For decades, the fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy have deserved to have their own version of the Peoples' Choice Awards. SF/F fans are some of the most passionate fans on the planet. We love our favorites. We hate the stuff that annoys us. Very rarely is there a happy medium to us. Something either rocks or it sucks. Seriously. Have you ever met a hardcore SF fan who liked Avatar? Think Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It's supposed to be everybody's favorite. It's not my favorite. I've always preferred Return of the Jedi. How many of you just lost your shit? I didn't. I think the rest of you are goofy. It's only fair that we should be able to show support for our favorites by giving them a trophy. Now we can. They're called the Dragon Awards and it's time to nominate.
Certainly, there have been awards in the past. The Science Fiction Writers Association has presented the Nebula Awards for decades. But only members of the SFWA are eligible to nominate or vote. It used to be a mark of excellence. Nowadays, it's more an award that you win for the proper politics, race or genitalia. Either way though, it was never up to the people who gave their money to support the genre. The Nebulas are SF/F's answer to Hollywood's Academy Awards aka The Oscars: An insider award give to other insiders. They're not a sign of excellence or awesomeness. They're not even a measure of pretty-goodness. They're pointless in a modern sense.
Worldcon has given its Hugo Awards since 1953. Once again, this is an award that has been given by a group of elitists. Only people who paid for a Worldcon membership, either Attending or Supporting, are allowed to nominate and/or vote. They have always billed themselves as being given by the fans but that is a flat out lie. The Hugos are given out by people who attend the con and/or have the money for a supporting membership. Once a mark of excellence, Hugo Awards are also given out for the wrong reasons. Politics and being one of the cool kids mean more than writing a story worth reading. The Hugos have frozen out anyone who is not part of the ruling clique and are now effectively worthless. Seriously. When I was a kid, seeing a Hugo logo on a book meant something. Now, the houses don't bother because they know the award holds no value.
So what's a fan to do? The vast majority of us aren't members of the SFWA and some can't afford even a Supporting Membership to Worldcon. I'm not too sure I'd give my money to them anyway. So, what to do now? Vote in the Dragon Awards! Well nominate for now, since final voting hasn't started yet. All you need is an email account. You're on the internet reading this, so you probably already have one. If not, you can get one free at Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail. Seriously. Go to the site, sign up, nominate, and they'll send you a ballot when it's ready. That's all there is to it.
And get this: You don't have to be in a clique to matter. You don't have to nominate according to politics, although you can if you choose to. You can nominate for whatever you want, as long as it was released between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. And, since I've been putting writing this off, you only have until Friday to nominate. Sorry. Here is the link.
Oh, and you can only nominate a particular work in one category. It sucks, I know. How do you decide whether to nominate that totally awesome Mil SF work for Best Mil Sf and Best SF? Well, that's up to you, but honestly your favorite probably has a better chance at winning in its own subgenre. Oh, and just to prove that I never follow my own advice, here are my picks:
Best Science Fiction Novel: The Stars Entwined, Jon Del Arroz
I wanna dress up like an alien and infiltrate someone else's society! Take me with you!
Best Fantasy Novel: Redcaps Rising: A Walter Bailey Misadventure, P.A. Piatt
Funny. Entertaining. Sequel worth. Boosh farts!
Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel Battletech: The Nellus Academy Incident, Jennifer Brozek
Ok, I'm a BT fanboi and have been for like twenty-five years now. Yeah, that probably effects my judgment here. Oh well. It's my list and I thought this book rocked.
Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel: A Fiery Sunset, Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey
I'm in love with the Four Horsemen Universe! It's all their fault!
Best Alternate History: Minds of Men, Kacey Ezell
Looking over the past year's worth of reviews on my blog, there is precisely one five-star review. It's a work of Alternate History. Why would I nominate someone else, when this is already perfect?
Best Media Tie-In Novel: Left blank, Budget Issues
Did you write one? Will it release over the next year? Send it to me. You might get nominated next year.
Best Horror Novel: Good to the Last Drop, Delcan Finn
Declan Finn. Vampires. Uhh... What was the question again?
Best Comic Book: The Prince of Artemis V Jennifer Brozek and Elizabeth Guizetti
The art was beautiful. The story was moving. I want more.
Best Graphic Novel:Left Blank, Budget Issues
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet: Stranger Things, Netflix
OMG I love this show. It occurs to me that I never got around to reviewing it. I suck. It doesn't. I love the whole nostalgia thing. Eleven is a badass. The other kids are awesome. And they play D+D!
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie: Black Panther
I've heard way too many people state that this movie sucks because the tech wouldn't be possible without a manufacturing base. BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS! This movie rocks and you have no proof that the manufacturing base doesn't exist. Who wants to watch some guy work the line when there is ass to be kicked?
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game:Left Blank
About the only PC game I play is World of Warcraft. The latest expansion came out the year before last and isn't eligible. So, I haven't played anything and don't have a nominee.
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game: Marvel Future Fight, Netmarble
I keep meaning to review this, but it's a romping good time. Collect heroes. Beat bosses. Follow storylines based on specific characters. I love it.
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game: Left Blank. Budget Issues
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures/Collectible Card/Role-Playing Game:Left Blank. Budget Issues
I want to play an RPG. Anybody running a game? I can't do Tuesday, Friday or Saturday nights. Other than that, I'm open. I have the D+D 5e Rules PHB, DMG and MM but I haven't had a chance to play at all. Somebody hook your boy up!
So got get nominating! You've only got three days left!
Showing posts with label Hugo Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hugo Awards. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Saturday, April 7, 2018
SF Awards That Do Matter, SF Awards That Don't Matter, and Why
First off, let me begin by stating what this post is not: This post is in no way meant to denigrate females, minorities, LBGT+ individuals or any damn other person who thinks they have an excuse to whine. I mean that. I want to see the fields of Science Fiction and Fantasy expand. I want to see people of all races, colors, creeds and all of that other crap come together over a really awesome hobby and have more fun than they know how to handle. Seriously. I review books, movies and comics. If you produce any of the above and would like to see your work reviewed here then please see the top right corner of the page and submit your work for review.
Oh, what's that? Right. You're reading this on your phone and can't see what I'm talking about because blogger shrinks things to make it all fit on your phone. Gotcha. That happens to me too. It's annoying as all get out. Well, here's what it says:
All submissions must be in .epub, .mobi or .pdf format. Only novella length or better works will be reviewed. All entries must be in the science fiction or fantasy genres. All submissions should be formatted in exactly the way they will be (or have been) released. Any exceptions to any of these rules will be deleted without reading. Please send any and all materials to thatjimboguy@gmail.com.
That's simple. It's easy. And I won't delete your work without reading it if you follow those guidelines. Nor will I ask you what your race/orientation/age/whatever else you think matters. I'm looking for good stories. That's all. If your story is good, you will get a good review. If it is bad, you will get a bad review. It's that simple. That's the way it should be. If you want equality, well, that's what it looks like. Same rights, same rules, same standards.
Unfortunately, it seems that neither the Hugos nor the Nebulas get this. Both seem to think that their awards should be limited to members of a small slice of the population. Both would have you believe that they're trying to be more inclusive, but they're lying. You don't become inclusive by excluding large segements of the population. That's not how it works. If you want to make an award "inclusive" then by all means allow PoCs and women and whoever compete. That's the way it's supposed to work. But handing someone an award simply because they're a female PoC (I'm looking at you Nebulas) is not "inclusion" it's EXclusion. Seriously. No, it's not a response to historical injustices. It is an injustice. Really.
Look, I know that the Nebula Award was limited to white writers for a long time. I'm aware that no woman won a Nebula the first three years they were given out. (The first female winners were Anne McCaffrey in 1968 for her novella "Dragonrider" and Kate Wilhelm for her short story "The Planner") And yes, I fully acknowledge that was sick, twisted and wrong. Yes, I'll use the word racist (and this was a racist practice) although that word is so overused that it no longer has meaning. In this case, it's actually true. Here's the thing Nebulas: You're acting the same way.
