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eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful and poignant tale, with that lovely spark of hope included.
titusfortner's review against another edition
3.0
Only for Simone Heller, When we were starless:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio_10_18b/
Perhaps a touch too alien for me, I didn't make an emotional connection with it, but interesting ideas.
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio_10_18b/
Perhaps a touch too alien for me, I didn't make an emotional connection with it, but interesting ideas.
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
3.0
Summer 2019 (Hugo Award Nominee 2019 - Novelette);
I have a lot of amazing, moved feelings about the way this ended, and that almost convinced me to mark this as a 3.5 stars, which is coincidentally it's median rating right now, but the longer I sit it with, the more I can't give this novelette an extra half-star for picking itself up and dusting itself off from its many problems along the way with a moving closure.
This Novelette did have many things in its favor. I did like the incredibly slow reveal that the main character was in fact non-human, and how that wouldn't stick out in the slightest to someone telling their own life story. Especially when there are no humans around. As well, the same with the figuring out of the ghosts are holograms, and the haunted places are the remains of the civilization before this world turn post-apocalyptic and then restarted entirely, not even having a collective memory of it the places, their own 'weavers' (/robots), what the stars looked like, or where they'd all come from originally.
Things not done well have a lot to with pacing, rambling about, and generally losing my attention several times.
I have a lot of amazing, moved feelings about the way this ended, and that almost convinced me to mark this as a 3.5 stars, which is coincidentally it's median rating right now, but the longer I sit it with, the more I can't give this novelette an extra half-star for picking itself up and dusting itself off from its many problems along the way with a moving closure.
This Novelette did have many things in its favor. I did like the incredibly slow reveal that the main character was in fact non-human, and how that wouldn't stick out in the slightest to someone telling their own life story. Especially when there are no humans around. As well, the same with the figuring out of the ghosts are holograms, and the haunted places are the remains of the civilization before this world turn post-apocalyptic and then restarted entirely, not even having a collective memory of it the places, their own 'weavers' (/robots), what the stars looked like, or where they'd all come from originally.
Things not done well have a lot to with pacing, rambling about, and generally losing my attention several times.
maria_clara's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookaneer's review against another edition
2.0
Rating and review only for "When We Were Starless" by Simone Heller.
Interesting and surprising twist from horror fantasy to straight up SF. It caught me off guard.
Interesting and surprising twist from horror fantasy to straight up SF. It caught me off guard.
secre's review against another edition
2.0
Review: When We Were Starless
A sacrifice was made here - one of depth for consiseness. Whilst there is a lot to like here, none of it is explored in depth, instead everything is skimmed over and you have to fill in the missing pieces yourself. I can't help bit feel that this would have been much better if it had been unpacked more. Far more detail could have been given on what happened to the planet, why the lizard race are the nomadic survivors amongst other world building aspects. Characters could have been far further expanded and whilst I enjoyed the relationship between Mink and Orion, everything else seemed two dimensional.
Essentially, a lot of potential let down by the format this is written in.
A sacrifice was made here - one of depth for consiseness. Whilst there is a lot to like here, none of it is explored in depth, instead everything is skimmed over and you have to fill in the missing pieces yourself. I can't help bit feel that this would have been much better if it had been unpacked more. Far more detail could have been given on what happened to the planet, why the lizard race are the nomadic survivors amongst other world building aspects. Characters could have been far further expanded and whilst I enjoyed the relationship between Mink and Orion, everything else seemed two dimensional.
Essentially, a lot of potential let down by the format this is written in.
robotghostattack's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious and charming. Oh, spleen, you're my favourite.
villyidol's review against another edition
4.0
***When We Were Starless by Simone Heller***
A beautiful and challenging story.
It took me a couple of tries to get into it. Because not much gets explained in the beginning. The reader has to slowly piece things together.
We’re thrown into an alien world that a long time ago was rendered hostile by some kind of disaster, which also blackened the sky and makes it impossible for the survivors to see the stars.
Our narrator, Mink, is a member of a tribe of lizard-like people. She’s a scout who’s task it is to locate ghosts and lay them to rest. These ghosts, though, are not what we traditionally consider as such. They attract Mink’s interest far beyond what is strictly necessary to complete her task.
While the other members of the tribe are mostly content with mere survival, Mink is longing for something more.
That’s basically what this story is about. It’s about not giving up hope and not lose sight of the possibilities life is offering. It’s about staying hungry– hungry for knowledge, and persistent when life becomes challenging and your beliefs are brought into doubt.
