Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner

All

Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?

A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe
The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl
With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama by Richard A. Lupoff
Son of the Morning by Phyllis Gotlieb

All but the Gotlieb. I still get angry thinking about what Ellison
did to Lupoff.

Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novelettes Have You Read?

Goat Song by Poul Anderson
Patron of the Arts by William Rotsler
The Animal Fair by Alfred Bester
The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm
Basilisk by Harlan Ellison
A Kingdom by the Sea by Gardner Dozois
In the Deadlands by David Gerrold

All but the Bester.

Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?

When It Changed by Joanna Russ
And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side by James Tiptree, Jr.
Against the Lafayette Escadrille by Gene Wolfe
Shaffery Among the Immortals by Frederik Pohl
On the Downhill Side by Harlan Ellison
When We Went to See the End of the World by Robert Silverberg

All.
--
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James Nicoll wrote:
> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>
> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner

Another strong year. I must have been neglecting my studies as I've
read all of these.

I found "The Iron Dream" to be an excellent book to read - once. The
dark humour of it did not survive a second reading. Or perhaps the
times have changed and what was once satire is now disturbingly close to
the beliefs of too many people.

There are times when I think that "Dying Inside" is Silverberg's best book.

As to shorter pieces, I missed exactly the stories you did. Perhaps our
bookstore/library buyers were the same people.

It was a good year for Pohl. I remember both stories well.

William Hyde

On Mon, 4 Mar 2024 15:36:49 -0500, William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com>
wrote:

>James Nicoll wrote:
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>>
>> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
>> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
>> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
>> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
>> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
>> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
>> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
>
>
>Another strong year. I must have been neglecting my studies as I've
>read all of these.
>
>I found "The Iron Dream" to be an excellent book to read - once. The
>dark humour of it did not survive a second reading. Or perhaps the
>times have changed and what was once satire is now disturbingly close to
>the beliefs of too many people.

I found it interesting when I read it. But I then disposed of it (base
library return slot) as it was, of course, turgid and hard to read.
Which, after all, was part of artistry involved in writing it.

I found /Venus on the Half-Shell/ to be similar: interesting when
read, not worth hanging on to because it was so well done.

>There are times when I think that "Dying Inside" is Silverberg's best book.
>
>As to shorter pieces, I missed exactly the stories you did. Perhaps our
>bookstore/library buyers were the same people.
>
>It was a good year for Pohl. I remember both stories well.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

On 2024-03-04, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner

Read all. A much better year for novels, IMO. Not that many novels
on my Favorites bookcase, but all of them except _The Iron Dream_
have been re-read several times. And _The Iron Dream_ is actually
on my Favorites bookcase, for its very well done unpleasantness.

> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
> A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
> The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe
> The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
> The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl
> With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama by Richard A. Lupoff
> Son of the Morning by Phyllis Gotlieb
> All but the Gotlieb. I still get angry thinking about what Ellison
> did to Lupoff.

All but the Gotlieb as well

> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novelettes Have You Read?
> Goat Song by Poul Anderson
> Patron of the Arts by William Rotsler
> The Animal Fair by Alfred Bester
> The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm
> Basilisk by Harlan Ellison
> A Kingdom by the Sea by Gardner Dozois
> In the Deadlands by David Gerrold
> All but the Bester.

All but the Bester and the Dozois

> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?
> When It Changed by Joanna Russ
> And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side by James Tiptree, Jr.
> Against the Lafayette Escadrille by Gene Wolfe
> Shaffery Among the Immortals by Frederik Pohl
> On the Downhill Side by Harlan Ellison
> When We Went to See the End of the World by Robert Silverberg

All but the Tiptree.

This was my last year of _Nebula Award Stories <N>_ anthologies. This
one has many fewer stories than the previous year, but a nice essay by
Asimov (where he says "of all the different things I write, science
fiction is by far the hardest thing to do".) He also furnishes
introductions to all the stories including Russ's where he
admits that science fiction "was more male chauvinist than most" but
times have changed and "there are more women writing and reading science
fiction and there are more characters in the stories who are people as
well as women." Quote included for James's interest.

Chris

On 2024-03-04, William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
> James Nicoll wrote:
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>>
>> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
>> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
>> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
>> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
>> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
>> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
>> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
>
>
> Another strong year. I must have been neglecting my studies as I've
> read all of these.
>
> I found "The Iron Dream" to be an excellent book to read - once. The
> dark humour of it did not survive a second reading. Or perhaps the
> times have changed and what was once satire is now disturbingly close to
> the beliefs of too many people.
>
> There are times when I think that "Dying Inside" is Silverberg's best book.
>
> As to shorter pieces, I missed exactly the stories you did. Perhaps our
> bookstore/library buyers were the same people.
>
> It was a good year for Pohl. I remember both stories well.
> William Hyde

I forgot to list my Favorites in my earlier message, but both
_Dying Inside_ and _The Book of Skulls_ are there. They are the only
Silverbergs on the bookcase though there's another 4-5 that come
close. I admit I never cared for his popular Majipoor books.

