2010 Hugo Award Winners

2009 Hugo Award Winners were presented at Aussiecon 4, in Melbourne, Australia, which was held from August 2-6, 2010.

The Winners:

• Best Novel (TIE!): The City & The City, China Miéville and The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi China Miéville

• Best Novella: “Palimpsest”, Charles Stross
  

• Best Novelette: “The Island”, Peter Watts
  

• Best Short Story: “Bridesicle”, Will McIntosh
  

• The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer: Seanan McGuire
  

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Congratulations to all the winners!

source (where you can find other Winners & Nominees as well): The Hugo Awards

2009 Hugo Award Winners

2009 Hugo Award Winners were presented at Anticipation, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention, in Montréal, which was held from August 6-10, 2009.

The Winners:

• Best Novel: The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

• Best Novella: “The Erdmann Nexus”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

• Best Novelette: “Shoggoths in Bloom”, Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

• Best Short Story: “Exhalation”, Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

• The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer: David Anthony Durham

• Best Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

• Best Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

• Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

• Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

• Best Editor Short Form: Ellen Datlow
• Best Editor Long Form: David G. Hartwell
• Best Professional Artist: Donato Giancola

• Best Semiprozine: Weird Tales, edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal
• Best Fanzine: Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
• Best Fan Writer: Cheryl Morgan
• Best Fan Artist: Frank Wu

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Congratulations to all the winners!

source: The Hugo Awards

Hugo Nominees 2009: Free Reading

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Asimov's Science Fiction has made available all of their Hugo and Nebula award nominees for 2009 as a free read up on their website.
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HUGO

Novellas
"The Erdmann Nexus" by NANCY KRESS
"Truth" by ROBERT REED

Novelette
"Alastair Baffle's Emporium of Wonders" by MIKE RESNICK
"The Ray-Gun: A Love Story" by JAMES ALAN GARDNER
"Shoggoths in Bloom" by ELIZABETH BEAR

Short Story
"26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss", by KIJ JOHNSON
"From Babel's Fall'n Glory We Fled", by MICHAEL SWANWICK

NEBULA

Novelette
"The Ray-Gun: A Love Story" by JAMES ALAN GARDNER
"Dark Rooms" by LISA GOLDSTEIN

Short Story
"26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss", by KIJ JOHNSON
"Don't Stop" by JAMES PATRIK KELLY

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I'd like to thank Joe Sherry From Adventures in Reading for the heads up.

EDIT: Thanks to MentatJack for directing me to his Hugo tracking post, where he offers quite a few more links to free online versions of Hugo nominees ("Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow, all of the nominees for Best Novellete as well the nominees for Short Story and almost all the nominees for Best Novella). Good stuff.

~ Thrinidir ~

In the Limelight - 2009 Hugo Awards Nominations

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The nominations for arguably the most important genre award are known and are as follows:
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Best Novel

“Anathem” by Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
“The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
“Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen; HarperVoyager UK)
“Saturn’s Children” by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit UK)
“Zoe’s Tale” by John Scalzi (Tor)

Best Novella

“The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
“The Political Prisoner” by Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF Aug 2008)
“The Tear” by Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
“True Names” by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
“Truth” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette

“Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s Jan 2008)
“The Gambler” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
“Pride and Prometheus” by John Kessel (F&SF Jan 2008)
“The Ray-Gun: A Love Story” by James Alan Gardner (Asimov’s Feb 2008)
“Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story

“26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Jul 2008)
“Article of Faith” by Mike Resnick (Baen’s Universe Oct 2008)
“Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two)
“Exhalation” by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
“From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled” by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s Feb 2008)

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Aliette de Bodard*
David Anthony Durham*
Felix Gilman
Tony Pi*
Gord Sellar*

Best Related Book

Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press)
Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art by Cathy & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books)
The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl & John Helfers, eds. (Baen)
What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid (Beccon Publications)
Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle Written by Jim Butcher, art by Ardian Syaf (Del Rey/Dabel Brothers Publishing)
Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
Fables: War and Pieces Written by Bill Willingham, pencilled by Mark Buckingham, art by Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy, color by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein (DC/Vertigo Comics)
Schlock Mercenary: The Body Politic Story and art by Howard Tayler (The Tayler Corporation)
Serenity: Better Days Written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad, color by Michelle Madsen, cover by Jo Chen (Dark Horse Comics)
Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores Written/created by Brian K. Vaughan, penciled/created by Pia Guerra, inked by Jose Marzan, Jr. (DC/Vertigo Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, story; Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, screenplay; based on characters created by Bob Kane; Christopher Nolan, director (Warner Brothers)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola, story; Guillermo del Toro, screenplay; based on the comic by Mike Mignola; Guillermo del Toro, director (Dark Horse, Universal)
Iron Man Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, screenplay; based on characters created by Stan Lee & Don Heck & Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby; Jon Favreau, director (Paramount, Marvel Studios)
METAtropolis by John Scalzi, ed. Written by: Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder (Audible Inc)
WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

