SFWA Grandmaster discussion thread

[Caliban]

I just wanted to post a thread discussing the award and its recipients.

We can discuss things like:
Who deserves the award in the future?
Which recipients do or do not (in your opinion) deserve the award?
Is the award declining as some claim?

I'm going to start with my opinion that I think it's criminal some notable older women who have male colleagues around their age who have received the award whilst they were overlooked haven't been honoured. I'm thinking Sherri Tepper and Kate Wilhelm.

 

[tinkerdan]

There are so many to chose from:

My first choices might be...
Alice Bradley Sheldon(James Tiptree)
Joanna Russ
Octavia Butler
Margaret Atwood
Lois McMaster Bujold
Julian May
Eleanor Cameron (This last is just my inner child speaking since I could trace my interest in science fiction back to her Mushroom Planet series.)

 

[Caliban]

There are so many to chose from:

My first choices might be...
Alice Bradley Sheldon(James Tiptree)
Joanna Russ
Octavia Butler
Margaret Atwood
Lois McMaster Bujold
Julian May
Eleanor Cameron (This last is just my inner child speaking since I could trace my interest in science fiction back to her Mushroom Planet series.)

I have a feeling but I may be wrong, that only living authors get picked.

 

[tinkerdan]

Yeah, well: the mean age hovers around 70 years so I'm gonna go with my dead author's gallery but there are some live ones in there so don't be gettin' those people upset now.

1988 Alfred Bester (1913–1987) was close to an exception; but that could count as a precedent.

I think those people need to be honored with this award.

 

[Wruter]

George R. R. Martin? He seems pretty grandmasterly. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd already been offered it but turned it down due to not having time to attend the ceremony or something (what with having about a billion people clinging to his short hairs baying for the next book.)

William Gibson - but he tends not to move in SF circles.

Kim Stanley Robinson.

I'd like to see Nancy Kress honored at some point.

I bet John Scalzi will get it in about 30 years.

 

[tinkerdan]

William Gibson's work has been defined as Speculative Fiction and that's good enough for me.

Scalzi is a bit young but maybe 20 years from now.

If he lives that long.

It's a shame she won't live - but then again, who does?

 

[Wruter]

She won't live? Ominous...

I'd be a bit miffed if Margaret Atwood got it since she doesn't even appear to like SF and denies that she writes it.

 

[tinkerdan]

Giving her an award would be one of life's greatest irony's.