James Nicoll Reviews

January 2020 in Review

January 2020

23 books read. 11.5 by women (50%), 10 by men (43%), 1 by a non-binary author (4%), 0.5 by unknown (2%), 9 works by POC (39%)

Year to Date

23 books read. 11.5 by women (50%), 10 by men (43%), 1 by a non-binary author (4%), 0.5 by unknown (2%), 9 works by POC (39%)

Read more ➤

Books Received, January 18 — 24

Pleo Tanza is an outcast, even among the struggling masses on Chatoyance, the once-great space colony she calls home.

When Pleo is unjustly accused of murdering the only daughter of a powerful industrial family, she’s thrown into a desperate race to clear her name.

After decades of intrigues and treachery, and facing a resurgent threat from a shadowy alien enemy, Chatoyance is ready to explode — and this could be the spark that triggers it.

Read more ➤

I am a candidate for the 2020 Down Under Fan Fund

The Four DUFF Candidates are:

Richard Auffrey @RichardPF

Shaun Duke @shaunduke

James Davis Nicoll @jamesdnicoll

Erin Underwood @ErinUnderwood

The official ballot along with the candidate platforms: https://t.co/yyiOVm1wKq
Voting will take place until March 27^th, 2020.
2/
— Paul Weimer 📷 (@PrinceJvstin) January 18, 2020

Please consider voting for me.

Read more ➤

Books Received, January 11 — 17

The first in the Witchlands series, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is a brilliantly imagined coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Robin Hobb, Victoria Aveyard and Trudi Canavan. In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands. Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden — lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself. In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. **

Read more ➤

Books Received, January 4 — 10

Golden Geek RPG of the Year 2012! Combining high-action dungeon crawling with cutting-edge rules, Dungeon World is a roleplaying game of fantasy adventure. You and your friends will explore a land of magic and danger in the roles of adventurers searching for fame, gold, and glory.

Dungeon World’s rules are easy to learn and always drive the action forward in unexpected ways. A missed roll is never a dead end- failure introduces new complexities and complications. Life as an adventurer is hard and dangerous but it’s never boring! Designed to be ready for you to hack, remix, and build new content, Dungeon World includes systems for changing everything to suit your group including creating new races, classes, and monsters. To play, you’ll need this rulebook, 3 – 5 players, some polyhedral dice, and 2 – 4 hours. Explore fantasy adventure roleplaying in a whole new way with Dungeon World!

Read more ➤

Annual Hugo Eligibility Post

(pictured: the author as a young world-builder)

Hugo nominations are open! More details at the other end of this link.

I know what potentially Hugo-worthy works I created in the last year. I am unsure what pieces qualify for what category. In fact, I am even more baffled than I was in January 2019. Here are my bestguesses.

My Tor essays almost certainly fall under Best Related.

James Nicoll Reviews may also be Best Related but I think last year’s Worldcon counted them towards Best Fan Writer.

My Dreamwidth posts (links to James Nicoll Reviews aside) fall under Best Fan Writer.

Young People site may count as a fanzine. Or, again, best fan writer.

Read more ➤

Books Received, December 28 — January 3

Tankar Holroy, Lieutenant in the Stellar Guard of earth’s Empire, floats in space after his spaceship is sabotaged. Rescued by an enormous, unknown ship, he awakes to discover himself saved by the People of the Stars who are born and live in space with minimal contact with planets and their occupants whom they call, with contempt, planetaries.

The chilly welcome he receives from the ship’s leader, the Teknor, is followed by overt hostility from the other inhabitants of the Tilsin. Only a woman named Orena reaches out to him.

Tankar soon realizes that he was rescued for his knowledge of tracers, the technology that allows Empire ships to track others through hyperspace, a technology the People of the Stars lack. Out of spite, he refuses to deliver the one piece of knowledge that can protect the people who saved but now spurn him — and the consequences will be catastrophic.

Read more ➤

December 2019 in review and 2019 in review

December

20 books read. 12 by women (60%), 8 by men (40%)

Works by POC: 8 (40%)

Year to Date

244 books read. 135.5 by women (56%). 105 by men (43%). 2 by non-binary authors (1%) and 1.5 by an author whose gender is unknown (1%).

Works by POC: 100.75 (41%).

In pretty much every parameter save books by POC, this is pretty disappointing compared to past years, except for the discovery I am eight reviews short of 1500 for this site.

2018: 259 books read. 144 by women (56%), 105 by men (41%), 3 by NB (1%). 7 by persons whose gender is unknown (3%). Works by POC: 82.5 (32%)

2017: 255 works reviewed. 138.5 by women (54%). 109.5 by men (43%). 5 by non-binary authors (2%). 2 by N/A (1%). Works by POC: 75.5 (30%)

2016: 255 books read. 161.5 by women (0.63), 91.5 by men (0.36), 2 by authors who identifies as neither (0.01). 62.5 by POC (0.25).