“The Constant” (Lost) Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, writers; Jack Bender, director (Bad Robot, ABC studios)
Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen , writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)
“Revelations” (Battlestar Galactica) Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, writers; Michael Rymer, director (NBC Universal)
“Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” (Doctor Who) Steven Moffat, writer; Euros Lyn, director (BBC Wales)
“Turn Left” (Doctor Who) Russell T. Davies, writer; Graeme Harper, director (BBC Wales)

Best Editor, Short Form

(377 Ballots)
Ellen Datlow
Stanley Schmidt
Jonathan Strahan
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form

Lou Anders
Ginjer Buchanan
David G. Hartwell
Beth Meacham
Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist

Daniel Dos Santos
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
John Picacio
Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine

Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke, Nick Mamatas & Sean Wallace
Interzone edited by Andy Cox
Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kris Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney
Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fanzine

Argentus edited by Steven H Silver
Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia
Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fan Writer

Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
Cheryl Morgan
Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist

Alan F. Beck
Brad W. Foster
Sue Mason
Taral Wayne
Frank Wu

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Congratulations to all the nominees!

Hugo Awards 2008

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The Hugo Award Winners for 2008 just came in:

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• BEST NOVEL: "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)

• BEST NOVELLA: "All Seated on the Ground" by Connie Willis (Asimov's Dec. 2007, Subterranean Press)

• BEST NOVELETTE: "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (F&SF Sept. 2007) [our review]
  

• BEST SHORT STORY: "Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's June 2007)

• BEST RELATED BOOK: "Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction" by Jeff Prucher (Oxford University Press)

• BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM: "Stardust" Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Paramount Pictures)

• BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM: Doctor Who "Blink" Written by Stephen Moffat Directed by Hettie Macdonald (BBC)

• BEST PROFESSIONAL EDITOR, SHORT FORM: Gordon Van Gelder

• BEST PROFESSIONAL EDITOR, LONG FORM: David G. Hartwell

• BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Stephan Martiniere

• BEST SEMIPROZINE: Locus

• BEST FANZINE: File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

• BEST FAN WRITER: John Scalzi [our review of "Old Man's War"]
  

• BEST FAN ARTIST: Brad Foster

• JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER: Mary Robinette Kowal

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Congrats' to all the winners!

Ian McDonald - Brasyl (Book Review)

"Brasyl" (Amazon: US, UK)
by Ian McDonald (blog, Wikipedia)
Format: Hardcover, 357 pages
Publisher: PYR Publishing

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When I began reading "Brasyl", I could hardly believe that it was nominated for many prestigious awards (2007 Quill Book Award and John W. Campbell Memorial Award, 2008 Hugo and Locus), not to mention that it won 2008 British SF Association Award. It was supposed to be a great book, but for me, it felt long-winded, full of unnecessary explanations and sometimes, a bit too complicated. But since I have a personal policy to finish the book I start reading, I forced myself to continue instead of putting the book back on the shelf. Lucky for me, I guess! It certainly is a very good book, even if it falls a bit short of greatness.
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McDonald's style impressed me. It is obvious that he knows the subject he's writing on and the way he goes about it; even at the beginning, when I was still unsure what to think of the book, it was clear to me that McDonald is a master of style. The plot was another matter, though - the three main characters, each of them positioned in his or hers own era (2032, 2006 and 1732), were presented with great care and detail, but the point of the novel was nowhere to be seen and the story moved at sluggish pace. A great part of "Brasyl" consists of three people living their lives without a hint of connection between them, and frankly, I'm not really a fan of such stories. But, to my relief, things started happening soon, the plot evolved and connections began to uncover, if slowly; after the first part of the book, it finally becomes clear that there is something bigger going on behind the scenes.
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Although the book's genre is SF, not all three protagonists come from the future. Father Luis is a Jesuit missionary, sent to punish a disobeying priest in the middle of Amazon rain forest - which is a perfectly normal thing to happen since Father Luis lives in the 18th century. Marcelina, a Rio TV producer who is always hunting for provocative and scandalous stories, is a woman of our present, addicted to Botox and knowing no shame. Only Edson, a guy from 2032, could be regarded as a typical SF character, but even so, the problems he deals with are not very futuristic. What makes "Brasyl" a science fiction book is the idea behind the novel - a theory of parallel worlds. You may already heard of it before, since it's pretty widespread (I first learned of it a few years ago). It is, however, presented surprisingly well, awing the reader and making him think, at which point "Brasyl" becomes one of those addictive can't-put-it-down books.

