Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Read the Newest Hugo Winning Stories

When I read a collection of stories, I start at the table of contents, note the page-count of each story, and start with the shortest, working my way up.

I don't know how many people do that. But here is an opportunity to read the first two 2014 HUGO AWARD WINNERS, starting with the SHORT STORY winner, followed by the NOVELETTE winner, thanks to the posting of the stories by the authors and Tor.com.

BEST SHORT STORY 

“The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” by John Chu (Tor.com, 02-2013)

In the near future water falls from the sky whenever someone lies (either a mist or a torrential flood depending on the intensity of the lie). This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his lover and how best to “come out” to his traditional Chinese parents. 

John Chu is a microprocessor architect by day, a writer by night. His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming at Boston Review, Bloody Fabulous, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Apex Magazine and Tor.com. Most of John Chu’s fiction is available on the internet. See his bibliography for details. You can learn more about John at his website.

John Chu and Tor.com have made “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” available to read free online HERE.

It is also presently available without DRM in Kindle format at Amazon for 99 cents.

BEST NOVELETTE 

“The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal (maryrobinettekowal.com / Tor.com, 09-2013)

Thirty years ago, Elma York led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. For years she’s been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars. But there are few opportunities for an aging astronaut, even the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars. When her chance finally comes, it may be too late. Elma must decide whether to stay with her sickening husband in what will surely be the final years of his life, or to have her final adventure and plunge deeper into the well of space. 

Mary Robinette Kowal is a novelist and professional puppeteer. Her debut novel Shades of Milk and Honey (Tor 2010) was nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Novel. In 2008 she won the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, while three of her short fiction works have been nominated for the Hugo Award: “Evil Robot Monkey” in 2009 and “For Want of a Nail” in 2011, which won the Hugo for short story that year. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov’s, and several Year’s Best anthologies, as well as in her collection Scenting the Dark and Other Stories from Subterranean Press.Kowal is also an award-winning puppeteer. With over twenty years of experience, she has performed for LazyTown (CBS), the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jim Henson Pictures and founded Other Hand Productions. You can learn more about Mary at her website.

Mary Robinette Kowal and Tor.com have made “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” available to read free onlone HERE.

It is also presently available without DRM in Kindle format at Amazon for 99 cents.