Hugo Best Novel

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Book twenty-seven of 2019: The Forever Machine, by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley ⭐️⭐️ 1955 Hugo Best Novel 📚

Odd mix of early postulation about how AI might affect society and almost new-age “woo” of psychoanalysis rejuvenating the physical body to youth. Not very engaging.

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Book twenty-six of 2019: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📚 1954 Retro Hugo Best Novel

Wow, does this one ever hold up. Incredibly (and possibly sadly) as relevant now as…wow, 65 years ago. Impressively prescient in many ways, as well.

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Book twenty-four of 2019: The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1953 Hugo Best Novel

Psychic police are now something of an SF trope, but this was apparently one of the first to use this idea, and its implementation (both in plot and typography) is still effective.

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Book twenty of 2019: Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1946 Retro Hugo Best Novel (for The Mule, part two of this book) 📚

Very much enjoying finally reading these (and surprised that it seems I never had, or had done so so long ago that I’d forgotten).

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Book seventeen of 2019: Beyond This Horizon, by Robert A. Heinlein. ⭐️⭐️ 1943 Retro Hugo Best Novel. 📚

As an exploration of boredom in a utopia and the possibilities of genetic engineering, it’s mildly interesting, but felt unfocused, oddly structured, and kind of tedious.

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Book sixteen of 2019: Slan, by A.E. van Vogt. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1941 Retro Hugo Best Novel 📚

Definitely dated, esp. regarding views of women, odd extrapolation of tech (a very 40s world, but with ray guns & antigravity ships), but I’ve read far worse from this era. Fans are slans! 😏