It was a challenge. But it was ultimatly rewarding.
The story can be read and listened to for free, using the following link: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/heller_10_18/
This time I’m recommending the audio version. While these SF/F magazine podcasts are not of the same quality (production-wise) as regular audio books, this one has good narration and the addition of music certainly makes the already emotional ending even better.
Hugo 2019 nominee for Best Novelette.
____________________________
Best Novel
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• [b: Record of a Spaceborn Few|32802595|Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516965190l/32802595._SY75_.jpg|53399142] by Becky Chambers
• [b: Revenant Gun|36373688|Revenant Gun (The Machineries of Empire, #3)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527495995l/36373688._SY75_.jpg|58060922] by Yoon Ha Lee
• Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
• [b: Spinning Silver|36896898|Spinning Silver|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513872748l/36896898._SX50_.jpg|58657620] by Naomi Novik
• [b: Trail of Lightning|36373298|Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515788168l/36373298._SY75_.jpg|52833355] by Rebecca Roanhorse
Best Novella
• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
• [b: Beneath the Sugar Sky|27366528|Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494436031l/27366528._SY75_.jpg|47413798] by Seanan McGuire
• [b: Binti: The Night Masquerade|34386617|The Night Masquerade (Binti, #3)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495725402l/34386617._SY75_.jpg|55477512] by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b: Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach|36187158|Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach|Kelly Robson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506531524l/36187158._SY75_.jpg|57810004] by Kelly Robson
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
Best Novelette
• If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho (Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog)
• [b: The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections|40381419|The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections|Tina Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555252289l/40381419._SY75_.jpg|62680201] by Tina Connolly (Tor.com)
• Nine Last Days on Planet Earth by Daryl Gregory (Tor.com)
• [b: The Only Harmless Great Thing|34659272|The Only Harmless Great Thing|Brooke Bolander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518069202l/34659272._SY75_.jpg|55823786] by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Thing About Ghost Stories by Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny Magazine)
• When We Were Starless by Simone Heller (Clarkesworld Magazine)
Best Short Story
• The Court Magician by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed Magazine)
• The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine)
• The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark (Fireside Magazine)
• STET by Sarah Gailey (Fireside Magazine)
• The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat by Brooke Bolander (Uncanny Magazine)
• A Witch’s Guide To Escape: A Practical Compendium Of Portal Fantasies by Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine)
Best Series
• The Centenal Cycle by [a: Malka Older|14220734|Malka Ann Older|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1446698915p2/14220734.jpg]
• The Laundry Files by [a: Charles Stross|8794|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1355510574p2/8794.jpg]
• Machineries of Empire by [a: Yoon Ha Lee|3001246|Yoon Ha Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1383757366p2/3001246.jpg]
• The October Daye Series by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]
• The Universe of Xuya by [a: Aliette de Bodard|2918731|Aliette de Bodard|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1261567215p2/2918731.jpg]
• Wayfarers by [a: Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]
Best Related Work
• Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
• [b: Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction|35958896|Astounding John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction|Alec Nevala-Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529430368l/35958896._SY75_.jpg|57516282] by Alec Nevala-Lee
• The Hobbit Duology (a documentary in three parts), written and edited by Lindsay Ellis and Angelina Meehan
• [b: An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards 1953-2000|35005557|An Informal History of the Hugos A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards, 1953-2000|Jo Walton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493399138l/35005557._SY75_.jpg|52384504] by Jo Walton
• The Mexicanx Initiative Experience at Worldcon 76 by Julia Rios, Libia Brenda, Pablo Defendini, and John Picacio
• [b: Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing|36276435|Ursula K. Le Guin Conversations on Writing|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519674594l/36276435._SX50_.jpg|57934871] by Ursula K. Le Guin with David Naimon
