Onwards to 1979! On the one hand, finalists lists seem truncated compared to
past years and movies were dropped entirely. On the other, I'd not only
read but reviewed a lot of these.

Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?

Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
The Faded Sun: Kesrith by C. J. Cherryh
Blind Voices by Tom Reamy
Kalki by Gore Vidal
Strangers by Gardner Dozois

I've read (and reviewed) the McIntyre, Cherryh, and the Reamy.

Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?

The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
Seven American Nights by Gene Wolfe

Read (and reviewed) both. I find it hard to believe there were only
two noteworthy novellas this year.

Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novelettes Have You Read?

A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye by Charles L. Grant
Mikal's Songbird by Orson Scott Card
Devil You Don't Know by Dean Ing

Read the Card and the Ing, reviewed the Card.

Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?

Stone by Edward Bryant
Cassandra by C. J. Cherryh
A Quiet Revolution for Death by Jack Dann

Read the Bryant and the Cherryh. Have not reviewed either. As
I recall, most of Bryant's award nominated stories from this
era ended up in Particle Theory, which I have upstairs.
--
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James Nicoll wrote:
> Onwards to 1979! On the one hand, finalists lists seem truncated compared to
> past years and movies were dropped entirely. On the other, I'd not only
> read but reviewed a lot of these.

I suppose this marks some sort of end of my time as as SF obsessive.
I read none of these at the time, and have caught up with very
few since.

William Hyde

Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
The Faded Sun: Kesrith by C. J. Cherryh
Kalki by Gore Vidal

I think I've read all of Vidal's SF incl the script for _Visit to a Small Planet_ (?!)

Maybe I should try and find the Reamy...

The Varley and the Wolfe

On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>
> Onwards to 1979! On the one hand, finalists lists seem truncated compared to
> past years and movies were dropped entirely. On the other, I'd not only
> read but reviewed a lot of these.
>
> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novels Have You Read?
>
> Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
> The Faded Sun: Kesrith by C. J. Cherryh
> Blind Voices by Tom Reamy
> Kalki by Gore Vidal
> Strangers by Gardner Dozois
>
> I've read (and reviewed) the McIntyre, Cherryh, and the Reamy.

Cherryh and Reamy are both on my Favorite bookcase,
the McIntyre was good and I read the Dozois.

> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>
> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
> Seven American Nights by Gene Wolfe
> Read (and reviewed) both. I find it hard to believe there were only
> two noteworthy novellas this year.

Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites bookcase
and may be my top collection there.

> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novelettes Have You Read?
>
> A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye by Charles L. Grant
> Mikal's Songbird by Orson Scott Card
> Devil You Don't Know by Dean Ing
>
> Read the Card and the Ing, reviewed the Card.

Read the Card (good)

>
> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Short Stories Have You Read?
>
> Stone by Edward Bryant
> Cassandra by C. J. Cherryh
> A Quiet Revolution for Death by Jack Dann
>
> Read the Bryant and the Cherryh. Have not reviewed either. As
> I recall, most of Bryant's award nominated stories from this
> era ended up in Particle Theory, which I have upstairs.

Read the Cherryh. I read it in the bookstore in the original SF magazine,
and immediately purchased the magazine - the only magazine I've
purchased like that (had a subscription to Analog for a couple of years
early on.)

Chris

On 17/04/24 14:33, Chris Buckley wrote:
> On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>>
snip
>> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>
>> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
snip
>
> Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites bookcase
> and may be my top collection there.
>

I was annoyed with The Persistence of Vision rating it 2 stars (Just
OK). It felt empty to me, a meandering woffle. I have read Press Enter
and The Pusher which I rated 3 stars (Enjoyable) but nothing else by
him. This is strange because I usually agree with your reading opinions.

Titus G wrote:
> On 17/04/24 14:33, Chris Buckley wrote:
>> On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>>>
> snip
>>> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>>
>>> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
> snip
>>
>> Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites bookcase
>> and may be my top collection there.
>>
>
> I was annoyed with The Persistence of Vision rating it 2 stars (Just
> OK). It felt empty to me, a meandering woffle. I have read Press Enter
> and The Pusher which I rated 3 stars (Enjoyable) but nothing else by
> him. This is strange because I usually agree with your reading opinions.
>
With most SF writers we retreat to the "The short stories are better
than the novels" cliche.

With Varley I am not sure that is true. While the novels are, for me,
at any rate, a mixed bag, I think that "The Golden Globe" is his best
work. I am also fond of the loosely related "Steel Beach" and "The
Ophiuchi Hotline".

"Millenium" is in a very different style, almost as if it was by a
different writer. I enjoyed it, but haven't reread.

I'm not a fan of his other novels. But Lynn tells us that if you like
Heinlein homages (for my money the worst part of "The Golden Globe",
thankfully short) he does them very well.

I passed TGG on to an actor friend, who gave it his approval, though I
have not yet convinced him to take lessons in swordsmanship.

William Hyde

On 18/04/24 07:38, William Hyde wrote:
> Titus G wrote:
>> On 17/04/24 14:33, Chris Buckley wrote:
>>> On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>>>>
>> snip
>>>> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>>>
>>>> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
>> snip
>>>
>>> Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites
>>> bookcase
>>> and may be my top collection there.
>>>
>>
>> I was annoyed with The Persistence of Vision rating it 2 stars (Just
>> OK). It felt empty to me, a meandering woffle. I have read Press Enter
>> and The Pusher which I rated 3 stars (Enjoyable) but nothing else by
>> him. This is strange because I usually agree with your reading opinions.
>>
> With most SF writers we retreat to the "The short stories are better
> than the novels" cliche.
>
> With Varley I am not sure that is true.  While the novels are, for me,
> at any rate, a mixed bag, I think that "The Golden Globe" is his best
> work.  I am also fond of the loosely related "Steel Beach" and "The
> Ophiuchi Hotline".
>

I was surprised to discover that I obtained a copy of The Ophiuchi
Hotline in Feb 2023 but have not read it. I suspect that it was probably
recommended here. It has now joined the queue on the Kindle.

