2021 Hugo Award: Best Novella
Jul. 12th, 2021 02:13 pmMy ranking of the novellas for the Hugo Awards this year! For the books where I wrote a full review, that review is linked from the title.
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo
I adored this book, it's so great!
2. Finna, by Nino Cipri
Thoroughly enjoyable light read.
3. Ring Shout, by P Djeli Clark
An excellent book I really admire, but didn't actually particularly enjoy the reading of.
4. Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi
This was a DNF, unfortunately. I found it confusing and hard to follow, and eventually I was just like, "I am not getting anything from trying and failing to make my brain focus on this" so I gave it up a little over halfway through. But it's clearly doing some interesting and important things, despite the way it's written not working for my brain, so I'm still ranking it above the novellas I actively disliked!
5. No Award
6. Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
Decent premise but I found it deeply frustrating in the way it totally failed to consider anything it was doing.
7. Come Tumbling Down, by Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire's writing continues to irritate me. I'm going to do me and everyone who reads my reviews a favour and I am not going to continue to read McGuire even if she shows up on future hugos.
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo
I adored this book, it's so great!
2. Finna, by Nino Cipri
Thoroughly enjoyable light read.
3. Ring Shout, by P Djeli Clark
An excellent book I really admire, but didn't actually particularly enjoy the reading of.
4. Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi
This was a DNF, unfortunately. I found it confusing and hard to follow, and eventually I was just like, "I am not getting anything from trying and failing to make my brain focus on this" so I gave it up a little over halfway through. But it's clearly doing some interesting and important things, despite the way it's written not working for my brain, so I'm still ranking it above the novellas I actively disliked!
5. No Award
6. Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
Decent premise but I found it deeply frustrating in the way it totally failed to consider anything it was doing.
7. Come Tumbling Down, by Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire's writing continues to irritate me. I'm going to do me and everyone who reads my reviews a favour and I am not going to continue to read McGuire even if she shows up on future hugos.