A great year for science fiction and fantasy novellas

Last night I finished reading The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang and, as usual with Chiang's work, his novella blew me away. Equally amazing is that 2010 has been an excellent year for novella-length fiction, with a number of novellas which will make my short-list for the major awards.

So far my favorites are:

• The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang, Subterranean Books
  Is it even possible for Ted Chiang to write a less-than-great story? This novella follows the deepening relationships of humans and emergent AIs who were originally created as digital pets. A moving and all-too-possible tale.
   
• "A History of Terraforming" by Robert Reed, Asimov's July 2010
  An epic storytelling feat in which a scientist's life parallels the advances and setbacks of both humanity and terraforming.
   
  
• "Becoming One With the Ghosts" by Kathryn Kristine Rusch, Asimov's Oct./Nov. 2010
  This is the story of the Ivoire, a space-going battleship which lands at its repair base only to learn things have gone tragically wrong. A fascinating examination of how time makes ghosts of us all.
   
• "Ghosts Doing the Orange Dance" by Paul Park, F&SF, Jan./Feb. 2010
  This offbeat novella is basically a literary memoir which extends its life-exploration into future years. An amazing treat.
   
• "The Sultan of the Skies" by Geoffrey A. Landis, Asimov's Sept. 2010
  A near-perfect hard science fiction story set among the clouds of Venus, and also a touching portrait of obsession and unrequited love.
   
• "The Union of Soil and Sky" by Gregory Norman Bossert, Asimov's April/May 2010
  This tale of alien archeology is Bossert's first genre publication, and it is a fun and well written debut.

In addition to these novellas, there have also been some excellent novelettes which border on being novella length, including "The Crocodiles" by Steven Popkes from F&SF May/June 2010. And from this list it's obvious Asimov's has been the place to go in 2010 for top-notch novellas.

I'm not sure which of these novellas I'd pick as my top choice for next year's Hugo and Nebula Awards, but it's wonderful to have such an amazing set of choices. And the best thing is 2010's not close to being over.

Comments

[Mike Johnstone]

I'm looking forward to the Reed, Rusch, and Landis stories as I work my way through this year's issues of Asimov's. I agree that Asimov's has offered some really strong novellas so far in 2010.

However, I'm not sure that I can agree with you regarding Bossert's story. "Well written" is not how I would characterise it in places, as I found many awkward moments in the prose and a few glaring grammar missteps, but I also thought the story overall felt too familiar/predictable in terms of the "archaeologist digging up alien ruins/history" plot (or subgenre). There are some very fine elements in the story, such as how Henry communicates through hand gestures and metaphors, and the varitropes and fabrilums; I thought, as well, that Bossert managed the action of the story's final movement well. Still, the piece as a whole doesn't quite hold together, I think.

From the April/May issue of Asimov's, I would rate the novellas by Sargent ("Mindband") and Popkes ("Jackie's-Boy") as much better efforts than the Bossert. More inventive in ideas and narrative form; more challenging and satisfying as stories.

I'm wondering, too, if other novellas in Asimov's might make a stronger case for inclusion in your list? I've appreciated especially Allen Steele's "The Jekyll Island Horror" (Jan.) and Stephen Baxter's "The Ice Line" (Feb.). Both are extremely well written, and both are intriguing, insightful meditations on and re-imaginings of history from a distinctly science fictional perspective.

Can't wait to get my hands on Chiang's new novella ... somehow, some way. :-)

[Jason Sanford]

Perhaps I'm biased on Bossert's novella since I used to be an archeologist, but I didn't have the same issues with the story that you did.

As for Allen Steele's "The Jekyll Island Horror" and Stephen Baxter's "The Ice Line," neither of them did much for me. I loved Baxter's previous story in this universe, "The Ice War," but I was unable to finish reading "The Ice Line." I believe this had a lot to do with the change of main characters between the two stories. I'll probably try it again some day, but not right now.

As for "The Jekyll Island Horror," it was good but not as good--IMHO--as the other novellas listed above.

[Mike Johnstone]

I'll have to admit by bias for Baxter's "The Ice Line," then, as my day job involves a specialization in late 18th-century/early 19th-century literature (and history). :-)

(I haven't read Baxter's "The Ice War," so I'm unaware of the significance of the changes/differences between the two stories.)

What I like about Steele's story is its science fiction self-reflexivity, so to speak. It plays with the separation between author(s) and narrator(s), and does so in a science fiction story in which the main character is a science fiction writer who relates the true story of his violent encounter with an alien. So, in a way, this is a novella about the kinds of stories science fiction can and does tell, and about the sorts of truths that science fiction offers.

I guess, for me, Bossert's story hewed too closely to something such as Rusch's "The Spires of Denon" (in Asimov's last year, I think), or Reynolds' Revelation Space trilogy, both of which I think handle the alien archaeology story with more sophistication.

[Bob Blough]

Jason,

"Cloud Permutations" by Lavie Tidhar from PS Publications is another terrific novella this year - and finally "Godlike Machines" edited by Jonathan Strahan is being printed by SFBC. The line up of novellas in that book is impressive. Also loved "The Mystery Knight" by George R.R. Martin in GATEWAYS

[Jason Sanford]

Bob: I haven't read any of those novellas, but plan to check them out. Thanks for the recommendations.