Yes, you read that right. There is no difference between excluding minorities and excluding white people. None whatsoever. I mean, you can make whatever excuses you want, but that's what it boils down to. The worst part about limiting the field (and that's what you've done) isn't even that you're leaving out talented people, although that's bad enough. No, the truth is even worse.
You're wronging your winners. When you deliberately excluded anyone who was not a female PoC in 2015 what you were in fact stating is that they couldn't write well enough to win an award if they had to compete with other demographics. Seriously. I'll be honest in stating that I don't know what percentage of SF/F authors are Female PoCs but I'm guessing it's pretty small. How many deserving authors who were not Female PoCs got screwed out of their chance to win an award because of their race and/or gender? I'm guessing it happened. What that means is that we have no way of knowing if those women actually deserved their award or not. Seriously. They didn't win that award for writing the best story in their category that year. They won their Nebulas for having dark skin and a vagina. Maybe their stories would have been good enough to win in a year with the full field competing, but maybe not.We'll never know. Oh, and when you've limited the field that far, it's not really a victory for "diversity" either. There's no "diversity" in a group of all PoC women. That's one demographic, not many.
Once you've destroyed an entire year's worth of your own awards you no longer matter. Sorry Nebulas, but you're irrelevant now. It's sad too, because when I first started shoveling snow for cash (no, my parents didn't pay me for that, but my dad let me borrow the snow shovel and go around the neighborhood) and later started making money with my first job in June of 1991 (I was fourteen) I used to look for books with a Nebula logo on them because it meant that I was getting a good book. Now publishers don't even bother putting a logo on the cover because the logo doesn't boost sales. Why? Because winning a Nebula no longer means that you've written a good book.
Okay, sidebar: Yes, there is a long history of women in SF/F. No, there was no need for a work entitled Women Destroy Science Fiction because women have been in the field for decades. For those that missed it, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was the first ever Science Fiction novel published in English and probably first ever period. Happy anniversary, ladies. Women have been making contributions in the field of Science Fiction since 1818 at the latest. That's two hundred years of inclusion. Anyone telling you otherwise is lying. Anyone publishing a collection claiming that they're "destroying" SF is either lying or an idiot. I'm guessing idiot since most of the people who push that kind of drek don't bother to learn the history. They just assume. But honestly, that's a different subject for a different blog. For further reference, see Kristine Katheryn Rusch's Women of Future's Past: Classic Stories.
Now, the Hugos. The Hugos lied to us for decades. They told us that they were the peoples awards. The were "voted on by the fans." Ummm...No. They're the awards of a cabal of self-interested individuals who give each other awards for having the correct political opinions. When Larry Correia started the Sad Puppies movement he remarked on this. He talked about the political bias of the voters because of the way he was treated at the Hugo Award Banquet as a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award. (For those who may not be aware, the Campbell Award is for Best New Author and is given out at the Hugo Awards Banquet.) He wanted to expose the awards for what they were. He succeeded.
Once "the Peoples' Awards" found out the wrong people were voting, they lost their minds. Larry Correia urged people to nominate his novel, Monster Hunter Legion. His goal was to make the establishment freak out because an author who did not push the correct political agenda had been nominated. It didn't attract much attention. The next year, however, it got ugly.
Correia put his own book, Warbound up for nomination, along with some other books that he had enjoyed. The Hugo voters lost their minds. Controversy flared. How dare this upstart author who had owned a gun store and supported the incorrect political causes encourage the great unwashed to vote in their awards? This guy was a *spit* conservative. He didn't belong here.
Then it got worse. The next year, the Puppies put together a strong campaign and dominated. Once again, the voters and officials lost went crazy. They decided to trash their own awards. The Pups had put forth more votes in the nominations than had ever been cast in one year in the history of the award. There were record numbers of memberships purchased. (A membership in WorldCon is required to vote. There is a cheaper membership offered for those who wish to vote but will not be attending the convention itself.) The members of the convention voted for no award to be given in most categories rather than allow someone who was nominated by people with the wrong politics to win.
And there you have it. Another award that practices inclusion by exclusion. Not only was the Hugo not the award of the people as they claimed to be they decided that they'd rather lock people out because they didn't conform to an archetype.Not only that, they risked destroying their own awards ( If the No Award result is elected in two straight years in a single category, the category is scrapped. They didn't know what would happen the following year. If the Pups had dominated the nominations again they could have ended up with no Best Novel award.) in order to keep people they didn't like off of the ballot.
Oh, and after decades of claiming to be the award of the fans, they exposed themselves as liars. The Hugo Award is an award given by the elites in the field to the people they like on a personal level. If you eat at the right table at the banquet and support the right causes you can win the award. It's not a Science Fiction award. It's a circle of people awarding their own for loyalty. It is not given for producing a good story and therefore has no relevance to the general public. Seriously, these awards are beneath notice and I'd like to thank Larry Correia, Brad Torgersen and Kate Paulk for their work in pointing that out.
It sucks. An award that was once prestigious has turned into a shadow of its former self. I used to search for Hugo Award winners on those same trips to the bookstore when I was looking for Nebula winners. Now I'd be more likely to leave a book on the shelf if I knew it were a Hugo winner than I would be to buy it. It's not an SF/F award anymore. It's a political award.
The only award that matters in a modern sense is the Dragon Award. Why? Because it is truly an award given by the people. Don't get me wrong. A black transwoman lesbian in a wheelchair could very well win the award, but so could a straight white male, or a gay Arabic male, or a genderfluid Asian person, or well.... you get the idea. The catch is that they would have to write a good story, invent a good game, be in a good movie, etc. to win the award. You're not going to get the votes just because of your demographic
There is no requirement to vote except an email address and you can get one of those for free. I would know. I have multiple email addresses and I don't pay for any of them. Most public libraries have computers you can use for free as well. That's if you don't have/want to use a smart phone to vote/nominate. (I personally don't like to use my phone. I've got fat fingers and the fields are too small and close together.Then again, I have a desktop computer.) Having said that, if you're the person nominating and you want to see your favorite genderqueer Native American then by all means nominate them! If you want to see them on the list of finalists though, you'd better get some friends to nominate along with you. If they're fans though, it shouldn't be hard to do. It won't cost them anything either and they should be happy to support the person/project they're a fan of.
This is an award that hasn't been spoiled by politics. It doesn't go to the same small clique of content producers every year. It goes to whoever the fans want it to go to. This really is the Peoples' Award. Anyone can win it if they can attract a big enough following. Anyone can get their favorite content producer nominated if they can organize a movement to do so. Seriously. Don't believe me? The nomination form is here. Go nominate some good stuff. If you want to nominate in every category, do so. If you don't want to nominate books and nothing else do that. You don't have to nominate in every category. I personally haven't played any new SF/F board games so I can promise you I won't be voting on that, but I will be voting in some other categories. I may share my slate, I may not. I'll nominate what I like. You nominate what you like. That's how it works.
Nominations are open until July 20, 2018. Not long after that, finalists will be named and the award will be given out at DragonCon which, according to the World's Most Awesome Girlfriend (TM), takes place at the end of August on the first weekend of college football season. I uhh... don't have the date handy, it's five thirty in the morning and I want to get this written and go to bed. I'm sure the dates are easy to google, but I'm just not feeling up to it.
So, just to quickly recap, if you freeze people out of your award for political or racial reasons (even if those people are white) you suck, you're irrelevant and you're not worth acknowledging. This includes both the Hugos and Nebulas, specifically. An award that accepts all (and all includes minorities, women and liberals but it also includes men, whites and conservatives) is worth voting for and getting excited about. Now go forth and vote! Err...Nominate now, vote later. Let's enjoy this thing together with everyone.
Oh, what's that? Right. You're reading this on your phone and can't see what I'm talking about because blogger shrinks things to make it all fit on your phone. Gotcha. That happens to me too. It's annoying as all get out. Well, here's what it says:
All submissions must be in .epub, .mobi or .pdf format. Only novella length or better works will be reviewed. All entries must be in the science fiction or fantasy genres. All submissions should be formatted in exactly the way they will be (or have been) released. Any exceptions to any of these rules will be deleted without reading. Please send any and all materials to thatjimboguy@gmail.com.
