(1) You might not have suspected that L. Frank Baum’s first book was about raising chickens.
At 20, Baum took on the then national craze—the breeding of fancy poultry. He specialized in raising of the Hamburg. In March 1880, he established a monthly trade journal, The Poultry Record.
And when he was 30, Baum published The Book of the Hamburgs: A Brief Treatise upon the Mating, Rearing, and Management of the Different Varieties of Hamburgs.
(2) Peter Capaldi’s interview by a local LA Times writer signals the arrival of a new season of Doctor Who.
At the base of Los Angeles’ Bradbury Building, a slender man in an impossibly clever suit considers the wrought-iron coils of the past that adorned the future of Ridley’s Scott’s neo-noir film. Tucked behind his Ray-Bans, the eyebrows that launched a thousand GIFs furrow.
Just so we’re clear, the 12th Doctor is standing in the “Blade Runner” building….
“It’s a marathon,” Capaldi says. “[Matt] knows what it is like, when you’re on Episode 10 and you’re really sort of dying on your feet. You’re thinking, ‘I’m not going to be able to learn any more lines, I’m not going to be able to pull anymore faces.’ [Matt Smith is] great because I can text him and say, ‘This is where I’m at. Can you help or do you remember this?’ He has totally been such a huge support. As David [Tennant, the 10th Doctor] has as well.”
The last regeneration from baby-faced Smith to the gray-locked Capaldi wasn’t just a change in character age, but in tone as well.
“I think The Doctor has become more and more accessible as the show has become more successful, and this sounds bad, but weirdly I want to make him more distant,” he says. “I don’t want to be so user friendly. I didn’t want to go out and say to the audience, ‘Love me.’ I wanted to be a more spikey character. Hopefully I’m a character that might be uncomfortable to be around. But interesting.”
(3) And the Times ran a companion article full of hints about future episodes.
Spoilers are deadly here — to the fun, certainly, but conceivably to the person who reveals them as well — but a few cats have officially been let out of the bag. There will be Daleks — yes, again and already — including what feels like a nod back to Coleman’s first appearance in the series, before she became a companion, back in “Asylum of the Daleks.”
There will be Missy (Michelle Gomez), the transgender reincarnation of the Master — news whose goodness the two-part opener, “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar,” penned by show runner Steven Moffat, only confirms. (One of Moffat’s great gifts to the series is a string of memorable women — indeed, all his best inventions have been female characters.)
Also, as trailers have shown, the Doctor will play an electric guitar with all the authority of a man — Capaldi, that is — who once led a Scottish punk band (Dreamboys, with Craig Ferguson — that Craig Ferguson — on drums). It’s a pointed, and explicitly pointed-out, reminder that David Tennant’s and Smith’s young and madcap Doctors still live within him: “It’s my party, and all of me are invited.” Said another way: He’s not as old as he looks. (Some 2,000 years of living notwithstanding.)
(4) On Monkeys Fighting Robots the “Top 10 Doctor Who Episodes” begin with —
- The Doctor’s Wife
The Season 6 episode “The Doctor’s Wife” was guest written by Neil Gaiman, a man best known for writing Stardust, Coraline and The Sandman and his episode was awarded the 2011 Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Best Dramatic Presentation at the 2012 Hugo Awards.
This episode sees The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams receiving a distress call from a Time Lord and enter into a rift between Universes to try and save him or her. Where they end up is a void made up from trash and space debris where a group of people have salvaged a living from the junk. Also with them is an eccentric woman called Idris who pretty much jumps on The Doctor when she first sees him.
What made this episode such a delight was Suranne Jones’ performance as Idris, a unhinged woman who is completely batty and has a mysterious connection to The Doctor. Jones was fantastic, letting out her inner Helena Bonham Carter and injected a lot of humor in the episode. Gaiman’s written ensure that was a balance of drama and comedy and references the history of the show.
