Today is the last day for Hugo nominations for Worldcon 75 in Helsinki. If you’re a member of Worldcon 74 (MidAmericon II) or Worldcon 75, and you haven’t yet finalized your ballot, now’s the time.
And I won’t engage in self-pimpage for the Frontlines stuff, but if you’re still nominating, I’d urge you to consider WILD CARDS as a nominee for the new Best Series Hugo. It’s been going on for so long, and so many great stories have been contributed to by so many talented people, that it absolutely deserves to be on the shortlist. (The nominees for Best Series must be an ongoing series of at least three volumes of at least 240,000 words total by the end of 2016, of which one volume was published in 2016. Wild Cards’ word and volume count more than qualifies, and there was a 2016 release, HIGH STAKES.)
Have really enjoyed the series and will read with appreciation any that you write, but nagging questions are looming larger as the number of installments climbs. Some readers are already raising the question (some with disdain for the idea) that the Lankies we know and loathe are merely instrumentalities for the “real” enemy race. It would be very late in the game to introduce that trope. My question, which persisted through the battle for Mars, is this: why don’t these creatures, so advanced technologically in some areas, have stand-off weapons for use against dismounted human soldiers? They insist on stomping nakedly into the range of human weaponry when they should be able to provide themselves with nearly 100 percent survivability in these situations. For me, this question has begun to detract from my still-enormous enjoyment of your series.
Just inhaled all five of the Frontlines books and am now eagerly awaiting the next one. But no pressure–take your time. Thanks for a thoroughly entertaining and thoughtful few days. Your characters are people I would love to meet.