{"id":21023,"date":"2025-03-20T10:28:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T16:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/?p=21023"},"modified":"2025-03-20T10:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T16:28:56","slug":"how-i-would-vote-now-2008-hugo-awards-best-novel-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/how-i-would-vote-now-2008-hugo-awards-best-novel-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Would Vote Now: 2008 Hugo Awards (Best Novel)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Nominees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union<\/em> by Michael Chabon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brasyl<\/em> by Ian McDonald<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rollback<\/em> by Robert J. Sawyer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Last Colony<\/em> by John Scalzi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Halting State<\/em> by Charles Stross<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Actual Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union<\/em> by Michael Chabon<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Last Colony<\/em> by John Scalzi<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Halting State<\/em> by Charles Stross<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Rollback<\/em> by Robert J. Sawyer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Brasyl<\/em> by Ian McDonald<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How I Would Vote Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. No Award<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Rollback<\/em>\u00a0by Robert J. Sawyer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Explanation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Two thousand eight was the year that I took Brandon Sanderson’s writing class and decided to become a professional fiction author. It was also the year that I discovered David Gemmell and Robert Charles Wilson, two of my favorite authors. It was also the year that the world economy collapsed and Obama won the US election, so it was a very eventful year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Unfortunately, it was not a very good year for science fiction & fantasy\u2014or at least, not for the Hugo Awards. I didn’t read any of these books until just recently, but I have to admit, I didn’t like any of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Perhaps, if I were a liberal atheist Jew, I would have enjoyed The Yiddish Policeman’s Union<\/em> (not a conservative orthodox Jew, mind you\u2014if anything, I probably would have hated it more). It’s not that I have anything personal against Jews or Jewish culture. I quite enjoyed Fiddler on the Roof. But unlike Fiddler on the Roof, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union<\/em> doesn’t have many points of commonality with the wider culture to make it accessible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For example, even though the traditions of Anatevka are likely different from the traditions of whatever culture we call our own, most of us understand the concept of tradition as a governing force in our lives, and can therefore sing along with the song “Tradition” and understand how it affects the story. But the plot and worldbuilding points of The Yiddish Policeman’s Union<\/em> were so quirky and uniquely Yiddish that I just found it difficult to connect with or even follow them all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Honestly, it would be a bit like if I were to write an alternate history where the Mormons were driven from the continental US after the Utah Wars, and settled in Hawaii and the Polynesian islands, except the main character drinks Coca Cola and has a complicated relationship with his polygamous step-mother (because plural marriage was never renounced in this alternate universe) while his sister, a three-cow woman, dances in the Polynesian cultural center\u2026 if you’re a Latter-day Saint, you’re probably chuckling, but you’ve got to be scratching your head if you’re not. And to be fair, it’s not like I’d never write a book like that\u2014after all, I’m still keeping Starship Lachoneus<\/em> in my back pocket\u2014but I wouldn’t try to market it to a general audience, or expect it to win any mainstream awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      [SPOILER (highlight to read)]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The real kicker, though, was when I skipped to the end and learned that one of the book’s plot twists was that a side character got a secret abortion. That just pissed me off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I’ve writte at length why I can’t stand John Scalzi and have DNFed him as an author. His first book, Old Man’s War,<\/em> was good (though I would probably DNF it if I read it again now). Everything else I’ve ever read of his is just terrible. YMMV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I’ve also DNFed Charles Stross as an author, mostly for nihilisim. If someone gives me a good reason to try Halting State,<\/em> I’ll pick it up, otherwise I’m just going to skip it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As for Brasyl,<\/em> when I ran it by Orion (the ChatGPT persona I created to screen these books for woke and objectionable content), here is what I got:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      Set in three intertwining timelines within Brazil\u2014the past, present, and near future\u2014Brasyl explores themes of identity, quantum mechanics, and cultural complexity. From an ambitious reality TV producer in modern Rio, to a rogue Jesuit priest in the 18th century, to a futuristic tech-savvy entrepreneur, the characters navigate moral dilemmas and existential challenges as their stories intersect in surprising ways. The novel combines speculative science with the vibrant, chaotic energy of Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Content Warnings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Explicit Content: The novel contains scenes of violence, some of which are intense, and mature themes including sexual content. The explicitness aligns with the gritty, unflinching tone of the story\u2019s portrayal of both human and cultural dynamics.
      “Woke” Elements: McDonald incorporates themes of globalization, colonialism, and social inequality, reflecting a nuanced perspective on Brazil\u2019s history and culture. The narrative celebrates diversity and critiques systemic injustices, which some readers may view as overtly progressive. However, these themes are intricately tied to the world-building and character arcs.
      Overall Assessment:
      Brasyl is a vivid, ambitious novel that combines speculative science with cultural and historical depth. While its explicit content and progressive themes may not suit all readers, those who enjoy richly layered storytelling with a strong sense of place will find it a rewarding and thought-provoking read.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      It’s kind of on the border, but there’s enough in there to convince me that this isn’t the kind of book for me. The world is full of lots of great books out there; why should I spend any time on this one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Which brings us to Rollback.<\/em> I wanted to like this book, and indeed got about a hundred pages into it before I decided to DNF it. Partly, it was because I lost interest. Partly, it was because the writing was just too literal and logical\u2014especially the sexy parts, which didn’t offend me (the characters are married) so much as they were just plain awkward. It’s not like I hated the book\u2014indeed, I’d probably finish it if I tried it again as an audiobook\u2014but I couldn’t give it my vote. If it weren’t for the other books on the ballot this year, I would have just abstained, but the others were bad enough for me to rank them under No Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      How I Would Vote Now: All Years<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The Nominees The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon Brasyl by Ian McDonald Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer The Last Colony by John Scalzi Halting State by Charles Stross The Actual Results How I Would Vote Now Explanation Two thousand eight was the year that I took Brandon Sanderson’s writing class and decided to become… Continue reading How I Would Vote Now: 2008 Hugo Awards (Best Novel)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[1750,567,1766,328,1539,1565],"class_list":["post-21023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-charles-stross","tag-hugo-awards","tag-ian-mcdonald","tag-john-scalzi","tag-michael-chabon","tag-robert-j-sawyer","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7iXK-5t5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21023"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21024,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21023\/revisions\/21024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}