I've just read this year's Hugo and John Campbell Awards, which are up on the Locus web site. Go take a look.For once I've actually read a little of what's on the list. I loved the Connie Willis books and am slowly savouring Cryoburn. Connie Willis's time travel stories are always wonderful. The first I read was The Doomsday Book, then To Say Nothing Of The Dog, then some of the short fiction. These two were really one very long novel broken up, in which the time-travelling heroes are in wartime Britain. Lovely stuff! I'm going slow with the Lois McMaster Bujold book because it has been so very long since there was a Miles Vorkosigan novel. And nice to see a couple of Aussies there too. Shaun Tan for Best Professional Artist - yay! I've been a big fan of his work for years now. Well, why wouldn't I be? I'm a teacher-librarian, after all. I was lucky enough to have a long chat with him at last year's Aussiecon.Sean McMullen and I used to be in a Melbourne SF writers' group together; he was the one, by the way, who persuaded me to join the SCA and learn what you could and couldn't do with a sword and shield! Good on him for getting on the Hugo short list. I couldn't be more proud of him.
How have I not read any of these books yet? I am so behind the times. Thanks for keeping me up to date Sue!
Lan, you're not the only one. Most years, I haven't even HEARD of the short-listed works! You can't keep up with them all unless you subscribe to the various magazines. If you're a member of the Worldcon, they send you files of all the short-listed entries, which gives you a chance to read them before voting, but how often are any of us members? :-)
I've loved everything of Connie Willis's, including the WWII books - but opinions seem divided. I have several friends who loved her earlier work and really hated Blackout and All Clear. Reasons varied from "too long and complex" to "I couldn't stand the characters". Diff'rent strokes, I guess...