Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels discussion

Hi everyone, since there was so much interest in a buddy read of Beggars in Spain this month, I've created a thread for it. I'll probably start sooner rather than later.

Great! I'll join

I’ll join too. When are you looking to start?

Allan wrote: "I’ll join too. When are you looking to start?"

I planned to finish a few more short fiction for 2024 nominations and start with monthly reads, then BR, so my optimal schedule to start around the 20th, but as Kalin wants to "start sooner rather than later", I may move my monthly reads after the BR

I am also trying to finish a few more novellas before the deadline so I'd like to start around 9th.or 10th. But I've got the audiobook on loan so I might start listening slowly before then.

Sounds good to me, I’ll shoot for next weekend. I’ve also got the audio on loan too, but I’ve got time.

I have wanted to read this for quite a while. I don't know if I will have time . . . right now I am reading The Uninvited, which I am finding slow.

I will try to join

So is the novella exactly the same as the novel? I realize that there are 4 parts to the novel. Is the novella just one of the 4 parts?

I just want to know if I should read it first

Kateblue wrote: "So is the novella exactly the same as the novel? "

I guess Kalin ment novellas published in 2023, not this book, which is definitely a novel

OK, then, I will skip the novella in the belief that it is very/totally similar to parts of the book

Yes, I believe the original novella is the first part of the novel.

I read this in 2022 and gave it 4 stars. My view was that it’s a substantial sf novel, but I had reservations. I’ll be interested to see what you folks think.

I've started listening to the audio on my commute. The first few chapters are really strong. What a shitty dad!

Kateblue wrote: "OK, then, I will skip the novella in the belief that it is very/totally similar to parts of the book"

Yeah, I'm reading the H/N-nominated novel, not the H/N-winning novella.
I'm trying to read 2023 novella releases in time to nominate for the Hugos this year, like Acorn said.

Stephen wrote: "I read this in 2022 and gave it 4 stars.

I gave it 3 stars, which in my universe means: "Solid writing; good, entertaining or informative." I'm a rather harsh critic, so 3 stars means I liked the book quite a bit. I enjoyed the conflict between the libertarian point of view versus the more socialist view, and the fact that Nancy Kress never really chooses one side over the other. I did think the novel ended a little abruptly, so I would have liked more -- then I discovered there is more! Two more novels in fact, so I plan on getting to them this year sometime.

I read it a couple years ago and found the premise really interesting. I think that the second half slowed it down a little & then it had an open ending. I’m re-reading so that I can follow up with the 2nd book, also a HN nominee, and maybe the 3rd. I’ll likely finish The White Dragon tomorrow, then I’ll get started.

Oh yeah I'm super into the premise, even though it is total bollocks biologically speaking.

I have books 2&3 and want to get to them at some point too.

Jim wrote: "…I enjoyed the conflict between the libertarian point of view versus the more socialist view…”

I thought the presentation of the “libertarian” point of view was somewhat dated and I didn’t care for it. Partly a matter of my own politics perhaps.

I’ll put another general criticism behind a spoiler warning:

(view spoiler)[ I also was bothered by the way the people who didn’t sleep were effectively a superior branch of the human race. Not a subject I particularly like to read about.
(hide spoiler)]

I may be too generous with the stars, because I regard those as serious criticisms. I did find the book pretty absorbing. Kress seems to be good at writing about characters with intense personal relationships and conflicts.

Hi everyone, if you are going to discuss the book's themes or plot as someone who has read the full book, please use spoiler tags like Stephen did, as some of us are just starting it.

I started last night, got through a couple chapters. I'm with Kalin, what a shitty dad....and husband.

So glad to be rereading this with you all! It has been years since I read this, and I am interested to see how it strikes me after all these years. I am starting today.

I finished Book One (Leisha) last night. It was really good but (view spoiler)[I'm a little annoyed that Kress decided to pile so many knock-on effects into the one change of not sleeping. Did the sleepless really need to be both geniuses and extremely long-lived as a result of this? I think the speculative implications for the ramifications on society of a class of sleepless people with so much extra time on their hands would have been interesting enough without bringing these additional tropes into the mix. (hide spoiler)]

I can see how Book One would have made a good standalone novella, it has a story arc of its own that while not conclusive, does feel like it could be an open-ended ending. Has anyone read the novella? Are there broad changes to the text, or is the novel just adding on three additional sections to the story of book one?

Kalin wrote: "I finished Book One (Leisha) last night. It was really good but [spoilers removed]”

Entirely agree with this point, which is somewhat similar to my own criticism behind a spoiler warning in comment 18 above. Though better stated.

I started this and was liking it, but I am reading several books at the same time and a I am starting to get them mixed up. So I am going to finish Ninth House and then I will be back

Well, I love Kress' writing - I haven't been able to put this down today. I hate the parents - I mean good grief - and I wish I understood the science - both the real science and what is not real.

This might be my first Kress book, I’ll have to double check. But I agree, starting strong and I’m pulled into the story, wondering how such a shitty situation for these girls will end.

