A review by villyidol
Uncanny Magazine Issue 34: May/June 2020 by Chimedum Ohaegbu, Elsa Sjunneson, Michael Damian Thomas, Lynne M. Thomas
Review only for two stories in this issue.
A Being Together Amongst Strangers by Arkady Martine
(science-fiction / read February 26, 2021)
That’s a great one.
In a 22nd century New York City a woman is on her commute. While she’s on the subway she thinks about the miners that lost their lives in the 1903 Fort George Subway Tunnel Disaster. How they had been sacrificed for the city. Taken by the city.
That’s when a fight is about to break out on the train. A couple of teenagers verbally attack a woman who is apparently a climate refugee, of which New York has taken on a lot, as many cities are drowning.
Everyone is minding their own business, but the first-person narrator is working in conflict resolution and decides to step in, even though outside of work she is not allowed to use the tech that had been installed in her head for that exact purpose. Her job is to become “a vessel for hurt”, to understand the anger of people and where it is coming from. And then take it and translate it into the respective language that both parties can understand.
There’s a lot going on in this story. I like the integration of the real-life tragedy of the miners that Martine has done here. Her story is also about what it means to be a New Yorker and what it is that makes a city and the city’s people in general, and in which way those belong together. But mainly it is a story about empathy. I shelved it as sci-fi, but it isn’t really about the tech, or even the environmental problems in this imagined future. It’s more about understanding the different ways that people use to communicate and how hate often springs from hurt.
4.5 stars
Can be read for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/a-being-together-amongst-strangers/
I listened to it as part of the Uncanny Magazine Podcast #34A. The story starts at 8:00 and is roughly 19 minutes long. It was narrated by Joy Piedmont.
I recommend to also listen to the interview with the author, which follows after this story and a short poem. I had not heard Martine speak before. But I think I quite like her.
Burn or The Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt
(fantasy / read March 04, 2021 to March 05, 2021)
Sam loses his job as an accountant, because he has a tendency to spontaneously combust. No, seriously. So, what does Sam do? He auditions for a role on a team of Supers. However, setting himself on fire isn't the most useful super power. Therefore they hire him as their new accountant.
This started out exactly as it sounds — very amusing. However it loses a bit of steam midway through and actually becomes rather downtrodden.
Ultimately this is another story about being different and trying to fit in, and the superhero thing is just mirroring real-life otherness. Look, I get the message and it's nice and all. But to me it felt more like a missed opportunity to write something weird and funny instead of something that I read every two weeks or so.*
3 stars
Can be read for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/burn-or-the-episodic-life-of-sam-wells-as-a-super/
I listened to the Uncanny Magazine Podcast, episode #34B. The story starts at 7:31 and is roughly 64 minutes long. It was narrated by Erika Ensign. And this time I can't recommend the audio version. First of all, it's not one of Ensign's best. But more importantly, the text gets a little annoying at some point. There's one expression that gets repeated throughout the story. Watch Sam burn. Watch Sam not burn. Watch Sam run. Watch Sam do this and that. You get the idea. Listening to her saying this over and over again was exhausting.
Now that I think about it, listening to this instead of reading it might actually have contributed to my getting tired of the story midway through.
*But apparently it wasn't a missed opportunity to get nominated for an award (or two).
