The Hugo Awards Kerfuffle...

[Jo Zebedee]

Two S/RP nominated authors, Marko Kloos and Annie Bellet, have just withdrawn their nominated works.

Good on them. The award would always be tainted on them.

It's a sad state of affairs all round, esp for the nominees who've found themselves in the middle of it.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Good on them. The award would always be tainted on them.

It's a sad state of affairs all round, esp for the nominees who've found themselves in the middle of it.

Agreed, there will always be an asterisk next to the winner's names, if there are any. I especially like the second writer's stance from the linked article. 'I'm neither the ball nor a willing player'.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Two S/RP nominated authors, Marko Kloos and Annie Bellet, have just withdrawn their nominated works.

I can't say I don't understand them. They didn't want to be part of the awards in such a way.

Martin was right. Hugo award has been broken. :/

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

J. Michael Straczynski is calling for the Hugos to be cancelled altogether.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

J. Michael Straczynski is calling for the Hugos to be cancelled altogether.

I don't agree with this. It is throwing in the white towel and practically proving SP/RPs right. Most may say they aren't right, but this would actually confirm their claims. Remember that they didn't break the rules. Nothing in the rules says anything against this. The organizers have no ground not to give the awards out.

 

[MWagner]

I don't agree with this. It is throwing in the white towel and practically proving SP/RPs right. Most may say they aren't right, but this would actually confirm their claims. Remember that they didn't break the rules. Nothing in the rules says anything against this. The organizers have no ground not to give the awards out.

Agreed. And what, exactly, are the conditions under which it would be safe to renew the Hugos again? When it's impossible for groups of fans to manipulate the voting? Good luck with that.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Just don't restart them.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Agreed. And what, exactly, are the conditions under which it would be safe to renew the Hugos again? When it's impossible for groups of fans to manipulate the voting? Good luck with that.

Exactly. Fair play in Hugo relies on the nominators and voters to rely on their judgement to determine how far is too far and they did well for years. It is a double-edged blade. On the one hand, it allows for the fandom to talk about the nominations, propose their favourites, etc. while on the other hand it leaves space open for things like this. It is impossible to really solve this kerfuffle in any satisfactory way without going in the same area as legislation of morality.

 

[Bick]

I'll admit I've not followed this thread as closely as many (I suspect I care a good deal less than many come to that), so if this point has been made already, apologies. My point being - crises, bizarre nominations and committee in-fighting is very commonly seen in a large variety of book awards. The Hugos are going through a a crisis right now, but we shouldn't give up on them, as I feel that would detract from past winners and generally be a shame. When you consider the Booker prize and the Nobel (the two most important literary awards, perhaps), there have been many problems. Several members of the Booker committee threatened to boycott when Kelman won (if I've not misremembered it), and various Nobels have had the literary world gnashing it's teeth in response to bizarre nominees winning ahead of much more deserving authors. I'm not saying the causes of the problems are the same, clearly they are not, only that book awards are notoriously turbulent institutions. Crises seem to be part and parcel of the system. This comes from the intense emotional response readers and critics have to books and genres, positive and negative. We probably can't have a world where we love, discuss and disagree about books, and in contrast have awards for those books that are devoid of the same emotional intensity. I suspect the Hugos will continue one way or another.

 

[J-Sun]

I especially like the second writer's stance from the linked article. 'I'm neither the ball nor a willing player'.

Yeah, I laughed and said to myself, "I like her," when I read the first reference to that - the "I find my story, and by extension myself, stuck in a game of political dodge ball, where I’m both a conscripted player and also a ball. (Wrap your head around that analogy, if you can, ha!)" part.

On the other hand, there's Kloos. I thought to myself after reading just the File770 stuff on "respecting it as such" that I have no reason to doubt anyone's honesty unless given a reason to so, unlike some folks, I'll take their words at face value. But then the "It has come to my attention that “Lines of Departure” was one of the nomination suggestions in Vox Day’s “Rabid Puppies” campaign," echoed in my head and I had to ask, "Really? You had no idea you'd been on that slate since at least Feb.2? You didn't come across it anywhere on the net? No one emailed you about it?" I mean, maybe so, but it seems highly improbable. So one might argue something about authors trying to ride the publicity wave without paying any ultimate consequences or some other such argument. I'm not going to argue that but just say again that I'm kind of confused by Kloos' post. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what he said there. One could argue the same about Bellet but, yeah, it sounds like she just got tired of being a punching bag and wore down and decided this wasn't fun anymore.

