Oceanic (book)

Last updated

Oceanic
Author Greg Egan
Language English
Genre Science fiction, Hard science fiction
Publisher Gollancz
Publication date
July 16, 2009
Pages496
ISBN 978-0-575-08654-8

Oceanic is a collection of 12 science fiction short stories by Australian writer Greg Egan, published on 16 July 2009 by Gollancz.

Contents

In 2009, the collect won the Aurealis Award for Best Collection. The eponymous short story "Oceanic", won the Hugo Award for Best Novella; three more were nominated.

Contents

Background

"Singleton" and "Oracle" are set in the same universe as Egan's novel Schild's Ladder from 2002, but 20,000 years earlier. "Riding the Crocodile" is set in the same universe as Egan's novel Incandescence from 2008, but 300,000 years prior. None of the short stories is part of the novels.

Between the release of both novels, Egan was active in campaigning for refugee rights, mainly including the end of mandatory detention for asylum seekers in Australia, for a few years. [1] In an interview with David Conyers for Virtual Worlds and Imagined Futures in 2009, Egan called it an "eye-opening experience to see people mistreated in that way", revealing that "Lost Continent" about a time traveler seeking asylum but facing burocratic incompetence is "an allegory of the whole thing, just to get some of the anger out of my system and move on." [2]

Reception

Reviews

In behalf of New Scientist, David Langford states that the collection "cover[s] a vast range" and is "audacious and understated, heady and highly intelligent." [3]

Russell Letson, writing in the Locus Magazine, says that the title story "edges into extreme post-human and/or far-future territory, but that story’s armature is a kind of bildungsroman" and "is a whole novel’s worth of material that remains background." [4]

Awards

In 2009, the collect won the Aurealis Award for Best Collection. [5]

Three stories of the collection were nominated and one won the Hugo Award. "Oceanic" won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1999; [6] [7] "Oracle" was nominated for the award in 2001. [8] "Border Guards" and "Dark Integers" were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2000 and 2008 respectively; [9] [10]

"Crystal Nights" was a finalist for the British Science Fiction Award for Best Short Fiction. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Greg Egan is an Australian science fiction writer and mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, and the Locus Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Award for Best Novelette</span> Annual award for science fiction or fantasy stories

The Hugo Award for Best Novelette is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The novelette award is available for works of fiction of between 7,500 and 17,500 words; awards are also given out in the short story, novella and novel categories. The Hugo Awards have been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing".

Michael Pryor is an Australian writer of speculative fiction.

"Wang's Carpets" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in New Legends edited by Greg Bear and Martin H. Greenberg on 5 April 1995.

<i>Incandescence</i> (novel) 2008 novel by Greg Egan

Incandescence is a 2008 science fiction novel by Australian author Greg Egan. The book is based on the idea that the theory of general relativity could be discovered by a pre-industrial civilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceanic (novella)</span> 1998 novella by Greg Egan

"Oceanic" is a science fiction novella by Australian writer Greg Egan, published in 1998. It won the 1999 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers". To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year; the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.

<i>A Dark Victory</i>

A Dark Victory is a 1999 young adult fantasy novel by Dave Luckett and is the last book in the Tenabran Trilogy. It follows the story of how Will is preparing for his final battle as Prince Nathan's armies mass on the moors.

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers". To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year; the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers". To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year; the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.

"Singleton" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Interzone 176 in February 2002. The short story was included in the collections Crystal Nights and Other Stories and Oceanic in 2009, as well as The Best of Greg Egan in 2020. The short story is set in the same universe as Egan's short story "Oracle" and Egan's novel Schild's Ladder.

The Best of Greg Egan is a collection of science fiction stories by Australian writer Greg Egan, published by Subterranean Press in 2019.

Dark Integers and Other Stories is a collection of five science-fiction short stories by Australian writer Greg Egan, published in 2008 by Subterranean Press. One of them, "Oceanic", won the Hugo Award for Best Novella, while two others were nominated.

Crystal Nights and Other Stories is a collection of nine science-fiction short stories by Australian writer Greg Egan, published on 30 September 2009 by Subterranean Press. Two of the stories were nominated for the Hugo Award.

"Luminous" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Asimov’s Science Fiction in September 1995.

"Dark Integers" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Asimov's Science Fiction in October/November 2007. The short story was included in the collections Dark Integers and Other Stories in 2008, Oceanic in 2009 and The Best of Greg Egan in 2020. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2008. It is a sequel to the short story "Luminous".

"Reasons to Be Cheerful" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Interzone 118 in April of 1997. The short story was included in the collections Luminous in 1998 and The Best of Greg Egan in 2020.

"Crystal Nights" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Interzone 215 in April 2008. The short story was included in the collections Crystal Nights and Other Stories in 2009, Oceanic in 2009 and The Best of Greg Egan in 2020.

"Lost Continent" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in The Starry Rift edited by Jonathan Strahan in 2008. The short story was included in the collections Crystal Nights and Other Stories in 2009 and Oceanic in 2009. It also appeared in the anthology The Time Traveller’s Almanac edited by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer in 2013.

"Appropriate Love" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Interzone #50 in August 1991. The short story was included in the collection Axiomatic in 1995 and The Best of Greg Egan in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Egan, Greg (2003-11-19). "The Razor Wire Looking Glass". gregegan.net. Archived from the original on 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  2. ↑ "Interviews". gregegan.net. 2010-06-20. Archived from the original on 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  3. ↑ Langford, David (2009-09-16). "Review: Oceanic by Greg Egan". New Scientist . Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  4. ↑ Letson, Russell (2019-06-14). "Russell Letson Reviews The Best of Greg Egan by Greg Egan". Locus Magazine . Archived from the original on 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  5. ↑ "Aurealis Awards 2009 Finalists and Winners". Locus Online . 2010-01-25. Archived from the original on 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  6. ↑ "Hugo Awards 1999". Hugo Awards . Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  7. ↑ "1999 Hugo Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
  8. ↑ "Hugo Awards 2001". Hugo Awards . Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  9. ↑ "Hugo Awards 2000". Hugo Awards . Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  10. ↑ "2008 Hugo Awards". Hugo Awards . Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  11. ↑ "British Science Fiction Awards Nominations". Locus Online . 2009-01-22. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
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