That's simple. It's easy. And I won't delete your work without reading it if you follow those guidelines. Nor will I ask you what your race/orientation/age/whatever else you think matters. I'm looking for good stories. That's all. If your story is good, you will get a good review. If it is bad, you will get a bad review. It's that simple. That's the way it should be. If you want equality, well, that's what it looks like. Same rights, same rules, same standards.
Unfortunately, it seems that neither the Hugos nor the Nebulas get this. Both seem to think that their awards should be limited to members of a small slice of the population. Both would have you believe that they're trying to be more inclusive, but they're lying. You don't become inclusive by excluding large segements of the population. That's not how it works. If you want to make an award "inclusive" then by all means allow PoCs and women and whoever compete. That's the way it's supposed to work. But handing someone an award simply because they're a female PoC (I'm looking at you Nebulas) is not "inclusion" it's EXclusion. Seriously. No, it's not a response to historical injustices. It is an injustice. Really.
Look, I know that the Nebula Award was limited to white writers for a long time. I'm aware that no woman won a Nebula the first three years they were given out. (The first female winners were Anne McCaffrey in 1968 for her novella "Dragonrider" and Kate Wilhelm for her short story "The Planner") And yes, I fully acknowledge that was sick, twisted and wrong. Yes, I'll use the word racist (and this was a racist practice) although that word is so overused that it no longer has meaning. In this case, it's actually true. Here's the thing Nebulas: You're acting the same way.
Yes, you read that right. There is no difference between excluding minorities and excluding white people. None whatsoever. I mean, you can make whatever excuses you want, but that's what it boils down to. The worst part about limiting the field (and that's what you've done) isn't even that you're leaving out talented people, although that's bad enough. No, the truth is even worse.
You're wronging your winners. When you deliberately excluded anyone who was not a female PoC in 2015 what you were in fact stating is that they couldn't write well enough to win an award if they had to compete with other demographics. Seriously. I'll be honest in stating that I don't know what percentage of SF/F authors are Female PoCs but I'm guessing it's pretty small. How many deserving authors who were not Female PoCs got screwed out of their chance to win an award because of their race and/or gender? I'm guessing it happened. What that means is that we have no way of knowing if those women actually deserved their award or not. Seriously. They didn't win that award for writing the best story in their category that year. They won their Nebulas for having dark skin and a vagina. Maybe their stories would have been good enough to win in a year with the full field competing, but maybe not.We'll never know. Oh, and when you've limited the field that far, it's not really a victory for "diversity" either. There's no "diversity" in a group of all PoC women. That's one demographic, not many.
Once you've destroyed an entire year's worth of your own awards you no longer matter. Sorry Nebulas, but you're irrelevant now. It's sad too, because when I first started shoveling snow for cash (no, my parents didn't pay me for that, but my dad let me borrow the snow shovel and go around the neighborhood) and later started making money with my first job in June of 1991 (I was fourteen) I used to look for books with a Nebula logo on them because it meant that I was getting a good book. Now publishers don't even bother putting a logo on the cover because the logo doesn't boost sales. Why? Because winning a Nebula no longer means that you've written a good book.
Okay, sidebar: Yes, there is a long history of women in SF/F. No, there was no need for a work entitled Women Destroy Science Fiction because women have been in the field for decades. For those that missed it, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was the first ever Science Fiction novel published in English and probably first ever period. Happy anniversary, ladies. Women have been making contributions in the field of Science Fiction since 1818 at the latest. That's two hundred years of inclusion. Anyone telling you otherwise is lying. Anyone publishing a collection claiming that they're "destroying" SF is either lying or an idiot. I'm guessing idiot since most of the people who push that kind of drek don't bother to learn the history. They just assume. But honestly, that's a different subject for a different blog. For further reference, see Kristine Katheryn Rusch's Women of Future's Past: Classic Stories.
Now, the Hugos. The Hugos lied to us for decades. They told us that they were the peoples awards. The were "voted on by the fans." Ummm...No. They're the awards of a cabal of self-interested individuals who give each other awards for having the correct political opinions. When Larry Correia started the Sad Puppies movement he remarked on this. He talked about the political bias of the voters because of the way he was treated at the Hugo Award Banquet as a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award. (For those who may not be aware, the Campbell Award is for Best New Author and is given out at the Hugo Awards Banquet.) He wanted to expose the awards for what they were. He succeeded.
Once "the Peoples' Awards" found out the wrong people were voting, they lost their minds. Larry Correia urged people to nominate his novel, Monster Hunter Legion. His goal was to make the establishment freak out because an author who did not push the correct political agenda had been nominated. It didn't attract much attention. The next year, however, it got ugly.
Correia put his own book, Warbound up for nomination, along with some other books that he had enjoyed. The Hugo voters lost their minds. Controversy flared. How dare this upstart author who had owned a gun store and supported the incorrect political causes encourage the great unwashed to vote in their awards? This guy was a *spit* conservative. He didn't belong here.
Then it got worse. The next year, the Puppies put together a strong campaign and dominated. Once again, the voters and officials lost went crazy. They decided to trash their own awards. The Pups had put forth more votes in the nominations than had ever been cast in one year in the history of the award. There were record numbers of memberships purchased. (A membership in WorldCon is required to vote. There is a cheaper membership offered for those who wish to vote but will not be attending the convention itself.) The members of the convention voted for no award to be given in most categories rather than allow someone who was nominated by people with the wrong politics to win.
And there you have it. Another award that practices inclusion by exclusion. Not only was the Hugo not the award of the people as they claimed to be they decided that they'd rather lock people out because they didn't conform to an archetype.Not only that, they risked destroying their own awards ( If the No Award result is elected in two straight years in a single category, the category is scrapped. They didn't know what would happen the following year. If the Pups had dominated the nominations again they could have ended up with no Best Novel award.) in order to keep people they didn't like off of the ballot.
Oh, and after decades of claiming to be the award of the fans, they exposed themselves as liars. The Hugo Award is an award given by the elites in the field to the people they like on a personal level. If you eat at the right table at the banquet and support the right causes you can win the award. It's not a Science Fiction award. It's a circle of people awarding their own for loyalty. It is not given for producing a good story and therefore has no relevance to the general public. Seriously, these awards are beneath notice and I'd like to thank Larry Correia, Brad Torgersen and Kate Paulk for their work in pointing that out.
It sucks. An award that was once prestigious has turned into a shadow of its former self. I used to search for Hugo Award winners on those same trips to the bookstore when I was looking for Nebula winners. Now I'd be more likely to leave a book on the shelf if I knew it were a Hugo winner than I would be to buy it. It's not an SF/F award anymore. It's a political award.
The only award that matters in a modern sense is the Dragon Award. Why? Because it is truly an award given by the people. Don't get me wrong. A black transwoman lesbian in a wheelchair could very well win the award, but so could a straight white male, or a gay Arabic male, or a genderfluid Asian person, or well.... you get the idea. The catch is that they would have to write a good story, invent a good game, be in a good movie, etc. to win the award. You're not going to get the votes just because of your demographic
There is no requirement to vote except an email address and you can get one of those for free. I would know. I have multiple email addresses and I don't pay for any of them. Most public libraries have computers you can use for free as well. That's if you don't have/want to use a smart phone to vote/nominate. (I personally don't like to use my phone. I've got fat fingers and the fields are too small and close together.Then again, I have a desktop computer.) Having said that, if you're the person nominating and you want to see your favorite genderqueer Native American then by all means nominate them! If you want to see them on the list of finalists though, you'd better get some friends to nominate along with you. If they're fans though, it shouldn't be hard to do. It won't cost them anything either and they should be happy to support the person/project they're a fan of.
This is an award that hasn't been spoiled by politics. It doesn't go to the same small clique of content producers every year. It goes to whoever the fans want it to go to. This really is the Peoples' Award. Anyone can win it if they can attract a big enough following. Anyone can get their favorite content producer nominated if they can organize a movement to do so. Seriously. Don't believe me? The nomination form is here. Go nominate some good stuff. If you want to nominate in every category, do so. If you don't want to nominate books and nothing else do that. You don't have to nominate in every category. I personally haven't played any new SF/F board games so I can promise you I won't be voting on that, but I will be voting in some other categories. I may share my slate, I may not. I'll nominate what I like. You nominate what you like. That's how it works.
Nominations are open until July 20, 2018. Not long after that, finalists will be named and the award will be given out at DragonCon which, according to the World's Most Awesome Girlfriend (TM), takes place at the end of August on the first weekend of college football season. I uhh... don't have the date handy, it's five thirty in the morning and I want to get this written and go to bed. I'm sure the dates are easy to google, but I'm just not feeling up to it.
So, just to quickly recap, if you freeze people out of your award for political or racial reasons (even if those people are white) you suck, you're irrelevant and you're not worth acknowledging. This includes both the Hugos and Nebulas, specifically. An award that accepts all (and all includes minorities, women and liberals but it also includes men, whites and conservatives) is worth voting for and getting excited about. Now go forth and vote! Err...Nominate now, vote later. Let's enjoy this thing together with everyone.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Hugos, Puppies and Left Wing Whiners
For the second straight year a Hugo Controversy has erupted. This is the fourth iteration of the Sad Puppies movement, the second year of the Rabid Puppies and yet another year of many when SJWs and other assorted vermin thought that they had the right to lock anyone out of their awards if they didn't have the right, by which I mean Left, politics. Here's the funny things: As nerds and geeks we don't give a rat's ass what you think about us as people. I've been called names since before I knew there was a Right and a Left. I'm used to people like you and the bullshit they spout. Bring it.
Here's the thing folks: It is not possible to compromise with totalitarians. The only workable options are to rebel or submit. I choose to rebel. It's time to burn it all down. If you believe you're too good to share your awards then maybe you don't deserve to have them. What is happening here is not just a fight over awards, it's a fight over the only type of diversity that matters: The diversity of ideas.
Look guys, we tried being nice. Yes, for Sad Puppies One, Larry Correia got himself nominated because he knew you would all freak out. You did. Then came Sad Puppies 2. Correia decided he would nominated one work in each category based on entertainment value instead of Social Relevance and you got a little more pissed. How dare this misbegotten son of a conservative and his flea-bitten followers violate your safe space. And then, Sad Puppies 3 appeared over the horizon.
Sad Puppies 3 had a new leader. Brad Torgersen appeared over the horizon and he wasn't screwing around. This time he accepted suggestions from others for his list and came up with a bunch of nominees in most categories. He had the temerity to suggest that people read what was on the list and make their own decisions. You Leftist types were outraged. I get it. Free thought is anathema to those of you who wish to control decisions. How can the rest of us be forced to think as you do if you can't control the information we absorb? I get it. It was an approach that worked for Stalin, Mao and Hitler and now the Left in the United States wants to use the same approach. This is just one battlefront.
I've written here about the types of tactics the left is using in the United States and who pioneered them. TL:DR Berntards and Black Lives Matter types are using the same techniques Mussolini and especially Hitler did by committing violence to their enemies and attempting to rewrite history. And no, the SJW types in this country haven't quite burned the books that they hate, electing so far to either rewrite or ban them. I'd give even money as to what tomorrow holds. Make no mistake, the SJW types that want to ban alternate political views from their awards are using the same techniques.
Here's the thing folks: It is not possible to compromise with totalitarians. The only workable options are to rebel or submit. I choose to rebel. It's time to burn it all down. If you believe you're too good to share your awards then maybe you don't deserve to have them. What is happening here is not just a fight over awards, it's a fight over the only type of diversity that matters: The diversity of ideas.
The Puppy Kickers would have you believe that we are the Nazis. Not so. Irene Gallo was one hundred and eighty degrees away from the truth. Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point:
Once upon a time there was a man. He believed in a cause. He railed against social injustices carried out by a race of people that controlled the money, the power, the press and even international banking. He blamed them for all of society's problems. He believed that the lives of people like him mattered and the lives of those he hated did not. He banned all ideas except his own and banned "degenerate" works. In other words, he removed the right of anyone to disagreed with him. His name was Adolph Hitler. Although he is best known for hating and killing Jews, they only make up six million of the twelve million people he murdered.
As a matter of fact, when the concentration camps first opened, they weren't meant for Jews or Gypsies. The first people put into the camps were political prisoners: Those who committed the crime of disagreeing. That's why the gates of Auschwitz read "Arbeit Macht Frei." That translates roughly as "Work will make you free". The Jews weren't going to be released and everyone knew it. The point of the sign is that the political prisoners could eventually make it out... if they did as they were told and didn't step out of line. That's pretty much what the Puppy Kickers want from us.
Look, I'm not saying that the gas chambers are about to open for conservatives or that it's the Puppy Kickers who would do the gassing if they did. What I'm saying is that creating a precedent of banning people from things because they disagree with you is a dangerous step to take but it's one that WorldCon seems incredibly comfortable with. Refusing to vote for someone who deserves an award because of a possible political association between them and the people who nominated them is a symptom. If the Kickers want totalitarianism and unity of thought they're welcome to seek it, just not in my country or my genre.
The next question then becomes what to do with Vox Day because, let's face it, he's no different than the people that he hates. The SJW types and Vox want a war with each other with us caught in the middle. I say a pox on both of their houses. We're SF fans right? How many of you have read The Ashes series by William W Johnstone? In one of the books, and I can't remember which one in particular, Rebel leader Ben Raines is faced with fighting a group of white supremacists one on hand and a group of white hating blacks on the other, so he does the intelligent thing: He incites a fight between the two groups. He lets them kill each other. When they're too hotly engaged to effectively disengage from each other he cuts loose with the heavy artillery and kills both sides. I'm not advocating actual physical violence here, but if the two sides want to metaphorically beat each other to death it's only smart to let them. The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy and nothing more, yet there is an opportunity here. Let them burn each other out. Once we've cleared the field of both sides we can help pick up the pieces and support stories that entertain rather than "inform."
Listen people, I have a degree in history. I understand the importance of academic presses and their mission of increasing the knowledge of humanity. The fact remains that houses like Baen, Tor and even Castalia do not exist in that capacity. They exist to entertain a mass audience, not to support one side or another politically. The big publishers in the genre keep complaining about how their market is shrinking even while Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Deadpool break box office records. Pull your head out of your ass people: Make the genre fun again. Make the award fun again. That's how you'll attract more attention and more readers. That's how you'll expand the genre. That's how you'll make more money for the dirty capitalist business owners that sign your royalty checks and provide you with the means to feed your family or at least live more comfortably. It's time to get over yourselves people.
Some Hugo related items can be purchased below:
Once upon a time there was a man. He believed in a cause. He railed against social injustices carried out by a race of people that controlled the money, the power, the press and even international banking. He blamed them for all of society's problems. He believed that the lives of people like him mattered and the lives of those he hated did not. He banned all ideas except his own and banned "degenerate" works. In other words, he removed the right of anyone to disagreed with him. His name was Adolph Hitler. Although he is best known for hating and killing Jews, they only make up six million of the twelve million people he murdered.
As a matter of fact, when the concentration camps first opened, they weren't meant for Jews or Gypsies. The first people put into the camps were political prisoners: Those who committed the crime of disagreeing. That's why the gates of Auschwitz read "Arbeit Macht Frei." That translates roughly as "Work will make you free". The Jews weren't going to be released and everyone knew it. The point of the sign is that the political prisoners could eventually make it out... if they did as they were told and didn't step out of line. That's pretty much what the Puppy Kickers want from us.
Look, I'm not saying that the gas chambers are about to open for conservatives or that it's the Puppy Kickers who would do the gassing if they did. What I'm saying is that creating a precedent of banning people from things because they disagree with you is a dangerous step to take but it's one that WorldCon seems incredibly comfortable with. Refusing to vote for someone who deserves an award because of a possible political association between them and the people who nominated them is a symptom. If the Kickers want totalitarianism and unity of thought they're welcome to seek it, just not in my country or my genre.