I do have to wonder, though - I sincerely doubt that the SP folks were trashing their own nominees and using them as a punching bag. Maybe a ball, I don't know. But it sounds like Bellet would have been most beat up by the ASP side of things and they kind of encouraged her to decline her potential award. Kinda sad. But that's just my reflection and reverie. I, of course, respect their decisions.

But watch the crowing if enough spots are disallowed[1] and enough people withdraw for several of the categories to go to non-SP folks in addition to novel. Like Scalzi being so gracious, dignified, and mature last year which in no way helped provoke this year. I would hope people would comport themselves with style this year on both sides regardless of outcomes. (Like that'll happen. But it's a "hope".)

[1] As far as I can tell, this was not entirely consistent with past behavior but entirely legitimate and the actual rules guys have been being remarkably referee-like and proper generally in what must be extraordinarily tough circumstances. Hopefully this will continue to the finish line. Just saying it does start freeing some spots in what had been a seeming No Award vs. SP lock in some categories. (I think one just went to another SP nom, though.)

 

[Dave]

My point being - crises, bizarre nominations and committee in-fighting is very commonly seen in a large variety of book awards.

I'd say not just book awards but any award where the awards are voted for by the members of the organisation that awards them. Sometimes it may be only a committee that votes, but the committee is, in turn, voted for by the members. Such an organisation is always open to infiltration by a gang of new members with an agenda. Quite often the constitution of such a group will be written to prevent members voting until they have become 'full' members, or until after some specific period of time.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

When you consider the Booker prize and the Nobel (the two most important literary awards, perhaps)

Stick them in the same landfill as Hugo. They are terrible. Almost give reading a bad name with the public. Up there with neat stack of bricks or unmade beds etc in Art awards.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

So the ballot's been revised again. http://sasquan.org/hugo-awards/nominations/

It was announced, but for some reason the site isn't updated yet.

Glad to see Three-Body Problem on the ballot.

So then the really, real this time it's final (we promise) Hugo Ballot is:

Best Novel (1827 nominating ballots)
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson (Tor Books)
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Sarah Monette) (Tor Books)
Skin Game by Jim Butcher (Roc Books
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, Ken Liu translator (Tor Books)

Best Novella (1083 nominating ballots)
"Big Boys Don't Cry" by Tom Kratman (Castalia House)
"Flow" by Arlan Andrews, Sr. (Analog, Nov 2014)
"One Bright Star to Guide Them" by John C. Wright (Castalia House)
"Pale Realms of Shade" by John C. Wright (The Book of Feasts & Seasons, Castalia House)
"The Plural of Helen of Troy by John C. Wright (City Beyond Time: Tales of the Fall of Metachronopolis, Castalia House)

Best Novelette (1031 nominating ballots)
"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Earth to Alluvium" by Gray Rinehart (Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show, May 2014)
"Championship B'tok" by Edward M. Lerner (Analog, Sept 2014)
"The Day The World Turned Upside Down" by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Lia Belt translator (Lightspeed Magazine, April 2014)
"The Journeyman: In the Stone House" by Michael F. Flynn (Analog, June 2014)
"The Triple Sun: A Golden Age Tale" by Rajnar Vajra (Analog, Jul/Aug 2014)

Best Short Story (1174 nominating ballots)
"On A Spiritual Plain" by Lou Antonelli (Sci Phi Journal #2, Nov 2014)
"The Parliament of Beasts and Birds" by John C. Wright (The Book of Feasts & Seasons, Castalia House)
"A Single Samurai" by Steven Diamond (The Baen Big Book of Monsters, Baen Books)
"Totaled" by Kary English (Galaxy's Edge Magazine, July 2014)
"Turncoat" by Steve Rzasa (Riding the Red Horse, Castalia House)

