The Last Emperox a Locus Award Finalist
Posted on May 1, 2021 Posted by John Scalzi 16 Comments
The Last Emperox is a finalist for the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction novel, which is seriously cool and makes me happy. What also makes me happy is the excellent peer group I and my book find themselves in with the other finalists in the category:
Machine, Elizabeth Bear (Saga; Gollancz)
Attack Surface, Cory Doctorow (Tor; Ad Astra)
Unconquerable Sun, Kate Elliott (Tor)
Agency, William Gibson (Berkley; Viking UK)
The Relentless Moon, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor; Solaris)
War of the Maps, Paul McAuley (Gollancz)
The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US & UK)
Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tordotcom)
Interlibrary Loan, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
Congratulations to each of them! The entire list of finalists in several other categories (which also includes numerous friends of mine who I am also very very happy for) is linked here. It’s a good year!
— JS
Reminder, because, yes, it does happen: You don’t need to tell me if you want another book in the category to win! There’s all the rest of the Internet to do that if you like.
It is fine to say it’s a tough category. It is! As it should be. Having excellent peers is a good thing.
Of these I read three with three on my shelf. A truly excellent peer group. Bravo. Keep writing the good stuff. We appreciate you.
Congrats.
I must say I’m pleased that the late Gene Wolfe is a finalist for Interlibrary Loan.
Now off to discover more from these finalists.
Wow, what a lineup! Awesome.
My god, you’re in good company. I’ve read all but the first two, and every one is a winner.
Congrats John! Have read a few of these, but haven’t heard of many. Will be going through to see what’s good. Good luck. If you win, we need to see a sing performed on the Beast in celebration.
Wow. On a list with Gene Wolfe’s final book. I mean, all the authors are amazing, but that stood out to me.
Congratulations! I read the Interdependency trilogy this past week. It was wonderful! Thank you so much.
I haven’t read the McAuley or the Elliot, have to put those on my list.
(I do have a tiny quibble about the Gene Wolfe book — it’s a fun read, but I don’t think it quite rises to the same level as the rest of the books on the list (and Wolfe himself has done better many times.) The rest of the ones on the list that I’ve read were really good though.)
[Deleted for doing the thing I said not to do whilst pretending not to do it. Don’t go out of your way to be an asshole, Bob; nobody likes that — JS]
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask people not to promote another book as winner on your own blog when you announce your own nomination. Let people be the star in their own home! Do you go to someone who just got married and say “You’re ok, but Fred over there would have made her a better husband?” So let me just say, Congratulations John, well deserved! You’re in great company and all are winners.
I don’t know all of these authors but if you look at the company they keep, I really should make it my business to get acquainted.
Select company, again.
Kim Stanley Robinson is my favorite S/F author, and I wasn’t even aware he had a new book out. Off to Amazon…
Would you believe it if I told you you’re not the first person to call me an asshole? :) And by the way, I wasn’t pretending, but I digress. I am a huge Scalzi fan no matter what and it was fun to yank your chain just enough to get your attention. Seriously, good luck with the award. 🤝
Currently reading ‘Attack Surface’ which is a god story wrapped in an insane amount of computer geekiness. Have read and re-read the Interdependency trilogy; the others sound pretty interesting, just haven’t gotten that far. Very solid field, however it turns out.
Congrats, John, on a book well done!