Hugo Awards - Revisited

A while back I said I'd read and review the 5 books on the Hugo Awards list for this year.

I did well on this, read 3 out of the 5 books before the awards and managed to review 2 of them. Problem was, I was let down by the library copy of One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms going walkies for a couple of months. Poor excuse I know, but it’s the only one I’ve got.

This year’s winner was Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis, a duology that masquerades itself as a single novel. I managed to read Blackout before it won, but All Clear was only published in the UK after the Hugo was awarded.

A quick capsule review for those that might be interested. In 2060, Oxford University’s History department has a time machine, which they use to send researchers back in time to do hands on studies. Blackout follows 3 researchers who go back to World War 2 to study various aspects of the war at that time. The story weaves around these 3 characters, showing three different views of the war, but as the novel progresses, slips in recorded history and what they are actually experiencing start to show. Are the historians changing the course of history and if so, how do they return to their own time?

Blackout is full of interesting characters in a setting that is both familiar and yet completely alien to the modern reader. I was impressed with the sequences in London during the air raids for capturing the emotion and feeling that surrounded the people at the time. The problem I had was the story lacked any new ideas, and didn’t really do anything new with the old ones. Historians from the future trapped in the past is not a cliché, but certainly been done before (Timeline by Michael Crichton for example) and really needs something extra to build suspense. Blackout really didn’t have that, and just plodded along. All Clear may well inject a bit more life into the novel, but unless it’s amazing, I can’t see it lifting the pair above the other books on the short list.

I recently managed to get hold of a copy of One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the last book I needed to read to complete my set (I’ve skipped Cryoburn as its 9^th in a series). Début fantasy novels need something a little special to make them stand out from the crowd. N K Jemisin manages with ease, and without the need to write an epic. While the world is massive in scope, she maintains the focus on what you need to know to enjoy and follow the story. 

The world is ruled by the Arameri from the majestic city called Sky. Yeine is called there from her home in the barbarian north to become heiress, and ends up fighting for her life against two cousins she never knew. I really don't do the novel justice with that short attempt at a synopsis. Its high up on my recommendation list, not only for its interesting story, but also the fact that it does not conform to classical fantasy views of race or gender, which is refreshing.

I'm glad I did this, as I got to read 4 really good books that I may not have tried until much later on. I don't think I could have chosen a winner so easily, although my choice would have been between Dervish House, Feed and One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Each was excellent, and had its own pros and cons. Perhaps I'll try this again next year.