Two years ago, I wrote a love letter to my favorite ongoing series. I was delighted to learn that, in this trash heap of a year, InCryptid has been nominated for the Hugo for Best Series! Again! Hail the nomination!
Gentle readers, what I wrote two years ago still stands. Here, I’ll go ahead and offer you a link so that you may re-read (or read for the first time!) what I wrote back then. Have an excerpt:
[Essentially], those creatures that you thought were hiding under your bed or in your closet? Probably weren’t imaginary. This series takes a look at a myriad of supernatural beings beyond your standard bogeymen and dragons. Remember, McGuire studied Folklore (and Herpetology) at UC Berkeley, so she knows her stuff when it comes to things that may or may not exist. InCryptid gives her a chance to flex her muscles beyond the massive world of faerie.
Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it! As of this writing, the series contains nine full length novels and enough short fiction to fill a very lengthy anthology. If it wins, McGuire has an intriguing promise. I won’t spoil it for you. But I will say this: if you’ve followed McGuire on social media, you should know by now that she largely says what she means and does what she says she’ll do. Click the link, it’ll explain everything.
So, you may be asking yourself, why should this series win? Here’s a quick list:
1) Urban fantasy is alive and well!
I know that publishing trends are a thing. I also know that small presses and indie authors are keeping a subgenre that I’ve loved for over twenty years going strong. If you know anything about urban fantasy, you know that it’s not all vampires and leather pants (not that there’s a single thing wrong with either of those things; I am quite fond of several books that feature these things). Nevertheless, InCryptid is one of only a handful of long-running urban fantasy series that’s still going strong. There are still so many unanswered questions, and we who are already big fans would very much like the answers. If it wins an award, it gives more weight to the series and increases the chance that even more volumes will be published in the future. Win/win, if you ask me.
2) This series is wholly unique, both as an urban fantasy, and as a series in general.
Sure, things start out extremely pink and rather cheery, with Verity Price, arguably the most bubbly Price woman, at the helm. But then things start to go Horribly Wrong, as they tend to do in fiction. You have to keep reading to keep up with just how far things are going to go down the rabbit hole. Or into the wormhole. Did I say that? Never mind, just read the books. Anyway, unlike many long-running series, InCryptid features several narrators. So far, four members of the Price clan have had their chance with the talking stick. McGuire very handily swaps between narrators, and it is easy to tell who’s “talking” when you’re reading.
Verity and Antimony “sound” nothing alike. It takes skill to manage this many characters in a distinct manner, and that skill should most definitely be rewarded.
3) The s*it quickly gets real, and the punches have continued to come.
McGuire has lovingly described this series as a candy-coated heart of darkness. We are starting to see just how accurate that statement really is in the most recent few volumes. Bad things happen and terrible decisions have equally terrible consequences. If you like your darkness with a side of light (or vice versa), then this is the series for you. This balancing act isn’t an easy one to pull off, but it is wonderfully done.
4) That Intriguing Promise that I mentioned before
A ballgown and a swamp. Just go back and read the tweet that I linked to.
And that concludes that! I’m rooting for my favorite series to win! I hope that you’ll join me in crossing my fingers while we wait.
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