In spite of the controversies of last year’s Hugo Awards, I find myself still reading the list. Why? Because it hurts the authors to not read their works!

It is always challenging to talk about short works without spoilers, but I will try. Instead of my usual format, I am going to provide a brief synopsis and impression in hopefully less than a paragraph. Do I have more thoughts? Of course, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who just wants to know if a work is their cup of tea.

“On the Fox Roads” by Nghi Vo

During the American jazz age, two bank robbers are surprised to discover a young girl has stowed away in their getaway car.

The imagery is incredibly vivid in this story. I was impressed by the distinctly American setting that had an interweaving of fox spirit mythology from Asia. The social issues were subtle and lacked the heavy handed, non-nuanced take that one generally finds in this day and age.

You can read this novelette here

Published by TOR.com, October 31, 2023.

“Ivy, Angelica, Bay” by C. L. Polk

Hursten Hill is in trouble as the wards and protections have begun to fall and an invisible foe lingers in the shadows. Miss l’Abielle has her work cut out for her, and at the moment when she needs her the most, a mysterious child shows up on her doorstep.

While this story is a follow-up to “St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid,” which I didn’t read prior to this, this novelette is a stand-alone. I was enthralled with the magical realism of this community protected by a witch and her bees.

You can read this novelette here

Published by Tor.com, December 8, 2023

Conclusion

Out of these two novelettes, “Ivy, Angelica, Bay” has my vote as it has lyrical prose, but also engaging storytelling. “On the Fox Roads,” leans heavily on prose and symbolism, which really are not my preferred narrative style. I want to be told the story and come to the conclusions of deeper meaning. I don’t want to have to sift through deeper meaning to discover the story.

Let’s Chat

Have you read any of the Hugo Award nominees? If so, what would get your vote? Let me know in the comments below!