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ninj's review
4.0
I have to admit it took a little bit to get me going in this one, but then it all went hurtling along to the end with Fish and Reuth and the last novel before death.
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
Love me some good Tor short story. This was odd one, a sort of story within a story.
As with all short stories if I tell to much it destroys the surprise. Suffice it to say this is not an eclectic author because sometime in the future it is odd to hand write your books but he is so odd that he typesets his books as well.
Lovely story of loss and friendship.
As with all short stories if I tell to much it destroys the surprise. Suffice it to say this is not an eclectic author because sometime in the future it is odd to hand write your books but he is so odd that he typesets his books as well.
Lovely story of loss and friendship.
villyidol's review
3.0
The blurb says this is a science fiction story about a dying writer who is trying to finish one final novel on the distant planet he settles on for his demise. His encounter with a young girl triggers a last burst of creativity.
And that’s basically all you need to know about the plot.
The interactions between the writer and the young girl is what makes this a good story. Their relationship is really sweet and full of warm humor.
In this distant time and place nobody writes books anymore. And it was nice to see how Reuth (the last novelist) was showing Fish (not her real name) the art of writing and making books.
Some nice quotes come out of this as well.
There's not much else happening, though.
But it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
And it's also free.
2017 Nebula Award nominee for Best Short Story.
___________________
Best Novel
• [b: Amberlough|29939270|Amberlough (The Amberlough Dossier, #1)|Lara Elena Donnelly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462547662l/29939270._SY75_.jpg|50329881] by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• [b: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter|34728925|The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490794116l/34728925._SY75_.jpg|45924715] by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• [b: Spoonbenders|32827398|Spoonbenders|Daryl Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492697004l/32827398._SX50_.jpg|53428144] by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• [b: Jade City|34606064|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513357590l/34606064._SY75_.jpg|55755047] by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• [b: Autonomous|28209634|Autonomous|Annalee Newitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484305104l/28209634._SY75_.jpg|48237590] by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• [b: Barry’s Deal|36547519|Barry's Deal|Lawrence M. Schoen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509995034l/36547519._SY75_.jpg|58279170] by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• [b: Weaponized Math|40167436|Weaponized Math|Jonathan P. Brazee|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62309691] by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|38251695|Wind Will Rove|Sarah Pinsker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523111341l/38251695._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• [b: Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464719345l/26532931._SY75_.jpg|46532697] by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• [b: Weave a Circle Round|33517568|Weave a Circle Round|Kari Maaren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494982657l/33517568._SY75_.jpg|47855559] by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• [b: The Art of Starving|25978892|The Art of Starving|Sam J. Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950656l/25978892._SY75_.jpg|45888872] by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
And that’s basically all you need to know about the plot.
The interactions between the writer and the young girl is what makes this a good story. Their relationship is really sweet and full of warm humor.
In this distant time and place nobody writes books anymore. And it was nice to see how Reuth (the last novelist) was showing Fish (not her real name) the art of writing and making books.
Some nice quotes come out of this as well.
There's not much else happening, though.
But it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
And it's also free.
2017 Nebula Award nominee for Best Short Story.
___________________
2017 Nebula Award Nominees
Best Novel
• [b: Amberlough|29939270|Amberlough (The Amberlough Dossier, #1)|Lara Elena Donnelly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462547662l/29939270._SY75_.jpg|50329881] by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• [b: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter|34728925|The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490794116l/34728925._SY75_.jpg|45924715] by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• [b: Spoonbenders|32827398|Spoonbenders|Daryl Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492697004l/32827398._SX50_.jpg|53428144] by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• [b: Jade City|34606064|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513357590l/34606064._SY75_.jpg|55755047] by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• [b: Autonomous|28209634|Autonomous|Annalee Newitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484305104l/28209634._SY75_.jpg|48237590] by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• [b: Barry’s Deal|36547519|Barry's Deal|Lawrence M. Schoen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509995034l/36547519._SY75_.jpg|58279170] by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• [b: Weaponized Math|40167436|Weaponized Math|Jonathan P. Brazee|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62309691] by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|38251695|Wind Will Rove|Sarah Pinsker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523111341l/38251695._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• [b: Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464719345l/26532931._SY75_.jpg|46532697] by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• [b: Weave a Circle Round|33517568|Weave a Circle Round|Kari Maaren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494982657l/33517568._SY75_.jpg|47855559] by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• [b: The Art of Starving|25978892|The Art of Starving|Sam J. Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950656l/25978892._SY75_.jpg|45888872] by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
More...