This month, I'd like to discuss 2012 Nebula nominees (full text of many of the shorter pieces is available online) -- but I'm particularly interested in one nominee, Jake Kerr's "The Old Equations," a recasting of the old Tom Godwin chestnut "The Cold Equations." As usual, attempts to derail will be entertained (and encouraged in proportion to their enthusiasm).
Also of interest: Microsoft invests heavily in Barnes & Noble. What (if anything) does it mean for publishing -- particularly independent publishing?
Kerr's story, an alt.history whose plot hinges on trying to travel at very high velocities without the benefit of a certain theoretical framework (Warning: spoilers!), is getting widely praised for the ingenuity of its premise (and is no doubt garnering notice for its similarity to a classic). Indeed, this isn't the first time in recent memory that "The Cold Equations" has inspired an award finalist: R-SPEC founder Jonathan Sherwood's 2006 novella "Under the Graying Sea", which applies a 'cold-equations'-style logic in an even higher-stakes scenario, was a finalist for the Hugo in 2007. So there's something about this story that keeps bringing people back to it.
What does the Kerr story bring to the table that's new?
To avoid spoilers, I recommend you read the story first, but when you have, you may be interested in Kerr's account of the revision process he engaged in with astrophysicist Mike Brotherton. (Brotherton has also given his side of the story.
We'll be meeting in the usual place: The Community Room at the Pittsford Barnes & Noble; we'll start the meeting in earnest at about 7:30.
