Finished reading the Hugo nominees for Best Novelette. The nominees are:
• “Bots of the Lost Ark”, by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, Jun 2021)
• “Colors of the Immortal Palette”, by Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny Magazine, Mar/Apr 2021)
• L’Esprit de L’Escalier, by Catherynne M. Valente (Tordotcom)
• “O2 Arena”, by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge, Nov 2021)
• “That Story Isn’t the Story”, by John Wiswell (Uncanny Magazine, Nov/Dec 2021)
• “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.”, by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine, May/Jun 2021)
***
They’re all enjoyable reads (it’s tricky, talking about these, because at this point in my career, a LOT of the award nominees are friends of mine! and talented writers!), but for me, the two that stood out were:
• 02 Arena, by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (a grim African futurist story that is perhaps not as far in the future as we might like — particularly of interest on the ecological front)
https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/o2-arena/
“That Story Isn’t the Story,” by John Wiswell (I don’t want to give away too much, but this one made me cry)
https://www.uncannymagazine.com/…/that-story-isnt-the…/
I commend them to your attention.
On to the novellas…