Pounded Puppies

So, if you’re a fan of scifi, you’ve probably been following this for a while now. Or not.

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/won-science-fictions-hugo-awards-matters/

I first heard about the puppies in the lead up to last year’s Hugos, when they still hadn’t organized themselves fully. Not being a particular fan of any of the writers involved*, I decided to read everything I could of the nominees for 2014**. It was, being the Hugo year, difficult to find anything except the novels and most of the movies (I didn’t have the ready internet-able cash to buy all the stories and I’m not a worldcon attendee), so I did my best. I’ll stick with the novels for this.

Parasite was so-so, though once I learned who the author was***, I was straight out disappointed. Neptune Bound was too hard to get into, though I often like Stross. Ancillary Justice blew me away; I was thrilled when it won. I couldn’t get a hold of Warbound in time for reading before the Hugos last year, so I read a Monster Hunter novel instead. I really hope Warbound was better, because I will never pick up another MHI again. I like novels that involve the reader; if I feel like I’m a passive receiver of the story, I won’t bother to finish it. Characters emoting/acting AT me in a book just don’t make the cut; I didn’t like it in Parasite, and I didn’t like it in the MHI novel either. I want to slip into the main character’s head and be taken along for the ride. And it’s not too much to ask of good books; that’s part of why they’re good!

I should note (in longer form than a note!) that Parasite did take you into the main character’s head****, but it was so melodramatic and gothic***** at times that I kept being thrown out of sync with the character, which always puts me in a bad mood. Plus I hate books where I’ve correctly guessed the ending by the second chapter.

I forgot all about the whole thing after last year’s awards, and I haven’t been reading Scalzi’s blog, however some info on it crossed my tumblr dash and I laughed out loud. 0 out of 5 for the puppies! How delightful hilarious unfortunate for them! Poor, poor puppies…

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*And that includes Scalzi, though I do enjoy his blog.

**Except for Vox; I’m not that cruel to myself.

***Seanan McGuire. Normally I adore her, but this novel was too twee and predictable for me.

****You’d be laughing uproariously at this if you’d read the book.

*****Gothic as in the style of fiction Jane Austen liked to make fun of.