Crazy Beautiful, by Cat Rambo

Crazy Beautiful is in the March/April 2021 issue of F&SF Magazine.  An AI is created that can make art, and can take works of art and transform them into "living" digital works.  It decides to "liberate" master art work that is being stored in Paris warehouses by wealthy collectors, hidden away from the world.  In so doing it creates rather a big mess.  Fun to read.

You Sexy Thing, by Cat Rambo

This is a good bit of space opera. I have to say that the first thing that struck me was that it isn't super original--the tightly bonded crew of a small spaceship thing is done, and done, and done. Making some of the characters aliens isn't quite working here as the aliens have recognizably human personalities. So I end up stacking it up against a series like The Expanse (which I'm also reading) and the character development just isn't the same. Good, not great. I do look forward to the day when characters with same-sex relationships aren't automatically boxed as LGBTQ+ explorations. Mostly these are people having relationships, and they happen to be with the same sex or with aliens, but I do think Rambo brings some depth here. Captain Niko's relationships get beyond sexuality into attachment in a way that you don't usually find with SF.

The Holy Hive Mind universe that the crew inhabits is a deadly serious place. Niko's nemesis, the pirate Tubal Last, is a deeply disturbed, capable and fanatical enemy. Their personal battle exacts massive costs on both sides. This is set in a book that just isn't that heavy--they enlist the title character (a biologically constructed self-aware ship) by teaching it to cook. I think I'm agreeing with reviewers that say this book isn't sure what it wants to be.

The book does not say it is the start of a series but there's a lot of world-building here so it seems safe to say that it is. Maybe the world will decide what it is, and allow Cat Rambo to write it.

My Goodreads Review

Five Ways to Fall In Love on Planet Porcelain, by Cat Rambo

Five Ways to Fall In Love on Planet Porcelain is the last Nebula nominated short story I read for this year.  And it's a very likeable little story.  It does a good job of invoking the feeling of what it would be like to live in a different kind of body, in this case made of porcelain.  A good take on power relationships too.  So definitely worth 10 minutes to read (it really is short).

What was my favorite short story this time?  I think Ken Liu's The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species would take the prize for me.  Though the current story is a pretty good one.  I also have read enough to select in the Novelette category, and again Ken Liu would take it with The Waves.  Strong consideration for Nanny's Day also.  I'll make my picks for Novella and Novel at some point as well, but probably not before the winners get announced.  I just don't get around to reading all the nominees that quickly.