611: Distributed Disinterested Dystopia

Our annual shortlist book club is back! We read two novels that were nominated for Best Novel in the Nebula Awards! SB Divya’s “Machinehood” is a near-future story of gig workers, weak AI servants, and rebellious space stations. Jason Sanford’s “Plague Birds” is a post-apocalyptic story about strong AIs and gene-altered people that’s so far in the future that it feels almost like fantasy. Plus: We recommend other books we’ve enjoyed recently!

2022 Awards Book Club, part 1

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign and Scott McNulty

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Referenced Works Machinehood [Amazon] [Apple] Plague Birds [Amazon] [Apple] Show Notes & Links

What have we been reading?

Scott

• Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford
• Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson

Erika

• The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein
• City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett
• Short fiction from Uncanny Magazine: Ina’s Spark by Mary Robinette Kowal and Ribbons by Natalia Theodoridou and The Clockwork Penguin Dreamed of Stars by Caroline Yoachim and Lily, the Immortal by Kylie Lee Baker

Jason

• Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
• Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

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