The next question then becomes what to do with Vox Day because, let's face it, he's no different than the people that he hates. The SJW types and Vox want a war with each other with us caught in the middle. I say a pox on both of their houses. We're SF fans right? How many of you have read The Ashes series by William W Johnstone? In one of the books, and I can't remember which one in particular, Rebel leader Ben Raines is faced with fighting a group of white supremacists one on hand and a group of white hating blacks on the other, so he does the intelligent thing: He incites a fight between the two groups. He lets them kill each other. When they're too hotly engaged to effectively disengage from each other he cuts loose with the heavy artillery and kills both sides. I'm not advocating actual physical violence here, but if the two sides want to metaphorically beat each other to death it's only smart to let them. The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy and nothing more, yet there is an opportunity here. Let them burn each other out. Once we've cleared the field of both sides we can help pick up the pieces and support stories that entertain rather than "inform."
Listen people, I have a degree in history. I understand the importance of academic presses and their mission of increasing the knowledge of humanity. The fact remains that houses like Baen, Tor and even Castalia do not exist in that capacity. They exist to entertain a mass audience, not to support one side or another politically. The big publishers in the genre keep complaining about how their market is shrinking even while Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Deadpool break box office records. Pull your head out of your ass people: Make the genre fun again. Make the award fun again. That's how you'll attract more attention and more readers. That's how you'll expand the genre. That's how you'll make more money for the dirty capitalist business owners that sign your royalty checks and provide you with the means to feed your family or at least live more comfortably. It's time to get over yourselves people.
Some Hugo related items can be purchased below:
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Down With the Old (Awards) and In With the New
Fans of the blog (both of you but I wuvs you both) will note that I have in the past commented on the Hugo Awards/Sad Puppy controversy. For those that have not, I support the Sad Puppy side because I believe that Science Fiction and Fantasy awards are a field that should not be dominated by a cabal of geriatric liberals. I honestly believe that a guy like me who has attended a WorldCon and honestly feels that he would be immediately asked to leave the premises should he ever go to one (I'm an open conservative) can be a fan. I further believe that WorldCon is not truly a fan convention at all, being primarily attended by people who work in the industry. I'm sorry folks, but fans are people from outside the industry who enjoy the product. Writers, publishers, artists, actors, etc, are insiders not fans. Hugo voters are primarily industry insiders in their sixties and seventies who don't want young whippersnappers such as myself (I'll be forty in December) attending their convention and ruining their good time. (Their loss. I know where to get good deals on Geritol and Efferdent.) My girlfriend will be attending MidAmeriCon this year. She's only thirty-six. I wish her luck.
Furthermore, I've often wondered when the old blue hairs who run and attend WorldCons will acknowledge that people under retirement age actually do consume and enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy. The edgy, new-fangled Hugo category for youngsters is "Best Graphic Story." Guess what guys? Superman debuted in 1938. He may actually be older than one or two of you antiques that want to keep us young'uns out. Not only that, but there were actually comic books before that. There is nothing new or interesting about adding comics (I'm sorry, "Graphic Stories") as a category.
No, the Hugos have not shown any interest in attracting younger voters. Youngsters (a term I use loosely here, meaning basically forty-five and younger. IE Not necessarily in diapers but younger than the average Hugo voter) grew up playing video games. There are people in their twenties now who don't remember a time before Harry Potter. A quick Amazon search for "Young Adult Science Fiction" in "Books" turns up 44, 529 hits. Science Fiction and Fantasy Role Playing Games have existed since the 1970s. Card games like Magic, YuGiOh and Pokemon have flourished for over twenty years now. None of these have been acknowledged by elitist oldsters of WorldCon. But there's good news: Another organization will soon be issuing awards in the ares of Science Fiction and Fantasy on an annual basis and they're actually offering categories inclusive of the under seventy crowd.
Yes, my friends, the Dragon Award is a reality. Check it out at their website. Oddly enough you don't even have to pay in the new, inclusive system. It's almost like DragonCon is a big enough concern that they can afford to pay for their con based on the people who attend it instead of providing an atmosphere solely for aging relics on fixed incomes. It's a weird concept to some I will admit. Allowing the great unwashed to vote based on their love of the genre instead of limiting the franchise to people who pay to be part of the club is sure to offend those who have so zealously defended the gates against outsiders who haven't come to their meetings every year since 1939.
Check out the categories they're offering:
To being with, there is quite apparently a lot of overlap with the current Hugo setup. "Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" sound a lot like "Best Graphic Story." "Best Episode in a Continuing Science Fiction or Fantasy Series, TV or Internet" sounds like a much longer way to say "Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)." "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie" sounds about the same vis a vis "Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)." There is still a "Best Science Fiction Novel." Speaking of the awards for novels that's where one of the big changes occurs and it's one that I have mixed feelings about.
Best novel still exists but has been broken up a bit for those fans who prefer to read in particular subgenres. This works for me because it gives more books a chance to win and not just because there are more awards. Many fans prefer to read only in a particular favorite subgenre or two (I'm big on Alt-hist and military SF personally) and a lot of them are going to have a chance to see one of their favorite books of the year nominated when they may not have otherwise. Seriously, I'm a huge Harry Turtledove fanboy. (If I ever meet you in person and you want to know how that happened buy me a glass of single malt and listen to my story. I may get a bit maudlin but it's worth your time.) I'd love to see one of his alt-hist works nominated.
Here's the thing though: For me, the Hugo for Best Novel will always be the WorldCon equivalent to the Oscar for Best Picture. I mean, I guess the award for Best Science Fiction novel covers that, sort of but I don't know if it goes far enough with the rest of the categories getting awards as well. I guess what I'm saying is that my spoiled ass wants to have my cake and eat it too. I guess I'll live. I may very well pout about it though.
What I really like though is something I alluded to earlier: This really is a ballot that offers options to those of us who were born after 1960. Pong was released by Atari in 1972. Pac Man was released in 1980. Games like Space Invaders (1978) and Galaga (1981) have been carrying the Science Fiction banner in the gaming world for over thirty-five years. Yet the Hugos, which claim to be an award for all Science Fiction fans, have never given an award for Best Video Game. I played Magic: The Gathering when it first came out in 1993. Spellfire: Master the Magic (the Dungeons and Dragons game) came not much later. I'm not sure when Munchkin was first released (it won an award in 2001 so presumably then or earlier) but it's crazy popular and has been translated into fifteen languages. The Hugos have never acknowledged games that are not only frequently SF themed, but are wildly popular with the SF loving crowd.The Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set debuted in 1977. The vast majority of role playing games since then have featured SF/F themes. It's about damn time we see some awards for that. I'm an old school Battletech fan. It's been around for over thirty years now. So have only God knows how many other SF/F board games (Anybody remember Hero Quest? I wish I still had my copy.) It's well past time they were recognized as part of the genre. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary next year. It's awesome to see the huge wave of Young Adult fiction it promoted and its young fans finally being acknowledged.
Now, I'm not saying that this is a perfect set up. I'd love to see a specific category added for Media tie-in novels. Games like Halo and Dungeons & Dragons have a rich literature attached to them. I have no idea precisely how many Star Trek novels have been written but probably not as many as in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. There are enough new entries every year with a big enough following that I'd love to see a special category for them. I'd also like to see a category similar to the "Best Related Work" Hugo. I believe that *AHEM* people who write about the genre deserve some recognition too. (For the record, no I don't think I'd win one if it did exist. I'd still like a chance to cheer for someone LIKE me.)
I also wonder if the Dragon Awards will be promoted well enough to draw in a truly representative crowd. As much as the old blue hairs want to paint their genre as dying without them that's simply not true. Science Fiction and Fantasy are growing. They're just not willing to admit that the SF/F genre is no longer limited to the way that they're used to consuming it.
Speaking of Munchkin, I have a question: If a game releases an expansion (whether it's the latest edition of Munchkin or Magic or even World of Warcraft) is that eligible? Or is it only original games? And what about when the next Halo hits? I'll be honest. I didn't read the FAQ and these answers might be there but for the moment I'm confused. At the end of the day though, at least I get to ask the questions. That's more than I could ever do with the Hugos.
