I am excited to announce the quarter-finalist picks from The Space Girls for SPSFC4!
The Space Girls team has now finished sampling our initial scout pile (now 29 books) and we have selected our six quarter-finalists! We will now read all of these in full and rate them out of 10, to find our 2 semi-finalists and an Escape Pod pick.
Please note that ‘quarter finalist’ is an unofficial title, and not all teams announce quarter-finalists.
You can see all of our initial allocation here – I will be sharing our first impression posts of our scout pile over the next month with our comments. There were several books that were close to the cut, and many that some judges enjoyed but not enough of us to take them through to the next round, so do check them out.
1. Far Flung, by Utunu
Nancy: I was immensely happy the very first book I read from the team allotment was so much fun to read. The queer polyamorous love triangle developed very nicely as the story moved on. I also liked how Tuther’s abilities quietly became stronger until even he feels afraid of being unable to control it. Tuther’s mental health support role as a Mender for Bori’s teleportation ability reminds me of the bond shared between Kazuki and Shouji in the Fafner anime. Which is a huge plus because I really love that anime. I’m anxiously waiting for the book’s sequel! (100%) (Yes)
Kerry 100% read. Even though I love this cover my original thought was ‘this doesn’t look like my type of book’ – well, I was wrong on that count as I had a truly positive reading experience. Not one single human in sight and a cross species gay love triangle were huge +++’s for me. The fact that one of the species are hyenas (amazing animals that don’t belong to any other family except their own & my favourite animal) was another +. Loved the deep friendship angle; especially Tuther who by using (& hiding) his psionic talent works hard at protecting and the inclusion of his friends/lovers.
Tianna: Was not expecting to like this book as don’t usually like cross species sort of stuff with no humans. (30%) (Yes)
Tina: This book has a very cozy feel, at least the first 15% I read. The alien animal people were fun and the world-building and premise were great. The writing is concise with few info-dumps and flows well. The telepathy could have been written differently, as I had trouble parsing it, but that was minor. (Y)
2. The Artificial Structure Formerly Known as the Moon, by I. K. Stokbaek
GoodreadsNancy: This world is bleak and the situation of the Indigents being unsuitable to join the enlightened Lobbyist humans who accept being ruled by AI robots in exchange for comfortable lives is intriguing. The test is done when they are children, but we don’t know at this point what the test entails because the scene where the examination takes place happens in the POV of a rebellious teenager named Darlan who doesn’t quite remember why he failed his test years ago. The book reminds me a bit of a Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi version of The Buried Symbol by Jeffrey L. Kohanek. (30%)(Yes)
Tianna: The people are split between thr Lobbyists who have accepted being ruled by Ai and then the Indigents who have been left to survive on only water and the occasional nutrition bar sent to them by robots. These Indigent towns are mostly left alone however they not allowed to do much and if they’re found to be doing anything they’re not allowed to they get incinerated. (30%) (Yes)
Tina: I’m a bit torn on this one. I liked the world-building, the pacing is great, and the story is easy to follow, but it needs another edit. There are unclear pronoun references and a lack of transitions, and every character gets a mini info-dump instead of details woven into the scene. Yet, there are also some great descriptions of dialogue and I liked the idea behind it. I’m a Maybe at this point.
3. On Impulse, by Heather Texle
GoodreadsNancy: After finishing the sample, the book starts out really strong, and we do have an interesting murder mystery thriller starring a fugitive ex-cop. I do feel the book slows down very much after the first 8% and the protagonist Reliance commits a tad bit too many rookie mistakes, which might annoy some readers. Book kinda reminds me at times of Memoirs of a synth. Hoping the action picks up later since the story is at full motion by the 29% cutoff point. (29%) (Yes)
Tina: One of my favourites of the batch we were given. An instantly likeable main character who I was already rooting for to start off, and fun action. The story is fun, the motivations of the MC are clear, and the pacing is fast yet not breakneck. The mystery is interesting, the world-building fun, and the attention to detail (the dead guy, for example) showed finesse and care in research. I was very engaged with this one and found it very immersive and fun. (Y)
Kerry: 100% read. At 34% I was giving this a Y. I’m always up for a good mystery/thriller & SF hybrid and at that point this had ticked a number of the boxes I look out for. I was enjoying the fast paced nature and ingenuity our protagonist displayed. On Impulse kicked off with a whole lot of action and intrigue and it didn’t let up; thankfully there were times that gave Reliance (& the reader) some down time but we were aware of what was going on around her. I must say when I first put the book down I was surprised I was only 34% into the book, with everything that had occurred I had expected to be over the 50% mark. I do have some concerns that if the pacing and plot continues at its current rate that it could become too bloated. weeks later… 100% read. My concerns were unfounded. The pacing kept up and I enjoyed how the story ended. Reliance Sinclair was a solid protagonist and even a number of side characters had agency. A definite Y.
4. The Long Home of the Soul, by J. Carl Denton
GoodreadsTina: Intriguing alternate history of our time that leads to a Blade-Runner-on-steroids dystopian future, the book is what seems to be social commentary and detective story. The premise is interesting, with a mysterious McGuffin, tropey alcoholic noir cop, and shady corporate entity. The writing is tight and I appreciated the allusion to Yeats at the start, but the lack of women in the novel so far is strange for supposedly 70 years in the future. There’s a dispatcher and reference to a woman superintendent but so far all the other characters, even background, have been men. Maybe this is going to be explained or part of the world building? Still, I’m voting Y on it.
Kerry: 100% read. Can’t add much to what Tina has already said. There’s also some mysterious alien blob that could be the reason for the murder our MC is investigating. Story is delightfully tropey for all the right reasons. (Y)
Nancy: I am a bit on the fence about this book. It has plenty of tropes that are common in detective drama novels such as the divorced middle aged detective who is a nicotine chugging workaholic. You have corporate crime and secret government agencies trying to sweep crimes under the rug. However, while sometimes I feel the book could have used some tightening, there’s some scenes with great writing. (32%) (Yes)
5. Proliferation, by Erik A. Otto
GoodreadsTina: The writing in this one was great – very sharp. The mystery was very interesting and compelling and the characters are intriguing and likeable. The pacing is spot on. At 15%, I knew this one was a yes. I loved the concept of the ancient city reawakening. (Y)
Kerry: currently at 30% but I’m really enjoying the politics, the characters and the cities that are starting to awaken. Definitely a Y and I’m intending on continuing to read it.
Nancy: I feel immensely impressed by the quality of this book. The story sucked me in, I love the mystery unfurling and lots of weird stuff is going on. After reaching 100%, I had to give this book 5 stars and will purchase a paperback copy to read my favorite chapters over and over. Yes, I know, I don’t have space for more physical books, but I enjoyed this book too much. Very strong contender for the semifinals. (100%) (Yes)
6. Vermilion Flames: Midnight War Book 1, by Adam Fernandez
GoodreadsNancy: At first, I was having some difficulty vibing with this book. First chapters with curious teenagers sneaking from their home to visit forbidden desolate areas are pretty common in SFF novels. However, the novel continues getting better as we learn more about this interplanetary society governed by a theocracy. With solid writing and an intriguing plot, I knew early on I would be voting yes for this novel. I will certainly read the rest of it. (20%) (Yes)
Kerry: 100% read (Y)
Tina: There were moments of head hopping that broke my immersion, but other than that it was very engaging. The main character, Kaya, was compelling as a young woman of means who sees the inequality around her. The worldbuilding was detailed and disseminated in a way that felt organic and I’m intrigued to read more. (Y)
Congratulations to all of our quarter-finalists!