Challenge: Award Reading x 2

Based on my last post on DNF’ing, this is probably unwise, but I’ve been thinking about setting myself the challenge of reading a shortlist or at least a category from an award’s shortlist.

This idea was fuelled by the FOMO from seeing all the discussions around this year’s ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD. 

Out of this year’s shortlist, I’ve read two, DNF’d two, heard very interesting things about one I’ve not read, and not heard a lot about the other unread one:

• Annie Bot by Sierra Greer – see a spoiler-filled thoughts here
• Private Rites by Julia Armfield – To Be Read
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – DNF’d
• Extremophile by Ian Green – DNF’d
• Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Read
• Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf – To Be Read

Whilst this was all bubbling away in my brain, another two award shortlists were announced:

1. British Fantasy Awards 2025
2. World Fantasy Awards 2025

I floated the idea on Bluesky of reading and reviewing the BFA Best Anthology category, and I’ve publically committed to doing that before the announcement at the end of October, which will be done as part of the World Fantasy Convention.

The only thing is that I don’t think I’ve reviewed an anthology before, so I asked the experts. Runalong Womble gave me a great template:

• How is the theme developed or explored throughout the anthology?
• Does the mix of stories work effectively together?
• Which stories stood out to you, and why?

Thanks Womble.

The World Fantasy Awards also take place during the World Fantasy Convention, and as I am planning on attending, I thought I’d also read and review of one of the WFA shortlists. This time, I’m going for the novellas:

• Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud (Tor Nightfire/Titan Books)
• In the Shadow of Their Dying by Michael F. Fletcher and Anna Smith Spark (Grimdark Magazine)
• Yoke of Stars by R. B. Lemberg (Tachyon Publications)
• The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo (Tordotcom)
• The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom/Titan Books UK)

That’ll keep me busy from now until October.

I say busy. I do plan on completing the Clarke Award reading of Private Rites by Julia Armfield and Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf. And the TBR pile is overflowing, and I need to get it down.

Are you planning on reading any shortlists from these two awards? If so, which ones?