And so we come to the finalists for this year:
Best Fantasy Novel:
The Poppy War by RF Kuang
The Loosening Skin by Aliya Whiteley
In here there was one clear front runner and then a fight over the second slot. Will definitely be interesting to see what happens in the head to head
Best Science Fiction Novel:
I Still Dream by James Smythe
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente
One round where a lot of different championing from the different judges with no clear front runner and every nominee getting at least one mention
Best Blurred Boundaries Novel:
The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
As with science fiction this was a hotly contested round where there was even debate over whether we should have 3 nominees. But in the end we couldn’t leave one of these three out
Best Novella:
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
These two were way ahead of the other nominees and it is going to be a tough battle with these facing off against each other
Best Series:
Machineries of War by Yoon Ha Lee
Fractured Europe by Dave Hutchinson
Cloaked Creators 