(5) Missed a big 50th anniversary the other day – the first aired episode of Get Smart on September 18, 1965.
The episode, Mr. Big, introduced Agent 86, Maxwell Smart played by Don Adams and his partner, the inimitable Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) as agents of CONTROL.
Headed by their boss, The Chief (Edward Platt), 86 and 99 worked together to fight the forces of KAOS. In the pilot, Mr. Big, we see the only actual appearance of the head of KAOS, played by little person Michael Dunn, before he is killed by episode’s end by his own Doomsday death ray.
Inspired by The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (which in itself was inspired by the James Bond craze of the early 60’s), Get Smart spoofed every aspect of spy culture including colorful villains, outrageous gadgets and ridiculous plots.
(6) Brian K. Lowe in “It’s the Little Things that We Count”.
Sure, this is all for fun, and everybody’s entitled, but there are issues out there that we should be paying attention to: climate change, record refugee migrations, wealth distribution, a presidential election season being run by reality stars. (Somebody has probably actually predicted this somewhere along the line.) Why should we care if No Award got the Hugo for Best Short Story when right outside the auditorium record forest fires, fueled by unprecedented drought, made the air seem less like Spokane than Beijing?
And why isn’t anyone blogging about that?
I have a simple theory: It’s too big. We can’t handle this stuff. This is the sort of thing we elected those guys in Washington to solve for us. See how well that’s worked out.
But you know what? We’re Science Fiction. We think about the big issues, the future. Up until now, instead of the guys in Washington, we’ve let the guys in SFWA do the heavy lifting, so we can concentrate on nominating patterns and voting blocs. Except now the guys in SFWA are right down there with us. We’re letting a thousand ant-like problems distract us from the elephants in the room. Because it’s easier.
I’m not going to sit here at my computer and claim I have the way out. I’m not to claim that I’m any better than anyone else, that I’ve been fighting the good fight while everyone else sat at their bivouac. I don’t, and I haven’t. I’ve fed the monster of small concerns like a lot of others.
But it’s time to stop. It’s time for us in science fiction to stop squabbling about petty matters and get back to bigger things. The kind of looming apocalypses that we can imagine, because we’re not afraid to. The kind of doomsday scenarios that used to be science fiction.
(7) Daniel in “The Forgotten Core of Science Fiction is Not Science” on Castalia House Blog takes on David Brin’s critique of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora.
Good science fiction may include politics of some sort, but despite what Brin asserts, that shouldn’t be its measure. Nor should “competence porn.” It is simply a myth that science fiction’s job is to correct any perceived tropes of the past.
Ken Burnside demonstrated an understanding of this very well in his Hugo award-nominated The Hot Equations. His counsel on the better implementation of physics into space combat is less focused on correcting tropes and is instead written entirely from the perspective of serving an underserved genre:
Thermodynamically limited space opera is a greatly underserved niche, in the overlapping circles of a Venn diagram between Hard SF and military science fiction. – Ken Burnside, The Hot Equations
Where Burnside is on target, Brin is off base. Brin’s argument is based on a premise: that in the future, Science Fiction depends on better political messaging and a commitment to progress.
Brin is half right: Science Fiction can be about an optimistic future that comes about through hard work and sound engineering. But does not, at its core only include that. Despite what Brin asserts, 1984 is not a positive self-denying prophecy. Orwell did not prevent a society that falls repeatedly under totalitarian thought policing – he merely provided a fictional setting that helped some readers identify it when it came for them.
(8) Amanda Palmer is a songwriter, musician and performance artist. She’s about to have her first child. She spoke with NPR’s Rachel Martin about the dueling demands of motherhood and art in “An Artist Worries: Will Motherhood Compromise Creativity?”
MARTIN: So you get this letter from your faithful fan. And you write in the response that this person essentially confirmed your deepest fears about being a mother and an artist. What a nice thing for this person to have done.
