October SFF Kit - Award Winners

October’s goal is to read an award-winning work of SFF. There are lots of choices. Here are a few, with links to sites listing other options as well.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Aurealis Award
From the wreck by Jane Rawson, Aurealis award
Dreams before the start of time by Anne Charnock, Arthur C. Clarke Award
Rosewater by Tade Thompson, Clarke Award
Network Effect by Martha Wells, Hugo Award
The broken earth by N. K. Jemisin, Hugo Award
Gods of jade and shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia, IGNYTE Award
Master of Djinn by P. P. Djèlí Clark, IGNYTE Award
Telling the soul of Mars by Alina Pete, Imagining Indigenous Futures Award; given by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, this award is is for a short story and has been given out since 2010. Since it can be difficult to find a particular short story, may I also suggest a few book titles I’m aware of by indigenous authors?

• Love after the end: an anthology of two-spirit indigiqueer speculative fiction, edited by Joshua Whitehead


• Buffalo is the new Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel


• The way of thorn and thunder by Daniel Heath Justice

Circe by Madeline Miller, The Kitschies Awards
Temporary by Hilary Leichter, The Kitschies Awards
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, The Lambda Literary Awards (the Lammys)
Black leopard, red wolf by Marlon James, The Lammys
Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Nebula Awards
The calculating stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, Nebula Awards
Library of the dead by T. L. Hucho, NOMMO Award (African Speculative Fiction Society)
Remote control by Nnedi Okorafor, NOMMO Award
They will dream in the garden by Gabriela Damián Mirvate, Otherwise Award
Who runs the world by Virginia Bergin, Otherwise Award
The book of X by Sarah Rose Etter, Shirley Jackson Awards
The hole by Hye-Young Pyun, Shirley Jackson awards
The house of rust by Khadijah Abdalla Bajaber, Ursula LeGuin Prize for Fiction (1st awarded 2022)

I am going back in time quite a ways and will be reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Along with many other awards, this book won a Hugo Award in 1954.

One possibility I'm looking at is In the Company of Others by Julie E Czerneda, winner of the Prix Aurora for best English language novel for 2002

I’m thinking about The City & The City (by China Miéville) which won a Hugo in 2010. I couldn’t get through it a couple years ago when I first picked it up (and then lost my copy somewhere in the house!); but I’ve since found it and am willing to give it another shot 🙂

>4 Tanya-dogearedcopy: The City & The CIty was an instant love affaire for me. I hope it works for you this time!

This theme fits my personal challenge of reading all works that received the Hugo or Nebula award. I joined a discord group that reads one novel a month, and october book will be either Redshirts by John Scalzi or The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (a poll is being run to choose which one it will be).
I am also in the process of reading an anthology of short stories which received the Hugo or Nebula award, which also fit this month's theme. :)

>2 DeltaQueen50: Will this be your first time reading Fahrenheit 451?

>1 markon: - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell won quite a few awards and the following book Children of God won one also.

>4 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Which reminds me, I've got The Scar on my virtual TBR shelf. The Last Days of New Paris was such a disaster for me, I never quite dared open "The Scar". I think it's the 2nd oldest book on the virtual TBR shelf.

>6 chlorine: Yes, my first time and I am looking forward to it. :)

>9 DeltaQueen50: Woah, you are lucky to still have that book to read! Enjoy!

CJ Cherryh won two Hugos, for Downbelow Station and Cyteen. I've read both, but liked Cyteen a little better.

Not sure what I'll read for this month's challenge, yet...

>7 dudes22: I was thinking the sequel for this challenge, but so Long since I read The Sparrow, I dont know if it males sende.

>12 amberwitch: - I think you could read it as a stand-alone. There are also some flashbacks that will tweak your memory probably.

I'm planning on reading Ancillary Justice, which won the Hugo Award and a bunch of others. I've been meaning to get around to it for ages!

>14 whitewavedarling: I really loved that one, hope you enjoy it!

Y'all have some great reading planned!

>4 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Tanya, I've heard that the audio version of The city and the city is wonderful.

>13 dudes22: I agree with dudes22. Most of the characters in the sequel are new, so there is not a lot of overlap.

I think I'm going to combine awards, and read Princess Academy, a Newbery award book, and fantasy.

