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
32. (1) Abhorsen, Garth Nix, (2) The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Zoo City, Lauren Beukes
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya HuffOuch. Ouch ouch ouch. Giving it to Gladstone, purely on worldbuilding. But, OUCH. (Cally, may I have one of those cool, damp forehead cloths, please?)
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le GuinRange of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Another ouch. Bear, by an ursine nose.
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
I’m reading the Brennan now. Looks very promising, but in fairness, I have to abstain until I’m done. If I finish it before the voting closes, I’ll post a supplemental vote.
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Abstain, read neither. But the love for the Bennett is moving it up my TBR mountain range.
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Way of Kings, Brandon SandersonThe Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
Nominated Addison for a Hugo. Voted for this first place. Not changed my mind….
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge
Abstain, read neither.
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha WellsRosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Gah. Gah. Gah. <whimper> Um. McGuire, because she kept me up until 2:00 in the morning. On a work night. <renewing forehead cloth>
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
Fudoki, Kij Johnson
Abstain, haven’t read Johnson. But Jemisin rocks.
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
Abstain, haven’t read Atkinson. But Kowal roc… um… waltzes?
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
White Apples, Jonathan Carroll
Abstain, read neither. I’ve read other Carroll, but nothing by Aaronovitch, so I can’t vote on general talent either.
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
Abstain; never read Griffin. Didn’t much care about the Clarke.
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
Abstain; never read Brett.
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
Abstain, never read Sedia. At least now most of my abstentions are for brackets where it’s only ONE that I’ve not read…
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Child of a Rainless Year, Jane LindskoldUm. Kushner.
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
Liar, Justine Larbalestier
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
Abstain, read neither.
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Diviners, Libba Bray
Abstain.
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
Chime, Franny Billingsley
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
I wanna vote for Hodgell, but I’ve never read Billingsly. Abstain.
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
Abstain, not read Williams.
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
Abstain; not read Morgenstern.
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
Abstain; not read Scott & Barnett
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Abstain; not read Lindqvist
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
Maplecroft, Cherie Priest
Abstain; not read Priest
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Conrad’s Fate, Diana Wynne JonesNight Watch, Terry Pratchett
Pratchett, although Jones put up a good fight.
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia SamatarFforde by a mile. Didn’t actually like Stranger.
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Zoo City, Lauren Beukes
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
Abstain, don’t know Beukes. (But Gaiman really buttoned up this story. Heh. Heh.)
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
Abstain, haven’t read Hartman. (Oh, how I wish I could vote for Walton…)
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Fire Logic, Laurie J. Marks
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
Abstain, don’t know Marks. (Hope Bujold wins this one…)
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
Spirit Gate, Kate ElliotSunshine. One of the best vampire books I’ve read.
29. SECRET TEXTS
Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Abstain. Now I know who she is, I like Wilson’s work with Miss Marvel, but I don’t consider that I know her prose well enough to put it against Gentle.
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin HobbIn the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Um. Valente. Ship of Destiny isn’t one of Hobb’s best, while In the Night Garden is beautifully written.
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Sorry, Heather; I still haven’t read your book. I’ve got it on order from the library. Abstain.
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The March North, Graydon Saunders
Abhorsen, Garth NixThe Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
1st – Saunders
2nd – McKillip
3rd – Nix (no, I’ve still not read it. But I’ve read the other two, and I want to rank the other two, dammit. I never claimed to be consistent.)
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
Liar, Justine Larbalestier
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
19. DUELING WIZARDS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Point of Dreams, Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
TIE. I REFUSE. TIE, DAMMIT.
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
29. SECRET TEXTS
Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
ANOTHER TIE. FEEL THE BURN OF MY HATE.
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
@RedWombat: I’m concerned my cats won’t wait until I’m dead.
(Looks at nearly empty bag of cat food. Notices both cats are watching me.)