If you're not familiar with modern Brazilian slang, you might have some trouble with the dialogue which is heavily tinged with the said slang. There is a glossary at the back, but it's not really handy to constantly flip between the pages. Both -- pure Portugeese and slang words -- add a lot to the atmosphere, but at the same time, they make "Brasyl" harder to read.

Long story short, everything more or less serves its purpose in "Brasyl". Long introductions to the lives of Marcelina, Edson and Father Luis seem redundant at first, but later on you see how the happening creeps slowly into their everyday and overwhelms it, which (at least for me) felt as a fresh and welcome take on the matter. Also, the seemingly unimportant details turn out to be crucial for the story, and the above mentioned slang words add to the overall atmosphere. "Brasyl" is a very good book written with style, but it has its flaw - the long, confusing beginning. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend it to all SF fans.
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-~Trin~

Ted Chiang - The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate (Novelette Review)

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"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" (Amazon: UK, USA; free eBook)
by Ted Chiang (Wikipedia)
Format: Hardcover, 62 pages
Publisher: Subterranean Press

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I’ve never been much of a fan of short literary forms -- I’ve always favored big sprawling epics -- but this changed in the last couple of months. As the latest trend, novels tend to be overblown, lacking in focus and good editing; but the lesser the page count (novellas, novelettes and especially short stories) the greater the focus, the more profound the idea and the more well-versed the writing has to be to make an impact on the reader. Ted Chiang is a well renowned writer – he won three Nebulas, one Hugo and countless nominations for best short story or novelette of the year, prior to writing The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate (TMatAG) which won him another Nebula Award for Best Novelette (2007) and a Hugo nomination (the recipients of the award will be proclaimed at Worldcon late in the summer). It is beyond question that Ted Chiang writes quality fiction and that TMatAG is another fine effort on his part, but did the novelette suit my peculiar tastes? In short and without exaggeration – yes, it was quite a savory dish.
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Plot Summary (Wikipedia)
---All the while I thought on the truth of Bashaarat's words: past and future are the same, and we cannot change either, only know them more fully. My journey to the past had changed nothing, but what I had learned had changed everything, and I understood that it could not have been otherwise. If our lives are tales that Allah tells, then we are the audience as well as the players, and it is by living these tales that we receive their lessons.
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The story takes place in the milieu of the Near East and this helps tremendously with the creation of sense of wonder and fantastical, since this setting is not nearly as (ab)used, demythologized and banalized as the medieval European setting. The method of storytelling is 'borrowed' from the fabled "One Thousand and One Nights", where a fictional narrator tells individual stories that are interconnected by a frame narrative of the wider setting (where, why, how and to whom is the narrator telling the story). Ted Chiang does this with much skill so that the frame narrative both contextualizes and enriches the individual tales told by the Merchant as well as the Alchemist. The stories themselves caution, explain and teach prudence to those who would pass through the Alchemist’s Gate and go forwards or backwards in time to with intention to intervene.
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Chiang’s writing is clear and lucid - almost to the point of being pedagogic, but I rather think that the words in TMatAG are only meant to advise caution, wisdom and (self)reflection.
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The book is obviously not focused on characterization, but on plot - the story meanders towards the conclusion of the protagonist’s own story and to his final words of what he has learned (or at least thought he did). And while there are no hardboiled action scenes the story still turns out eventful and rich with ethos of the world it is set in. I admit that I was a bit unhappy with the Merchant’s own story (it somehow felt lackluster compared to the stories told by the Alchemist), but the last few paragraphs that caption his experience in a candid and heartfelt manner manage to dispel the drag of the last few pages.

---"All the while I thought on the truth of Bashaarat's words: past and future are the same, and we cannot change either, only know them more fully. My journey to the past had changed nothing, but what I had learned had changed everything, and I understood that it could not have been otherwise. If our lives are tales that Allah tells, then we are the audience as well as the players, and it is by living these tales that we receive their lessons."---(pg.62)

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate is available (also) for free at Free Speculative Fiction Online with some of his other works. This is a truly evoking and virtuous story that I would gladly read to my children, if I had any.
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(3,5 out of five Evil Fruitcakes...for the uninitiated)
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Some of the other reviews are available at Strange Horizons, SF Site, Neth Space and Adventure's in Reading.
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~ Thrinidir ~

In The Limelight - 2008 Hugo Nomination List (Short Version)

