2012 Hugo Awards to be Announced Sunday in Chicago
So we thought, going into the Hugo weekend, we’d take a closer look at the finalists in the best novel category. (You can find the full list of finalists here--and check out our prior Hugos coverage here and here.)
Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor). As I wrote in a review for the New York Times Book Review, the novel “purports to be the diary entries of 15-year-old Morwenna Phelps, but it is really a
strong argument for the importance of books and reading. Set in the late 1970s
in Wales and England, the novel follows Morwenna’s adventures at boarding
school after a car accident has left her with chronic injuries…Morwenna can see
fairies, her mother is really an evil witch, and the car accident that injured
her and killed her sister was part of a magical conflict…It’s a brave act to
write a novel that is in essence all aftermath, but Walton succeeds admirably.
Her novel is a wonder and a joy.” Walton does a great job of sticking to the
ambiguous with regard to the fantastical elements, and makes the idea of faery
folk wonderfully strange. For those voters who love reading—which would seem to
include all of them—the novel strongly evokes one’s own memories of
encountering beloved books, and for this reason it would seem to have the
possibility of winning against the odds.
A Dance With Dragons, George R.
R. Martin (Bantam Spectra). Given high expectations, there was never any
way that Martin could satisfy all readers with the latest installment in his
epic fantasy series, but he has brought back all of the elements that have made
him successful: drama and melodrama, intrigue, battles, characters you care about,
and a breadth of vision that has always served him well. As I wrote in a review
for the Los Angeles Times: “Some reviewers have compared Martin's work to that of
J.R.R. Tolkien or even William Shakespeare, but the truth is a little more
complex. The Song of Ice and Fire novels work so well because the epic fantasy
is grounded in a strong horror element and because Martin skillfully conveys
the gritty physicality of the world while moving, with equal effectiveness,
between various levels of society. Martin also owes a debt to the dark yet
humane cynicism of writers like Jack Vance, even though he cares much more
about the inner life of his characters than Vance. Martin's devotion to fully
inhabiting his characters, for better or worse, creates the unstoppable
momentum in his novels and contains an implied criticism of Tolkien's moral
simplicity.” In terms of sheer number of copies printed (not to mention the
popular HBO series) and thus potential voters reached, and considering that
Martin is largely loved by core genre readers…it might be foolish to bet
against A Dance with Dragons winning
the Hugo.
Deadline, Mira Grant (Orbit). Grant has tapped into a popular archetype with her take on zombies: “Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has. But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster that attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead. Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.” Grant has a significant presence in other categories of the Hugo finalist ballot (including under her real name, Seanan McGuire), which indicates she has a powerful voting bloc of readers behind her. That might or might not translate into a Hugo win, but the strong showing all around indicates she’s a player with staying power.
Embassytown, China Miéville (Macmillan/Del Rey). The popular
(and critically acclaimed) author delved full-on into science fiction with this
novel, which may remind some readers of 1970s
socio-political science fiction by the likes of Ursula K. Le Guin. Avice
Brenner Cho narrates this alien contact adventure set in Embassytown, a human
outpost on the planet of Arieka. The indigenous Ariekei have helped create
livable space for humans on the planet’s otherwise toxic surface. Thus far,
they have lived in an equitable alliance. But then things change, with Miéville using the novel as a way of talking about the uses and
mis-uses of language. At times, Embassytown functions as thriller, sometimes a
close character study, and sometimes a fascinating rhapsody about
communication. Unlike with his past novels, critical praise was far from
unanimous, the author’s adventuring perhaps farther than some wanted to follow.
In any other year, Miéville would be a favorite to win, but
with stiff competition from all quarters, he might in 2012 legitimately be
considered the underdog.
Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey (Orbit). The author in this case is a pen name for two writers: Ty Frank and Daniel Abraham. On the face of it, the novel is an old-fashioned space opera set in a colonized solar system (with the stars still well beyond human reach), but reviews seem to indicate it’s a fairly sophisticated approach. Within this future setting, “Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for - and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.” Meanwhile, “Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.” For voters who are fans of traditional science fiction, this may the choice for them. Is Leviathan Wakes on the outside looking in or secretly a sleeper favorite? I honestly don’t know.
In my estimation, unless
A Dance with Dragons is just too big
a juggernaut to overcome, this year’s Hugo Award is wide open in the novel
category. Tune in Sunday to find out what happens…
How many of these novels have you read---and who do you
think will win?
Paul Weimer (@princejvstin) on August 30, 2012 at 11:11 AM
I've read Embassytown,Among Others and Leviathan Wakes
I won't reveal my vote--but I think Dance with Dragons will win.
Sam M-B on August 30, 2012 at 11:16 AM
I've read 4 of the 5, having only read the first of Grant's Newsflesh series (Feed) and while I found it quite good, it's neither the book in question here (Newsflesh) nor quite as good as the top three books here. It's hard to pick between A Dance with Dragons, Embassytown, and Among Others, as all were very good, and for me (I am not that into space opera to begin with) all clearly a step above Leviathan Wakes. (Which I read on the strength of GRRM's recommendation on his blog.) I think I'd be happiest if either Embassytown won (for reaching for so much, even if it didn't achieve everything it reached for) or Among Others, for delicately balancing being too referential to the point of indulgence against being a genuinely good book on its own terms for its story, writing, and effect. A Dance with Dragons would then be a very close third behind them. I have no idea how to pick who I "think" will win, but it wouldn't be some outrageous event for any of the 4 I've read to win. Leviathan Wakes, while much of it goes over familiar territory in a fairly familiar fashion, does some xenobiological and solar system politics things that rate pretty well.
Jack on August 30, 2012 at 11:19 AM
I've read all of them and I think A Dance with Dragons should win. That, or Leviathan Wakes. Among Others is very good too, but not quite up there with those two.
Jenny Colvin on August 31, 2012 at 08:01 PM
I didn't read the Martin, which makes me an irresponsible voter. I really enjoyed the Mieville, and feel like it had the best developed idea. I don't expect Embassytown to win because of the nostalgia that is bound to resonate with most readers of Among Others. I didn't hate it, just wasn't interested in the fairies.
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I've read 4 of the 5, having only read the first of Grant's Newsflesh series (Feed) and while I found it quite good, it's neither the book in question here (Newsflesh) nor quite as good as the top three books here. It's hard to pick between A Dance with Dragons, Embassytown, and Among Others, as all were very good, and for me (I am not that into space opera to begin with) all clearly a step above Leviathan Wakes. (Which I read on the strength of GRRM's recommendation on his blog.) I think I'd be happiest if either Embassytown won (for reaching for so much, even if it didn't achieve everything it reached for) or Among Others, for delicately balancing being too referential to the point of indulgence against being a genuinely good book on its own terms for its story, writing, and effect. A Dance with Dragons would then be a very close third behind them. I have no idea how to pick who I "think" will win, but it wouldn't be some outrageous event for any of the 4 I've read to win. Leviathan Wakes, while much of it goes over familiar territory in a fairly familiar fashion, does some xenobiological and solar system politics things that rate pretty well.
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