Best Related Work (1150 nominating ballots)
"The Hot Equations: Thermodynamics and Military SF" by Ken Burnside (Riding the Red Horse, Castalia House)
Letters from Gardner by Lou Antonelli (The Merry Blacksmith Press)
Transhuman and Subhuman: Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth by John C. Wright (Castalia House)
"Why Science is Never Settled" by Tedd Roberts (Baen.com)
Wisdom from My Internet by Michael Z. Williamson (Patriarchy Press)

Best Graphic Story (785 nominating ballots)
Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona and Jake Wyatt (Marvel Comics)
Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery written by Kurtis J. Weibe, art by Roc Upchurch (Image Comics)
Saga Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick written by Matt Fraction, art by Chip Zdarsky (Image Comics)
The Zombie Nation Book #2: Reduce Reuse Reanimate by Carter Reid (The Zombie Nation)

Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) (1285 nominating ballots)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, concept and story by Ed Brubaker, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Entertainment, Perception, Sony Pictures Imageworks)
Edge of Tomorrow screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, directed by Doug Liman (Village Roadshow, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment; Viz Productions)
Guardians of the Galaxy written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, directed by James Gunn (Marvel Studios, Moving Picture Company)
Interstellar screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, directed by Christopher Nolan (Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Lynda Obst Productions, Syncopy)
The Lego Movie written by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, LEGO Systems A/S Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures, Warner Bros. Animation (as Warner Animation Group))

Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) (938 nominating ballots)
Doctor Who: "Listen" written by Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas Mackinnon (BBC Television)
The Flash: "Pilot" teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, story by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, directed by David Nutter (The CW) (Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television)
Game of Thrones: "The Mountain and the Viper" written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, directed by Alex Graves (HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
Grimm: "Once We Were Gods", written by Alan DiFiore, directed by Steven DePaul (NBC) (GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV)
Orphan Black: "By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried" written by Graham Manson, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions; Space/BBC America)

Best Editor (Short Form) (870 nominating ballots)
Jennifer Brozek
Vox Day
Mike Resnick
Edmund R. Schubert
Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Best Editor (Long Form) (712 nominating ballots)
Vox Day
Sheila Gilbert
Jim Minz
Anne Sowards
Toni Weisskopf

Best Professional Artist (753 nominating ballots)
Julie Dillon
Kirk DouPonce
Nick Greenwood
Alan Pollack
Carter Reid

Best Semiprozine (660 nominating ballots)
Abyss & Apex Wendy Delmater editor and publisher
Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight Magazine Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Association Incorporated, 2014 editors David Kernot and Sue Burtsztynski
Beneath Ceaseless Skies edited by Scott H. Andrews
Lightspeed Magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams, Wendy N. Wagner, Stefan Rudnicki, Rich Horton and Christie Yant
Strange Horizons Niall Harrison (Editor-in-Chief), Brit Mandelo, An Owomoyela and Julia Rios (Fiction Editors), Sonya Taaffe (Senior Poetry Editor), Abigail Nussbaum (Senior Reviews Editor), Rebecca Cross (Columns Editor), Anaea Lay (Podcast Editor) and Tim Moore (Webmaster)

Best Fanzine (576 nominating ballots)
Black Gate, edited by John O'Neill
Elitist Book Reviews edited by Steven Diamond
Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Alissa McKersie, Colin Harris, and Helen Montgomery
The Revenge of Hump Day edited by Tim Bolgeo
Tangent SF Online, edited by Dave Truesdale

Best Fancast (668 nominating ballots)
Adventures in SciFi Publishing Brent Bowen (Executive Producer), Kristi Charish, Timothy C. Ward, Shaun Ferrell & Moses Siregar III (Co-Hosts, Interviewers and Producers)
Dungeon Crawlers Radio Daniel Swenson (Producer/Host), Travis Alexander & Scott Tomlin (Hosts), Dale Newton (Host/Tech), Damien Swenson (Audio/Video Tech)
Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
The Sci Phi Show Jason Rennie
Tea and Jeopardy Emma Newman and Peter Newman