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Zoo City, Lauren Beukes
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Spirit Gate, Kate Elliot
13 of the 17 books I’ve read made it to this round, and not a single damn one of them is paired with another.
*sigh* Next round, maybe I’ll get to finally weigh in.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Abstain because…because….because I’m abstaining.
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Abstain
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
I love you, Maia!
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge
Abstain-only education in schools now! Teach your children to wait until brackets!
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
Fudoki, Kij Johnson
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
White Apples, Jonathan Carroll
And you get an abstention! And you get one! And you!
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
The Midnight Mayor, Kate Griffin
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
EVERYBODY GETS AN ABSTENTION! Look under your chairs!
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
The Painted Man (AKA The Warded Man), Peter V. Brett
The abstentions are full of bees!
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
The Alchemy of Stone, Ekaterina Sedia
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi
Evil abstaining bees!
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Child of a Rainless Year, Jane Lindskold
Goddamnit, Kyra! The one where I’ve read them both and dined with them both, and you do this?!
Child of a Rainless Year. I think I sprained something.
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
I’ll add that if we ever have a Best Hair Bracket, Lynch will walk away with that.
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Diviners, Libba Bray
My name is Abstainymandias, King of Kings…
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
GOD STALK
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
Look upon my failure to vote upon these works, ye mighty, and despair!
19. DUELING WIZARDS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Ugh. Any other book but Order, and I’d go Rowling, but there was a plot hole in that one you could drive a semi-trailer through.
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
If the day comes when you put Perdido against Goblin Emperor, I will be reduced to tears.
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
I abstain. Somewhere, a Stark trips and falls on something pointy.
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
Maplecroft, Cherie Priest
My abstentions know no bounds, I am become Death, Abstainer of Worlds
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Mine is a pure hate.
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
Just pretend I said something clever about abstaining here.
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
This vote intentionally left blank.
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
29. SECRET TEXTS
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ship of Destiny, Robin Hobb
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
I am just going to abstain and may be some time.
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The March North, Graydon Saunders
Abhorsen, Garth Nix
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
In light of the three way nature and the fact that I abstained enough to make up at least one real vote, I would like to vote for both Saunders and Nix.
Brrrrrrrrrracket!
1. Gladstone
3. Brennan
5. Addison
7. Seanan
8. Johnson (I am apparently the only person on earth who haaaated 100K)
9. Kowal
10. Aaronovich
13. Novik
21. Lindqvist
23. aaagggghhhhh… pTerry by a nose
25. Neil
26. Walton
27. Bujold
29. Wilson
30. Valente
31. Jones
JJ, at least that shows you’ve got good taste, to have so many survive the first round. (Or at least File770 taste.)
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MAGIC COST?
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
2. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
Sorry, I just like de Lint better.
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
One of the best I’ve read in a while.
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. THE OTHER WORLD HAS ISSUES
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
7. COMPLICATED COURTS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. THE ATTENTION OF THE GODS
Pass.
9. ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASANT
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Pass.
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. THE HORRORS COME AT NIGHT
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. THE ROAD TO SELF DISCOVERY
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushne
15. WHOLE LOT OF LYING GOING ON
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. I HAVE THE POWER
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
17. I HONESTLY DON’T MEAN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
18. CHINA NEW AND OLD
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
19. DUELING WIZARDS
Pass. I didn’t like either.
20. TALES OF THE CITY
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. GRIM, GRIM STORIES
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF HISTORY
Declare, Tim Powers
23. CAN FATE BE CHANGED?
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
Pass. I really need to read Stranger.
25. SOME THINGS SHOULD STAY LOST
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
26. DRAGON SHOWDOWN
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
27. BREAKING FREE OF THE PAST
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. THE GOOD GUYS ARE OUTNUMBERED
Pass.
29. SECRET TEXTS
Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Tie. Your dice are vile.
30. A COMPLEX CAST OF CHARACTERS
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Pass.
32. THREE WAY BATTLE!
The March North, Graydon Saunders
3. TRANSCENDING YOUR SOCIAL POSITION
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
4. DOORWAYS TO A DIFFERENT CITY
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. EMPERORS AND KINGS
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
10. ONE DAY SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
11. A VERY BRITISH MAGIC
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
13. GOLEM VS. DRAGON
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
24. THE POWER OF BOOKS
A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
31. WE WANT TO USE YOUR MAGIC SKILLS FOR PERFECTLY INNOCENT REASONS, HONEST
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND ONE — THE BIG ROUND
1. The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff
2. Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin
3. The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
5. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
7. Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
9. Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
14. Child of a Rainless Year, Jane Lindskold
16. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
17. To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
23. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
25. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
27. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
29. Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
31. Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
32. IRV on the THREE WAY BATTLE:
(1) Abhorsen, Garth Nix
(2) The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
(3) The March North, Graydon Saunders
> “Incidentally, Kyra, were you always this cruel or was it a trait you had to carefully nurture over the course of some years?”
Some are born cruel, some achieve cruelty, and some have cruelty thrust upon them.
I stole the cruelty of others, torn ragged from their souls, and consumed it until it became one with my flesh.
I’m trying to stay away yet couldn’t help but tune in when I saw the crocodile speaking.
Wright’s a lousy culture warrior, but do we want skilled ones? A left-right continuum is no longer even relevant to American politics if we are down to Trump and Sanders. As a frame for the war within the Church of Heinlein and the Fannish Pupquisition? Come on. Will everyone choose to be uploaded into the Red or the Blue Singularity? Does it depend on your cable package? Counterproductive, I suppose, misuse of his talents, definitely, but I kind of admire the self-indulgence and lack of discipline.
1. Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
2. Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
3. A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
4. City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
5. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
6. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
7. Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
8. Pass
9. Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. Pass
14. The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
16. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
17. Pass
18. Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
20. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
21. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
22. Declare, Tim Powers
23. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
24. A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar
25. Pass
26. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
27. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
28. Pass
29. Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
30. Pass
31. Summer Knight, Jim Butcher
32. The March North, Graydon Saunders
On the last thread, Kyra asked for suggestions for 21st century science fiction; JJ had a bunch, and here’s more, pulled from both discussions on this site and from goodreads
Ian M. Banks – Look to Windward (2000)
Alastair Reynolds – Revelation Space (2000)
Kage Baker – The Graveyard Game (2000)
Neal Asher – The Skinner (2002)
M. John Harrison – Light (2002)
Richard K. Morgan – Altered Carbon (2002)
Margaret Atwood – Oryx & Crake (2003)
Nancy Kress – Crossfire (2003) or something else
Ursula K. Le Guin – Changing Planes (2003)
Justina Robson – Natural History (2003)
Elizabeth Bear – Hammered (2004)
Ian McDonald – River of Gods (2004)
David Mitchell – Cloud Atlas (2004)
Peter F. Hamilton – Pandora’s Star (2004)
Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go (2005)
Ken MacLeod – Learning the World (2005)
Max Brooks – World War Z (2006)
Karl Schroeder – Sun of Suns (2006)
Jo Walton – Farthing (2006)
Kathleen Ann Goonan – In War Times (2007)
Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games (2008)
Paul McAuley – The Quiet War (2008)
Lauren Beukes – Moxyland (2008)
Paolo Bacigalupi – The Windup Girl (2009)
John Barnes – Directive 51 (2010)
Hannu Rajaniemi – The Quantum Thief (2010)
Greg Egan – Zendegi (2010)
Ernest Cline – Ready Player One (2011)
Steven Gould – 7th Sigma (2011)
Michael Swanwick – Dancing with Bears (2011)
Sabrina Vourvoulias – Ink (2012)
Catherynne M. Valente – Silently and Very Fast (2011)
Alaya Dawn Johnson – The Summer Prince (2013)
Kate Atkinson – Life After Life (2013)