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---Hugo nominees for 2008 have been disclosed publicly and the sf&f blogosphere is buzzing with the news. I'm not posting the whole list with all of the categories and nominations since you can view that here, but I'll try to point out the most notable categories and comment on them succinctly. Given my inadequate knowledge for a more detailed analyzation I'll keep my comments on a short leash and mostly point out other peoples findings (thoughts) on the matter. Here goes nothing:

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---Best Novel

• The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)
• Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
• Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan/Feb. 2007)
• The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)
• Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit)

----Last year's winner: Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge

If Brasyl would be omitted from this list, than it would have been even quirkier than it is. I've been a pretty observant follower of the genre this year but for have for some reason never come across Rollback or the author - Rober J. Sawyer. I'm not saying that he hasn't been mentioned, only that this (obviously?) outstanding novel somehow missed my radar. And there is ABSOLUTELY no fantasy picks on the list, now what is up with that...Hugo's preference for sf is well known, but not even one fantasy work deserves the nomination? If you check the round-up of all the "Best of 2007" lists that I've managed to put together, you'll notice many titles that would deserved to be nominated more than some of the titles above - most notably: The Black Man/Thirteen (Richard Morgan); this novel was received very fondly everywhere I turned. I myself found Morgan's Takeshi novels seriously over-rated, but a lot of people out there feel very strongly about his newest novel (in a positive sense of course). Halting State by Charles Stross got some very mixed responses and even those who liked it didn't think it his best work (that would arguably be Accelerando or maybe Glasshouse; both nominated in previous years actually), but since this is his fourth (or is it fifth?) subsequent nomination the "unlucky bastard" might just get it this time. Scalzi's The Last Colony also got some mixed reviews and is opined as "light sf read", not exactly an award material, especially when the weighty Hugos are concerned. The Yiddish Policeman's Union has garnered some flowery reviews and is the only sf novel with a "general literary value" on the list.

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---Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• Enchanted
• The Golden Compass
• Heroes, Season 1
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Stardust

----Last year's winner: Pan's Labyrinth

I can't say that I'm proud of the fact but I've actually seen all the movies on the list (including Pan's Labyrinth and Heroes, season 1) and I'd give the award to The Golden Compass or maybe Harry Potter in a heart-beat. The Golden Compass was a beautiful representation of the novel on the big screen, even though my friends called me 'tasteless' (mild term) for saying so and HP5 is clearly the best movie in the series with great photography, pacing and visual effects. I'm too old for wash down fairy tales (Enchanted) and felt a bit under-whelmed by Stardust (the scenes with Robert De Niro are priceless though). And while I liked Heroes (season 1), I feel the series falls short of greatness - it had some major plotting and pacing problems, and the cast was lackluster as well.

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---John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer (An award for the best new writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appeared during 2006 or 2007 in a professional publication.)

• Joe Abercrombie (2nd year of eligibility)
• Jon Armstrong (1st year of eligibility)
• David Anthony Durham (1st year of eligibility)
• David Louis Edelman (2nd year of eligibility)
• Mary Robinette Kowal (2nd year of eligibility)
• Scott Lynch (2nd year of eligibility)

----Last year's winner: Naomi Novik (Temeraire)

I'm not familiar with the works of Amrstrong, Edelman and Kowal but between the remaining three authors (Abercrombie, Durham and Lynch) it could go either way. If I indulge my self and speculate then I'd say that the laurels will be acceded to Mr. Lynch or possibly David Anthony Durham who's Accacia: War with the Main got a great response from the fans of epic fantasy. If the world would turn to my tune, than Joe Abercrombie would get it - his First Law trilogy is absolutely sizzling with good vibes. I wonder if Daniel Abraham was eligible for the award?

Whatever my personal thoughts and reservations, I congradulate to all the nominees and wish them best of luck.

Joe Haldeman - The Forever War (Book Review)

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"The Forever War" was first published in 1974 and since then it was republished on several occasions (I've counted around 13) – these editions varying from simple reprints to the authors definite edition in 1997 and to the inclusion into the "royal" SF Masterworks collection. The novel was a solemn winner of both Nebula and Hugo awards and the fact that it is praised worldwide as one of the cornerstones of science fiction ever-since leaves little doubt that "The Forever War" withstood the test of time, as well as cows this reviewer with the weight of its historically accumulated pedigree. It’s really hard to review such a weighty title without being a part of the period that defined its becoming. Among other themes Haldeman tackles various contemporary issues of that time – Vietnam War is a prominent one for example (Haldeman fought there for a while). But let us not forget the fact that "The Forever War" would have never be lauded as a "classic", if the book hadn’t dealt with the issues of that time in a more general, universal and all-comprising way, if you wish. Haldeman deftly tackles and speculates about the nature of war, politics, society, philosophy, science, essence of humanity and personal relations in grand, intelligent and on occasion even clairvoyant manner.

