The Incomparable Mothership

729: A Mean Man Made Me Rank Things

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Our Book Club wraps up its 2024 walk through nine shortlisted SF/F novels with our overall rankings, some short fiction recommendations, and a quick dip into what we’ve read recently and really enjoyed.

2024 Shortlist Book Club: Rankings and Short Fiction

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Heather Berberet

Show Notes & Links

The Incomparable Book Club Consensus

  1. Translation State by Ann Leckie - 2.0 average rank (2 first-place votes)
  2. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - 2.6 (2)
  3. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - 2.8 (1)
  4. The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz - 4.4
  5. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi - 5.0
  6. Witch King by Martha Wells - 5.6
  7. The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera - 6.8
  8. Starter Villain by John Scalzi - 7.8
  9. The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang - 8.0

    10. Novellas

    • Seeds of Mercury by Wang Jinkang
    • The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
    • Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
    • Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo

      • Novelettes

      • The Year Without Sunshine by Naomi Kritzer
      • On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo
      • One Man’s Treasure by Sarah Pinsker
      • Ivy, Angelica, Bay by C.L. Polk

        • Short Stories

        • The Sound of Chldren Screaming by Rachael K. Jones
        • Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer
        • How to Raise a Kraken in your Bathtub by P Djèlí Clark
        • The Mausoleum’s Children by Aliette De Bodard

          • What Are We Reading?

          Scott:

          • Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry

            • Heather:

            • A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
            • A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow
            • Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
            • The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

              • Erika:

              • House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

                • Aleen:

                • City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
                • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

                  • Jason:

                  • The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
                  • The Penric and Desdemona novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold

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                    The Incomparable MothershipBy Jason Snell
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