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Abbott|38748572|Abbott|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521208924l/38748572._SY75_.jpg|60338450], written by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colors by Jason Wordie, letters by Jim Campbell
• [b: Black Panther: Long Live the King|36673422|Black Panther Long Live the King|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526771280l/36673422._SY75_.jpg|58459948], written by Nnedi Okorafor and Aaron Covington, art by André Lima Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, and Tana Ford
• [b: Monstress, Volume 3: Haven|37491890|Monstress, Vol. 3 Haven|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531356957l/37491890._SY75_.jpg|59101846], written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
• On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
• Paper Girls, Volume 4 [b:], written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Cliff Chiang, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher
• Saga, Volume 9, written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples
Best Art Book
• [b: The Book of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition|38459780|The Books of Earthsea|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526525225l/38459780._SX50_.jpg|64676657] illustrated by Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. Le Guin
• [b: Daydreamer’s Journey: The Art of Julie Dillon|43157039|Daydreamer's Journey The Art of Julie Dillon|Julie Dillon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544155893l/43157039._SX50_.jpg|66947647] by Julie Dillon
• [b: Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History|37837938|Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana A Visual History|Kyle Newman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541762517l/37837938._SX50_.jpg|59524789] by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer
• [b: Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art|40042809|Spectrum 25 The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art|John Fleskes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539953363l/40042809._SX50_.jpg|62044043], editor John Fleskes
• [b: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie|41084955|Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse -The Art of the Movie|Ramin Zahed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534224155l/41084955._SX50_.jpg|64190280] by Ramin Zahed
• [b: Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth|36542884|Tolkien Maker of Middle-earth|Catherine McIlwaine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516237012l/36542884._SX50_.jpg|58272990], editor Catherine McIlwaine
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan Children’s Books)
• [b: The Belles|23197837|The Belles (The Belles, #1)|Dhonielle Clayton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492784901l/23197837._SY75_.jpg|42742745] by Dhonielle Clayton (Freeform / Gollancz)
• [b: The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574535986l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123] by Holly Black (Little, Brown / Hot Key Books)
• [b: Dread Nation|30223025|Dread Nation (Dread Nation, #1)|Justina Ireland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497900615l/30223025._SY75_.jpg|50676909] by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)
• [b: The Invasion|45700034|The Invasion (the Call, Book 2)|Peadar Ó Guilín|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|47440018] by Peadar O’Guilin (David Fickling Books / Scholastic)
• [b: Tess of the Road|35046472|Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503599285l/35046472._SY75_.jpg|53793345] by Rachel Hartman (Random House / Penguin Teen)
A beautiful and challenging story.
It took me a couple of tries to get into it. Because not much gets explained in the beginning. The reader has to slowly piece things together.
We’re thrown into an alien world that a long time ago was rendered hostile by some kind of disaster, which also blackened the sky and makes it impossible for the survivors to see the stars.
Our narrator, Mink, is a member of a tribe of lizard-like people. She’s a scout who’s task it is to locate ghosts and lay them to rest. These ghosts, though, are not what we traditionally consider as such. They
Spoiler
are remnants of a long gone civilization thatWhile the other members of the tribe are mostly content with mere survival, Mink is longing for something more.
That’s basically what this story is about. It’s about not giving up hope and not lose sight of the possibilities life is offering. It’s about staying hungry– hungry for knowledge, and persistent when life becomes challenging and your beliefs are brought into doubt.
It was a challenge. But it was ultimatly rewarding.
The story can be read and listened to for free, using the following link: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/heller_10_18/
This time I’m recommending the audio version. While these SF/F magazine podcasts are not of the same quality (production-wise) as regular audio books, this one has good narration and the addition of music certainly makes the already emotional ending even better.
Hugo 2019 nominee for Best Novelette.
