What I like about Tchaikovsky's stories is that they are pretty clever in terms of the topics they deal with and how he unfolds the narrative. It's always nice to read an author who is creative in tackling the speculative fiction genre because sadly there are too many authors that manage to stagnate a genre that should be impossible to make monotonous. I wouldn't say I'm a veteran of reading his books, but the stuff I've read has always been pretty cool so far.

Ogres much like his Elder Race is written in a similar theme of the borders between magic and advanced scientific technology. Ogres are these giant people who rule over the smaller-sized "monkeys" since God has made them superior beings. It's pretty obvious to realize what actually is going on behind the so-called magic/religion but it takes a skilled author to sell the idea of magical vehicles to a reader familiar with the concept of air-conditioned cars. But that flip in perception is something I really enjoyed.

The story is told in 2nd personal narrative, but it's nowhere near my fav use of that style. It is a bit hard to get into because it's written in a very cold and impersonal way. I had a similar issue with Elder Race even though it wasn't in 2nd person, I found it hard to really be engrossed with the story. But that difficulty in getting through the start is what made this book seem longer than it is. The conclusion is a pretty nice twist that I did not see coming, and really made me raise up my rating from 2 to 3.5. Still, when it comes to Tchaikovsky's novellas I prefer his One Day All This Will Be Yours more. The humour is right up my alley, and it is so so readable and with really nice twists. Elder Race was a Hugo nominee last year and Ogres is a Hugo nominee this year, let's see if Tchaikovsky manages to break the lack of male author winner streak with his short stories or his Children of Time series next week. Personally, I'm rooting for T. Kingfisher for the novella category.