>16 markon: I think the audio version of The City & the City (narrated by John Lee) is the route I'm going to take this time.

ETA Actually, I'm both reading and listening. I don't often do both; but I'm finding it easier to track the "foreign" names & places when I can see and hear the words. :-)

I've got an anthology of the Hugo winners on my shelf, published back in the 80's. I'll look for something in it that I've either meant to read, or need to re-read.

> Which one is that? I read two of these anthologies and I liked one of them much better than the other.

I'm currently reading The healer's war by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, which won the Nebula in 1990. It's about an American nurse during the Vietnam war and a bit more than 60 pages in the SFF elements are just starting to creep in. I find it quite well written and engaging so far.

I've also read the novella Press Enter by John Varley which one both the Nebula and the Hugo awards, and found it quite disappointing.

Currently reading Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight by Aliette de Bodard, a collection of stories, the first of which, The Shipmaker, won the British Science Fiction Award for short fiction in 2010.

The fourth story in the book, Immersion, won the short story Nebula for 2012 and the short story Locus for 2013.

I finished reading & listening to The City & the City (by China Miéville; narrated by John Lee) - The fictional city-states of Bész and Al Qoma share the same map coordinates somewhere in the Baltic; but "unsee" each other (like our version of "cancelling")-- to the point that if they acknowledge the alterity, severe repercussions in the form of a shadowy entity called "Breach" steps in. Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Bész Extreme Crimes Unit is called to a scene in which a murdered woman's body is found. Quickly, it becomes apparent that this may have involved an illegal transaction across the border-- which complicates the protocols entailed immeasurably. The mystery as to who the victim is, who committed the murder and, why spirals into one involving conspiracy theories and underground movements. For all that and the work overall being considered "weird fiction", it's actually a solid police procedural.
In the past, I've been disappointed with China Miéville's works (This Census-Taker, Kraken) and was ready to write him off; but having listened to the audio and read along in print, it all fell into place for me: the cadence and intentionality of the words, the structure and tempo of the plot. I may have to revisit those other works I mentioned, along with the audio! I'm certainly glad I gave this book a second (ahem, actually third) chance.

According to Wikipedia, this book won:
• Arthur C. Clarke Award (2010)
• BSFA Award (2010)
• Hugo Award (2010)
• The Kitschies (2010)
• Locus Award (2010)
• World Fantasy Award (2010)
• Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (2011)
• Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire (2012)
• Premio Ignotus (2013)

And was nominated for
• John W. Campbell Memorial Award (2010)
• Nebula Award(2010)

>23 Tanya-dogearedcopy: You're reminding me I would like to try more China Miéville! So far I've read Un Lun Dun (good, not great) and Embassytown (really loved it -- once I figured out what was going on!).

Embassytown is freakin' brilliant. Not just one of my favorite SF novels; one of my favorite novels, period.

>21 Robertgreaves: >22 Robertgreaves: The fifth story in the collection, The Waiting Stars, won the novelette Nebula for 2013.

>26 Robertgreaves: Wow Robert, I didn't reallize Aliette de Bodard won so many short story awards. I may have to get ahold of that collection!

>23 Tanya-dogearedcopy: & >25 KeithChaffee: I also have read and enjoyed Embassytown and The city and the city. I've tried a couple others, and didn't get far. May have to give another one a go.

>20 chlorine: I hope you continue to enjoy The healer's war. I liked it when I read it, but it's been long enough ago I don't remember how it ended.

I'm going to be out of town for nine days starting this Saturday, and I'm not sure how good my internet access will be along the way, so I went ahead and prepared...

...the November thread, which is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/354284

>26 Robertgreaves: >27 markon: The tenth story in the collection, Three Cups of Grief, By Starlight, won the short fiction British Science Fiction Award for 2015.

I just read Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds, which won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1985 and the Mythopoeic Award for Best Fantasy in 1986. A fun read!

Started This is how you lose the time war, but I don’t know if I’ll make it. A little too artistic to keep my attention at the moment.
It won a Hugo and a Nebula and a Locus for best novelette in 2019 - 2020. I am not sure I agree.

Going well with Patrick White's The Tree of Man - 74% read.

I have completed my read of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and although written in 1954, the political climate of today makes this book just as relevant as back in the 1950s.