____________________________
2019 Hugo Award Finalists
Best Novel
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• [b: Record of a Spaceborn Few|32802595|Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516965190l/32802595._SY75_.jpg|53399142] by Becky Chambers
• [b: Revenant Gun|36373688|Revenant Gun (The Machineries of Empire, #3)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527495995l/36373688._SY75_.jpg|58060922] by Yoon Ha Lee
• Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
• [b: Spinning Silver|36896898|Spinning Silver|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513872748l/36896898._SX50_.jpg|58657620] by Naomi Novik
• [b: Trail of Lightning|36373298|Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515788168l/36373298._SY75_.jpg|52833355] by Rebecca Roanhorse
Best Novella
• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
• [b: Beneath the Sugar Sky|27366528|Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494436031l/27366528._SY75_.jpg|47413798] by Seanan McGuire
• [b: Binti: The Night Masquerade|34386617|The Night Masquerade (Binti, #3)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495725402l/34386617._SY75_.jpg|55477512] by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b: Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach|36187158|Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach|Kelly Robson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506531524l/36187158._SY75_.jpg|57810004] by Kelly Robson
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
Best Novelette
• If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho (Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog)
• [b: The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections|40381419|The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections|Tina Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555252289l/40381419._SY75_.jpg|62680201] by Tina Connolly (Tor.com)
• Nine Last Days on Planet Earth by Daryl Gregory (Tor.com)
• [b: The Only Harmless Great Thing|34659272|The Only Harmless Great Thing|Brooke Bolander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518069202l/34659272._SY75_.jpg|55823786] by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Thing About Ghost Stories by Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny Magazine)
• When We Were Starless by Simone Heller (Clarkesworld Magazine)
Best Short Story
• The Court Magician by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed Magazine)
• The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine)
• The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark (Fireside Magazine)
• STET by Sarah Gailey (Fireside Magazine)
• The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat by Brooke Bolander (Uncanny Magazine)
• A Witch’s Guide To Escape: A Practical Compendium Of Portal Fantasies by Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine)
Best Series
• The Centenal Cycle by [a: Malka Older|14220734|Malka Ann Older|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1446698915p2/14220734.jpg]
• The Laundry Files by [a: Charles Stross|8794|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1355510574p2/8794.jpg]
• Machineries of Empire by [a: Yoon Ha Lee|3001246|Yoon Ha Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1383757366p2/3001246.jpg]
• The October Daye Series by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]
• The Universe of Xuya by [a: Aliette de Bodard|2918731|Aliette de Bodard|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1261567215p2/2918731.jpg]
• Wayfarers by [a: Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]
Best Related Work
• Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
• [b: Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction|35958896|Astounding John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction|Alec Nevala-Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529430368l/35958896._SY75_.jpg|57516282] by Alec Nevala-Lee
• The Hobbit Duology (a documentary in three parts), written and edited by Lindsay Ellis and Angelina Meehan
• [b: An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards 1953-2000|35005557|An Informal History of the Hugos A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards, 1953-2000|Jo Walton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493399138l/35005557._SY75_.jpg|52384504] by Jo Walton
• The Mexicanx Initiative Experience at Worldcon 76 by Julia Rios, Libia Brenda, Pablo Defendini, and John Picacio
• [b: Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing|36276435|Ursula K. Le Guin Conversations on Writing|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519674594l/36276435._SX50_.jpg|57934871] by Ursula K. Le Guin with David Naimon
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Abbott|38748572|Abbott|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521208924l/38748572._SY75_.jpg|60338450], written by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colors by Jason Wordie, letters by Jim Campbell
• [b: Black Panther: Long Live the King|36673422|Black Panther Long Live the King|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526771280l/36673422._SY75_.jpg|58459948], written by Nnedi Okorafor and Aaron Covington, art by André Lima Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, and Tana Ford
• [b: Monstress, Volume 3: Haven|37491890|Monstress, Vol. 3 Haven|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531356957l/37491890._SY75_.jpg|59101846], written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
• On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
• Paper Girls, Volume 4 [b:], written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Cliff Chiang, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher
• Saga, Volume 9, written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples
Best Art Book
• [b: The Book of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition|38459780|The Books of Earthsea|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526525225l/38459780._SX50_.jpg|64676657] illustrated by Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. Le Guin
• [b: Daydreamer’s Journey: The Art of Julie Dillon|43157039|Daydreamer's Journey The Art of Julie Dillon|Julie Dillon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544155893l/43157039._SX50_.jpg|66947647] by Julie Dillon
• [b: Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History|37837938|Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana A Visual History|Kyle Newman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541762517l/37837938._SX50_.jpg|59524789] by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer
• [b: Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art|40042809|Spectrum 25 The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art|John Fleskes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539953363l/40042809._SX50_.jpg|62044043], editor John Fleskes
• [b: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie|41084955|Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse -The Art of the Movie|Ramin Zahed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534224155l/41084955._SX50_.jpg|64190280] by Ramin Zahed
• [b: Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth|36542884|Tolkien Maker of Middle-earth|Catherine McIlwaine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516237012l/36542884._SX50_.jpg|58272990], editor Catherine McIlwaine
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt; Macmillan Children’s Books)
• [b: The Belles|23197837|The Belles (The Belles, #1)|Dhonielle Clayton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492784901l/23197837._SY75_.jpg|42742745] by Dhonielle Clayton (Freeform / Gollancz)
• [b: The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574535986l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123] by Holly Black (Little, Brown / Hot Key Books)
• [b: Dread Nation|30223025|Dread Nation (Dread Nation, #1)|Justina Ireland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497900615l/30223025._SY75_.jpg|50676909] by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)
• [b: The Invasion|45700034|The Invasion (the Call, Book 2)|Peadar Ó Guilín|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|47440018] by Peadar O’Guilin (David Fickling Books / Scholastic)
• [b: Tess of the Road|35046472|Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503599285l/35046472._SY75_.jpg|53793345] by Rachel Hartman (Random House / Penguin Teen)
annschi's review against another edition
2.0
War mir etwas zu kitschig. Ausserdem versteh ich nicht ganz, was der Protagonist für ein Viech ist. Die Hauptfiguren sind ja offenbar keine Menschen sondern was Reptilienartiges. Trotzdem können sie sich mit menschlichen AIs unterhalten. Woher können sie die Sprache? Und: sie müssen sich ja über mehrere tausend Jahre entwickelt haben (Evolution), trotzdem finden sie offenbar noch sehr oft funktionierende Hinterlassenschaften der Menschen auf. Das ist doch komisch.
trish204's review against another edition
4.0
Simone Heller is a German translator who is also working on scifi books. She lives near Munich and I had no idea she existed. *lol* Thanks to this year's HUGO nominations, I heard of this story and thus of this woman.
We are on a devastated and poisonous world. Catastrophe has struck and leaves the survivors struggling. There are tribes and spiderlike robots and "ghosts" and "herds" consisting of "weavers" that apparently are some kind of other robot. The sky is black, courtesy of whatever poisoned the planet.
Mink is a member of a tribe wandering this world. She is set slightly apart and it doesn't get any better when she not only encounters yet another "ghost" but starts talking to him instead of "laying him to rest".
But what these beings call a ghost is something quite different from our traditional notion and piece by piece we learn more about what has happened to this world and its inhabitants, of the history that involves many more worlds other than this one.
This story shows us much and not all is clear in the beginning. The reader has to find the puzzle pieces and align them correctly. Not everyone will like that and the resulting image will also be slightly different for every reader, but that (in my opinion) is part of the allure. Much is left to our individual imagination, we have to use our grey cells and I liked it.
The overall story arch is one of never giving up hope. Just look at our history. How we went to the Moon but then lost inertia. There are still (or again) a few people with the drive it takes to take us to space, but we tend to do our best to shut them down. This is especially tragic as I don't think there is a future for the human race unless we take to the stars. Not just to colonize other planets (which nevertheless is important and essential) but for raw materials as well.
The beings in this story have forgotten the stars and aren't reminded because they can't see them. What is more, they suppress certain kinds of stories and initiative from individuals at first, effectively stopping progress. Much like we do now. Only we can see the stars even though there is a lot of light pollution. Only our planet isn't completely hostile yet. Thus, this story is telling us where to go and that there is always a way, even if it is painful.
You can either listen to the audio version of the story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aznkBEtKlJE
or read the print version here http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/heller_10_18/
We are on a devastated and poisonous world. Catastrophe has struck and leaves the survivors struggling. There are tribes and spiderlike robots and "ghosts" and "herds" consisting of "weavers" that apparently are some kind of other robot. The sky is black, courtesy of whatever poisoned the planet.
Mink is a member of a tribe wandering this world. She is set slightly apart and it doesn't get any better when she not only encounters yet another "ghost" but starts talking to him instead of "laying him to rest".
But what these beings call a ghost is something quite different from our traditional notion and piece by piece we learn more about what has happened to this world and its inhabitants, of the history that involves many more worlds other than this one.
This story shows us much and not all is clear in the beginning. The reader has to find the puzzle pieces and align them correctly. Not everyone will like that and the resulting image will also be slightly different for every reader, but that (in my opinion) is part of the allure. Much is left to our individual imagination, we have to use our grey cells and I liked it.
The overall story arch is one of never giving up hope. Just look at our history. How we went to the Moon but then lost inertia. There are still (or again) a few people with the drive it takes to take us to space, but we tend to do our best to shut them down. This is especially tragic as I don't think there is a future for the human race unless we take to the stars. Not just to colonize other planets (which nevertheless is important and essential) but for raw materials as well.
The beings in this story have forgotten the stars and aren't reminded because they can't see them. What is more, they suppress certain kinds of stories and initiative from individuals at first, effectively stopping progress. Much like we do now. Only we can see the stars even though there is a lot of light pollution. Only our planet isn't completely hostile yet. Thus, this story is telling us where to go and that there is always a way, even if it is painful.
You can either listen to the audio version of the story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aznkBEtKlJE
or read the print version here http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/heller_10_18/