Ursula K. Le Guin Price Announced

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

Politics tamfitronics This is the Winner of the 2024 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction

Really interesting shortlist for this year’s award, and the winner itself is not something I had on my radar. One thing I like about science-fiction and fantasy awards in general is that there are often novellas (as this one is) recognized. I am not sure why SFF is more open to novellas in general, though probably it has something to do with the importance of the science fiction short story in the mainstreaming of the genre.

Politics tamfitronics First Trailer for Adaptation of Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown Drops

This looks like a goddamn delight. I might be short on Waititi right now, but I am long on Yu. (Click on the screep cap to go to the trailer. Someday we might be able to embed video in email).

Politics tamfitronics How Should Debut Novelists Measure Success?

Good piece from K.E. Summel at The Millions about the various ways to measure success means for debut authors. People might be shocked that for some titles, selling just 1000 copies is a tough hurdle to clear. Summel talks with three debut authors about what they are shooting for–and just how hard even a moderate success can be for a new author. Sobering.