The Drink Tank - The Hugo for Best Novel 2013 The Drink Tank 347 - The Hugo for Best Novel 2013 Contents Cover by Bryan Little! “Hugo not bound by Space and Time” Page 2 - Table of Contents / Art Credits / This Stuff Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance “Contents” by Lois McMasters Bujold Page 3 On The Shortlist Page 19 - A Very Loosely Related Article by Steve Diamond (of Elitist Book Reviews) By Christopher J Garcia Art from Kurt Erichsen “Yeah, I’ve got nothing.” “I’ve read a lot of books...” Page 20 - A Review by Sara Dickinson “Insofar as suspense goes...” The Throne of the Crescent Moon Page 22 - 2 Reviews - by Saladin Ahmed By Liz Lichtfield Page 5 - A Very Loosely Related Article “This was entirely too funny for words.” by Christopher J Garcia By Kate “...some are hugely important symbols, while “Oh, this was funny...” others are just over-hyped chairs.” Page 6 - A Review by Juan Sanmiguel 2312 “It will be interesting to see were Ahmed will by Kim Stanley Robinson take us next.” Page 23 - A Very Loosely Related Article Page 7 - A Review by Mihir Wanchoo By Christopher J Garcia “The book’s size is definitely on the thinner “In 300 years, I will be 338.” side and this might be going against the norm...” Page 24 - A Review by Anne Charnock Page 10 - A Review by Nadine G. “...Robinson has written a humungous book...” “...just putting things in the desert doesn’t make Page 25 - A Review by Maria Tomchick a great book either.” “...the author could use a good editor...” Page 26 - A Review of Beth Zuckerman Blackout “I recommend this book even though it’s about by Mira Grant terrorism...” Page 11 - A Very Loosely Related Article By Christopher J Garcia Redshirts “...and over the radio system came a name - by John Scalzi Sunil Tripathi. “ Page 27 - A Very Loosely Related Article Page 12 - A Review by Beth Zuckerman by Christopher J Garcia “It’s obvious that Grant is a fan of Whedon’s “Gotta love that!” work;...” Page 28 - A Review by Beth Zuckerman Page 14 - A Review by Regina & Michelle “If you’r elooking for literature...” “Ugh, I am so sad this trilogy is over.” Page 29 - A Review by Juan Sanmiguel Page 17 - A Review by Catie “It all beings with Ensign Andrew Dahl...” Art by Michele Wilson “ Are you confused yet?” Page 30 - Biographies [email protected] On the Short List A Piece from Steve Diamond of Elitist Book Reviews It’s that time of the year again. Hugo time. The ballots are officially open, and those that can vote are, hopefully, trying to make educated decisions on who they think should win. I take it pretty seriously, and I imagine most folks do as well. This is a big freaking deal. I get the email daily; who do I think is going to win for Best Novel? That email is usually followed by two more asking who didn’t get nominated that I think should have been. Both are loaded questions, and usually I have to think long and hard about it. I have this type of conversation with my reviewers all the time. I have this conversation with other authors. Oddly, this year those emails are incredibly easy to answer. I’ll start off by once again congratulating all those individuals who are nominated in all categories. I’m still a bit stunned over my own nomination, and I’m incredibly humbled and grateful. But again, this little article is about the Hugo for Best Novel. Who do I think is going to win this year? Scalzi wins it for REDSHIRTS. He just does. I personally think it was the best novel in the field. While every other novel in the category had its own strengths and weaknesses, REDSHIRTS is the one I enjoyed the most. It’s an opinion shared by my awesome reviewers at Elitist Book Reviews. It was an easy call. Whew. But see, I’m always much more interested in who didn’t get nominated. Every year after the shortlists are announced people go nuts about who wasn’t nominated, and why other people were nominated instead. I’ll admit I’m part of that crowd. When you read as many books as I do in a year, it takes something special to stand out. Now, before I go on, please don’t misinterpret what follows as my saying that those who were nominated shouldn’t have been. I’m not saying that. They are on that list for a reason. They write books that people read. More importantly, they write books that people like. End of story. I love that people question what is “Hugo Worthy”. Why? Because no one is wrong, and I love how much passion is displayed by the readers. All over the internet people are fighting tooth and nail about how their pick is the most worthy. That is dedication. That is fandom. I’ve read a lot of books, and as I turn the final page on each subsequent volume I realize more and more that the important thing is that we are all reading. Do you love the novels that are nominated for the Hugo this year? Great, now go share that enthusiasm with ten friends. Maybe you feel deflated because the novel that completely blew you mind isn’t anywhere close to the shortlist. Guess what? Take that frustration and excitement for your favorite novel of the year and go tell a hundred people about it. I love reading. I love the excitement and controversy the Hugo Awards bring because it’s another opportunity for me to share the books that have me thrilled to talk about them (whether on the Hugo ballot or not). Here are the novels that had me positively giddy this year: THE COLDEST WAR by Ian Tregillis – Holy freaking cow. I’m convinced that the only reason this isn’t on the Hugo ballot is because not enough people read it. Alternate history has 3 become a gold mine for incredible stories, and Tregillis tells one of love, lies, spies and gods in THE COLDEST WAR. The follow-up to it, NESSESARY EVIL, is amazing, and will be on my Hugo ballot next year. CALIBAN’S WAR by JAMES S.A. Corey – I’ve grown tired of Science Fiction. Again, my personal opinion, but there seems to be a serious lack in strong, character driven stories in SF. But I love CALIBAN’S WAR. Amazing characters, incredible adventures, real danger, excellent writing…man, this is the kind of novel that has my imagination doing backflips. THE KING’S BLOOD by Daniel Abraham – How can one guy tell a tale so effortlessly? I’m incredibly jealous. Abraham is gifted, and THE KING’S BLOOD is the kind of Fantasy that puts me in the world in a way that only Steven Erikson and George R.R. Martin can. THE KING OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence – When it comes to the gritty Fantasy that everyone seems to be doing now, it takes someone special to stand out. Like Joe Abercrombie, Lawrence has an uncanny ability to have his characters always to the thing most appropriate for the situation, no matter how terrible. His character’s make no apologies, and I’d ask for none. I can go on. I can list a dozen more books that people need to read, but that’s what my blog, Elitist Book Reviews, is for. It’s a pretty awesome review blog, if I do say so. Do yourself a favor and go read all the Hugo Nominated works. If you don’t like them, that’s OK. If you love them all, that’s awesome. Once you’ve finished those books, go read some more. Take my recommendations or those of your friends and family. And when you find that book or author that gets you excited, share that with everyone you know. Art by Kurt Erichsen 4 The Throne of the Crescent Moon A Very Loosely Related Article by Christopher J Garcia Funny things, thrones. There are many. A great This chair shows all the marks of having been many, and some are hugely important symbols, while around a long, long time. It was carved in 1297 by others are just over-hyped chairs. There are five Master Walter, whoever he was. Well, I guess he was Thrones that I always think of when I think of thrones, a carpenter, all evidence withstanding. Not all of the and no, none of them are a toilet! Throne we know today was there in the 13th Century. There are lions serving as the base that were put in in The Peacock Throne of the Mughals the 1700s, and you certainly can tell that they’re not This is the one I think of when I think of original. Like all good pieces of wood from centuries opulent. It was created for Shah Jahan in the 1600s, and past, it’s had graffiti carved into it and shows its age. You was covered in gold, rubies, diamonds, emeralds. In the can still see some of the original paint and gilding, but middle 1700s, it disappeared; maybe given to the Sultan mostly the old oak is showing through. of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps disassembled and As it should be. scattered to the winds. The Sun Throne of Muhammad Shah Qajar might have used parts of it. The thing is Maharaka Ranjit Singh’s Throne beautiful in every illustrations you can find of it, and it The V&A is my favorite museum in the world.