Decided I needed to change the poll, so I put one up with 13 choices. Unlike most polls I run, this one allows multiple choices, as I'm curious to know which books from the ones I listed that readers here think would be most likely to make at least one of the Big Three (Hugo, Nebula, WFA) American-oriented awards for 2009/10 (since the Nebula has a rolling eligibility thing and I can't remember if any of the books here might qualify for that).
And no, I didn't name any McDevitt or Bujold books, since those are almost sure things for the Nebula shortlists, right? ;) But if you think another book (or one of theirs) is a good bet to make a shortlist this year, feel free to mention them in the comments here. After all, those books I mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg, I know...
The Empirical Approach to Learning
1 day ago
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I voted for Lavinia, Little Brother, Anathem and the Shadow Year.
You see, I'm certain that Abercrombie is never going to be chosen for any of these 3 awards, no matter how good it is ( and I liked it a great deal). Lavinia on the other hand is by Le Guin and has of course been hailed by critics. No doubt it will appear. Anathem has been lauded as a great achievement and will undoubtedly make some nominations. Little Brother has also received a lot of positive attention for being so true to it's time and all that stuff.
Shadow Year is by Ford and strikes me as simply a good novel that could be nominated.
I've not nominated Evil Guest because even though it is by one of the seemingly auto-award nominees it has been poorly received. Of course this will not deter the judges of these awards, but still, it is considered a weak Wolfe effort.
I agree, especially with the Wolfe comment, as An Evil Guest was a subpar effort by him.
I'm sure you didn't mention Gaiman for the same reason you didn't mention Bujold and McDevitt.
I don't think Abercrombie will be nominated, though I think he maybe should be nominated. However, he did publish two books in the US in 2008 since Before They Are Hanged first hit US shelves in March.
What about Matter by Banks? Seems he's overdue for one of these things with all the very positive attention his writing receives.
True, Gaiman is pretty much a given, unless he himself pulls himself from the running again. While I thought the Abercrombie offerings were merely decent to good fare after a re-read, it wouldn't surprise me if his book finishes in the top 15 in nominations for the Hugos, although when you think about it... ;)
The Banks I left off pretty much only because I hadn't read it yet and I therefore wouldn't know if it'd be the type of book worth praising, although I hear it has been just that type of book...
I'd add Elizabeth Bear's "All the Windwracked Stars". Pub date was October 2008 so it's eligible, right?
Lavinia may make WFA, but it won't make the Hugo or Nebula lists because enough people with think its not skiffy enough to get a skiffy award. I think those people are stupid, but they will have an influence.
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