It is the year of 1996. Humankind is in possession of space faring technology, and the conquest of the universe runs smoothly until one of the human colonists’ ship is attacked by before unencountered but obviously belligerent alien race – the Taurans. William Mandella is a first wave conscript for the elite UN task force being assembled for a war against Taurans. What makes him a candidate for the task force is his above average intelligence, education and physical prowess. The story begins during the stark and uncompromising initial training of the first group of recruits, which is the cause of first military casualties. Afterwards, “the real thing” follows; we are witness to long and time-consuming space voyages destined at some obscure out-in-the-nowhere solar systems, where battles with Taurans rage to and fro. There is always a chance that the enemy will have technological advantage over human forces or the other way around due to the time discrepancies, caused by faster than light travel. The toll on human life is excruciating. Mandella succeeds in retiring, but finds The Earth some twenty-one years later, two years of his subjective time, changed beyond the face of recognition (sadly for the worse) and once everything that ties him down passes away he volunteers back into the army. Just as soon as that he finds himself in the clutches of interstellar warmongering…for another thousand years or so - give or take a few years. Hence the name of the novel – “The Forever War”...indeed.

An example of successful attempt at humor:
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“William?” She had MCCOY stenciled above her face-plate.
“Hi, Sean. Anything special?”
“I just wondered if you had anyone to sleep with tonight?”
That’s right; I’d forgotten. There wasn’t any sleeping rooster here. Everybody chose his own partner. “Sure, I mean…” (he accepts the offer)
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Everybody was jumping up and down to keep warm.
“How c-cold do you think, it is, M-Mandella?” That was McCoy.
“I don’t even want to think about it…At least as cold as Missouri was.”
“Ung…wish they’d, get some, fucken, heat in, this place.” It always affects the small women more than anybody else. McCoy was the littlest one in the company, a waspwaist doll barely five feet high.
“They’ve got the airco going. It can’t be long now.”
“I wish I, was a big, slab of, meat like, you.”
I was glad she wasn’t. (pg.21; pg.22)
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I’m aware of the fact that I might be reiterating some of the facts that have been pointed out a countless of times before, but that is always a risk when reviewing things that have been in circulation and public eye for so long. William Mandella is a well round character, presented with conviction and what is always welcome – likable. He is well-read, fair, observant, introspected and slightly disinclined towards arrogance and authority (or any other kind of position holding power). I always had a thing for first person narrative, if and especially if the protagonist is consistent and sympathetic. Other characters in the novel are coping with the situation in a way as as anyone would in such morose circumstances. Staying alive is a top priority, while enjoying every free moment follows by a small margin.

Even though there are some explicit themes involved, Haldeman handles them civilly and with elegance throughout. They are incorporated naturally without making them the focal point of the plot or treating them abrasively, even though there is some pretty avant-garde tinkering with social conventions involved (state approved homosexuality; queerness of heterosexuality; military coordinating who gets to bunk with whom over night etc.).

Everything from scientific breakthroughs to sociological speculations about how future societies might look like is well thought out and explained. “The Forever War” certainly has similar flavor to one other SF Masterworks classic I’ve managed to read; I’m speaking of “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. LeGuin, this book I cannot recommend highly enough.

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Orion Publishing Group (2001) / Author's prefered edition (1997) / Eos paperback (2003)
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"The Forever War" is by no means dauntless. The prose shows signs of old age as do some of the concepts, which the newer generations of science fiction authors managed to polish further. Haldeman can be sometimes also quite heavy on the science part of the fiction. This makes the setting more plausible, but disrupts and dampens the pace. Of action we see surprisingly little, at odds with the fact that this is basically considered a war novel. I would also have opted for more dialogue and more of the witty snipets which would normally spice things up (Haldeman certainly has a flair for being funny and ironic), but this is really just my personal preference and not an objective criticism.

It seems I’m on a goodreadin’ streak lately; enjoying all the books that I read, but that does nothing to diminish the worth garnered by this novel over the years. As I’ve already said it is quite on par, quality-wise, with LeGuin’s heavyweight novel from about the same time - “The Left Hand of Darkness”. Do yourself a favor and pick up at least one of these two books, as they are (1)great representatives of their genre; (2)they shine an illuminating light on contemporary science fiction literature; as well as (3)contain a distinct flavor of the period in which they were written in.
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I’m unable to decide between the grade 4/5 and 4,5/5, so I leave this to decide for yourselves.
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- Thrinidir -