Best Novel
• [b:Piranesi|50202953|Piranesi|Susanna Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953._SY75_.jpg|73586702] by Susanna Clarke
• [b:The City We Became|42074525|The City We Became (Great Cities #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585327950l/42074525._SY75_.jpg|54760675] by N.K. Jemisin
• [b:Mexican Gothic|53152636|Mexican Gothic|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607462569l/53152636._SY75_.jpg|73647361] by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• [b:The Midnight Bargain|49151031|The Midnight Bargain|C.L. Polk|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587158919l/49151031._SY75_.jpg|74297088] by C.L. Polk
• [b:Black Sun|50892360|Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601212809l/50892360._SY75_.jpg|61321587] by Rebecca Roanhorse
• Network Effect by Martha Wells
Best Novella
• [b:Tower of Mud and Straw|55236234|Tower of Mud and Straw|Yaroslav Barsukov|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599295493l/55236234._SX50_.jpg|86121622] by Yaroslav Barsukov
• [b:Finna|44081573|Finna (LitenVerse #1)|Nino Cipri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563304090l/44081573._SY75_.jpg|68548236] by Nino Cipri
• Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b:Ife-Iyoku, Tale of Imadeyunuagbon|57370124|Ife-Iyoku, Tale of Imadeyunuagbon|Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|89792116] by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora, Aurelia Leo)
• [b:The Four Profound Weaves|51600161|The Four Profound Weaves|R.B. Lemberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575992755l/51600161._SY75_.jpg|73397963] by R.B. Lemberg
• [b:Riot Baby|43719523|Riot Baby|Tochi Onyebuchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556633991l/43719523._SY75_.jpg|68038597] by Tochi Onyebuchi
Best Novelette
• [b:Stepsister|56671617|Stepsister|Leah Cypess|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|88573911] by Leah Cypess (F&SF 5-6/20)
• [b:The Pill|53052208|Big Girl|Meg Elison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575492744l/53052208._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73371095] by Meg Elison (Big Girl, PM Press)
• Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt (Uncanny 5-6/20)
• Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com 6/17/20)
• Where You Linger by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Shadow Prisons by Caroline M. Yoachim (serialized in the Dystopia Triptych series as The Shadow Prison Experiment, Shadow Prisons of the Mind and The Shadow Prisoner’s Dilemma, Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press)
Best Short Story
• Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Advanced Word Problems in Portal Math by Aimee Picchi (Daily Science Fiction 1/3/20)
• A Guide For Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Made to Order: Robots and Revolution, Solaris)
• The Eight-Thousanders by Jason Sanford (Asimov’s 9-10/20) (Asimov’s 9-10/20)
• My Country Is a Ghost by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Open House on Haunted Hill by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 6/15/20)
The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction
• [b:Raybearer|50158128|Raybearer (Raybearer, #1)|Jordan Ifueko|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567330635l/50158128._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70180082] by Jordan Ifueko
• [b:Elatsoe|49089632|Elatsoe|Darcie Little Badger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581002562l/49089632._SX50_.jpg|71388826] by Darcie Little Badger
• [b:A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking|54369251|A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking|T. Kingfisher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593743861l/54369251._SX50_.jpg|84842875] by T. Kingfisher
• [b:A Game of Fox and Squirrels|44280976|A Game of Fox & Squirrels|Jenn Reese|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567292584l/44280976._SY75_.jpg|68794492] by Jenn Reese
• [b:Star Daughter|52781202|Star Daughter|Shveta Thakrar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596350537l/52781202._SY75_.jpg|66825697] by Shveta Thakrar
Best Novel
• [b:Black Sun|50892360|Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601212809l/50892360._SY75_.jpg|61321587] by Rebecca Roanhorse
• [b:The City We Became|42074525|The City We Became (Great Cities #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585327950l/42074525._SY75_.jpg|54760675] by N.K. Jemisin
• [b:Harrow the Ninth|39325105|Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #2)|Tamsyn Muir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602323622l/39325105._SY75_.jpg|60943273] by Tamsyn Muir
• Network Effect by Martha Wells
• [b:Piranesi|50202953|Piranesi|Susanna Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953._SY75_.jpg|73586702] by Susanna Clarke
• [b:The Relentless Moon|52381417|The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut Universe, #3)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574326388l/52381417._SY75_.jpg|65396089] by Mary Robinette Kowal
Best Novella
• [b:Come Tumbling Down|44804083|Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children, #5)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556543251l/44804083._SY75_.jpg|60132774] by Seanan McGuire
• [b:The Empress of Salt and Fortune|51190882|The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)|Nghi Vo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565188992l/51190882._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71836130] by Nghi Vo
• [b:Finna|44081573|Finna (LitenVerse #1)|Nino Cipri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563304090l/44081573._SY75_.jpg|68548236] by Nino Cipri
• Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b:Riot Baby|43719523|Riot Baby|Tochi Onyebuchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556633991l/43719523._SY75_.jpg|68038597] by Tochi Onyebuchi
• [b:Upright Women Wanted|45320365|Upright Women Wanted|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556718522l/45320365._SY75_.jpg|62411007] by Sarah Gailey
Best Novelette
• Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 34: May/June 2020|53340305|Uncanny Magazine Issue 34 May/June 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588778181l/53340305._SY75_.jpg|81991633])
