sometimes a card is just a card

The other night, I dreamed that, after waking up, I opened my box of calling cards, and found that a big chunk had been nibbled out of them by mice. I think they had found the box and the cards an appropriate bedding material. I wonder if that last bit's symbolism is good or bad.

my voting for 2011's Hugo Awards

I just voted for 2011's Hugo Awards.

Best Novella:

(1) "The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon", Elizabeth Hand (Stories: All New Tales, William Morrow)
(2) "The Sultan of the Clouds", Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s, September 2010)
(3) "Troika", Alastair Reynolds (Godlike Machines, Science Fiction Book Club)
(4) "The Lifecycle of Software Objects", Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
(5) "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window", Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean, Summer 2010)


Best Novelette:

(1) "The Emperor of Mars", Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)
(2) "Eight Miles", Sean McMullen (Analog, September 2010)
(3) "That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made", Eric James Stone (Analog, September 2010)
(4) "The Jaguar House, in Shadow", Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s, July 2010)
(5) "Plus or Minus", James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s, December 2010)


Best Short Story:

(1) "For Want of a Nail", Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s, September 2010)
(2) "Amaryllis", Carrie Vaughn (Lightspeed, June 2010)
(3) "The Things", Peter Watts (Clarkesworld, January 2010)
(4) "Ponies", Kij Johnson (Tor.com, November 17, 2010)


In other categories, I voted for just one or two of the nominees. Yes, I had until the end of July to read the remaining novels, but there are things that were published this year I'm more eager to get to. Besides, since more people vote for that category than for the others, my own ballot wouldn't really make a difference. Anyway... Here are my votes, quite pêle-mêle. For Best Novel, I voted for "Blackout/All Clear" by Connie Willis. For Best Editor, Short Form, I voted for Asimov's Sheila Williams. In the Graphic Story, the Foglios's "Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse". For Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, "Toy Story 3", and for the Short Form, Rachel Bloom's "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" then Steven Moffat's "Doctor Who: "A Christmas Carol".

That's it for this year.

See you at Renovation's Hugo Ceremonies, where I'm hoping to again be an usher.