PALMER: Yeah, I mean, the part of the letter that confirmed my deepest fears wasn’t so much the are you tricking us into crowdfunding a baby. It was more of this fan’s terror that now that I was having a baby, I wasn’t going to be a good artist anymore.
MARTIN: And is the concern that having a baby – for obvious reasons, it changes your daily routines and your life in terms of how you use your time. But is your concern more about what will be the impact on your creativity?
PALMER: Yeah, I think so. I mean, it’s seems like there’s a paradox out there because on the one hand, so many artists who are parents will tell you that having children unlocks this unforeseen wellspring of creativity. On the other hand, some of the proof of concept (laughter) can fly in the face of that. And, you know, there’s definitely artists out there who kind of get boring after they have kids but seem to not be aware of it. So nobody’s anecdotal evidence can really prepare you for what’s going to happen. You just know that you’re going to change and you don’t know how.
(9) Best Related Work, Edible? Tattooed Bakers made this Groot Cake, a frosted Jupiter, and a cake referencing The Hobbit.
[Thanks to Will R. and John King Tarpinian for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Iphinome.]
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I’m more a fantasy than SF fan. I’m only pointing out the difference in TSK to coutnter Brin. I think he was thinking of the Vorkosigan books and not TSK, because as badly argued as that premise is, it would be even worse as applied to TSK, which is fantasy.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
This was hard. But LMB is just that good.
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
6. GARDEN PARTY
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
Good to have you back Kyra.
I haven’t been voting in the brackets because I’m usually reading a few days behind. By the time I know what’s up for voting, votes have been counted already. But this is today!
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
The first thing I said about this pairing was unprintable. Sorry, Kyra.But these are two of my favourites! That said, I fully expect Bujold to win, so I’m giving the nod to McGuire.
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Night Watch is one of my less favourite Pratchetts, which gives just enough edge to Snake Agent
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
I don’t like either of these. Pass.
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
My affection for Novik’s dragons went down as the series went on, but my fondness for Jamethiel Priest’s-bane has just gone up.
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
I don’t like Rothfuss, but Name of the Wind was brilliant.
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Pass.
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
6. GARDEN PARTY:
Write-In: Jack O’Lantern Girl, Jenna Moran. The Hitherby Dragons “origin story” is a powerful tale of abuse and survival.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS:
A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when A Song of Ice and Fire didn’t have way too many viewpoint characters.
There was something else I meant to write in, but I’m darned if I can remember what.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
I think I’m hitting more valid opinions as we go on (though with my usual caveat about “to read is to choose”). I’d have to go back and count to be sure and it isn’t *that* interesting to me.
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Ah well, it was lovely while it lasted. But you know, on the basis of “which of these books gave me more joy” I do have to stick close to home. Forgive me.
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
6. GARDEN PARTY
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
I dithered a bit about abstaining on #6 because I feel SoMaH is delightful but a bit lightweight. But still, I was attracted enough to read it, so it still gets my vote.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
McKinley is delightful but TPotS is queen of the universe.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor
13. MI-?
Declare, Tim Powers
16. IRV FTW
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Sorry Badger-teakettle even though I suggested “Snake Agent” as a contender & have much love for it, but “Night Watch” was a Pratchett highpoint.
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
I never squeed over JS&MN as much as some other readers, for me “Ash” was a more rewarding read.
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers
A factor was me bouncing off “Declare” on at least two occasions with the Americanisms, whereas “the Eyre Affair” is a quintessentially English whimsical fantasy.
I’m poorly read compared to many, partly because I’m reluctant to start reading series whilst they are still incomplete: mostly because of The Wheel of Time & the Tony Daniel’s trilogy that began with “Metaplanetary”*. I’ve only read the first two ASoIaF because by the time “A Storm of Swords” came out, I didn’t want to have to go back & re-read from the beginning to catch up.
