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

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 Alex 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