All in all, I really think that this is a good thing. The WorldCon crew and their move to lock everyone out via E Pluribus Hugo is a clear indication that they're not willing to listen to anyone's opinions but their own. That's fine. Those of us who aren't part of the clique now have a place to call our own and this doesn't mean we have to give up our attempts to reform your award into something that includes other viewpoints. It's a good day for the Pups, the Fans and SF/F in general. I'll take it.
Various DragonCon related items are available at the links below:
Furthermore, I've often wondered when the old blue hairs who run and attend WorldCons will acknowledge that people under retirement age actually do consume and enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy. The edgy, new-fangled Hugo category for youngsters is "Best Graphic Story." Guess what guys? Superman debuted in 1938. He may actually be older than one or two of you antiques that want to keep us young'uns out. Not only that, but there were actually comic books before that. There is nothing new or interesting about adding comics (I'm sorry, "Graphic Stories") as a category.
No, the Hugos have not shown any interest in attracting younger voters. Youngsters (a term I use loosely here, meaning basically forty-five and younger. IE Not necessarily in diapers but younger than the average Hugo voter) grew up playing video games. There are people in their twenties now who don't remember a time before Harry Potter. A quick Amazon search for "Young Adult Science Fiction" in "Books" turns up 44, 529 hits. Science Fiction and Fantasy Role Playing Games have existed since the 1970s. Card games like Magic, YuGiOh and Pokemon have flourished for over twenty years now. None of these have been acknowledged by elitist oldsters of WorldCon. But there's good news: Another organization will soon be issuing awards in the ares of Science Fiction and Fantasy on an annual basis and they're actually offering categories inclusive of the under seventy crowd.
Yes, my friends, the Dragon Award is a reality. Check it out at their website. Oddly enough you don't even have to pay in the new, inclusive system. It's almost like DragonCon is a big enough concern that they can afford to pay for their con based on the people who attend it instead of providing an atmosphere solely for aging relics on fixed incomes. It's a weird concept to some I will admit. Allowing the great unwashed to vote based on their love of the genre instead of limiting the franchise to people who pay to be part of the club is sure to offend those who have so zealously defended the gates against outsiders who haven't come to their meetings every year since 1939.
Check out the categories they're offering:
- Best science fiction novel
- Best fantasy novel (including paranormal)
- Best young adult/middle grade novel
- Best military science fiction or fantasy novel
- Best alternate history novel
- Best apocalyptic novel
- Best horror novel
- Best comic book
- Best graphic novel
- Best episode in a continuing science fiction or fantasy series, TV or internet
- Best science fiction or fantasy movie
- Best science fiction or fantasy PC / console game
- Best science fiction or fantasy mobile game
- Best science fiction or fantasy board game
- Best science fiction or fantasy miniatures / collectable card / role-playing game
To being with, there is quite apparently a lot of overlap with the current Hugo setup. "Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" sound a lot like "Best Graphic Story." "Best Episode in a Continuing Science Fiction or Fantasy Series, TV or Internet" sounds like a much longer way to say "Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)." "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie" sounds about the same vis a vis "Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)." There is still a "Best Science Fiction Novel." Speaking of the awards for novels that's where one of the big changes occurs and it's one that I have mixed feelings about.
Best novel still exists but has been broken up a bit for those fans who prefer to read in particular subgenres. This works for me because it gives more books a chance to win and not just because there are more awards. Many fans prefer to read only in a particular favorite subgenre or two (I'm big on Alt-hist and military SF personally) and a lot of them are going to have a chance to see one of their favorite books of the year nominated when they may not have otherwise. Seriously, I'm a huge Harry Turtledove fanboy. (If I ever meet you in person and you want to know how that happened buy me a glass of single malt and listen to my story. I may get a bit maudlin but it's worth your time.) I'd love to see one of his alt-hist works nominated.
Here's the thing though: For me, the Hugo for Best Novel will always be the WorldCon equivalent to the Oscar for Best Picture. I mean, I guess the award for Best Science Fiction novel covers that, sort of but I don't know if it goes far enough with the rest of the categories getting awards as well. I guess what I'm saying is that my spoiled ass wants to have my cake and eat it too. I guess I'll live. I may very well pout about it though.
What I really like though is something I alluded to earlier: This really is a ballot that offers options to those of us who were born after 1960. Pong was released by Atari in 1972. Pac Man was released in 1980. Games like Space Invaders (1978) and Galaga (1981) have been carrying the Science Fiction banner in the gaming world for over thirty-five years. Yet the Hugos, which claim to be an award for all Science Fiction fans, have never given an award for Best Video Game. I played Magic: The Gathering when it first came out in 1993. Spellfire: Master the Magic (the Dungeons and Dragons game) came not much later. I'm not sure when Munchkin was first released (it won an award in 2001 so presumably then or earlier) but it's crazy popular and has been translated into fifteen languages. The Hugos have never acknowledged games that are not only frequently SF themed, but are wildly popular with the SF loving crowd.The Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set debuted in 1977. The vast majority of role playing games since then have featured SF/F themes. It's about damn time we see some awards for that. I'm an old school Battletech fan. It's been around for over thirty years now. So have only God knows how many other SF/F board games (Anybody remember Hero Quest? I wish I still had my copy.) It's well past time they were recognized as part of the genre. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary next year. It's awesome to see the huge wave of Young Adult fiction it promoted and its young fans finally being acknowledged.
Now, I'm not saying that this is a perfect set up. I'd love to see a specific category added for Media tie-in novels. Games like Halo and Dungeons & Dragons have a rich literature attached to them. I have no idea precisely how many Star Trek novels have been written but probably not as many as in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. There are enough new entries every year with a big enough following that I'd love to see a special category for them. I'd also like to see a category similar to the "Best Related Work" Hugo. I believe that *AHEM* people who write about the genre deserve some recognition too. (For the record, no I don't think I'd win one if it did exist. I'd still like a chance to cheer for someone LIKE me.)
I also wonder if the Dragon Awards will be promoted well enough to draw in a truly representative crowd. As much as the old blue hairs want to paint their genre as dying without them that's simply not true. Science Fiction and Fantasy are growing. They're just not willing to admit that the SF/F genre is no longer limited to the way that they're used to consuming it.
Speaking of Munchkin, I have a question: If a game releases an expansion (whether it's the latest edition of Munchkin or Magic or even World of Warcraft) is that eligible? Or is it only original games? And what about when the next Halo hits? I'll be honest. I didn't read the FAQ and these answers might be there but for the moment I'm confused. At the end of the day though, at least I get to ask the questions. That's more than I could ever do with the Hugos.
All in all, I really think that this is a good thing. The WorldCon crew and their move to lock everyone out via E Pluribus Hugo is a clear indication that they're not willing to listen to anyone's opinions but their own. That's fine. Those of us who aren't part of the clique now have a place to call our own and this doesn't mean we have to give up our attempts to reform your award into something that includes other viewpoints. It's a good day for the Pups, the Fans and SF/F in general. I'll take it.
Various DragonCon related items are available at the links below:
Friday, July 31, 2015
Let's see how this turns out...
As some of you are probably already aware, today is the deadline to vote in the 2015 Hugo Awards. I've come out publicly on the side of the Sad Puppies, and I do hope they win, but this is not a "Vote for the Puppies" post per se. What I'm posting about is "If you paid for the right to vote... VOTE!!!!" post. Don't vote for my favorite nominee(or at least don't vote for my favorite because it's MY favorite nominee) vote for your favorite nominee. Vote on quality of story. Vote because you love the author. Vote because of political conent if you must but vote dammit! And vote for a nominee.
I am of the opinion that the noted rash of late registering voters this year were probably mostly Sad Puppies followers. I could be wrong. I have no access to insider information. I will say that this appears to be unusual given the amount of comment it raised. If it wasn't typical Hugo voters registering it had to have been our side. It just makes sense. Again, I could be wrong and I have already sent out for a double order of crow on order. I'll be eating it if I'm wrong.
