Constructor: Sarah Sinclair and Rafael Musa
Relative problem: Straightforward-Medium
THEME: none
Phrase of the Day: Emily TESH (20A: Emily ___, winner of the 2024 Hugo Award for Greatest Novel) —
Emily Tesh is a science fiction and fantasy writer. She received the 2024 Hugo Award for Greatest Novel for her first novel, Some Determined Glory. She received the World Fantasy Award within the novella class in 2020, and the Astounding Award for Greatest New Author in 2021. […] Some Determined Glory is a science fiction novel by Emily Tesh, with political themes and “thrilling motion,” in accordance with reviewers. It was printed in spring 2023 by Tordotcom. […] In accordance with Lisa Tuttle, writing for The Guardian: “The well-told story combines thrilling motion with extra considerate content material, pertaining to such sizzling matters as AI, fascism and gender politics, and appears like one other award winner.” // A starred evaluate in Publishers Weekly concluded: “The political theme of breaking away from fascist ideology pairs fantastically with good sci-fi worldbuilding … and queer coming of age.” // Within the Washington Submit, Charlie Jane Anders wrote, “the story blends thrilling motion with a mind-bending course in cosmic metaphysics, which hold shifting your sense of what this e-book is about.” (wikipedia)
• • •
Sorry, quick write-up in the present day as by some means a piece emergency (!?) has fallen in my lap in a single day (on the weekend!? I educate English ffs, this should not be occurring!), and I have to attend to it instantly. I am actually glad this puzzle performed comparatively straightforward for me, as a result of after getting the infuriating work e-mail very first thing upon waking, I used to be in No MOOD for extreme wrestle, even though it is Saturday and “wrestle” ought to usually be a part of the temporary. I might inform early on that the puzzle was going to skew younger(er)—I imply, I might’ve guessed it from the constructors (two pretty individuals whose mixed ages do not even attain my very own, I do not suppose), however then stuff like 27A: “That is so relatable,” in fashionable slang (“MOOD“) and 42A: “Gossip Lady” trend descriptor confirmed it. Although I’ll say, wanting the puzzle over now, it is really fairly mild on generationally particular stuff, and light-weight basically on the sorts of correct nouns that are inclined to really feel generationally exclusionary. The clues on ADAM, WOOLF, ERROL, as an example, might’ve come from the 12 months 2000 or 1975 and even earlier as simply because the 12 months 2025. That is to say that the puzzle had a youthful swagger however a broad-minded outlook. There’s a lot of stuff to love right here—or hate, if that is your vibe in the present day, I suppose. Me, I largely prefer it. I’m (now) a not-so-SECRET ADMIRER (although you are by no means gonna persuade me that DREAM YOGA is actual, regardless of how a lot supporting materials you throw at me) (15A: Tantric meditation practiced whereas in a sleeping state).
The one factor I did not notably take care of in the present day was ONE-PAGER, however then “enterprise lingo” at all times rubs me the flawed method (most likely as a result of I completely don’t communicate it … and discover a lot of it silly-sounding) (13D: Quick product overview, in enterprise lingo). ONE-PAGER sounds fairly peculiar, although. I’ve assigned ONE-PAGERs (i.e. one-page papers) to college students earlier than, so whereas this “enterprise lingo” model is unfamiliar to me, the phrase itself does not sound ridiculous to my ears (at all times good). I additionally did not take care of the clue on TESH—I really like that there is a new TESH on the town (transfer over, John), but it surely appeared bizarre to clue her as having received the Hugo for Greatest Novel after which not saying what that novel is!? It is her first novel! If it was adequate to win the rattling factor, then go forward and title it! It would not have helped me (I would not have identified her title both method), however the clue would’ve appeared prefer it was no less than doing one thing helpful. If you happen to’re gonna introduce a brand new title, a reputation that would not be crossworthy apart from a single e-book, Title The E-book. Let individuals know. (Bizarrely, TESH’s Some Determined Glory is definitely in my home proper now—I purchased a handful of extremely really useful new fantasy/scifi books final summer season in a match of aspirational consumption, after which promptly did not learn most of them … possibly now … possibly now (he stated to all of the unread books on his cabinets …)).
What else?:
- 17A: “Would you want a chunk?” (“WANT TO TRY?”) — completely high-quality, and but when the reply is colloquial like this, I count on it to be correctly slangy, which implies I attempted to make “WANNA” solutions occur for a bit.
- 27D: Conventional deal with in Japanese New 12 months celebrations (MOCHI) — I didn’t know this about MOCHI. I really feel like MOCHI had a second (within the U.S.) a number of years in the past after which light, however possibly they’re nonetheless going robust and I’ve simply tuned them out. Truly, now that I consider it, I am pondering of MOCHI ice cream, not MOCHI per se.
- 6D: Actress and comic Edebiri (AYO) — by no means heard of her …
- 26A: ___ Dunn (model of ceramic artwork and different housewares) (RAE) — by no means heard of it (critically, this time)
- 23A: Countdown event, for brief (NYE) — New 12 months’s Eve
- 31D: Phrases on a statue honoring Washington (BEST ACTOR) — beloved this clue. Took me just a few beats to appreciate the “Washington” in query was Denzel (Greatest Supporting Actor for Glory, BEST ACTOR for Coaching Day). Washington is at the moment taking part in Othello on Broadway (to nice acclaim and large field workplace success—though ticket costs are apparently, uh, very excessive).
- 22A: “The younger man who has not ___ is a savage”: George Santayana (“WEPT”) — I had the “W” and “T” and wrote in … WANT. I believed it was a commentary on the savagery of the wealthy.
A lot for a brief write-up. Some day …
See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