>
> "Millenium" is in a very different style, almost as if it was by a
> different writer.  I enjoyed it, but haven't reread.
>
> I'm not a fan of his other novels.  But Lynn tells us that if you like
> Heinlein homages (for my money the worst part of "The Golden Globe",
> thankfully short) he does  them very well.
>
> I passed TGG on to an actor friend, who gave it his approval, though I
> have not yet convinced him to take lessons in swordsmanship.
>
>
> William Hyde

On 23/04/24 16:37, Titus G wrote:
> On 18/04/24 07:38, William Hyde wrote:
>> Titus G wrote:
>>> On 17/04/24 14:33, Chris Buckley wrote:
>>>> On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>> snip
>>>>> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>>>>
>>>>> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
>>> snip
>>>>
>>>> Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites
>>>> bookcase
>>>> and may be my top collection there.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I was annoyed with The Persistence of Vision rating it 2 stars (Just
>>> OK). It felt empty to me, a meandering woffle. I have read Press Enter
>>> and The Pusher which I rated 3 stars (Enjoyable) but nothing else by
>>> him. This is strange because I usually agree with your reading opinions.
>>>
>> With most SF writers we retreat to the "The short stories are better
>> than the novels" cliche.
>>
>> With Varley I am not sure that is true.  While the novels are, for me,
>> at any rate, a mixed bag, I think that "The Golden Globe" is his best
>> work.  I am also fond of the loosely related "Steel Beach" and "The
>> Ophiuchi Hotline".
>>
>
> I was surprised to discover that I obtained a copy of The Ophiuchi
> Hotline in Feb 2023 but have not read it. I suspect that it was probably
> recommended here. It has now joined the queue on the Kindle.
>

I have just finished it and really enjoyed it. I was slightly wary
because of its age, copyright 1977, but it could have been written last
week. It was brilliant. There was an airy-fairy chapter or two when the
protagonist was in a damaged mental state when I became annoyed
wondering if the whole book was going off the rails. I also had some
initial confusion regarding the different clone versions and did not
understand some aspects of physics and astronomy such as the
electromagnetism and black hole relationship and black hole detail but
whether that was realistic or not didn't matter. I loved the
complication of the slowly revealed plot, the explanations of Tweed's
devious social organisation and especially the background of this
fascinating imaginative future, the physical choices available to humans
and fascinating aspects of commerce such as that of the Hole Hunters.
I now have a copy of Steel Beach and The Golden Globe. Thank you for
your opinion and recommendation.

On 2024-04-25, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 23/04/24 16:37, Titus G wrote:
>> On 18/04/24 07:38, William Hyde wrote:
>>> Titus G wrote:
>>>> On 17/04/24 14:33, Chris Buckley wrote:
>>>>> On 2024-04-15, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>> snip
>>>>>> Which 1979 Nebula Finalist Novellas Have You Read?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
>>>> snip
>>>>>
>>>>> Read both. _The Persistence of Vision_ collection is on my Favorites
>>>>> bookcase
>>>>> and may be my top collection there.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I was annoyed with The Persistence of Vision rating it 2 stars (Just
>>>> OK). It felt empty to me, a meandering woffle. I have read Press Enter
>>>> and The Pusher which I rated 3 stars (Enjoyable) but nothing else by
>>>> him. This is strange because I usually agree with your reading opinions.
>>>>
>>> With most SF writers we retreat to the "The short stories are better
>>> than the novels" cliche.
>>>
>>> With Varley I am not sure that is true.  While the novels are, for me,
>>> at any rate, a mixed bag, I think that "The Golden Globe" is his best
>>> work.  I am also fond of the loosely related "Steel Beach" and "The
>>> Ophiuchi Hotline".
>>>
>>
>> I was surprised to discover that I obtained a copy of The Ophiuchi
>> Hotline in Feb 2023 but have not read it. I suspect that it was probably
>> recommended here. It has now joined the queue on the Kindle.
>>
>
> I have just finished it and really enjoyed it. I was slightly wary
> because of its age, copyright 1977, but it could have been written last
> week. It was brilliant. There was an airy-fairy chapter or two when the
> protagonist was in a damaged mental state when I became annoyed
> wondering if the whole book was going off the rails. I also had some
> initial confusion regarding the different clone versions and did not
> understand some aspects of physics and astronomy such as the
> electromagnetism and black hole relationship and black hole detail but
> whether that was realistic or not didn't matter. I loved the
> complication of the slowly revealed plot, the explanations of Tweed's
> devious social organisation and especially the background of this
> fascinating imaginative future, the physical choices available to humans
> and fascinating aspects of commerce such as that of the Hole Hunters.
> I now have a copy of Steel Beach and The Golden Globe. Thank you for
> your opinion and recommendation.

Everything Varley writes is at least competent, but the two books on
my Favorite bookcase are _The Ophiuchi Hotline_ and the collection
_The Persistence of Vision_.

I wouldn't worry about differences of opinion on Varley's short stories.
Emotional impact stories very often have widely varying opinions. I view
the entire collection as being a set of excellent emotional impact stories.

Chris