Best Fan Writer (777 nominating ballots)
Dave Freer
Amanda S. Green
Jeffro Johnson
Laura J. Mixon
Cedar Sanderson

Best Fan Artist (296 nominating ballots)
Ninni Aalto
Brad Foster
Elizabeth Leggett
Spring Schoenhuth
Steve Stiles

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (851 nominating ballots)
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2013 or 2014, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).
Wesley Chu*
Jason Cordova
Kary English*
Rolf Nelson
Eric S. Raymond

 

[soulsinging]

I'd say not just book awards but any award where the awards are voted for by the members of the organisation that awards them. Sometimes it may be only a committee that votes, but the committee is, in turn, voted for by the members. Such an organisation is always open to infiltration by a gang of new members with an agenda. Quite often the constitution of such a group will be written to prevent members voting until they have become 'full' members, or until after some specific period of time.

It doesn't even need to have membership voters to provoke this kind of tizzy. Like I mentioned, growing up in the 90s the Grammys were regularly reamed for being totally out of touch with modern music listeners (Judas Priest beating Metallica for best heavy metal album) and if you hung out with music fans then we were all regularly outraged. There wasn't even a political agenda involved then. It's how the MTV awards were able to gain traction (back when MTV was still a legit music channel), by nominating the artists that were current and relevant.

Award shows, by their very nature, will always provoke this kind of response, because they basically claim to be establishing an objective "best" in an area that is both inherently subjective and also very emotionally connected to its fans.

 

[J-Sun]

(Judas Priest beating Metallica for best heavy metal album)

Jethro Tull. Would that Priest had won (in a general sense - Priest probably couldn't have been in the equation - I don't even remember exactly when it was or what specific works were in question, but I remember who it was).

 

[soulsinging]

Jethro Tull. Would that Priest had won (in a general sense - Priest probably couldn't have been in the equation - I don't even remember exactly when it was or what specific works were in question, but I remember who it was).

I'm embarrassed to have botched that. Forgive my pre-coffee brain fart! Don't recall the Tull album, but I think it was the puppets/justice era.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Eric Flint weighs in.

http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/2015/04/16/some-comments-on-the-hugos-and-other-sf-awards/

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Reading all of Flint's response to all this, I gotta say, I'd really like to see a few more categories added to the Hugos. Especially: Short novel (40-75k words), Long novel (120k+ words), and Novel Series (3+ books).

I think we should also be doing more to bring in younger readers to SF (I specify SF as fantasy seems to be doing fine, thanks JK). Perhaps a specific Hugo for YA works would be a good boost.

 

[MWagner]

Eric Flint weighs in.

http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/2015/04/16/some-comments-on-the-hugos-and-other-sf-awards/

This observation by Flint caught my attention:

To put it another way, every successful author has to master two skills which, although related, are still quite distinct: they have to be good story-tellers; and they have to be good writers.

Of those two skills, being a terrific story-teller but a journeyman writer will win you a mass audience, and is likely to keep it. On the flip side, being a journeyman story-teller but a terrific wordsmith will win you critical plaudits but won’t usually get you much in the way of an audience.

I think he's bang on. And I think it explains why awards have a place. We already have an award for group A: it's called money. Some people feel we need to recognize group B also, even if those works may never come with commercial success. Or rather, because they will never come with commercial success.

It's like the criticism the Oscars are subjected to because the best film nominees are often movies few people have seen. There's already an award for the movies that are most successful at the box office - it's called the box office. What's the point in having a ceremony to recognize and praise the most commercially successful movies of the year?

 

[MWagner]

Reading all of Flint's response to all this, I gotta say, I'd really like to see a few more categories added to the Hugos. Especially: Short novel (40-75k words), Long novel (120k+ words), and Novel Series (3+ books).

It seems a peculiar omission that fantasy series or books in a series are rarely recognized by awards. But it's not at all clear how it would work. Would you simply open the most recent book in a series to nomination? It's difficult to judge books in isolation. Nominating a series would be harder still. Would you nominate only at the conclusion of a series? How many series would you even see concluded in a given year? And if a series was nominated, would all of the individual books in the series be ineligible?