• [b:I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter|56389293|Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160 (January 2020)|Neil Clarke|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|87868218] by Isabel Fall (Clarkesworld, January 2020)
• The Inaccessibility of Heaven by Aliette de Bodard ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 35: July/August 2020|54425955|Uncanny Magazine Issue 35 July/August 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594094718l/54425955._SY75_.jpg|84933097])
• Monster by Naomi Kritzer ([b:Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160|51267546|Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160 (January 2020)|Neil Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581723430l/51267546._SY75_.jpg|87868218])
• The Pill by Meg Elison (from [b:Big Girl|53052208|Big Girl|Meg Elison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575492744l/53052208._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73371095])
• Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com)
Best Short Story
• Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 32: January/February 2020|50493730|Uncanny Magazine Issue 32 January/February 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579080364l/50493730._SY75_.jpg|75468797])
• A Guide For Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Made to Order: Robots and Revolution, Solaris)
• Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer (Tor. com)
• The Mermaid Astronaut by Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, February 2020)
• Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine, September/October 2020)
• Open House on Haunted Hill by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 6/15/20)
Best Series
• The Daevabad Trilogy by [a:S.A. Chakraborty|16002992|S.A. Chakraborty|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495447627p2/16002992.jpg]
• The Interdependency by [a:John Scalzi|4763|John Scalzi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562613145p2/4763.jpg]
• The Lady Astronaut Universe by [a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602692419p2/2868678.jpg]
• The Murderbot Diaries by [a:Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg]
• October Daye by [a:Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]
• The Poppy War by [a:R.F. Kuang|16820001|R.F. Kuang|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1563395354p2/16820001.jpg]
Best Graphic Story or Comic
• [b:Die, Vol. 2: Split the Party|49426262|Die, Vol. 2 Split the Party|Kieron Gillen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575345987l/49426262._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72153103], written by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles
• [b:Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Dog Days Are Over|49984842|Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1 Dog Days Are Over|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580942524l/49984842._SY75_.jpg|72585311], written by Seanan McGuire, art by Takeshi Miyazawa and Rosi Kämpe
• Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 2: Edge of Everything, written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Christian Ward
• [b:Monstress, Vol. 5: Warchild|52637764|Monstress, Vol. 5 Warchild|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600742631l/52637764._SY75_.jpg|78402003], written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
• Once & Future, Vol. 1: The King is Undead, written by Kieron Gillen, iIllustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Tamra Bonvillain, lettered by Ed Dukeshire
• Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings
A Being Together Amongst Strangers by Arkady Martine
(science-fiction / read February 26, 2021)
That’s a great one.
In a 22nd century New York City a woman is on her commute. While she’s on the subway she thinks about the miners that lost their lives in the 1903 Fort George Subway Tunnel Disaster. How they had been sacrificed for the city. Taken by the city.
Already it was the city, and already it was a breathing creature, even if its bloodstream was still being dynamited out of the rock. Breathing creatures are hungry ones, and the city took the miners twice: once with joy, into its pubs and brothels and theaters, into its rooming-houses in Spuyten Duyvil—and once with blood.
That’s when a fight is about to break out on the train. A couple of teenagers verbally attack a woman who is apparently a climate refugee, of which New York has taken on a lot, as many cities are drowning.
Everyone is minding their own business, but the first-person narrator is working in conflict resolution and decides to step in, even though outside of work she is not allowed to use the tech that had been installed in her head for that exact purpose. Her job is to become “a vessel for hurt”, to understand the anger of people and where it is coming from. And then take it and translate it into the respective language that both parties can understand.
There’s a lot going on in this story. I like the integration of the real-life tragedy of the miners that Martine has done here. Her story is also about what it means to be a New Yorker and what it is that makes a city and the city’s people in general, and in which way those belong together. But mainly it is a story about empathy. I shelved it as sci-fi, but it isn’t really about the tech, or even the environmental problems in this imagined future. It’s more about understanding the different ways that people use to communicate and how hate often springs from hurt.
4.5 stars
Can be read for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/a-being-together-amongst-strangers/
I listened to it as part of the Uncanny Magazine Podcast #34A. The story starts at 8:00 and is roughly 19 minutes long. It was narrated by Joy Piedmont.
I recommend to also listen to the interview with the author, which follows after this story and a short poem. I had not heard Martine speak before. But I think I quite like her.
Burn or The Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt
(fantasy / read March 04, 2021 to March 05, 2021)
Sam loses his job as an accountant, because he has a tendency to spontaneously combust. No, seriously. So, what does Sam do? He auditions for a role on a team of Supers. However, setting himself on fire isn't the most useful super power. Therefore they hire him as their new accountant.
This started out exactly as it sounds — very amusing. However it loses a bit of steam midway through and actually becomes rather downtrodden.
Ultimately this is another story about being different and trying to fit in, and the superhero thing is just mirroring real-life otherness. Look, I get the message and it's nice and all. But to me it felt more like a missed opportunity to write something weird and funny instead of something that I read every two weeks or so.*
3 stars
Can be read for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/burn-or-the-episodic-life-of-sam-wells-as-a-super/
I listened to the Uncanny Magazine Podcast, episode #34B. The story starts at 7:31 and is roughly 64 minutes long. It was narrated by Erika Ensign. And this time I can't recommend the audio version. First of all, it's not one of Ensign's best. But more importantly, the text gets a little annoying at some point. There's one expression that gets repeated throughout the story. Watch Sam burn. Watch Sam not burn. Watch Sam run. Watch Sam do this and that. You get the idea. Listening to her saying this over and over again was exhausting.
Now that I think about it, listening to this instead of reading it might actually have contributed to my getting tired of the story midway through.
*But apparently it wasn't a missed opportunity to get nominated for an award (or two).
_________________
2020 Nebula Award Finalists
Best Novel
• [b:Piranesi|50202953|Piranesi|Susanna Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953._SY75_.jpg|73586702] by Susanna Clarke
• [b:The City We Became|42074525|The City We Became (Great Cities #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585327950l/42074525._SY75_.jpg|54760675] by N.K. Jemisin
• [b:Mexican Gothic|53152636|Mexican Gothic|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607462569l/53152636._SY75_.jpg|73647361] by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• [b:The Midnight Bargain|49151031|The Midnight Bargain|C.L. Polk|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587158919l/49151031._SY75_.jpg|74297088] by C.L. Polk
• [b:Black Sun|50892360|Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601212809l/50892360._SY75_.jpg|61321587] by Rebecca Roanhorse
• Network Effect by Martha Wells
Best Novella
• [b:Tower of Mud and Straw|55236234|Tower of Mud and Straw|Yaroslav Barsukov|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599295493l/55236234._SX50_.jpg|86121622] by Yaroslav Barsukov
• [b:Finna|44081573|Finna (LitenVerse #1)|Nino Cipri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563304090l/44081573._SY75_.jpg|68548236] by Nino Cipri
• Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b:Ife-Iyoku, Tale of Imadeyunuagbon|57370124|Ife-Iyoku, Tale of Imadeyunuagbon|Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|89792116] by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora, Aurelia Leo)
• [b:The Four Profound Weaves|51600161|The Four Profound Weaves|R.B. Lemberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575992755l/51600161._SY75_.jpg|73397963] by R.B. Lemberg
• [b:Riot Baby|43719523|Riot Baby|Tochi Onyebuchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556633991l/43719523._SY75_.jpg|68038597] by Tochi Onyebuchi
Best Novelette
• [b:Stepsister|56671617|Stepsister|Leah Cypess|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|88573911] by Leah Cypess (F&SF 5-6/20)
• [b:The Pill|53052208|Big Girl|Meg Elison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575492744l/53052208._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73371095] by Meg Elison (Big Girl, PM Press)
• Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt (Uncanny 5-6/20)
• Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com 6/17/20)
• Where You Linger by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Shadow Prisons by Caroline M. Yoachim (serialized in the Dystopia Triptych series as The Shadow Prison Experiment, Shadow Prisons of the Mind and The Shadow Prisoner’s Dilemma, Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press)
Best Short Story
• Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Advanced Word Problems in Portal Math by Aimee Picchi (Daily Science Fiction 1/3/20)
• A Guide For Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Made to Order: Robots and Revolution, Solaris)
• The Eight-Thousanders by Jason Sanford (Asimov’s 9-10/20) (Asimov’s 9-10/20)
• My Country Is a Ghost by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 1-2/20)
• Open House on Haunted Hill by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 6/15/20)
The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction
• [b:Raybearer|50158128|Raybearer (Raybearer, #1)|Jordan Ifueko|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567330635l/50158128._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70180082] by Jordan Ifueko
• [b:Elatsoe|49089632|Elatsoe|Darcie Little Badger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581002562l/49089632._SX50_.jpg|71388826] by Darcie Little Badger
• [b:A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking|54369251|A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking|T. Kingfisher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593743861l/54369251._SX50_.jpg|84842875] by T. Kingfisher
• [b:A Game of Fox and Squirrels|44280976|A Game of Fox & Squirrels|Jenn Reese|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567292584l/44280976._SY75_.jpg|68794492] by Jenn Reese
• [b:Star Daughter|52781202|Star Daughter|Shveta Thakrar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596350537l/52781202._SY75_.jpg|66825697] by Shveta Thakrar
________________
2021 Hugo Award Finalists
Best Novel
• [b:Black Sun|50892360|Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)|Rebecca Roanhorse|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601212809l/50892360._SY75_.jpg|61321587] by Rebecca Roanhorse
• [b:The City We Became|42074525|The City We Became (Great Cities #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585327950l/42074525._SY75_.jpg|54760675] by N.K. Jemisin
• [b:Harrow the Ninth|39325105|Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #2)|Tamsyn Muir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602323622l/39325105._SY75_.jpg|60943273] by Tamsyn Muir
• Network Effect by Martha Wells
• [b:Piranesi|50202953|Piranesi|Susanna Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609095173l/50202953._SY75_.jpg|73586702] by Susanna Clarke
• [b:The Relentless Moon|52381417|The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut Universe, #3)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574326388l/52381417._SY75_.jpg|65396089] by Mary Robinette Kowal
Best Novella
• [b:Come Tumbling Down|44804083|Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children, #5)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556543251l/44804083._SY75_.jpg|60132774] by Seanan McGuire
• [b:The Empress of Salt and Fortune|51190882|The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)|Nghi Vo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565188992l/51190882._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71836130] by Nghi Vo
• [b:Finna|44081573|Finna (LitenVerse #1)|Nino Cipri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563304090l/44081573._SY75_.jpg|68548236] by Nino Cipri
• Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
• [b:Riot Baby|43719523|Riot Baby|Tochi Onyebuchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556633991l/43719523._SY75_.jpg|68038597] by Tochi Onyebuchi
• [b:Upright Women Wanted|45320365|Upright Women Wanted|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556718522l/45320365._SY75_.jpg|62411007] by Sarah Gailey
Best Novelette
• Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 34: May/June 2020|53340305|Uncanny Magazine Issue 34 May/June 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588778181l/53340305._SY75_.jpg|81991633])
• [b:I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter|56389293|Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160 (January 2020)|Neil Clarke|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|87868218] by Isabel Fall (Clarkesworld, January 2020)
• The Inaccessibility of Heaven by Aliette de Bodard ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 35: July/August 2020|54425955|Uncanny Magazine Issue 35 July/August 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594094718l/54425955._SY75_.jpg|84933097])
• Monster by Naomi Kritzer ([b:Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160|51267546|Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 160 (January 2020)|Neil Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581723430l/51267546._SY75_.jpg|87868218])
• The Pill by Meg Elison (from [b:Big Girl|53052208|Big Girl|Meg Elison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575492744l/53052208._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73371095])
• Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com)
Best Short Story
• Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson ([b:Uncanny Magazine Issue 32: January/February 2020|50493730|Uncanny Magazine Issue 32 January/February 2020|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579080364l/50493730._SY75_.jpg|75468797])
• A Guide For Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Made to Order: Robots and Revolution, Solaris)
• Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer (Tor. com)
• The Mermaid Astronaut by Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, February 2020)
• Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine, September/October 2020)
• Open House on Haunted Hill by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 6/15/20)
Best Series
• The Daevabad Trilogy by [a:S.A. Chakraborty|16002992|S.A. Chakraborty|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495447627p2/16002992.jpg]
• The Interdependency by [a:John Scalzi|4763|John Scalzi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562613145p2/4763.jpg]
• The Lady Astronaut Universe by [a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602692419p2/2868678.jpg]
• The Murderbot Diaries by [a:Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg]
• October Daye by [a:Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]
• The Poppy War by [a:R.F. Kuang|16820001|R.F. Kuang|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1563395354p2/16820001.jpg]
Best Graphic Story or Comic
• [b:Die, Vol. 2: Split the Party|49426262|Die, Vol. 2 Split the Party|Kieron Gillen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575345987l/49426262._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72153103], written by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles
• [b:Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Dog Days Are Over|49984842|Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1 Dog Days Are Over|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580942524l/49984842._SY75_.jpg|72585311], written by Seanan McGuire, art by Takeshi Miyazawa and Rosi Kämpe
• Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 2: Edge of Everything, written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Christian Ward
• [b:Monstress, Vol. 5: Warchild|52637764|Monstress, Vol. 5 Warchild|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600742631l/52637764._SY75_.jpg|78402003], written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda
• Once & Future, Vol. 1: The King is Undead, written by Kieron Gillen, iIllustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Tamra Bonvillain, lettered by Ed Dukeshire
• Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings