The Hugos: The Snow Queen

You'll never be rid of me! I've ruled this blog for 150 years and I've created my own clone to rule it for the NEXT 150 years! Suck on that, internet!

Sorry, for a moment I thought I was the titular lead character in the 1980 novel by Joan D. Vinge, winner of the 1981 Hugo Award for Best Novel: The Snow Queen.

It's a sci-fi version of the Hans Christian Anderson fable with which witch I am not familiar.

I am, however, familiar with Dune and Star Wars. Take a water planet with big sentient fish instead of a dessert planet with giant worms, then the characters from "Star Wars" only gender-reversed, add a thousand kilograms of court intrigue and you've got 'The Snow Queen'!

That's over simplifying, something I wish this VERY long book had done.

Now, I didn't set out to bash it and I don't want to: I need you to understand that as a dude I don't WANT to trash the efforts of lady writers, but sometimes that's how I'm wired.

So I'll repeat what I said at the time: this would make a good movie, with the right people involved and a lot of luck it could really be the girl geek version of 'Star Wars'. But I only thought it was O.K.

Moon isn't a terrible protagonist, and the Snow Queen is a fine villain. Unfortunately, the romantic interest, Sparks, is impossible to like. He's pretty, easily manipulated, and a sexual captive for the villain, like a traditional princess. Oh, dear, how I hated him.

As I read others' reviews, I noticed a lot of people liked the robot. I don't even remember this character anymore! And I LOVE robots!

I DO remember wind-swept, empty, coastlines and back-stabbing, decadent, palace conversations. Or was it empty conversations and a wind-swept palace?

I'd read this author again, maybe her series with magic cats?

Recommended for those who love fantasy and, ideally, have vaginas.

I still like her better than her ex-husband Vernor.