I will say this: Noah Ward is the biggest asshole this side of Cliff Hanger. If you CHORF types can't get over yourselves enough to admit someone who doesn't share your beliefs into your little club, you suck. I mean that. Voting No Award isn't a way to "stick it to the man" it's a way to mark yourselves as bullies. What you're doing if you vote No Award is showing the world that you're too cowardly to expose yourself to ideas that you don't agree with. At that point why not just burn them? It worked for Hitler. So yes, let's all burn the works of the evil, privileged White Male writers because John Scalzi said to. Also, let's not look too closely at John Scalzi. Or the Neilsen-Haydens or... Nevermind. Oh, but I forgot the side that WANTS people to read all points of view and make their own decisions is made up of Nazis. Sorry, I forget that the side that believes in freedom is the one for totalitarian government.
I want to take the time out to congratulate the Puppies (both Sad and Rabid) for a second. I don't care if you win, lose or tie here. The bottom line is that you have managed to get a conversation started. For too long we've taken crap from the K. Tempest Bradfords of the world because we were scared to fight back. Don't get me wrong. If K Tempest Teapot wants to only read non-white male straight authors then she has that right. The bottom line is that she tried to take away the livelihood of writers based on race and we fought back.
I'm not saying that minorities, women, LBGTQI, WTFever people should be banned or even discouraged from writing/reading, etc. No one on our side is. What I'm saying is that I shouldn't have to vote for someone based on that crap. I'm saying that equality means equal treatment and if you want to win an award for a story you should have to WRITE A GOOD STORY. That's all I'm saying.
So go forth and vote today my brave Hugo-nauts. Vote you conscience. Vote for the best story because YOU think it's the best story. Don't worry about whether or not your choice is politically correct. Don't worry about whether it supports the right causes. Just worry about whether or not you enjoyed the story and found it entertaining. Let the CHORFs be CHORFs and do what feels right for you.
Some works by Sad Puppies leadership (past, present and future) can be found at the links below:
I am of the opinion that the noted rash of late registering voters this year were probably mostly Sad Puppies followers. I could be wrong. I have no access to insider information. I will say that this appears to be unusual given the amount of comment it raised. If it wasn't typical Hugo voters registering it had to have been our side. It just makes sense. Again, I could be wrong and I have already sent out for a double order of crow on order. I'll be eating it if I'm wrong.
I will say this: Noah Ward is the biggest asshole this side of Cliff Hanger. If you CHORF types can't get over yourselves enough to admit someone who doesn't share your beliefs into your little club, you suck. I mean that. Voting No Award isn't a way to "stick it to the man" it's a way to mark yourselves as bullies. What you're doing if you vote No Award is showing the world that you're too cowardly to expose yourself to ideas that you don't agree with. At that point why not just burn them? It worked for Hitler. So yes, let's all burn the works of the evil, privileged White Male writers because John Scalzi said to. Also, let's not look too closely at John Scalzi. Or the Neilsen-Haydens or... Nevermind. Oh, but I forgot the side that WANTS people to read all points of view and make their own decisions is made up of Nazis. Sorry, I forget that the side that believes in freedom is the one for totalitarian government.
I want to take the time out to congratulate the Puppies (both Sad and Rabid) for a second. I don't care if you win, lose or tie here. The bottom line is that you have managed to get a conversation started. For too long we've taken crap from the K. Tempest Bradfords of the world because we were scared to fight back. Don't get me wrong. If K Tempest Teapot wants to only read non-white male straight authors then she has that right. The bottom line is that she tried to take away the livelihood of writers based on race and we fought back.
I'm not saying that minorities, women, LBGTQI, WTFever people should be banned or even discouraged from writing/reading, etc. No one on our side is. What I'm saying is that I shouldn't have to vote for someone based on that crap. I'm saying that equality means equal treatment and if you want to win an award for a story you should have to WRITE A GOOD STORY. That's all I'm saying.
So go forth and vote today my brave Hugo-nauts. Vote you conscience. Vote for the best story because YOU think it's the best story. Don't worry about whether or not your choice is politically correct. Don't worry about whether it supports the right causes. Just worry about whether or not you enjoyed the story and found it entertaining. Let the CHORFs be CHORFs and do what feels right for you.
Some works by Sad Puppies leadership (past, present and future) can be found at the links below:
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Grinning in anticipation
Yes, I am _well_ aware that this is a review blog and I've been badly off topic the last two days. That's unfortunate. However: It's my bloggie and I'll post if I want to. That's just me. One day I'll learn to focus on only the goal of the blog and ignore everything else. Yah. And monkeys might fly out of my butt. Anyway...
Amanda Green, has noted some of the vitriol by the enemies of the Sad Puppies. It seems that Steve Davidson of Amazing Stories (noted SJW rag and former promoter of SF/F as a genre. That being, of course, before they started to promote SF/F as a progressive social movement) has a problem with people buying memberships to support their favorite authors. He says; "Right now they’re probably anticipating the announcement with a certain amount of glee, since “leaks” (from the nominees most likely) seem to be indicating that a goodly percentage of those on the final ballot were championed by the Sad Puppy recommended voting slate." I hate to admit it, but you're right Steve. No, you're not just right, you're DAMN RIGHT.
See, I do admit to a certain sadistic glee in watching all of you Social Justice types squirm. There is nothing more personally satisfying to me than seeing Special Snowflakes who run around saying things like "Right now, a lot of involved folks are starting to seriously ask how fandom is going to handle this growing problem." because LORD (can I say that, or is it offensive?) and then following it with "The real, long term solution is to create more participation in the voting..." Note an Mr. Davidson: That's what the Sad Puppies are doing. I know of precisely one person who voted for the Hugo Awards prior to the rise of the Sad Puppies that is voting with them this year. She started voting the year before the SP movement began with many of the same goals.
He can't have it both ways, but he's convinced that he can. I've seen this attitude from many SJWs both inside and outside of SF/F fandom. The automatic assumption is that everyone believes as they do and if more people just voted they'd win every election. Word to the Left: It doesn't work like that. There are plenty of us out there that are sick of your crap. Screaming about inclusion doesn't work when your real goal is to lock the people you disagree with out.
The real kicker is that Davidson whines about the SPs making money when he works for a FOR PROFITSJW RAG err.... SF/F magazine. Writing is a business. This blog was started with the goal of monetization and money for little old me. The professional authors that have headed up the SP movement (along with Evil League of Evil member and Duchess of Snark Kate Paulk, who will be leading the charge next year) realize that. You'd think Davidson would too. Apparently, he's got more important things in mind for the business he works for than making money. I'm not sure how his financial backers feel about that. It's weird. Winning a Hugo used to guarantee sales. A Hugo logo on the cover of a book was a sign that it was worth the money a fan would pay for it. It's not until Davidson and his ilk began to take over the awards that it became a sign of "social relevance" and literary pretensions.
Just once, JUST ONCE I'd like to see a person like this take five minutes to think their position through. Just once I'd like a guy like this to see the holes in his argument at are big enough to drive a truck through. Just once I'd like to see a guy who wants more inclusion NOT try to punish someone who disagrees with his opinion. Just once, I'd like to hit my head hard enough to actually believe that a hypocrite like Davidson is capable of seeing himself for what he really is. Then again, maybe I don't. That might hurt. Oh, and once again, just because I can and because he started the Sad Puppies train moving forward (not forgetting that the first two words in any writer's mission statement should be GET PAID) :
On Sunday: Lizzie Ashworth's Salvation. For real this time, as I will be finished reading it tomorrow.
Amanda Green, has noted some of the vitriol by the enemies of the Sad Puppies. It seems that Steve Davidson of Amazing Stories (noted SJW rag and former promoter of SF/F as a genre. That being, of course, before they started to promote SF/F as a progressive social movement) has a problem with people buying memberships to support their favorite authors. He says; "Right now they’re probably anticipating the announcement with a certain amount of glee, since “leaks” (from the nominees most likely) seem to be indicating that a goodly percentage of those on the final ballot were championed by the Sad Puppy recommended voting slate." I hate to admit it, but you're right Steve. No, you're not just right, you're DAMN RIGHT.
See, I do admit to a certain sadistic glee in watching all of you Social Justice types squirm. There is nothing more personally satisfying to me than seeing Special Snowflakes who run around saying things like "Right now, a lot of involved folks are starting to seriously ask how fandom is going to handle this growing problem." because LORD (can I say that, or is it offensive?) and then following it with "The real, long term solution is to create more participation in the voting..." Note an Mr. Davidson: That's what the Sad Puppies are doing. I know of precisely one person who voted for the Hugo Awards prior to the rise of the Sad Puppies that is voting with them this year. She started voting the year before the SP movement began with many of the same goals.
He can't have it both ways, but he's convinced that he can. I've seen this attitude from many SJWs both inside and outside of SF/F fandom. The automatic assumption is that everyone believes as they do and if more people just voted they'd win every election. Word to the Left: It doesn't work like that. There are plenty of us out there that are sick of your crap. Screaming about inclusion doesn't work when your real goal is to lock the people you disagree with out.
The real kicker is that Davidson whines about the SPs making money when he works for a FOR PROFIT
Just once, JUST ONCE I'd like to see a person like this take five minutes to think their position through. Just once I'd like a guy like this to see the holes in his argument at are big enough to drive a truck through. Just once I'd like to see a guy who wants more inclusion NOT try to punish someone who disagrees with his opinion. Just once, I'd like to hit my head hard enough to actually believe that a hypocrite like Davidson is capable of seeing himself for what he really is. Then again, maybe I don't. That might hurt. Oh, and once again, just because I can and because he started the Sad Puppies train moving forward (not forgetting that the first two words in any writer's mission statement should be GET PAID) :
On Sunday: Lizzie Ashworth's Salvation. For real this time, as I will be finished reading it tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
True Fandom
(First off, a bit of housekeeping. This blog was formerly Sunday/Wednesday/Friday. As of now I am switching it to Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday. It just works better for me that way.)
I would like to come before all of you and make an admission: I am not a real Science Fiction fan. Yes, I hear all of you out there. I run a blog that reviews SF/F books and movies. I am aware that I once owned (freaking divorce) six bookcases full of SF/F literature. I know I've read comics on and off since the early eighties. I've seen the original Star Wars movies approximately four hundred and forty seven million times. I have been spotted at a couple of cons. My nearest and dearest all know that I write in the genre even if I haven't been published. I'm working on it. But apparently I don't count because I don't pay for a membership to a con I can't attend because it's not local to me. For that, I'm not a real fan. Just ask Teresa Neilsen-Hayden, member of the Secret Masters of Fandom. According to her only people who have supported Worldcon for years have a right to have their opinions heard. Even the Sad Puppies are not REAL members of the con and do not deserve to have their opinions heard because they don't support her point of view. Teresa Neilsen-Hayden can shove her opinion up her ass.
I just admitted that I did not support the Sad Puppy slate in the Hugo Awards this year for financial reasons. That much being said, I support their right, or indeed the right of ANY person who wishes to nominate and/or vote in the Hugo Award and PAY THEIR FREAKING MONEY TO DO SO to vote. It's that simple. TNH is, along with her followers, currently campaigning to have the rules of the convention changed to keep people she disagrees with from voting. She, and others like her, quite frankly disgust me.
Give it up folks. I get the fact that your whiny leftist asses are bothered by the fact that people who won't preach your beliefs tells me everything I need to know about your character. I personally have praised the works of Suzanne Collins on this blog even though I disagree with her politics because she's earned it. That woman can tell a DAMN GOOD story. Yes, it supports a leftist worldview. It also involves plenty of action, a believable love story and characters I'd love a chance to hang out with. That's all that matters.
So, you SJW snobs that can't deal with the fact that people are voting for who they want to vote for, or that the organizers of the Sad Puppy movement have promoted sales of the works they have put on their slate (as an effort to get people to read what they want them to vote for and to make some filthy lucre) or that they might dare to write something you disagree with can kiss my ass. They've paid their money, now they'll take their chances. This year's organizer was Brad Torgersen. I already reviewed him here and gave him the highest score I've ever given. Next years organizer will be Kate Paulk. I'll be reviewing one of her books shortly. (Spoiler: I'm a fan. I paid for her books. I will buy the next one if she doesn't send me a copy for review.) Teresa Neilsen-Hayden has one book published. If she wants to send me a copy I'll review it. HONESTLY. If it's good, I'll tell you it's good. If it's not, I'll score it appropriately. I doubt I'll see a copy, but if I'm being honest that's because I doubt she'll hear about this blog post.
So go forth, Sad Puppies (or Wet & Irritated Kittens) and vote for who you like. Vote for the slate. Vote for something that's not on the slate. Vote for your opposition. Do what you do because you want to do it. If you've got your middle finger sticking up while you do it, I won't complain. Then again, I'll be doing the same. Oh, and just because I can:
(That's from Michael Z. Williamson. Apparently the SJW types are up in arms because they heard he got nominated. The only solution to the problem is to support the work whether you can vote or not. Plus, I've met Mad Mike and I like him. He writes like a champ too.)
Tomorrow: Salvation by Lizzie Ashworth if I get done reading it by then. If not, I'll review a movie.
I would like to come before all of you and make an admission: I am not a real Science Fiction fan. Yes, I hear all of you out there. I run a blog that reviews SF/F books and movies. I am aware that I once owned (freaking divorce) six bookcases full of SF/F literature. I know I've read comics on and off since the early eighties. I've seen the original Star Wars movies approximately four hundred and forty seven million times. I have been spotted at a couple of cons. My nearest and dearest all know that I write in the genre even if I haven't been published. I'm working on it. But apparently I don't count because I don't pay for a membership to a con I can't attend because it's not local to me. For that, I'm not a real fan. Just ask Teresa Neilsen-Hayden, member of the Secret Masters of Fandom. According to her only people who have supported Worldcon for years have a right to have their opinions heard. Even the Sad Puppies are not REAL members of the con and do not deserve to have their opinions heard because they don't support her point of view. Teresa Neilsen-Hayden can shove her opinion up her ass.
I just admitted that I did not support the Sad Puppy slate in the Hugo Awards this year for financial reasons. That much being said, I support their right, or indeed the right of ANY person who wishes to nominate and/or vote in the Hugo Award and PAY THEIR FREAKING MONEY TO DO SO to vote. It's that simple. TNH is, along with her followers, currently campaigning to have the rules of the convention changed to keep people she disagrees with from voting. She, and others like her, quite frankly disgust me.
Give it up folks. I get the fact that your whiny leftist asses are bothered by the fact that people who won't preach your beliefs tells me everything I need to know about your character. I personally have praised the works of Suzanne Collins on this blog even though I disagree with her politics because she's earned it. That woman can tell a DAMN GOOD story. Yes, it supports a leftist worldview. It also involves plenty of action, a believable love story and characters I'd love a chance to hang out with. That's all that matters.
So, you SJW snobs that can't deal with the fact that people are voting for who they want to vote for, or that the organizers of the Sad Puppy movement have promoted sales of the works they have put on their slate (as an effort to get people to read what they want them to vote for and to make some filthy lucre) or that they might dare to write something you disagree with can kiss my ass. They've paid their money, now they'll take their chances. This year's organizer was Brad Torgersen. I already reviewed him here and gave him the highest score I've ever given. Next years organizer will be Kate Paulk. I'll be reviewing one of her books shortly. (Spoiler: I'm a fan. I paid for her books. I will buy the next one if she doesn't send me a copy for review.) Teresa Neilsen-Hayden has one book published. If she wants to send me a copy I'll review it. HONESTLY. If it's good, I'll tell you it's good. If it's not, I'll score it appropriately. I doubt I'll see a copy, but if I'm being honest that's because I doubt she'll hear about this blog post.
So go forth, Sad Puppies (or Wet & Irritated Kittens) and vote for who you like. Vote for the slate. Vote for something that's not on the slate. Vote for your opposition. Do what you do because you want to do it. If you've got your middle finger sticking up while you do it, I won't complain. Then again, I'll be doing the same. Oh, and just because I can:
(That's from Michael Z. Williamson. Apparently the SJW types are up in arms because they heard he got nominated. The only solution to the problem is to support the work whether you can vote or not. Plus, I've met Mad Mike and I like him. He writes like a champ too.)
Tomorrow: Salvation by Lizzie Ashworth if I get done reading it by then. If not, I'll review a movie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)