Calypso
Oliver K. Langmead
An epic poem of a space ark
Oliver K. Langmead's Calypso is a finalist for the 2025 Best Poem Hugo award. Yesterday I selected my Hugo votes, and Calypso was my choice for the best poem. Here's the full list of Best Poem finalists:
Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead (Titan)
“Ever Noir” by Mari Ness (Haven Spec Magazine, Issue 16, July 2024)
“there are no taxis for the dead” by Angela Liu (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58)
“A War of Words” by Marie Brennan (Strange Horizons, September 2024)
“We Drink Lava” by Ai Jiang (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 56)
“Your Visiting Dragon” by Devan Barlow (Strange Horizons, Fund Drive 2024)
The typography reflects that one of these things is not like the others. The five poems other than Calypso are all typical poems, by which I mean short. Calypso, however, is a book-length work, a novella in verse. Calypso is epic, and I mean that literally. The phrase "epic poetry" exists to describe poems like this. It is the story of the space ark Calypso -- a spaceship that carries humans to a new star. The main heroes of the poem are the three engineers Sigmund, Catherine, and Rochelle. It's a good story, with a lot of wisdom embedded in it. There is extensive use of shaped poetry, so choose a reader capable of rendering large images.
Unfortunately, I must admit that, when I reached the end I was glad to do so. This is why I don't rate it five stars. No book that leaves me feeling, "Glad that's over!" when I get to the end deserves my highest rating.