Asimov’s Science Fiction

As we mentioned previously, the Hugo award nominees have been announced, and Asimov’s Science Fiction’s website has posted nominees online. The examples posted are stories that appeared in Asimov’s previously. They also have posted Nebula award nominees as well.

The stories posted include:

Hugo Nominees

Best Novella

Nancy Kress:The Fountain of Age

Kristine Kathryn Rusch:Recovering Apollo 8

Connie Willis:All Seated on the Ground

Best Novelette

Greg Egan:Dark Integers

Best Short Story

Elizabeth Bear:Tideline

Mike Resnick:Distant Replay

Michael Swanwick:A Small Room in Koboldtown

Nebula Nominees

Best Novella

Nancy Kress:Fountain of Age

Best Novelette

Nancy Kress:Safeguard

Best Short Story

Karen Joy Fowler:Always

I have read the three Hugo nominated short stories and enjoyed them all, but particularly enjoyed Mike Resnick’s “Distant Replay”. Short stories are a tricky genre, as you are working to fit a satisfying beginning, middle and end into a tight word count. The require a special skill in storytelling, using all the writer’s tools to pull together the elements of the story is a cohesive, enjoyable piece.  With “Distant Replay”, I saw the ending coming about 200 words from the end of the story. What made it work for me is that seeing the ending coming made it more satisfying. That’s a good story.

Give them a read, and let us know what you think!

Tags: Reviews by Leo
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With unlimited power and will, what would you change? What in your life would you go back and do over? And would it make a difference?

I am particularly fond of short stories. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I might be a bit ADD, and short stories let me enjoy the story and move on. I came across “Two Sams” by Robert Reed while tooling around the web. It’s an interesting tale of a man who leads two lives, one as the husband and father who must deal with the crises that life throws at him. His alter ego is god-like, making and remaking worlds of his own design.

It’s an intriguing dual storyline, one paralleling the other in theme, but not in scale. The story seems to examine the futility of the search for a perfect world, how seemingly infinite power is not enough to solve all problems. It also examines what choices must be made, and what one might do if they could go back and try again.

Reed has been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, winning the Hugo in 2006 for his novella “A Billion Eves”. You can find more about Reed on his website, RobertReedWriting.com. Check out “Two Sams“. and let us know what you think.

Tags: Opinion, Reviews by Leo
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