"Oceanic" is a science fiction novella by Australian writer Greg Egan, published in 1998.[1] It won the 1999 Hugo Award for Best Novella.
| "Oceanic" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Greg Egan | |
 | |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novella |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Asimov's Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Magazine |
| Publication date | August 1998 |
Publication history
"Oceanic" was first published in the August 1998 edition of Asimov's Science Fiction by Dell Magazines. Editor Gardner Dozois republished it in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Sixteenth Annual Collection (1999) and The Best of the Best Volume 2: 20 Years of the Best Short Science Fiction Novels (2007). It was again republished in Greg Egan's collection Dark Integers and Other Stories (2008) and in Egan's collections Oceanic (2009)[2] and The Best of Greg Egan (2019).
Reception
Reviews
Russell Letson, writing in the Locus Magazine, says that the novella "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."[3]
Awards
In 1999, "Oceanic" won the Hugo Award for Best Novella, Locus Award best novella, and Asimov's Reader Poll for best novella.[4][5][6] It also won two foreign short story awards: the 2000 Hayakawa's SF Magazine Reader's Award and the 2001 Seiun Award.[7][8] "Oceanic" was also a finalist in the 1998 Aurealis Award for best science fiction short story, a long list nominee for the 1999 James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award, and a short-list nominee for the 1999 HOMer Award for best novella.[9][10][11]
Synopsis
The story follows Martin, a Freelander living on the oceans of Covenant. As a boy he has a religious experience that shapes his life for years to come. As he grows into manhood his experiences and studies begin to conflict with his deep rooted faith. Eventually he joins a small circle of scholars studying the effects of one of Covenant’s most abundant microbes as his views of life change dramatically.
References
External links
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