>31 amberwitch: I felt kind of the same way as you about How to lose the time war. I was really disapointed because this book was so highly praised.

>33 DeltaQueen50: Indeed it is still highly relevant, unfortunately.

>27 markon: Unfortunately the second half of The Healer's War did not quite work out for me. Here is my full review:

This is a fantasy book taking place during the war in Vietnam. Kitty is a young American nurse and the first part, which could almost be a non fantasy novel, describes her work in the hospital, the patients, both American soldiers and friendly vietnamese (i.e., not vietcongs) patients, and her relationships with other people. I thought that first part well written and quite engaging.
The second part however seemed to me to be going every which way. The fantasy elements, which had been toned down almost to inexistence in the first part, suddenly took a huge part in a way that was hard to belive (if I can say that about fantasy elements), and the plot advanced with a succession of twists that felt artificial to me. I realised I didn't care much what happened to Kitty (though the last 10 pages were again engaging and well written).

This won the Nebula in 1990.

>20 chlorine: I'm reading Vol. III, which is more modern and contains The Word for the World is Forest. It also has an early work by George R.R. Martin, A Song for Lya that I might read next month.

I read the first two volumes decades ago and didn't continue with Vol. III.

Also, thank you for mentioning The Healer's War. I do like Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, and >35 chlorine: now I know a little bit more about the story line.

I finished Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire, which just won the Hugo for Best Novella.

I have really strugled with this months challenge - having read a number of recent Hugo and Nebula Award winners throughout the year, the ones I started this month did not resonate and got abandoned;
The Jasmine Throne was just not that interesting, and when I realised it was the first of a series I decided it wasn’t worth continuing as I was never going to read the rest of the series.
This is how you lose the time war was really not my cup of tea. Too lyrical, with way too little worldbuilding and too much posturing.
Down and out in the magic kingdom - I should have known it wouldn’t work, since I haven’t managed to finish any Cory Doctorow book yet. As annoying as Neal Stephenson and Joe scalzi.
Just started Among Others by Jo walton which so far seems more promising. Reminds me a bit of Graham Joyce.

>36 threadnsong: Thanks for your answer! The word for world is forest is one I haven't read yet and am looking forward to!

>38 amberwitch: Too bad you didn't find anything that engages your interest! I hope you like Among Others!

Just an FYI that the 2024 group is live, and we are in the process of suggesting CATs for next year, so stop by if you'd like to join the discussion! https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24125/2024-Category-Challenge

I'm currently reading Nettle and Bone

Managed to finish Among Others which has won both a Hugo and a Nebula! And enjoy it, which is also important:)
Very atmospheric, a bit like The limits of enchantment although set a little later, and in a different UK countryside.

I feel like I have read something very similar - young woman, coming of age, outsider, using books to make sense of the world. And I can’t helt wondering - as I did then - what the purpose of all the book namedropping is? And mostly obscure Science Fiction at that. If you are supposed to understand some sort of deeper message from having read these books it seems like a weird form of gatekeeping - my guess is that very few people under 50, and even fewer women, would be familiar with most of the books mentioned.
The Dark is Rising, Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, The dispossessed sure. But very few people read things like Heinlein anymore, it just hasn’t aged well. And it was always kind of obscure.

>40 christina_reads: thanks, have put in my 2 cents worth including SFFKit!

I just finished rereading Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, which was a Michael L. Printz Honor Book in 2012.

>42 amberwitch: FWIW Walton has written What Makes This Book So Great: Re-Reading the Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy and has also made a series of articles about the Hugo nominees, year by year, analysing whether the choice of the winner still makes sense in the current day.
So she seems very passionate about the history of the genre and maybe all the book namedropping is just her not being able to prevent herself from doing it/not realising not everybody is not as much into it as she?

Apart from The healer's war I have read several short short stories which won the Hugo and/or Nebula award. They were mostly OK, some less so than the others.
The most disappointing was Press Enter by John Varley, and the one I enjoyed the most was probably Why I left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers by Lawrence Watt-Evans.

I realize I hadn't posted that I finished The World for the Word is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin, from the volume The Hugo Winners Volume 3. Boy was that a tough one to read through; so much of the imagery evoked the Vietnam War, and the greater look at colonizers de-humanizing other cultures. But it was worth reading at long last.