2012 Arthur C Clarke award goes to...

VaporPunk · 05-03-2012, 05:50 AM

Jane Rogers for The Testament of Jesse Lamb.

Guardian Article

Anybody read it? Yet another for my TR list.

kennyc · 05-03-2012, 06:12 AM

No, have not read or heard of her but karma for posting this!

xg4bx · 05-03-2012, 06:26 AM

sounds sorta similar to the movie Children of Men.

"In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind."

Hatgirl · 05-03-2012, 09:44 AM

My SF&F Book Club read it last year. (Spoiler-free review below).

When thinking about the novel, I find myself separating the Voice from the Plot.

Rogers very accurately portrays the voice of a 16 year old girl. Of course, I didn't like teenage girls' self-absorbed melodrama even when I was one. But hats off to Rogers, it was done well.

As for the plot, I quite liked the overall concept, even if the science was... vague, to put it charitably. (My prion lecturer had a distinctive dramatic sigh whenever someone said something dumb. I kept hearing it as I read...). I thought the author considered well how society would react to an extinction event - everyone wouldn't react the same way. There'd be people who would be convinced everything would be OK, people who used it as an reason to break with society entirely, people who would demonise the afflicted, people who would view them as martyrs... in summary, People Are Weird.

Of course, what most readers will focus on is the main character's Moral Dilemma. It was an interesting take on a theme common in SF&F, I'd say.

If I was asked to recommend a dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel to someone, I'd give them Day of the Triffids. But if I was asked to give something to a Judy Blume fan (is she still popular? I'm getting old...) I'd pick this book and hope it lays a breadcrumb trail to SF&F.

Does this book "deserve" the Clarke Award? I dunno. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't choose it as a Desert Island Book.

elemenoP · 05-03-2012, 12:13 PM

The premise is compelling to me.

I looked it up on Amazon and I was surprised to see only one review, but then I notice the book hasn't even come out yet in the US. It comes out on May 15 in paperback and kindle. No hardcover? Is that strange?

eP

05-03-2012, 05:50 AM	#1
VaporPunk Evangelist Posts: 409 Karma: 49204386 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Belgium Device: Kindle 4 + Asus Transformer	2012 Arthur C Clarke award goes to... Jane Rogers for The Testament of Jesse Lamb. Guardian Article Anybody read it? Yet another for my TR list.

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05-03-2012, 06:12 AM	#2
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	No, have not read or heard of her but karma for posting this!

05-03-2012, 06:26 AM	#3
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	sounds sorta similar to the movie Children of Men. "In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind."

05-03-2012, 09:44 AM	#4
Hatgirl Addict Posts: 296 Karma: 955301 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Sony PRS-300, Sony PRS-T2, Kindle (7th Gen)	My SF&F Book Club read it last year. (Spoiler-free review below). When thinking about the novel, I find myself separating the Voice from the Plot. Rogers very accurately portrays the voice of a 16 year old girl. Of course, I didn't like teenage girls' self-absorbed melodrama even when I was one. But hats off to Rogers, it was done well. As for the plot, I quite liked the overall concept, even if the science was... vague, to put it charitably. (My prion lecturer had a distinctive dramatic sigh whenever someone said something dumb. I kept hearing it as I read...). I thought the author considered well how society would react to an extinction event - everyone wouldn't react the same way. There'd be people who would be convinced everything would be OK, people who used it as an reason to break with society entirely, people who would demonise the afflicted, people who would view them as martyrs... in summary, People Are Weird. Of course, what most readers will focus on is the main character's Moral Dilemma. It was an interesting take on a theme common in SF&F, I'd say. If I was asked to recommend a dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel to someone, I'd give them Day of the Triffids. But if I was asked to give something to a Judy Blume fan (is she still popular? I'm getting old...) I'd pick this book and hope it lays a breadcrumb trail to SF&F. Does this book "deserve" the Clarke Award? I dunno. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't choose it as a Desert Island Book.

05-03-2012, 12:13 PM	#5
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	The premise is compelling to me. I looked it up on Amazon and I was surprised to see only one review, but then I notice the book hasn't even come out yet in the US. It comes out on May 15 in paperback and kindle. No hardcover? Is that strange? eP

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