2022 Nebula Award Finalists (3/8/23)

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Nebula award finalist collage

We have a whopping TEN titles on the 2022 Nebula Award Finalists list!

NOVELS

NETTLE & BONE BY T. KINGFISHER

3 starred reviews!

“The plot snaps along as quickly as a good joke, and beneath the whimsy, there’s an underlying sympathy and sincerity that enables Kingfisher to handle tricky issues like domestic violence with great compassion and care. At its heart a story of good people doing their best to make the unjust world a fairer place, this marvelous romp will delight Kingfisher’s fans and fairy tale lovers alike.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“The world building involves bone dogs, ghosts, and a disturbing puppet, all of which add to the eerie atmosphere; but the characters of the main party are lovable and easy to root for, and seeing how the next happily-ever-after trope will be subverted is a big part of the fun.”–Booklist, starred review

“Blending fairy-tale familiarity and common-sense characters, Kingfisher’s prose balances grim circumstances with humor and heart.”–Library Journal, starred review

NONA THE NINTH BY TAMSYN MUIR

3 starred reviews!

“Muir’s skill is such that readers will be desperate to find out the truth of Nona’s background but will still savor the quiet moments with this heartbreaking character. Nona’s lovely, simple, and occasionally silly voice works especially well in juxtaposition with the dark, dense backdrop of the series so far, creating a riveting contrast. Readers will be on the edges of their seats.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“The third installment of a necromantic science-fantasy series continues working at puzzles of identity and the meaning of loyalty…A deceptively quiet beginning rockets to a thrilling finish, preparing us for the next volume’s undoubtedly explosive finale.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred reviews

“This uniquely poignant arc of a young woman’s search for an ordinary life within a very extraordinary world is both stunning in its simpler moments and shocking in its reveals. Readers get lost in the story lines, but Muir’s clever prose always provides a path to the end.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA BY RAY NAYLER

2 starred reviews!

“This compelling SF debut is impossible to put down, a delightful embroidery of the rush of scientific discovery and the pain of isolation, asking hard questions about what society is and what it means to truly understand another creature.”–Booklist, starred review

“Nayler’s masterful debut combines fascinating science and well-wrought characters to deliver a deep dive into the nature of intelligent life…As entertaining as it is intellectually rigorous, this taut exploration of human—and inhuman—consciousness is a knockout.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

LEGENDS & LATTES: A NOVEL OF HIGH FANTASY AND LOW STAKES BY TRAVIS BALDREE

LEGENDS & LATTES is a novel, and shop, that will delight anyone who enjoys coffee-shop alternate universes, slow-burn romances, and the vindication of friendship.”–Booklist, starred review

SPEAR BY NICOLA GRIFFITH

“Steeped in period texture that brings remote history fully into the present…this tale of destiny, belonging, and home is a genuine pleasure. With a gender-swapped protagonist and purposeful representation of people of color and people with disabilities, this is an ideal pick for fans of retold legends, as well as those looking for diverse fantasy.”–Publishers Weekly

NOVELLAS

A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY: A MONK AND ROBOT BOOK BY BECKY CHAMBERS

2 starred reviews!

“Leisurely prose firmly roots setting and characters, with a nonbinary lead and non-traditional family structures, plus finely balanced introspection and interaction. The story is thoughtful, with a gentleness that is as encompassing as any action-filled work.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Quiet and contemplative, empathic and warmhearted, this masterful sequel builds on the themes of the first volume to posit a more sustainable, more caring way of life. It’s both truly comforting and endlessly thought-provoking.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END BY C.L. POLK

2 starred reviews!

“Polk’s world, where angels answer the prayers of the faithful while demons prey on the fallen, turns standard concepts of good and evil on their heads as the heroine learns that her world is not what she thought it was.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Combining the sensibilities of Raymond Chandler and Jim Butcher, with an achingly bittersweet tribute to the lesbian underground of the 1940s, this is a must-read for those who like their queer fantasy with a little grit and a lot of soul (pun intended).”–Booklist, starred review

HIGH TIMES IN THE LOW PARLIAMENT BY KELLY ROBSON

“Winner of both the Nebula and Aurora awards and a finalist for the Hugo, Sturgeon, and Locus awards, Robson…here offers a satirical send up of politicians and bureaucrats wrapped in a story of queer love and female friendship, sprinkled with fairy dust, and set in the 18th century…Readers who like their political fantasies and power trips to go down with a spoonful of sugar will eat this up.”–Library Journal

NOVELETTE

“A DREAM OF ELECTRIC MOTHERS” by Wole Talabi, FROM AFRICA RISEN, EDITED BY SHEREE RENEE THOMAS, OGHENECHOVWE DONALD EKPEKI, AND ZELDA KNIGHT

2 starred reviews!

“These stories enchant, surprise, and provoke and are a significant addition to the canon of modern speculative fiction.”–Booklist, starred review

“This weighty sampler is best read slowly to give each writer their due before moving on to the next. It’s an impressive survey of contemporary Black SFF that should be a must-read for all genre fans.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

SHORT STORIES

D.I.Y BY JOHN WISWELL

When the students and faculty at a prestigious academy cannot figure out how to solve a relentless drought, two magicians step in to take a crack at it.

NETTLE AND BONE by T. Kingfisher; 9781250244000; available now
NONA THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir; 9781250854117; available now
THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA by Ray Nayler; 9780374605957; available now
LEGENDS & LATTES: A NOVEL OF HIGH FANTASY AND LOW STAKES by Travis Baldree; 9781250886088; available now
SPEAR by Nicola Griffith; 9781250819321; available now
A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY: A MONK AND ROBOT BOOK by Becky Chambers; 9781250236234; available now
EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END by C.L. Polk; 9781250849458; available now
HIGH TIMES IN THE LOW PARLIAMENT by Kelly Robson; 9781250823021; available now
A DREAM OF ELECTRIC MOTHERS (FROM AFRICA RISEN) edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight; 9781250833006; available now
D.I.Y by John Wiswell; 9781250870209; available now

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