I'm placing these here as I read more. There are many recommendations to be found, my main sources being the Posts and comment pages of Mike Glyer's File 770, Greg Hullender and Eric Wong's Rocket Stack Rank , The Hugo Awards Recommendation Spreadsheet, and Sad Puppies 4 for a broader view.
Stories rated 8 or higher may make it on to my nomination list.
Novella
Slow Bullets - Alastair Reynolds
https://tachyonpublications.com/product/slow-bullets/
Scur is an unwilling soldier, perhaps conscripted against her will in the struggle between <insert name here> and <insert another name here> forces. She is captured, tortured and left for dead by her enemy just as a ceasefire is announced.
Things could hardly be worse.... She awakes on a crippled ship, returning soldiers of both sides to their homes, but now drifting and deteriorating. Former combatants must work together to survive. Competently written, but lacking Reynold's usual panache. 7/10
Novelette
The Winners Will be swept out to Sea – Maria Dahvana Headley
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/winners-will-swept-sea/
Beautiful lyrical tale of love and sacrifice and magical creatures of the water. 7/10
The Deepest Rift – Ruthanna Emrys
http://www.tor.com/2015/06/24/the-deepest-rift-ruthanna-emrys/
Search for sapience. A team of scientists presents their case for continuing support to an AI – cool clear prose and exotic world building in a study of communication and relationships. Resolution a bit rushed. I wanted more. 8/10 (7900 words)
Short Story
Badge, Book and Candle – Max Gladstone
Badge, Book and Candle
Sal has had a really bad day. The last thing she needs is her wastrel brother fetching up on her doorstep For that she will need a priest, a kung fu fighter and a computer geek
Not bad 7/10
Planet Lion – Cat Valante
http://uncannymagazine.com/article/planet-lion/
Feline analogue indigenes of strategically located planet are co-opted into one of humanities pointless conflicts by means of ‘sludgeware’, which imparts the skills of human soldiers into the neural network communication of the indigenes. The bug though is that one cannot separate the humanity from the soldier. Best feature is the verve of the writing 8/10
Cat Pictures Please - Naomi Kritzer
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_01_15/
Quirky 'good' AI story. Explains why the internet is made of cat pictures, as the AI decides whether to meddle or to remain aloof. 6/10
Hic Sunt Monstra – Brian Trent
http://www.galaxysedge.com/n7.htm
Cautionary ecological tale. Ice monsters echo the lost wildlife of a colony planet. The world building is simplistic (errors of scale), but the final line reveals a sweet twist 7/10
Pocosin – Ursula Vernon
http://www.apex-magazine.com/pocosin/
The old gods avoid being obliterated by the new. 7/10
At The End of Babel – Michael Livingston
http://www.tor.com/2015/07/01/at-the-end-of-babel-michael-livingston/
A my god is better than your god revenge fantasy. Nicely written and packing an emotional punch 7/10
Time Bomb Time – C.C Finlay
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/time-bomb-time/
Geek scientist wants to take last opportunity to show that his time machine works. Clever Time paradox, constructed as a palingram. Neat. 7/10
Beyond Sapphire Glass – Margaret Killjoy
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2015/20150810/Sapphire-f.shtml
Those who guard the uplift machines are known as angels. What if one falls in love with an upliftee. Meh 5/10
I am Graalnak of the Vroon Empire, Destroyer of Galaxies, Supreme Overlord of the Planet Earth. Ask Me Anything - Laura Pearlman
Laura http://flashfictiononline.com/main/article/i-am-graalnak-of-the-vroon-empire-destroyer-of-galaxies-supreme-overlord-of-the-planet-earth-ask-me-anything/
Saving the world, one comment post at a time. Amusing but slight (5/10)
Damage – David Levine
http://www.tor.com/2015/01/21/damage-david-levine/
A nameless ship AI demonstrates true heroism in a futile war. Superior to all 2015 Hugo MilSF in every way. Levine has drawn the tension between obedience and rational decision making most poignantly. 8/10