Hugos There

[admin]

I enjoy Kim Stanley Robinson. I liked Antartica a lot. Robinson may be the most realistic sf writer currently working in the field, as far as science, politics, and human nature go. On the other hand, he is not as much fun as the lies Heinlein tells, about how we are all smart and strong and brave, and will win out over the bad guys. I enjoy KSR, but I love RAH.

[spacecat]

I am another fan of KSR's and have read all of his recent work. I really loved the Mars trilogy and went from them to Antarctica. I was less fond of The Years of Rice and Salt but am really into the two newest books. Forty Signs of Rain and Fifty Degrees Below are both great. When DC was flooding this spring, it really made me think he was onto something!

I love the detailed descriptions and the character studies. When reading one of his books I feel like I'm really there and totally involved with the story.

But you know there is a lot to be said for variety and the idea of something for everyone... I not only find that I enjoy writers that others may not, but that I cannot abide some writers that have enormous followings. Robert Jordan for instance, ... oh please!

And I like both KSR and RAH. They both tell great stories!

[epicfantasy7]

I have read 19 of them so far and these are almost all from the early years. Asimov/Heinlein/Clarke and the likes. the past few years my reading taste has turned more toward the epic fantasy novels. I tried the 2005 winner (Jonathan Strange) but didn't like it. American Gods is high on my list though.

[spacecat]

Yes, American Gods was really great. Early on in the book Shadow drives thru my home town, Peru, IL. That was an added bonus.

[k1w1taxi]

Have finally finished every Hugo & Nebula winning novel except this years so thought I would share some thoughts.

When reading these I rated them between 1 and 5 in my reading journal with the following results

Hugos 5 - 6 books (Snow Queen, DownbelowStation, Enders Game, Deepness in The Sky, American Gods, Paladin of Souls)
4 - 15
3 - 26
2 - 6 (Case of Conscience, Starship Troopers, This Immortal, Hyperion, Gateway, Strange & Norrell)

Nebulas 5 - 4 (Ender, American Gods, Paladin & Speed of Dark)
4 - 15
3 - 17
2 - 3 (Einstein Intersection, Gateway, No Enemy But Time)

Trends I have noticed include the growing size of the books, and the lack of Hard SF among the winners especially in the last decade where fantasy has made a real impact. Greater minds than mine will no doubt ponder what this says about the world we live in.

Despite what non sf readers might think it seems to me that the single person is still at the core of the really good sf. Just like 'real' literature. Speaking of which I have generally found these winners to be better reading than the few Booker winners I have tried.

Between the two different awards I have noticed that while there might as well not have been two awards in the 70's there seems almost to have been a concious effort to avoid repitition in winners since the late 80's (only 4 double winners since 87 compered to 13 between 69 and 86) and IMO the nebulas have generally been stronger.

Finally those that will/have stayed with me the most

Way Station
Enders Game
Speaker for the Dead
Deepness in the Sky
Speed of Dark

Cheers
Lee

[temp]

..interesting how people's opinions differ. I take it your personal rating system is 5 is the best, and 1 is the worst (relative term...I don't mean bad).

for example, although I enjoyed them, I wouldn't put Paladin and American Gods in the top rating...they would have fallen in the middle for me. Hyperion I would have put in my favourites category, but I agree with Deepness...hey, you should publish your personal rating journal online so I can get some ideas

[k1w1taxi]

LOL

Almost right. 5 is indeed the top but the bottom is 0, reserved for books so poor that I couldn't be bothered finishing.

As for the differences, that is what makes the world go around. Have found several really good books based on commoners (as opposed to critics) ratings. I often find them more in tune with what I like than critics writings/ratings. Especially in moviedom, have been burnt too often by the latest blockbuster superpic (anybody remember Independence Day - worlds most overhyped and worst SF movie)

For me when rating a book the biggest factor is probably how well the story, or the characters engage me. For example I rated Einstein Intersection a 2, not because the writing itself was poor just that the story it told was incomprehensible to me. Conversely Paladin is probably only moderately well written on a technical level and certainly breaks no new ground within the genre. However there was something I just identified with in Ista and the others that swept me along and in my eyes - and as it won the Awards others eyes too I suppose - that lifted it above the pack.

Don't know about posting my 'journal' online, but an I've been reading thread might be a good idea, just might be a while before I contribute my first one as I am currently reading Last & First Men which while interesting, at least initially, tends to put me to sleep after 20 or so pages - or that might just be the long hours at work

Cheers
Lee

[hegemon]

I suggest for those who want to read Olaf Stapledon that they start with Odd John. It's like reading James Joyce. You start with Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, not with Finnigans Wake.

[HomieBear]

Although my readings are more a random product of what I dig up in used bookstores, I also try to readf as many Hugo and Nebula winners as possible, and nominees too. I just discovered Philip J Farmer's The Alley Man the other night at work, it's incredible, it lost to Flowers For Algernon in 1960.

[temp]

I just read the hugo and nebula winner, "Flowers For Algernon". Not sure if this has been chatted already on the forum or not...

I know I was reading a book, but man I felt like I was watching a walt disney cartoon, complete with morals/lessons spelled out for me.

The only other double hugo/nebula winner that I've read years ago was Ender's Game...which I thought was awesome so perhaps my expectations were high...

But this Flowers for Algernon...there was even an awkward "love" scene towards the end. Stuff about "body and soul becoming one"...I think I almost made a gagging sound.

[admin]

Note that the "Flowers for Algernon" that won the Hugo and Nebula was the short version, which is better than either the novelization or the movie.