*It’s got bags of sensawunda & I would recommend it highly for the insane gonzo worldbuilding and the neat characters but. It wasn’t until about fifty pages from the end that it became apparent that it was not a stand-alone but a duology? And then the sequel “Superluminal” came out. And no, the story wasn’t concluded in that book either. And then the publisher declined to publish the third, and presumably the conclusion to the series. Gah! (It’s still worth the read so long as you go in knowing that there is no conclusion).
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan –abstain
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
–abstain
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
— abstain
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
— abstain
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
— abstain
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers– abstain
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley — abstain
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
12. MI-?
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
It hurttsss, it does!
We wanted to watch the premiere episode of Get Smart, but my mother wouldn’t let us (back in the day when we only had a single TV in the house) because she was under the mistaken belief that it was some sort of game show.
2. …
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
but it was hard. And I see it only gets harder.
3. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
7. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
12. The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. Declare, Tim Powers
Again with Le Sigh. Love to them both, but a slight edge to the Powers. If it were The Last Dragonslayer series by Fforde? It would have been harder.
14. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. … Gladstone -vs- Grossman
I don’t know that I can. Tie. Love them both, I does. And their other books in their series.
16. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
Now where are my smelling salts, and those forehead cloths.
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
That didn’t start well.
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Nope
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
Nope – DoM is on the Kindle, but I was too slow for this one
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
Dragon fighting is always painful
I feel faint
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
Nope
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
Oh damn it
Pass me my salts
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
WHAT
Um, um, um,
Could we switch these categories around a bit?
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
And again, what
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
Nope
Both on my Kindle
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers
Nope
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
Nope
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Nope
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Oh just hold on now, really?
Um
Bear, Jemisin, Bennett
faints
@Ginger,
…is your ballot actually devoid of preference, or is there something goofy in my web browser where I can’t see it?
@Kevin Hogan
Looks like you might not be able to see some bolding?
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Ack, ack. Cally, I need two, no three cooling cloths. Stat!
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
That hurt a lot. But the Bujold is the better book.
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
abstain
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
abstain
I haven’t read the Jones, and while I like the Gaiman, I don’t love it enough to vote it against something I haven’t read.
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
I confess to not having read the Brennan, but I don’t care. I love Tooth and Claw unreservedly
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
abstain I like the Kowal, but I suspect that when I get around to the Valente, I will like it better.
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
abstain
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
abstain
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
abstain
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
abstain
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers
I would vote against tThe Eyre Affair, which I truly hated, but I dislike Powers, although I haven’t read Declare so I must abstain.
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Bold as Love (God Stalk!)
abstain
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Only ranking one, here, since I’ve only read one.
I suspect Ginger used [b] instead of [strong] (replace [] with pointybrackets).
Ok, I’ve looked at the page source, and she did. Here’s Ginger’s ballot with b replaced with strong:
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
Tie.
6. GARDEN PARTY
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
I could probably have skipped voting entirely and Kyra would have known my vote in at least two of these, maybe three.
Braces!*
1. McGuire.
2. Pratchett.
3. Gaiman.
8. Rowling. Sorry, George.
12. Stross.
13. Fforde, for the Toast Marketing Board alone.
* aka “brackets, curly, which is similar to being round twice”
PS. DRAGONS
Aha! That explains why I can see some (but not all) of the bolding.
Fortune favors the bold, but Firefox favors the strong?
Bookmark in U.S. for this week – I don’t know if its international – this is from Women in Practical Armor Kickstarter announced today:
Crappy link
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=evil+girlfriend+media&sprefix=evil+girlfrien,digital-text,189
The genocide discussion has me considering another story idea, in which an AI does something horrible and the dominant superpower latches onto that event as an excuse to exterminate all extant AIs and prohibit the creation of any more. The viewpoint character is an AI who lives in a synthetic body that’s good enough to pass for human under most circumstances. He works in advertising due to his knack for memetics, and now has to find a way to escape before being discovered.
