Jennifer Jackson – Literary Agent

2020 Dragon Awards ballot includes Muir and Wells!

The 2020 Dragon Awards ballot includes Tamsyn Muir and Martha Wells!

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Network Effect by Martha Wells

“If the first books were episodes in a four-part TV miniseries, then Network Effect is the feature-length movie with the bigger budget and scope, and it is no less enjoyable….with a little more room to breathe, Wells draws out all of those elements in a way that extends the enjoyable experience of the novellas, yet doesn’t drag.

One of the consistent strengths and joys of the series is Murderbot’s internal dialogue. It catalogues the world with files and backups and keyword tagging that are both technical and humorous. It also has a childlike way of narrating through problems, of chiding itself for its failures and cheering on its own successes in a way that is hard not to find endearing.

Wells is also adept at taking action that occurs in seconds, or even fractions of seconds because that is the speed of a computer, and slowing it all down for us simple humans to understand. And when Murderbot needs to live up to the name and get its hands dirty, Wells can also ratchet things up to John Wick-ian levels of visceral action.

And that’s the hallmark of any good series—it leaves you wanting more. Murderbot and the world it inhabits constantly leave you wanting more, in the best possible way.” — NPR

The Spanish edition of All Systems Red (Sistemas críticos), translated by Carla Bataller Estruch, is a finalist for the 2020 Ignotus Award in the Cuento extranjero (short translation) category, awarded annually by the Spanish Association of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror to Spanish and foreign authors for works published in Spain during the previous year!

Network Effect by Martha Wells

“Like a feature film following a television series, Network Effect faces the challenge of presenting a longer-than-usual episode for existing fans while standing on its own as an intelligible entry point for new readers. It more than succeeds, with all the intensity, humor and deep feeling of the novellas flourishing in a more complex and ambitious structure. While the chief pleasure of the Murderbot Diaries is the protagonist’s unique and delightful voice, Network Effect introduces new characters and subtly different perspectives in a way that only amplifies its shocking joy. I caught myself rereading my favorite parts the way Murderbot rewatches episodes of Sanctuary Moon, and I can’t recommend it enough.” — New York Times Book Review

The Japanese editions of The Murderbot Diaries, translated by Naoya Nakahara, have been nominated in the Best Translated Novel category for the 2020 Seiun Awards from the Science Fiction Fan Groups’ Association of Nippon (SFFAN)!