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Hugo Awards 2026

Posted in Books, Kids with tags , , , , , , , on September 13, 2026 by xi'an

Here are the winners for the Hugo Awards 2026. Still undecided at repeating the voting experiment next year…!

Best Novel
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (Tor US; Tor UK) [a Locus Awardee 2026, which I did not like, esp. when comparing it to A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett]

Best Novella
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar (Tordotcom; Arcadia UK) [nice fairy tale I rather enjoyed]

Best Series
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi (Tor US; Tor UK) [the easy way out, although I voted for the Chronicles of Osreth instead]

Best Graphic Story or Comic
A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, written by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted and art by Fred Fordham (Clarion Books; Walker UK) [my choice, by default]

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Sinners, screenplay by Ryan Coogler, directed by Ryan Coogler (Proximity Media, Warner Bros. Pictures) [not seen!]

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Murderbot: “All Systems Red”, written by Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz, directed by Roseanne Liang, based on the book All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Apple TV) [reasonably enjoyable, my choice]

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a journal of the Hugo year

Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel, University life, Wines with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 3, 2026 by xi'an

Read (over the past months) books I forgot to record in the Journal series namely, The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, by Sofia Samatar, a rather terrible take on Wells’ Time Machine where exploited live in the darkest parts of a space-ship and upper classes in the nicest places. With an unconvincing trio of characters and a paper-thin scenario, including an unconvincing pastiche of academic pettiness. Quite the disappointment! The latest Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London novel, Stone & Sky, a rather nice instalment in the series, if only because it is set in Northern Scotland (where I read it!), but with some weaknesses in the plot and a puzzling two-voice narrative that sounds unbalanced (in favour of Peter vs. Abigail). Plus a wee bit caricaturing Scottish people, methinks! And then, being a Hugo voting member for 2026, several books and short stories that I receive as part of the LACon package, like The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson read first because I love ravens! Especially the fantastic Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr. I had trouble beginning the book, but once the setting was established, I could follow the main character more easily. The character is enticing but the universe building is shaky and the scenario weak on many planes, making the central issues of solving a murder and finding a new emperor/ress more of a summer camp challenge than crucial problems. Plus an all-too-common fixation on meals and drinks consumed by the characters… It is getting worse towards the end. Likely my (first and) last volume in the Eternal Path Trilogy! Not high in my Hugo ranking then. And the (Murderbot) novelette “Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy” by Martha Wells. Frankly disappointing. I do love the Murderbot series, but this short story highly disappointed me. Between feelings of déjà vu and annoyance at the constant bickering between the characters that reminded me of the nadir of the relationship between my two kids! Absolutely worth ignoring! Even in the Hugo ranking.

Due to repeated travel, plus a heat wave, I did not cook much besides salads and fruit purées, but enjoyed a haggis pie on Skye. And two (local versions of) pissaladières in Marseille. I also had to transfer my olives of the (2025) year into new jars as some had started to grow mould. Fortunately. most of them remained edible if somewhat sour. Thanks to Omiros’ expert advice, they are now maturing in olive oil.

Watched Sins of Kujo, inspired from a popular manga series, which is quite puzzling for its moral and ethical ambiguities.

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a journal of the invasion year

Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel, University life, Wines with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 24, 2026 by xi'an

Read The Backcountry Rescue Squad at America’s Busiest National Park, a New Yorker long article about a non-profit called BUSAR, for Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue, handling complex search and rescue operations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (or Smokies). As usual with the New Yorker  articles, very engaging and well-written! (Which is why I keep reading the journal from the day I discovered it at Ann & George Casella’s home.) Following a visit to the House of Japan in Paris for the Isao Takahata exhibit, where its maps were displayed in the entrance hall, I also read the (French) BD Tokyo Sanpo (sanpo meaning a leisurely stroll or walk) by Florent Chavouet, a travel graphical diary (from a map-addict, like me!) of a yearlong stay in Tokyo that is highly original and beautifully drawn, but practically useless as a travel guide since it was written in 2006. And does not include the most popular districts of Tokyo. (Some of the comments are unpleasant and insensitive to cultural differences, though!)

Cooked buckwheat pancakes in muffin trays, while roasting almonds for butter. Turned out edible esp. with leftover tarama (fish roe) jars bought for the Xmas break, if not particularly nice-looking. And avoided most of the office galette des rois parties plaguing the first weeks of January! (Which would have been detrimental to my current training program, starting with a 95km week over the break.)

Watched with some (moderate) expectations the Apple TV Murderbot, inspired from the fantastic Murderbot diaries by Martha Wells, which did not meet said expectations! The humans in the team sounded and acted too idiotically. And the special effects were quite lame. (But checking the synopsis of the original All Systems Red showed a closed proximity between the book and the show, meaning my own memory units may have been corrupted!)

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a journal of the chaos (en cuisine) year

Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Travel, Wines with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2025 by xi'an

 Read Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy by Martha Wells, part of The Murderbot Diaries (#2.5) and fun as usual but so short (34p) that it does not even feel like a short story. And How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, by Django Wexler. Which illustrates afresh my blockage on humorous fantasy, as previously experimented with Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. There is humour and wit, but the universe and the scenario and the characters all are terribly thin. And of limited interest…

While taking advantage of the remaining vegetables and fruits at the local market, like having radish, coriander and lemon salad at every meal, and garden tomatoes as well, and making daily breakfast compote from rhubarb and figs, plus the customary skyr and buckwhe(y/at) pancakes, the culinary experience this round was outside, with a dinner at Oktobre, a restaurant we had visited a few times, in the heart of Quartier Latin, and recently mentioned in Le Monde M(agazine). (The K stands for the previous name of the restaurant, Ze Kitchen Gallery bis.) The surprise entrées were a fabulous mix of Asia-inspired dishes with miso and raw fish, while the tagliatelle were al dente and perfectly (if mildly) spiced. The lobster bits were however superfluous, as soaked in cooking water and hence almost indistinguishable from sashimi sticks. The rice pudding also failed to deliver, with undercooked grains, an heresy for rice pudding. But the most surprising feature of the meal came with the strong insistence of the server that we add a tip to the bill when the menu stated service was already included, as compulsory by French law. Which we pointed out only to more arguing. Definitely annoying if this signals an incoming trend in touristy places, as tipping is definitely one of the most puzzling aspects of US life! (Another appalling US food story is how Trump imposed his ghastly culinary tastes on his hosts during his Asian tour…)

In continuation with the culinary theme, I also speed watched a rather silly K drama called Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (The Tyrant’s Chef), which sends a modern Michelin starred chef to 14th Century Joseon to be a cook for the current and tyranesque king. The plot is paper-thin but the cooking bits are pleasant (if overly inspired by French dishes, like bœuf bourguignon and macarons!)

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a journal of the collapse, conquest, [1904] war, famine, and death [end of the] year

Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Travel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2024 by xi'an

Read System Collapse  (Murderbot diaries #7) by Martha Wells. A sequel to the previous Network Effect, which I only partly remembered. The originaly of this volume is the unreliability of the half-organic android (on which I cannot expand because of spoilers!), even though the limited scope of the story is rather disappointing.

Made bagels at home with half rye, half wheat. Definitely tolerable (esp. when compared with my earlier experiment) and dense enough but open to improvements (I plan to try with no egg finish!, cooler raising temperature, and a different type of yeast).

Watched Korean Officer Black Belt (무도실무관)), thinking it was a series. Single movie it was, and definitely more than long enough as it aligns stereotypes and predictable battle scenes, with no active female character (but plenty of female victims)… And Japanese Golden Kamuy (ゴールデンカムイ) thinking it was a movie. Which it was except it ends unfinished (and is continued as a live-action television series). Inspired from a popular manga and taking place after the Russo-Japanese war of 1904. The manga inspiration is very clear, but the window on Ainu culture is worth noting, if somewhat shallow. (With the miso joke overstaying its limited comic potential.)

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