2004 Retro Hugo Review - Novel
Here's how I voted on the 2004 Retro Hugo Best Novel category (from my favorite to least favorite)
1: Childhood's End, by Arthur C Clarke
2: The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
3: More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon
4: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
5: Mission of Gravity, by Hal Clement
Commentary: Boy, what a sluggers' row of books. Two that are now true SF classics (Childhoods and Fahrenheit) and two that aren't that far behind as classics (Caves, Human). I must admit I'd never heard of Mission of Gravity, so I was surprised at its inclusion. Of course, it's not like I could suggest anything better.
Why I voted the way I did, in reverse order. NOTE: This section contains major spoilers for most of these novels.
5: Mission of Gravity. I actually was not able to get a hold of this, so I couldn't vote it any higher than fifth, as I did like all the other four novels. (That reminds me, I should reserve this at the library so I can read it).
4: Fahrenheit 451. A classic - a wonderful concept (books become illegal and are burned), and a great sense of paranoia as the novel plays out. However, I felt cheated by the ending - let's throw in an atomic war and people who memorize books become the saviors of civilization - and also by the datedness of the characters (such as the traitorous "drug-addicted" wife). So, I liked the other novels better and this ended up fourth.
3: More Than Human. This is actually a three part novel, one part being the famous novella "Baby Makes Three". The story of the rise of a new form of humanity, one linked by psychic connections into something more than the parts, is one I found fascinating. Also, I rather like Sturgeon's writing style. I felt that the first part suffered because it was a kind of a setup for the rest of the novella, but I really like the second and third parts. So, this ends up third.
2: The Caves of Steel. I went into this novel not expecting to like it as much as I did. But Asimov's conversation-heavy style, the murder mystery, the classic application of the Three Rules, and the interaction between the main character and his robot "partner" all really appealed to me. Asimov also had a nice view of the future, with lots of little things that I felt really rounded out the world of the novel (including Heinlein's "Roads"). I liked this a lot, and will be picking up the other robot novels in the future. However, I think I might wait until "I, Robot" comes out on video.
1: Childhood's End. I first read this novel when I was 13 and I hated it. I remember seeing the list of Nominees and thinking "Childhood's End? Ugh." But on a second reading, I really really enjoyed the novel. It was at least three novels in one - the arrival and eventual unmasking of the visitors, the adjustment humanity makes to live under the "Overlords", and the tale of the man who journeys to the homeworld and back to witness the end of the earth. All three "novels" were parts I really enjoyed and to me had deeper meaning than just their stories. Overall, a fantastic novel and my pick for Best Novel of 1953.
1: Childhood's End, by Arthur C Clarke
2: The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
3: More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon
4: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
5: Mission of Gravity, by Hal Clement
Commentary: Boy, what a sluggers' row of books. Two that are now true SF classics (Childhoods and Fahrenheit) and two that aren't that far behind as classics (Caves, Human). I must admit I'd never heard of Mission of Gravity, so I was surprised at its inclusion. Of course, it's not like I could suggest anything better.
Why I voted the way I did, in reverse order. NOTE: This section contains major spoilers for most of these novels.
5: Mission of Gravity. I actually was not able to get a hold of this, so I couldn't vote it any higher than fifth, as I did like all the other four novels. (That reminds me, I should reserve this at the library so I can read it).
4: Fahrenheit 451. A classic - a wonderful concept (books become illegal and are burned), and a great sense of paranoia as the novel plays out. However, I felt cheated by the ending - let's throw in an atomic war and people who memorize books become the saviors of civilization - and also by the datedness of the characters (such as the traitorous "drug-addicted" wife). So, I liked the other novels better and this ended up fourth.
3: More Than Human. This is actually a three part novel, one part being the famous novella "Baby Makes Three". The story of the rise of a new form of humanity, one linked by psychic connections into something more than the parts, is one I found fascinating. Also, I rather like Sturgeon's writing style. I felt that the first part suffered because it was a kind of a setup for the rest of the novella, but I really like the second and third parts. So, this ends up third.
2: The Caves of Steel. I went into this novel not expecting to like it as much as I did. But Asimov's conversation-heavy style, the murder mystery, the classic application of the Three Rules, and the interaction between the main character and his robot "partner" all really appealed to me. Asimov also had a nice view of the future, with lots of little things that I felt really rounded out the world of the novel (including Heinlein's "Roads"). I liked this a lot, and will be picking up the other robot novels in the future. However, I think I might wait until "I, Robot" comes out on video.
1: Childhood's End. I first read this novel when I was 13 and I hated it. I remember seeing the list of Nominees and thinking "Childhood's End? Ugh." But on a second reading, I really really enjoyed the novel. It was at least three novels in one - the arrival and eventual unmasking of the visitors, the adjustment humanity makes to live under the "Overlords", and the tale of the man who journeys to the homeworld and back to witness the end of the earth. All three "novels" were parts I really enjoyed and to me had deeper meaning than just their stories. Overall, a fantastic novel and my pick for Best Novel of 1953.
posted by yeff at 8:00 PM
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