I'm at about 20% in my re-read. I have to agree with Kalin's spoiler. (view spoiler)[ One trait doesn't necessarily tie to the other, unless there were genetic modifications beyond just sleep. What do we do if we have a lot of free time? We don't necessarily spend it on technological advances, we waste one hell of a lot of it in the name of leisure or just laziness. The intelligence & work ethic to me are separate traits that would have to be modified in addition to sleep. (hide spoiler)]

Also, as I proceed, I'm recalling what I found to be a flaw in the writing the first time around. (view spoiler)[ Kress uses the technique of writing about monumental, worldwide events by giving the stories of a few individuals. This is something that Kim Stanley Robinson excels at, but I didn't find Kress as successful at it the first time I read this. I'd compare it more to Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, which I consider unsuccessful because the writing allowed interpersonal relationships to overshadow the planetary events. Hopefully I'll see it differently in my re-read. (hide spoiler)]

Kimberly wrote: "Well, I love Kress' writing - I haven't been able to put this down today. "

I have read only one novel by her, much more recent The Eleventh Gate and while it wasn't 'wow' type of SF, it was a solid interesting story. I plan to join BR

I was definitely looking at reading this for a while... I'm in :)

Finished last night. Second time through, it was better than I remembered. My first spoiler above still holds true, but I did change my view of the second. My issue there was not so much of an issue this time. I'm very interested in tackling Beggars and Choosers and will likely start that today.

Allan wrote: "I'm very interested in tackling Beggars and Choosers and will likely start that today."

I just finished Beggars and Choosers a few days ago. I liked it a lot. Haven't decided yet if I like it more than Beggars in Spain, but there are some things I did like more. I have the third book Beggars Ride on reserve at from the library and should get it within a month.

Finished today. As opposed to some of the older books that have been rereads for me, I found that I still really liked this one. Very interesting all through, the implications and the science and the politics. I am going to grab the second one from the library soon as well.

I’m at about 65% and it’s dragging a bit. The first two sections were great! So I’m hoping things pick back up again.

Rebecca wrote: "I’m at about 65% and it’s dragging a bit. The first two sections were great! So I’m hoping things pick back up again."

I agree it dragged in the middle, but it gets better at the end. I really want to start the next, but no time now

I love this concept...this was the definitely a wish fufillment kind of story for me.. I hate sleeping. I found that I was more interested in what happened off camera than the 2nd half of the book though.

Like how did the US disintegrate in a generation? I do think the author fell into the trap of having societal changes that should have taken much longer happen in 15-20 years so they can have the same characters around.

I also didn't need there to be even better sleepless? That was kinda silly.. I mean that's just doing the same story again with different characters.

It definitely qualifies as a good book in the 'sci fi makes you think' department though... I may read the next one at some point, we'll see.

Joe wrote: "I also didn't need there to be even better sleepless? That was kinda silly.. ..."

Seems to me Kress was trying to show that there exist unintended consequences when you start tampering with gene mods. I think she could have (view spoiler)[ done without the megalomaniac Jennifer, as that evil villain thread overshadowed the concept a bit for me. That and the question "why are they also the smartest?" That didn't necessarily follow the sleepless mods for me. (hide spoiler)]

I've started it yesterday and so far a great book, the start gave me Robert A. Heinlein vibes and one of the important characters in the middle I guess a homage to Dune series, esp. 2nd and 3rd volumes

One of the great things so far that unlike more recent SF with political bend (view spoiler)[it acknowledges that even marginalized people are (as all people) different, everywhere there are saints and monsters, and an individual is no less important than a group be it class/gender/race. A lot of recent SFF plays marginalized victims stand strong against oppressors and there are clear right and wrong sides (hide spoiler)]

There are pretty clear right and wrong sides by the end, I'd say.

Joe wrote: "There are pretty clear right and wrong sides by the end, I'd say."

Yes, but (view spoiler)[Supers are right but Leisha to defend Jennifer (hide spoiler)]

My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Anyone else going on with the trilogy or at least the 2nd book? I've been trying to get to it, but other reading has taken precedence. Maybe in the next few days.

I plan to read the whole trilogy this year, but I am not in a hurry to do so

Yes, I'm definitely going to continue to both sequels but I don't want to prioritize them this year; I'm thinking of reading one a year rather than going through them quickly.

In a weird position now with the group where I'd want to nominate Beggars and Choosers, but Beggars in Spain hasn't yet been a BOTM or been officially "read" by the group (even though it seems most group regulars have read it now).

So, I am going to be continuing with this series in May or June, when I have time. So I will be reading Beggars & Choosers. Want to join me, Kalin?

I'll be ready to start it within a couple of days.

I am reading a T Kingfisher book and then The Dark Between the Stars. I will be ready after that. So a week or so? Shall I make a new thread? Or shall we just continue here?

Just continue here I think. I started it yesterday & got nearly halfway through the audio. Pretty good, moving fast.

I plan to join but only after all monthly reads, so at least 10 days, likely more (5 books, plus I may get some non-fic from my lib)

I renamed the thread to include the whole trilogy

Thanks, Acorn! I made a big dent in #2 yesterday but don't have as much listening time today. Good story though, told first person through the perspectives of three different individuals, only one of whom was in the first book.

Book #3 was also available from the library, so I borrowed it & might squeeze it in before The Fall of Hyperion. I have to admit that I flinched when I read its blurb, though, which has a dreaded reference to "what it means to be human"!