Merged 2014 Hugo awards.

[Floyt]

Connie Willis is refusing to present the Hugos this year, for unambiguous reasons.
At this point I'm just hoping this becomes a big enough blow-up (in terms of people pulling out and 'No award's flying fast and low) that the system will have to be overhauled immediately. Hopefully while plugging that ludicrous vote-loading hole.

ETA, after spending too much time reading around: Maybe GRRM has a point though - probably outvoting the bastards next time is better than excluding them.

 

[catsmate]

Connie Willis is refusing to present the Hugos this year, for unambiguous reasons.
At this point I'm just hoping this becomes a big enough blow-up (in terms of people pulling out and 'No award's flying fast and low) that the system will have to be overhauled immediately. Hopefully while plugging that ludicrous vote-loading hole.

ETA, after spending too much time reading around: Maybe GRRM has a point though - probably outvoting the bastards next time is better than excluding them.

I'm with Martin. I'll vote for the works I think deserve an award and then No Award. I doubt this will include anything by Wright, and certainly not Kratman's crap or VD.

Given the Worldcon rules it will take several years for changes to take effect. It simply cannot be done immediately.

 

[Checkmite]

ETA, after spending too much time reading around: Maybe GRRM has a point though - probably outvoting the bastards next time is better than excluding them.

The dilemma is that outvoting a slate bloc requires everyone on the other side making and voting for their own slate. The whole thing wrong with what VD and gang did is that people are supposed to nominate someone's work because they like it and feel it deserves an award, not because it's necessary in order to prevent someone else's choice from winning.

 

[dudalb]

But one thing, even Asimov publically stated was his style was he had no style

A line which he swiped from Ernest Hemingway....

If you are going to steal, steal from the best.

Another Irony is that If Heinlein were writing today, in the style and technique he used in some of his later novels,the Rabid Puppies would hate him.

 

[MG1962]

A line which he swiped from Ernest Hemingway....

If you are going to steal, steal from the best.

I did not know that. At least with Asimov it certainly was not a disadvantage

Another Irony is that If Heinlein were writing today, in the style and technique he used in some of his later novels,the Rabid Puppies would hate him.

Aint that the truth lol

 

[catsmate]

The dilemma is that outvoting a slate bloc requires everyone on the other side making and voting for their own slate. The whole thing wrong with what VD and gang did is that people are supposed to nominate someone's work because they like it and feel it deserves an award, not because it's necessary in order to prevent someone else's choice from winning.

Personally I'm against slates, I'll judge works on their merit.

Another Irony is that If Heinlein were writing today, in the style and technique he used in some of his later novels,the Rabid Puppies would hate him.

More the later middle period Heinlein, a lot of his later stuff was contaminated by silly libertarian rants. And some of his earlier stuff suffered from Campbell induced racism.

 

[catsmate]

Updated list of nominations.

 

[dudalb]

If Vox Day wins as editor of the year, then the Hugo is officially dead as far as being taken seroulsy ever again.

 

[catsmate]

If Vox Day wins as editor of the year, then the Hugo is officially dead as far as being taken seroulsy ever again.

Yep but I don't see that happening. Remember the editor category had 870 noms and there'll probably more than last years 1600 ballots this year so the puppies will be swamped. In fact I see that category getting as much attention as Best Novel for some reason.

There's some speculation that Pox is attempting to use the controversy to boost Castalia, which has had some interesting right-wing links uncovered (see Charlie Stross's blog for more)

 

[Retrograde]

If Vox Day wins as editor of the year, then the Hugo is officially dead as far as being taken seroulsy ever again.

I said something similar in 2011, when "Chicks Dig Timelords" beat out the first volume of Patterson's Heinlein biography for best related work.

There's some speculation that Pox is attempting to use the controversy to boost Castalia, which has had some interesting right-wing links uncovered (see Charlie Stross's blog for more)

I've been following the discussion, and I can see shades of a Tea Party strategy behind the Puppies' acts. The Best Novel slot is the big ticket item: it's going to get the most nominations and the most votes so it's going to be hard to control. The minor down-ballot items, like the short fiction, editor and related work are easier to control, so focus they're going to focus there, like the US ultra right has concentrated on securing local and state legislatures so they can control voting and redistricting. And they succeeded so far because they got their voters out.

Stross's contention is that by getting a coveted Hugo either for VD or one of his writers he'll be able to attract more authors to Castalia House (his imprint) and somehow be able to game the Nebula Awards.

As part of the fallout, I've become a supporting member of WorldCon for the first time in over a decade and I intend to vote. My intent is to vote No Award in most categories* unless a work impresses me as worth recommending, as two of the novels have thus far. As for the shorter fiction - if it's included in the material sent to voters I'll attempt to read it.

*IMHO, the editor categories are an area where the average reader had great difficulty reaching an informed decision,so it comes down to name recognition. If the short form category were for editing a specific anthology, for example, it would be easier to see what a particular person has done.

 

[MG1962]

My intent is to vote No Award in most categories* unless a work impresses me as worth recommending, as two of the novels have thus far. As for the shorter fiction - if it's included in the material sent to voters I'll attempt to read it.

And it would be a shame if no award is recorded for novelettes. Arlan Andrews story "Flow" was great. One of those rare moments when I really did not want a story to end.

 

[catsmate]

And it would be a shame if no award is recorded for novelettes. Arlan Andrews story "Flow" was great. One of those rare moments when I really did not want a story to end.

I haven't read it yet but as it's the only non Wright/Kratman entry it's. already on top.

 

[MG1962]

I haven't read it yet but as it's the only non Wright/Kratman entry it's. already on top.

Yeah I saw that, and that has to mess with an authors mind. If he won, did he really write the best story of that year in that category or was it a back lash against what is going on.

He did set the story up for a sequel, so hopefully if that does well he can be satisfied **fingers crossed**

 

[dudalb]

I think this is the kind of tactic that can only work once. Rules will be put in place to keep it from happening again.

 

[MG1962]

I think this is the kind of tactic that can only work once. Rules will be put in place to keep it from happening again.

Lets hope. Probably a bigger question is why hasn't someone tried this stunt before

 

[catsmate]

Yeah I saw that, and that has to mess with an authors mind. If he won, did he really write the best story of that year in that category or was it a back lash against what is going on.

He did set the story up for a sequel, so hopefully if that does well he can be satisfied **fingers crossed**

Yeah it's a pretty bad position to be in; is he the best or just better than Kratman and Wright (not too hard).

I think this is the kind of tactic that can only work once. Rules will be put in place to keep it from happening again.

Not that quick, it'll take at least two years.


Interestingly translations of Scalzi' [Redshirts and Card's Pathfinder are shortlisted for Seiun awards.

 

[MG1962]

Yeah it's a pretty bad position to be in; is he the best or just better than Kratman and Wright (not too hard).

Yeah and I have no idea how good the story ranks in the grand scheme of things. I generally only read Analog, and it was definitely one of the outstanding stories from that source. Given the sort of market Analog pitch to I would be cautious to suggest the story was THAT good. Just that I enjoyed it a lot

 

[catsmate]

RavenCon has "disinvited" six unnamed persons accused of "hijacking this year’s Hugo awards" from attending Brianna Wu’s solo Gamergate panel.

 

[Cleon]

I think this is the kind of tactic that can only work once. Rules will be put in place to keep it from happening again.

Perhaps, but will the Hugos' reputation survive the intervening two years?

 

[dudalb]

Perhaps, but will the Hugos' reputation survive the intervening two years?

I also think that you will see groups formed to counter the Puppies tactics even before there are official Rule changes.They won't have the same easy time they did next year as they did last year.