Chris

In article <l4q0pkFk3qkU1@mid.individual.net>,
Chris Buckley <alan@sabir.com> wrote:
>On 2024-03-04, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
>> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
>> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
>> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
>> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
>> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
>> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
>
>Read all. A much better year for novels, IMO. Not that many novels
>on my Favorites bookcase, but all of them except _The Iron Dream_
>have been re-read several times. And _The Iron Dream_ is actually
>on my Favorites bookcase, for its very well done unpleasantness.
>
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>> A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
>> The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe
>> The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
>> The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl
>> With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama by Richard A. Lupoff
>> Son of the Morning by Phyllis Gotlieb
>> All but the Gotlieb. I still get angry thinking about what Ellison
>> did to Lupoff.
>
>All but the Gotlieb as well
>
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novelettes Have You Read?
>> Goat Song by Poul Anderson
>> Patron of the Arts by William Rotsler
>> The Animal Fair by Alfred Bester
>> The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm
>> Basilisk by Harlan Ellison
>> A Kingdom by the Sea by Gardner Dozois
>> In the Deadlands by David Gerrold
>> All but the Bester.
>
>All but the Bester and the Dozois
>
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?
>> When It Changed by Joanna Russ
>> And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side by James Tiptree, Jr.
>> Against the Lafayette Escadrille by Gene Wolfe
>> Shaffery Among the Immortals by Frederik Pohl
>> On the Downhill Side by Harlan Ellison
>> When We Went to See the End of the World by Robert Silverberg
>
>All but the Tiptree.
>
>This was my last year of _Nebula Award Stories <N>_ anthologies. This
>one has many fewer stories than the previous year, but a nice essay by
>Asimov (where he says "of all the different things I write, science
>fiction is by far the hardest thing to do".) He also furnishes
>introductions to all the stories including Russ's where he
>admits that science fiction "was more male chauvinist than most" but
>times have changed and "there are more women writing and reading science
>fiction and there are more characters in the stories who are people as
>well as women." Quote included for James's interest.

That anthology series is a huge gap in my reading but tackling it
more than half a century late is daunting.

--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

James Nicoll wrote:
> Chris Buckley wrote:
>> James Nicoll wrote:

<snip>

>>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?
>>> When It Changed by Joanna Russ
>>> And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side by James Tiptree, Jr.
>>> Against the Lafayette Escadrille by Gene Wolfe
>>> Shaffery Among the Immortals by Frederik Pohl
>>> On the Downhill Side by Harlan Ellison
>>> When We Went to See the End of the World by Robert Silverberg
>>
>>All but the Tiptree.
>>
>>This was my last year of _Nebula Award Stories <N>_ anthologies. This
>>one has many fewer stories than the previous year, but a nice essay by
>>Asimov (where he says "of all the different things I write, science
>>fiction is by far the hardest thing to do".) He also furnishes
>>introductions to all the stories including Russ's where he
>>admits that science fiction "was more male chauvinist than most" but
>>times have changed and "there are more women writing and reading science
>>fiction and there are more characters in the stories who are people as
>>well as women." Quote included for James's interest.
>
> That anthology series is a huge gap in my reading but tackling it
> more than half a century late is daunting.

It was only the Tiptree in my case. Her characters are people as well as
women, as well as misanthropes too. One of the few things more
despressing than Tiptree is reality itself - the Higgs Boson big show,
for instance.

For people in the know, "missing step" Asimov's male chauvinist
complaints can come across as gaslighting.

Danke,

--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php
telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God.
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.

On 04/03/2024 08.31, James Nicoll wrote:
> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>
> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner

I am surprised to find out that I have read all except Skulls,
and that's sitting on my shelves. (I might have read it before
1993, which is when I started a book log.)

> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>
> A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
> The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe
> The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
> The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl
> With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama by Richard A. Lupoff
> Son of the Morning by Phyllis Gotlieb

"Forest" is all that I've read from this lot.

--
Michael F. Stemper
The FAQ for rec.arts.sf.written is at
<http://leepers.us/evelyn/faqs/sf-written.htm>
Please read it before posting.

In article <usn9ns$3mgiv$1@dont-email.me>,
Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 04/03/2024 08.31, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>>
>> The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
>> When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
>> Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
>> The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
>> What Entropy Means to Me by George Alec Effinger
>> The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad
>> The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
>
>I am surprised to find out that I have read all except Skulls,
>and that's sitting on my shelves. (I might have read it before
>1993, which is when I started a book log.)
>
>> Which 1973 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>
>> A Meeting with Medusa by Arthur C. Clarke
>> The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe
>> The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
>> The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl
>> With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama by Richard A. Lupoff
>> Son of the Morning by Phyllis Gotlieb
>
>"Forest" is all that I've read from this lot.
>
I credit having read so many of these to having read the Dangerous Visions
duology and all of Orbit.

--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll