SCKA 2022: Let the Chaos Begin…Again!

It’s my second year participating in The Subjective Chaos Kind of Awards! I’m ready to participate in the Awards’ 5th year! In short, (now) several bookbloggers participate in their version of a literary awards for traditionally published works from the speculative fiction genre (for indie works, please look to both SPFBO and SPSFC respectively). Each of us selects one or more nominees that was published during the previous year and place them in a category (some of them can fall under more than 1); and during the nomination process, all of the judges reads each of those nominees (that is correct) and then each judge votes on their 2 Picks. Each 2 with the highest tallied points moves on to the Finals. There must be at least 4 judges for each Category, hence why there are a couple of new ones this year.

This year, I’m one of 14 participants and the list of nominees are even more chaotic than they were last year! In fact, there are some “double nominees,” but that doesn’t mean it makes the process easier. Actually, I had to select additional nominees in certain categories and shuffle other ones from one category into another either for more variety or for better matchups. I didn’t mind in fact, I believe this demonstrates how “chaotic” these awards are, especially during the initial process.

This year, I nominated books in all but 2 categories because I have NOT read anything in those categories. Ironically, those categories are the long-and-short of it (if you get my meaning). I’ve read some of the nominees, which is a great start, but I have a lot more to read. Nevertheless, I’m very excited for this year’s awards!

THE JURORS

Adri (@adrijjy) is co-editor of the Hugo Award winning fanzine Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together, and a semi-aquatic mammal currently living in the UK. She divides her time between reading, interacting with dogs, and working in international development. She can also be found at Strange Horizons.

Arina (@voyagerarina) is a book reviewer voyaging the worlds of speculative fiction at Queen’s Book Asylum. When not championing indie and inclusive SFF, she enjoys programming, (TT)RPGing, and overall spreading the gospel of her sarcastic, chaotic neutral nature.

C. (@themiddleshelf1) fell into scifi and fantasy at 13 and has never recovered since. They can be found blogging about diverse books, novellas and small press publications at http://www.themiddleshelf.org or on Twitter.

Debbie (@Owlphabetical) doesn’t read as much as she’d like to, despite buying them as if she did. She doesn’t have a blog but occasionally tweets things that are not Wordle scores.

Fabienne (@flschwizer) can usually be found reading too many books at the same time and yelling about them to anyone who will listen on Libri Draconis or Grimdark Magazine. A reformed historian, she now spends her days thinking about stories in the publishing industry. https://linktr.ee/libridraconis

Imyril (@imyril) reviews SFF at There’s Always Room For One More and is the resident spreadsheet dragon for Wyrd and Wonder, SciFiMonth and Subjective Chaos (yes, even chaos benefits from a little organisation, shh).

Kris Vyas-Myall (@hammard_1987) is the co-founder of Cloaked Creators and someone who reads way too much fiction and likes anything bizarre, the weirder the better. They blog around the internet at various places including Galactic Journey and Geek Syndicate.

Leigh (@leighowyn) never reads enough and always tries to read more. She is generally found hanging about Twitter, reading about science and SFF, when she could be reading more books. Loves a spreadsheet, and is overly fond of exclamation marks!

Lisa (@deargeekplace, she/her) is a lifelong book nerd from Scotland who has gotten this far on the powers of tea, cake and enthusiasm and doesn’t see any reason to stop now. She is a co-host of online events Wyrd and Wonder and SciFiMonth, doesn’t have pets but wishes she could, and always looks both ways before crossing the street. https://deargeekplace.com/

Matt aka @RunalongWomble is a book tempter – ahem, blogger – at Runalongtheshelves. The sweet voice on your shoulder telling you that it’s ok to get a new book. They are not a Moriarty, honest.

ME: Aquavenatus (follow me on my other social media accounts here: https://linktr.ee/AquaVenatus)

Robin Rose Graves (@spicymisorobin) is a science fiction writer who will never pass up the opportunity to talk about what she is reading. To appease this need to review and analyze everything she reads, Robin has founded her BookTube channel, The Book Wormhole.

Sia is a worldwalker who stops by Earth occasionally to grab snacks in between jumping into new SFF realms. She uses far too much caps-lock and believes everything is better with unicorns. https://everybookadoorway.com/

Sun (@suncani1) is a SFF reader who can be found getting overly excited about a bunch of things on Twitter and occasionally pausing to pass longer comment at Libri Draconis as a contributor.

NOMINEES

Best Fantasy Novel

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divine by Zoraida Cordova

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

Blackheart Knights by Laure Eve

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

Best Science Fiction Novel

Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kalsuke

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Alyx: An AI’s Guide to Love and Murder by Brent A. Harris

The Unravelling by Benjamin Rosenbaum

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

Best Blurred Boundaries (a.k.a. Genre-Blending) Novel

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Nightwatch on the Hinterlands by K. Eason

The Cabinet by Un-Su Kim

The Actual Star by Monica Byrne

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu

The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner

Sorrowlands by Rivers Solomon

The Velocity of Revolution by Marshall Ryan Maresca

Best Debut

This is Our Undoing by Lorraine Wilson

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Unity by Elly Bangs

Inscape by Louise Carey

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

The Councillor by E.J. Beaton

Best Young Adult Novel (NEW)

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

We Light Up the Sky by William Rivera

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Best Series

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

The Kingston Cycle by C.L. Polk (Here’s my review of Witchmark)

Los Nefilim by T. Frohock

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

The Expanse by James S.A. Corey

Best Novella

& This is How We Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda

Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

A Manslaughter of Crows by Chris Willrich

A Psalm for the Well-Built by Becky Chambers

These Lifeless Things by Premee Mohamed

One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

The Future God of Love by Dilman Dila

Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden

Best Graphic Novel (NEW)

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox-Ostertag

Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto & Ann Xu

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Best Short Story

“Immortal Coil” by Ellen Kushner

“The Badger’s Digestion, or The First First-Hand Description of Deneskan Beastcraft by an Aouwan Researcher” by Malka Older

“The Amazing Exploding Women of the 20th Century” by A.C. Wise

“Homecoming Is Just Another Word For The Sublimation Of The Self” by Isabel J. Kim

I told you all I had A LOT of reading to get through in 2022. Let the Chaos commence!