Working title: Slogan’s Run.
Yay! I can actually vote on a few of these!
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Dammit! Now I have to pick one!
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
This is tough. Really tough. Bujold proves that she can do fantasy just as well as she does SF. But McGuire got me to actually love mythic urban fantasy — something I’d have sworn no one would be able to do. So it’s R&R by an edge.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
Both series have much to commend them. But I’m going to go with HP by a hair, because I kind of think that GRRM’s series jumped the shark in this book.
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Grossman’s series is Narnia done much better than C.S. Lewis’ version. Gladstone is great, but I’ve got to go with The Magicians.
16. IRV FTW
1 – The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
2 – City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
I’ve only read two of these, but they’re both fantastic and so incredibly inventive. So I’m going to vote anyway. HTK by a nose.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
I do believe this is actually getting moderately easier for me. Hooray.
1. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
7. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
9. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
13. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
16. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
Voting before I read anyone else’s votes (or anything else on the thread since the vote went up). I did notice I had read at least one book in every bracket — but still a few too many of the ones I like against things I don’t know well enough to vote against. (One of the below is a vote against something I consciously chose not to read, though.)
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
(ow…)
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
TIE. Your dice hate me personally. And they’re snickering.
16. IRV FTW
2 The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
1 Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
(And I can’t vote for or against Bennett)
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Abstain. Didn’t read the offerings.
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
No contest.“He will walk through walls!” still chokes me up.
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Abstain — didn’t read.
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
Abstain
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
Abstain
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
A toughie, but OtotP didn’t have the emotional impact for me that HBP did.
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
Abstain
13. MI-?
Abstain
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Abstain
16. IRV FTW
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
The Eternal Sky series are the first books by Bear that not only piqued my interest but kept them. I’d bounced hard off everything else by her before.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
I don’t like Rivers of London enough to vote for it against something I haven’t read.
13. MI-?
I don’t like Fforde and am not all that struck on Powers, so abstaining again.
16. IRV FTW
No Preference
We actually have enough pairings where I’ve read both, this time, that I’m going to weigh in. There are a few where I’m going to vote for something I have read above something I haven’t.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuirePaladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
That guy who said that Rosemary and Rue is a good and fun book, but Paladin is one of the best ever? I’m with him.
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose JonesCoraline, Neil Gaiman
I’m sorry, Heather. I really am. But I’m not voting against Coraline.
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott LynchThe Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. ValenteShades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
I join with Jim Henley in writing in Jenna Moran’s Jack O’Lantern Girl! Moran is an unappreciated genius.
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
abstain.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. RowlingThe series went badly downhill after this one, but I still place it above Harry Potter. And this book is where it peaked.
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. HodgellHis Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
So often in these series the first is the best. The first Temeraire beats out the fourth Jame.
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick RothfussEasy one.
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary GentleJonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
I haven’t actually read Ash but I cannot imagine liking it better than I did Clarke’s masterpiece.
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben AaronovitchSimilarly here.
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper FfordeDeclare, Tim Powers
One of Powers’ best, and that’s saying a lot.
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen KushnerSunshine, Robin McKinley
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Read and loved the Jemisin, haven’t read the others, so 1. Jemisin, abstain otherwise.
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
6. In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
10. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
14. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
16. IRV
(1) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
(3) City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
(2) Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
Regarding Lowe and Daniel: Oh, Puppies. So bad at the reading comprehension and the Googling of actual facts. Still.
Regarding Pournelle “not following” fannish politics yet expressing an opinion on them which accords 100% with the guy he’s now in business with? Suuuuper hypocritical, or at best nonsensical. Also, increasingly worried about his decision-making capability and command of all facts. Unless he’s just decided to go with completely lying in order for feelthy lucre. In which case, say so; people understand wanting to make mo’ money and respect naked greed more than hypocrisy.
————————————————————–
Brackets, which are becoming increasingly difficult, argh.
1. argh gargh gargh… Rosemary and Rue, for the SanFran-ness
2. Night Watch
3. arrrrrrrghhhh… Daughter of Mystery
4. aaarrrrrrrrrrrghhhh… Natural History grarrrrggghhh
5. abstain, take deep breath
6. Shades of Milk and Honey, TOTES, no argh needed
7. abstain
8. abstain
9. His Majesty’s Dragon, also totes
10. The Goblin Emperor
11. abstain
12. Rivers of London, again totes.
13. abstain
14. abstain
15. Three Parts Dead, yep.
16. Range of Ghosts and then No Award
Well, it got easier there at the end, and will sadly get even easier next round when more of my faves go down.
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
6. Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
10. The Goblin Emperor
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
15. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Cubist: I note that a big part of why Pournelle went with Castalia is that Castalia promised to take care of a bunch of fiddly details for Pournelle. One hopes, for Pournelle’s sake, that VD handles said details better in the case of the TWBW anthologies than he did in the case of the late, unlamented Warmouse.
It’s really nice that JP trusts TB enough to believe that there will be honest accounting done, and royalties paid accordingly. Me, I look at someone’s past behavior and use that to gauge the likelihood of them being trustworthy. Given that TB has a long history of playing fast and loose with the truth… well, I hope that anyone who submits to the new anthologies knows what they’re signing on for. And anyone whose story is in a previously-published anthology that’s being reprinted — well, how will they ever know if they’re being properly paid?
JP has essentially told those people “If you don’t get your royalty checks, it’s not my problem, talk to Castalia House”.
1. Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. Coraline, Neil Gaiman (mean….)
4. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
6. Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal (oh, so harsh)
7. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin (that took a certain amount of stopping and thinking)
9. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (I didn’t really get on with the sequels, but the first book is excellent)
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (grrrrr)
11. Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle (That is such a harsh choice, but ultimately Ash stayed with me longer)
12. nope nope nope
13. Declare, Tim Powers
15. Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone (Gah!)
16. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
What are the dice going to do next? Declare vs Ash?
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman – I think this is my favorite non-graphical Gaiman work.
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch – maybe not the best in the series but clever and different.
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville – flawed but tremendous.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling – a high point in the series of the adolescent wizard.
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss – I’ll go with the arrogant this time. As far as wizards go I prefer the introvert Ged to Rothfuss’s extrovert but I’m still a sucker for wizards growing up.
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke – or wizards hanging out with Wellington for that matter.
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross – or wizards dealing with HR
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
4. A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
ow, ow, ow ow!
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
13. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
16. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Meredith on September 20, 2015 at 7:17 pm said:
Don’t know why it’s a creeping feeling. I’ll straight-up admit to doing that. Science fiction rules; fantasy drools! :p 😉
And yes, by the standards of its time, I think Gulliver’s Travels can be considered science fiction. 😀
I see this is where it starts getting really difficult….
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. MI-?
Declare, Tim Powers
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. MAGIC LESSONS
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
16. IRV FTW
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
4. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
5. The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
7. Tie
8. Tie
9. To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
13. Declare, Tim Powers
14. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
16. City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett (1), The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin (2)
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
(San Francisco Faerie Noir)
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
(That was a hard one, but Pterry gets the vote)
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
(The OTHER mother)
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
(Revolutionary dragonlore!)
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
(Now, if it had been Stony Bridge! #absolutely)
6. GARDEN PARTY
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
(The New Orleans bid’s site is just off Perdido Street)
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
(Because I own a literal piece of the UK cover art…)
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
(Napoleonic dragonry FTW!)
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
(It’s a fantasy West Wing)
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
(Because stone computers)
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
(Hey, I live in Mo’s flat)
13. MI-?
Declare, Tim Powers
(Because stone computers)
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
(I used to be an IT consultant, and yes, it was like this)
16. IRV FTW
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
(A broken Rodina)
@Rev. Bob:
Speaking of those who should be exterminated…
IOW: Good show, sir!
::god stalk::
‘This is not X but Y’ can be motivated either by a concern for the purity of X, or by a concern for the scope and significance of Y.
Or it can just be motivated by an interest in classification. I have argued both that A Natural History of Dragons is not fantasy but SF, and that Redshirts is not SF but fantasy.
@Jim Henley:
The sad thing is, I’m not entirely kidding about that one. Sure, the ad exec angle is fun, but otherwise, I could see it as fanfic in the future of the Ex Machina universe.
If it weren’t so late, I’d take a minute to tell you about the emo kids I ran into who were discussing a File 770 favorite. That’s right – Goths Talked God Stalk.
1. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
7. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross (just)
13. Declare, Tim Powers
14. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
16. City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett (just)
Kyra,
Your dice are evil. Are you sure you don’t GM?
—
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
Tie
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
Your dice are evil. Gggnnnnnnaaaaaahhhhh.
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
That was a close one.
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
Pass
I’ve read both, but don’t particulalry like either of them.
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
GODSTALK! Plus I feel like Novik passed on a lot of world building and defaulted to stereotypes for characters.
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
Bleah. I hate passing and putting a tie.
The Goblin Emperor.
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
13. MI-?
Declare, Tim Powers
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
That was a tough one, The Magicians may have been better crafted, but I’ve re-read Three Parts Dead several times.
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin 3
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett 1
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear 2
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
(Sorry not sorry.)
2. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
4. Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
(Somehow I was underwhelmed by Brennan, although in theory I should have loved it. )
7. The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
(Probably not going to win but here’s hoping)
8. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
9. To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
10. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
11. Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
(Ow ow, poor tender forehead. But had to be done.)
12. Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
(Another tough one. Sorry, Charlie.)
13. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
(Ouch again.)
14. The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
15. Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
16. (For feck’s sake! I really like them all.)
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett – 1
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin – 2
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear – 3
(marking this point)
Rev. Bob on September 21, 2015 at 5:53 am said:
@Jim Henley:
The sad thing is, I’m not entirely kidding about that one. Sure, the ad exec angle is fun, but otherwise, I could see it as fanfic in the future of the Ex Machina universe.
If it weren’t so late, I’d take a minute to tell you about the emo kids I ran into who were discussing a File 770 favorite. That’s right – Goths Talked God Stalk.
So Rev. Bob,
At 5:53am, are you up early or still up?
If this is the kind of thing your brain does if it is still on at dawn, that’s one thing.
If this is how you greet the coming day, it’s another.
I really, really, like me a good pun, though, it’s rather as if gods talked.
Kyra on September 20, 2015 at 4:26 pm said:
21ST CENTURY FANTASY, ROUND TWO
1. THE KNIGHT ERRANT AND THE PALADIN
Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
2. POLICE SQUAD!
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Snake Agent, Liz Williams
3. ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
4. RESPECTABLE DRACONOLOGY
Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton
A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
5. YET MORE FALSE THINGS
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
The Tower at Stony Wood, Patricia McKillip
6. GARDEN PARTY
In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
7. ALL MANNER OF STRANGE BEINGS
The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
abstain
8. BATTLE OF THE BEST-SELLERS
A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling
9. CARNIVOROUS UNICORNS, MILITARY DRAGONS
To Ride a Rathorn, P. C. Hodgell
His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik
10. THE HUMBLE AND THE ARROGANT
The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
11. NOT THE EUROPE YOU REMEMBER
Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
12. MI-?
The Atrocity Archives, Charles Stross
Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot), Ben Aaronovitch
13. MI-?
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
Declare, Tim Powers
I hate your dice, Kyra. Declare by a millishake
14. DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Sunshine, Robin McKinley
15. MAGIC LESSONS
Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
16. IRV FTW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett
Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear