My Hugo award votes 2025, Part 3: Short stories

 The short stories were perhaps the lowest-quality category this year. Experimental and “artistic” writing was once again common, as it often is in this category more than in the others. It was easy to place the most “mundane” story first, as it was also well-written, with a nice and interesting plot. The last two places were easy to decide, as I was too stupid to really understand them. The other stories were also fairly easy to rank in what felt like the “right” voting order.

“We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed Magazine, May 2024 – Issue 168)

The story consists of two parallel "story" lines, where one is a more or less repeating poem, and the other explores how difficult it is for humans to experience or read two things simultaneously. I think it’s meant as some kind of communication from aliens or something similar. Very experimental, quite short, and with little plot.

“Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld, February 2024)

A take on Ursula K. Le Guin's classic short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Someone kills the child who is being tortured for the good of the whole city. Things start to go wrong, accidents and disagreements occur, until a new child is placed in the torture room. Then everything is wonderful again... until that child is also killed. And the next one, and the next one. Where do the children come from? Are they ethically sourced? A good story, written in a style very similar to the original.

“Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)

Margary lives in what seems to be a late medieval village, tending to her mother, who has a shaking palsy. They used to work at the manor, but when the mother fell ill, the lord gave them a small farm to live on. Margary is also caring for her little brother. One day, the boy hears that a snail is approaching the village. The snail is a giant creature whose corrosive slime destroys everything in its path. The lord must be informed so he can defend the village. He tries, but the snail is gigantic… A nice, optimistic story where people are mostly good, even the lord. Perhaps the most “classical” of the nominees. It would be nice to read more stories set in this world with these characters.

“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed Magazine, January 2024 – Issue 164)

A very short tale about a prison transport carrying inmates to another planet as part of an extremely cruel punishment. A good story with a clever twist, but very short and based on a single idea.

“Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)

A sort of game which is based on simulated (?) history is run repeatedly with slightly altered choices by the characters. An oppressive government seems to monitor the game's events closely. A player (?) eventually commits an unthinkable act. The story is interspersed with quotes from a scholarly article. A very experimental (and allegorical?) piece that I didn’t really understand.

“Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 57)

A Chinese (?) woman is looking for her brother, with only his last known address. She finds a small inn run by a seemingly kind family, but she notices they are wearing her brother’s clothes. When they try to kill her, she is fortunately able to use a magical connection to the clothing, which fights back and avenges her. There’s no explanation for the magic, but the story is well-written in poetic language. A pretty good story overall.

My voting order will be: 

1. “Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)

2. “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld, February 2024)

3. “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 57)

4. “Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed Magazine, Jan 2024 (Issue 164))

5. “Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)

6. “We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed Magazine, May 2024 (Issue 168))

Adrian Tchaikovsky: Alien Clay

The last of the Hugo-nominated novels this time.

Professor Arton Daghdev has been sentenced to forced labor on the planet Kiln. Earth is ruled by a tyrannical regime known as the Mandate, which tolerates no dissidents. While it is nominally pro-science, it only supports research that confirms its rule and upholds the andromorphic principle, the belief that the human form is the pinnacle of evolution.

Daghdev has conducted research not approved by the Mandate, and it later emerges that he has also been involved with rebels opposing the regime.

Life has been discovered on a few other planets, but nowhere is it as diverse as on Kiln. Though not fully compatible with Earth-based life, the differences are not extreme. Kiln’s organisms are inedible to humans, and while most of their poisons don’t affect us, they can live on and inside the human body. One example is an older scientist who lives in a cage, apparently driven mad, occasionally screaming as Kiln life thrives on her. Yet surprisingly, she remains alive.

Kiln also contains several ruins that appear to have been built by intelligent beings. One of the camp's goals is to discover who built them and decipher their inscriptions. So far, there have been no results—no signs of intelligent life, no tombs, no remains of any builders.

Daghdev is assigned to study the planet’s strange life forms. Most of his work consists of dissecting specimens and performing repetitive statistical analyses. Kiln’s life is bizarre: its animals are assembled from other organisms in an intricate web of symbiosis and parasitism. It’s as if they’re built from biological LEGO bricks, modular, adaptable, and capable of forming nearly infinite new life forms.

Daghdev eventually joins an organized mutiny, which ends in complete failure. As punishment, he is assigned to the “Excursions”—teams sent out from the camp to explore new ruins. The work is extremely dangerous, and everyone on it eventually dies. On one mission, everything goes wrong, and their copter is destroyed. No rescue will come; the camp doesn't value the lives of a few prisoners. The group decides to attempt the long, deadly walk back through the jungle, teeming with alien, poisonous, and hostile life.

But Kiln harbors more than anyone has realized. For those willing to accept it, the planet’s life may offer unprecedented benefits and a strange sense of completeness.

A very good book, with a truly fascinating vision of evolution and alien biology. The writing is solid, the characters may be slightly caricatured, and the ideology of the Mandate could have been explained in more depth—but overall, it’s a strong novel that delivers a real sense of wonder. It gave me a déjà vu of Isaac Asimov’s Misbegotten Missionary. This will be my top choice on the Hugo ballot.

390 pp. 

My Hugo award votes 2025, Part 2: Novelettes

The quality of the novelettes was pretty good overall. All of the stories were at least fairly enjoyable. Four of them were fantasy—some of the kind where fantastic things happen without explanation, a style that usually isn’t my favorite. None stood out as a clear winner, but none felt like a definite loser either.

As a side note, five out of the six stories had a female protagonist, and I don’t recall the gender being specified in the sixth. I decided to place the most science-fictional story first. The last place was also fairly easy to decide, but the order of the others could have gone in almost any direction.

“Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)

A young woman is supposed to meet her long-time friend for the first time in a while. They both arrive at the bus stop but can’t find each other. Soon, it becomes clear that all of the woman’s friends and family are absent. They can leave traces, take objects, and communicate via text or email, but they cannot be seen.

She tries to make a new friend, but that person soon disappears too. Her brother eventually discovers they can interact as avatars in a computer game. Then the phenomenon becomes global: people everywhere lose their loved ones. Later, even the avatars begin to fade, and internet connections grow erratic.

A pretty good, wistful story that gradually fades away, just like the people in it.

“Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 59)

Veronica, a longtime TV news presenter, travels to visit her younger sister Violet. They haven’t spoken in years, despite having been close as children. Violet had always wanted a sister and was overjoyed when she got one.

Violet lives far away, and after Veronica’s car breaks down, she ends up spending the night at Violet’s house. A very polite and helpful young man is there, and Violet asks him to call Veronica “aunt.” The sisters have long conversations about what caused the rift between them, as well as their lives and family. Violet seems to have lost her husband and sons.

Everything feels very mundane, with no hint of fantasy or science fiction—until discussions about Veronica’s birth and the young man’s true identity surface. A cozy, gentle fantasy story that offers no explanations; strange things just happen without reason.

“By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)

A sorceress lives in a coastal village. Unexpectedly, she receives an apprentice, which is unfortunate, as she has lost her magical abilities. A giant sea monster, which periodically attacks the village, is expected to return soon.

She has lived in fear of its next appearance, but now she isn’t alone. However, her apprentice is inexperienced, and the sorceress herself is powerless. Is there any hope of saving the village?

An optimistic and well-written story about perseverance. Everyone is kind, and there are no real villains (aside from the monster, and even he isn’t seriously harmed).

“The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld, May 2024)

The main character finds a strange book, one without lights or electronics. This is highly unusual in a world where everything is editable and digital.

Interest in the book is high. The unnamed protagonist finds himself caught in schemes and intrigue. He’s friends with a dealer in arcane items who is also drawn to the book. The protagonist becomes fascinated by the idea of fixed, immutable text.

An okay story with an interesting premise, but one that doesn’t quite make sense. What force has eliminated all physical books to the point that the protagonist has never even seen one? Why does this world still use VHS tapes for some reason? And if digital books are editable, why do they come in single-book units that fill a library? That setup makes no sense.

“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s, September/October 2024)

A woman who once studied seals is now living by the sea with her husband. Her dissertation was lost due to a computer crash, while her husband, who has tenure (albeit with a low salary), has finished his.

She finds that some of the very same seals she studied live near their new home, so maybe she can start her work over. But most of her time is spent editing (basically writing) her husband’s research papers, without receiving authorship credit even when she asks.

Her husband turns out to be a major PoS. The story contains minimal speculative content, though it eventually reveals itself to be a kind of selkie tale which is a common motif that has shown up in several recent nominations. Still, this one wasn’t bad.

“Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie (in Lake of Souls, Orbit)

A shrimp-like alien named Spawn (later described as looking like a woodlouse) is going through an identity crisis. Its molting is delayed, and it fears it doesn’t have a soul. Those with souls are reborn as flying beings after death.

Meanwhile, an exoanthropologist awakens on a spaceship orbiting the planet. The rest of the crew is gone, with signs of a violent struggle. The ship’s ansible is also missing, but she locates it on the planet’s surface.

She makes her way down and eventually meets Spawn. They form a tentative bond. The anthropologist realizes that without delivering the data about a sentient species, the corporation funding the mission won’t care about its fate.

A well-written, fairly strong story. The ending is a bit thin, as it’s told from Spawn’s point of view.

My voting order will be:

1. “Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie (in Lake of Souls, Orbit)

2. “By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)

3. “Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 59)

4. “Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)

5. “The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s, September/October 2024)

6. “The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld, May 2024)

Elina Backman: Ennen kuin tulee pimeää (Saana Havas #3)

Seuraava osa Saana Havas sarjassa. Tällä kertaa Saana matkustaa Lappiin. Hänen esimiehensä ystävän sisko on tapettu vuosia sitten, ja tämä pyytää Saanaa selvittämään asiaa. Saana samalla haluaa tavata isäänsä, jonka kanssa yhteydet ovat olleet jo vuosia aika vähäisiä.  Kun Saana pääsee paikkakunnalle, osoittautuu, että vain hiukan aikaisemmin on kadonnut toinen tyttö, saman ikäinen ja jopa aika saman näköinen kuin vuosia sitten kadonnut ja kuolleena löytynyt nuori nainen. Onko asioilla yhteyttä? Kun jälkimmäinenkin tyttö löytyy kuolleena ja kuolemaan liittyy samoja piirteitä kuin aikaisemmin, vaikuttaa ilmeiseltä, että kyseessä on jonkinlainen sarjamurhaaja. Vaikuttaa myös selvältä, että ihmiset eivät kerro kaikkea mitä tietävät. Saanan poikaystävä Jan matkustaa myös paikkakunnalle selvittämään murhia.

Kirja etenee aika verkkaisesti ja sen teksti on hyvin kirjoitettua, maalailevaa ja helposti luettavaa/kuunneltavaa. Hitaus ei kiusannut tässä kirjassa lainkaan, siinä määrin kiinnostavia henkilöhahmoja riitti. Itse aloin epäillä syyllistä kohtalaisen ajoissa, mutta varma syyllisestä ei voinut olla, sillä useampia vaihtoehtoisia mahdollisuuksia kyllä oli. Kirja oli pätevä jatko-osa, joka oli automatkoilla kiinnostavaa kuunneltavaa. Hiukan jäi lopussa kiusaamaan, että Saanan keskusteluja isänsä kanssa ei sitten sen selvemmin tuotu esiin, muutenkin loppu oli kaiken sen rauhallisen etenemisen jälkeen aika töksähtävän nopea ja ihan kaikki ei oikein selvinnyt. Näyttelijän kuoleman kunnollinen motiivi mm. jäi aika auki.

416 pp

My Hugo award votes 2025, Part 1: Novellas

 This time, the novellas were the first Hugo nomination category I finished reading. The stories were mostly at least decent, but there were no truly exceptional or unforgettable ones. On the other hand, the overall quality was much higher than last year’s, and there were no complete stinkers like the bottom nominees of the previous year. Three of the stories were fantasy, and three leaned more toward science fiction, which made for a fairly good mix. My voting order was pretty easy to decide.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

Veris lives a peaceful life in a small village. Most of her family was destroyed when a tyrant and his invading army came to her country and settled in a nearby castle. Close to the village lie the northern woods—no one goes there. If a child or an ignorant person wanders into the forest, they never return. Not once.

Veris once managed to retrieve a child from the forest, something unheard of. When the tyrant’s children go missing into the woods, Veris is summoned to the tyrant’s court. She has no choice: she must bring the children back, or she and her remaining family will be killed.

The forest is filled with strange and mischievous creatures, but Veris manages to strike deals with them—at a cost. She escapes the forest again, but not without sacrifice. This was a pretty good story, though it could have been slightly tighter. The backstory was also a bit sketchy. What exactly is the tyrant’s background? What is the origin of the forest and its creatures? The ending felt somewhat abrupt—was this perhaps the start of a series?

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

A sequel to the earlier novella What Moves the Dead by the same author. The main characters return. Ex-military officer Alex (who belongs to a “military gender”) travels to her family’s hunting lodge in a remote location. It has been largely unused for years. A caretaker was living there, but he has recently died from a mysterious respiratory illness that the villagers refuse to discuss.

The lodge feels unnaturally quiet. Alex and her companions hire a cook, whose son comes along to help as a handyman. Alex dreams of a woman sitting on her chest and stealing her breath. Surely it was just a dream? But the handyman begins to seem exhausted and distracted, like he hasn’t slept in days. Is something supernatural happening?

It turns out, yes—there is something otherworldly going on. The story takes a while to build up, but it ends up being a solid supernatural thriller (and, as a mild spoiler, there is no quasi-natural explanation this time). There were some genuinely tense moments. The characters were well-developed, and the writing was smooth and enjoyable. I liked this more than the first installment.

Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard

Navigators guide ships through a form of hyperspace using “shadows”—some kind of invisible (perhaps metaphysical?) extensions of their bodies. It reminded me of Lucy’s “vectors” from the anime Elfen Lied, though less lethal and with greater range. Navigators belong to various guilds that are in constant rivalry, seeing each other as competition. Meanwhile, the powers that be see the entire navigation system as expensive and possibly obsolete.

A dangerous creature has escaped from hyperspace, one that feeds on human minds. (I did wonder how such a thing evolved in a place where no sentient beings presumably exist…) A team of young trainees from different guilds is assembled to stop it. The situation becomes even more critical when their senior mentor is apparently poisoned. Can this group of misfits—each viewed with skepticism by their own superiors—succeed?

The story was quite good, although the focus leaned more toward the relationships between the characters than the central plot. I wasn’t too interested in the teenage emotional drama, but the writing itself was strong.

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

Damira spent her life fighting for elephants. It was a losing battle against ivory poachers, and ultimately, she died in the struggle. Just weeks before her death, however, her consciousness was recorded.

Decades later, Russian scientists have brought back mammoths—or at least mammoth analogs—to roam Siberia. But these creatures lack the instinctive knowledge to thrive. So Damira’s mind is uploaded into a large female mammoth, making her the “matriarch” of the herd. Who better to guide them than someone who knew elephants intimately?

But even in remote Siberia, the mammoths aren’t safe. Poachers remain a threat, and the park's organizers plan to sell hunting rights to the ultra-rich, at prices only billionaires could afford. Damira, in mammoth form, is more aggressive than a natural elephant—and it’s not wise to provoke a creature that size.

A well-written and thoughtful story, told from multiple perspectives and timeframes, including the son of a poacher who doesn’t share his father’s views.

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

The story continues a series set in an alternate version of ancient China. The protagonist, Cleric Chih, serves as a chaperone for a young noblewoman—whose background may not be as noble as she claims. The bride-to-be is to marry a wealthy man at a distant manor and live a life of luxury.

But things at the manor seem… off. A servant casually refers to the man’s former wives, implying there have been many. A young man behaves erratically, trying to convey something important. Chih and the bride discover strange things in an abandoned building. Is the marriage dangerous?

The groom starts to appear increasingly unstable and sinister. Should Chih stop the wedding and escape? Well—yes, but not for the reasons they think, and not for the person they believe to be in danger.

By far the best entry in the series so far. The first half of the story is very low fantasy, like earlier installments—but that changes. Dramatically. As does everything else in the story.

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

Set aboard what appears to be a generation ship—or maybe a mining ship?—this story’s worldbuilding is confusing. There’s a rigid caste system. At the bottom are the "chained": literal chains around their ankles, living in filth in the Hold. A level up are people with anklets—electronic chains controlled via a mobile app by those in power.

A young man from the chained caste turns out to be a gifted artist. A social scientist, herself an anklet-wearer and the daughter of a chained man, brings him to the upper levels as part of a social experiment. The boy struggles to adapt and misses his mentor, a prophetic figure from the Hold. The scientist takes him back to visit—but the ship’s rulers are not pleased.

There may be a chance for solidarity and rebellion.

The writing is solid, but the message felt extremely obvious. “Oh wow, slavery and oppression are bad?” Who could have guessed? I also struggled to buy the setting: are they mining ore in space? By hand? Is it a hollowed asteroid? The caste system lacked a clear, believable origin. The background was underdeveloped.

My voting order will be:

1. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

2. What Feasts at Night, T. Kingfisher

3. The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

4. The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

5. Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard

6. The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar