Blogging the Hugos 2012: Best Novella

Previous Posts:

• Blogging the Hugos 2012: Best Fancast
• Blogging the Hugos 2012: Best Short Story
• Blogging the Hugos 2012: Best Novelette

Best Novella (473 ballots)
Countdown by Mira Grant (Orbit)
"The Ice Owl" by Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November/December 2011)
"Kiss Me Twice" by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov's, June 2011)
"The Man Who Bridged the Mist" by Kij Johnson (Asimov's, September/October 2011)
"The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" by Ken Liu (Panverse 3)
Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld / WSFA)

The Nominees

Much like the Best Novelette category, this year's ballot is identical to the Nebula Awards finalists, save for one exception (in this case, Countdown by Mira Grant).

While I haven't read the first novella in this category, four of the stories in this ballot are exciting and well-written. They make great use of their length and cover a wide variety of subjects. It doesn't feel like the novellas are competing in the sense of which one is better per se, as each of the stories are attempting something different.

Interesting to note is how there's a strong science fiction background to all the stories on the ballot.

Countdown by Mira Grant (Orbit)

The eBook is not sold in my region. No comment.

"The Ice Owl" by Carolyn Ives Gilman (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November/December 2011)

The weakest of the novellas in the ballot mainly because it's a mixed bag. On one hand, it suffers from clunky exposition. On the other hand, it has speckles of brilliant characterization and a compelling plot. It barely qualifies for the category (in fact, the word count according to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is 17,025 words) but even in the novelette category, there are better stories than this. "The Ice Owl" isn't without its redeeming qualities, but it's not outstanding.

"Kiss Me Twice" by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov's, June 2011)

"Kiss Me Twice" is reminiscent of Asimov's fiction (so it's quite fitting that it got published in Asimov's), specifically his Robot series. Where Mary Robinette Kowal improves upon it is her characterization, whether it's creating a compelling protagonist, to crafting a convincing, period persona for his AI companion. And then there's the core elements of what would appeal to Asimov's fanbase: a solid plot and a plausible mystery involving the scientific conceit of the setting.

As a novella, this is quite good and enjoyable. As part of Kowal's repertoire, this is similarly impressive, as it's different from her previous work. However, as a Hugo nominee, I feel this piece isn't ambitious enough, and is simply a reworking (albeit significant improvement) of a tried and tested formula. I like this story, but it's not challenging my sensibilities.

"The Man Who Bridged the Mist" by Kij Johnson (Asimov's, September/October 2011)

Despite the fantasy setting, "The Man Who Bridged the Mist" follows the tropes of a science fiction utopian novel, wherein the conflict of the story revolves around the completion of a project—in this case, the construction of a bridge. This felt like an epic, which was fitting considering the theme and subject matter. Kij Johnson creates a holistic, complex, and detailed culture rich in detail and emotion. The reader gets swept in the ambition of the protagonist, with every milestone a hard-fought triumph. In many ways, this novella is superior to many novels out there, as Johnson is not only talented, but is also conscious of when to compress, and when to expound.

In a different year, this could have been my Hugo pick. Unfortunately, I feel that the last two nominees on the ballot are more ambitious, daring, and innovative. This is a solid story that's worth its length in gold, and it's a testament to this year's ballot that such a wonderful piece is simply my runner-up.

"The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" by Ken Liu (Panverse 3)

One of the best effects a story can have on the reader is creating dialog. For me, that's what "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" accomplishes, as it hits you on so many levels. It works on the surface level, but if you dig deeper, there's this rich subject matter that's being mined and developed. The story isn't simply presenting a single thesis, but is an argument for a lot of ideas that never feels didactic or unfair. Ken Liu's characters are fully-realized and the events in the story mirror the problematic situation of reality. There's constantly a duality to the narrative, covering multiple subjects, and while it seems to be tugging in one direction, the gravity and depth arises from the counter-reaction presented in the story.

This could easily have been my automatic Hugo vote, but Valente's entry gave me pause.

Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld / WSFA) 

Silently and Very Fast is not without its flaws—it feels cluttered and precious at times—but it's also very ambitious and arguably its roughness is what makes this piece shine. Catherynne M. Valente has been known to conjure compelling fairy tales and develop nested stories, which initially seems like the premise, but that's simply a facet of her ensemble as the novella incorporates those elements into this science fiction epic.

Individually, the sections of the story are beautiful, but holistically, it can get confusing at times (even dragging), but that effect mirrors the plight of the narrator. In terms of scope, if we're talking about an ambitious interstitial story, this is the narrative that I'd recommend. There's nothing quite like it, whether in presentation, style, delivery, or chronology, and it's this entire package that delivers something refreshingly alien.

Is there a more elegant way for Valented to have told her story? Perhaps. But the rawness of this piece, and its ambition, elevates this to something noteworthy. If I'd go for the conservative vote, I'd vote Liu. If it's for innovation, Valente.