It's time! It's time! It's Dragon time!

 

I'm a dragon. He's a dragon. She's a dragon. Wouldn't you like to be a dragon too?

It's that time of year again, folks. Time to let everyone know what you think about your favorite books, movies, games and probably something else in the world of Speculative Fiction fandom! I love the Dragon Awards, which haven't been gamed to exclude anyone who isn't a favorite of annual WorldCon attendees from winning. Seriously, if you ever get really, really, bored and you can't find the owner's manual for your car to read, try reading the rules for the Hugos. And of course, the Nebulas have been structured recently to be "inclusive" by excluding people like myself, so I have no interest in those either.

The  Dragon Awards are awards of the fans, by the fans and for the fans. There is no cost to nominate or vote. There is no vote weighting system. One fan, one vote. Tell us what you want and MAYBE it will happen. I mean, the rest of us get to vote too, right? Lord knows I've seen enough of my nominees go down in flames. If you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or maybe something I'm forgetting, you should go register and nominate here. Make your voice heard. I mean, we all know I'm a loudmouth but you can be too! You can be every bit as obnoxious and opinionated as your loving host!

Wait...

I said that wrong. 

Since when was I known for my loving nature?

Anyway...

I'm serious about these things and have been since I first heard they were coming. It's like the People's Choice Awards, except for things that I care about. This is a fun time of year. And, of course, I, being neither shy nor retiring, have decided to share my picks with all of you. Agreement, disagreement, and thrown crockery are all welcome as long you are mocking me. You will respect each other while you're here. 

So, without further ado...

Best Science Fiction Novel

I, being me, picked Blaine Lee Pardoe's Splashdown, which was just released in January. He's been putting out content a lot faster than he did for FASA/CGL and that makes me happy. You can see my review here. In case you missed it, forgot about, or think that a WHOLE THOUSAND WORDS IS JUST TOO MUCH TO READ, I liked it because it action packed, with a believable cast of characters following their own personal motivations and a kind of twist between military science fiction and a mystery novel.

Wow. That was a long sentence. You still with me?

AHEM

As I was saying, I've read the next three in the series and I'm working on the fifth, which is the most recent currently available. You need to check the Land & Sea series out, but start with Splashdown, because it's the first one and the best one.

Best Fantasy Novel

I went with Thief on King Street by Jason McDonald, Stormy McDonald, and Jason Isom. 

People from an alternate universe are visiting Earth. They're worried about whether they can get back but they can't leave without rescuing one of their own who came here by accident. There's magic where there shouldn't be because Earth doesn't have any magic. The cast came from our sister planet Gaia, though, and it has magic so they brought some with them.

There's a lot to Thief on King Street and if you want a real take on it, you can try my review.

Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel

I didn't have a nominee for this. I guess I don't read much YA these days. That may have something to do with being in my mid-forties, I guess. Maybe next year.

Best Alternate History Novel

Are you serious? I can't remember reading, or find a review of, a single Alt-Hist novel that I've read in the last year. As a huge fan of the genre, I'm going to go cry. I'm going to wail. I'm going to gnash my teeth. I'm going to be crushed and driven before the true fans of Alternate History. It's just too bad you can't all hear the lamentations of my women because they're too busy laughing at me.

*SIGH*

Somebody drop some recommendations in the comments because I'm losing my mind here. Please?

Best Horror Novel

There was only one possibility for this in my mind: Declan Finn's Blue Saint. I mean, even if he made me cry. 

Listen folks, I was a little apprehensive about reading this one. If you've read the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel you know why I walked into the last book of a series apprehensively. (If you haven't read the first five. They're awesome.) Finn though, managed to save his best work for last and I was pleasantly surprised by that. 

Blue Saint is a book that has it all: Love, loss, action, betrayal and an amazing character arc. I'd nominate it twice if I could. I can't though, so you need to. Seriously. And if, after all of that, you're still on the fence, you can read what I had to say about it.

Best Illustrative Book Cover: Cedar Sanderson's Fantasry Treehouse Art and Architecture. Read about it here. 

"Nuff said

Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel

Money's tight and full length books take longer to read than comics. Any of the stuff that I read on KU was too old to nominate, so I have nothing for this category this year. Maybe next year.

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet

I was torn here. I originally wanted to go with The Last of Us. It was an awesome premise and a take on the Zombie Apocalypes like I've never seen before. I loved it. I'm still kicking myself for not following it through the season instead of waiting until it was over to watch, but that's whatever. 

And then I thought about it and I just couldn't do it. That sucks, too because on any other year when Strange New Worlds hadn't debuted, The Last of Us would have gotten my nomination. 

ON THE OTHER HAND...

Strange New Worlds is epic. The cast works. The stories work. It's episodic per The Original Series and that's awesome. The visuals are amazing. The take on the Gorn is a little bit out there, but I enjoyed it. Seriously, if you're a Trek fan and you haven't watched Strange New Worlds you're missing out on something great. And, unlike the TOS pilot, Pike is actually an entertaining captain. 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Listen: I've been saying I'd watch a real Dungeons & Dragons movie for decades now. I was looking forward to this for months. I went to see Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves myself. I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to see it again. You can find out here.

There were a couple of gaming categories after this, but I left them blank.

So what did you think? You think you've got a better list? You think I passed something over? GO VOTE FOR IT.

I'm waiting...

Jason Cordova's Wraithkin

Join us on Facebook

So what has eugenics, mecha, aliens, space travel and lots of cool fights? If you answered Wraithkin by Jason Cordova you'd be right. If you answered something else let me know. I love this stuff!

I came at Wraithkin cold. I think I've read a short or two by Mr. Cordova but I seem to have managed to avoid his novels up to this point. That stops now. Wraithkin was a thouroughly entertaining read of the you-can't-make-me-stop-reading-and-go-do-something-productive-if-I-don't-wanna sort. Except maybe I did do some stuff that I had to do, but it was under protest. No system is perfect, I guess.

Speaking of Imperfect...

The society in Wraithkin is divided between Perfects, who have had all susceptibilty to all  diseases bred out of them, and Imperfects  who have a genetic susceptibilty to one or more diseases. The differences in how society treats the two different groups is huge and really forms the basis of the book.  At the end of the day though, that's not all Wraithkin is about.

Our hero is a man named Gabriel Espinoza and he goes through a lot. I don't want to spoil too much here, but let's just say his life is turned upside down in one day and it just gets worse from there. He goes from an idyllic life to the furnace of combat and not all of the transformation is intentional on his part. This is a guy I really like because he takes it on the chin repeatedly and just keeps fighting.

I mean seriously, I remember many moons ago when I was taught the tenets of Tae Kwon Do in a  class I took after school. One of them was indomitable will. Espinoza has that in spades. Not all of what he does is, strictly speaking, intelligent or sane, but it's all in service of a goal and he refuses to give up. In the face of some of the worst adversity I've ever seen a character go through (and I've read a Song of Ice and Fire) he perserveres. Espinoza is the man.

Espinoza is a man who has understandable motivations. I'm not saying that everything he does is governed strictly by logic. Gabriel is neither Spock nor Data. He is a complicated man of emotion. The fact remains that you can understand why he is doing what he is doing. That's a big thing for me. I like being able to follow characters as they go through their lives and find myself nodding. The love of a woman is a powerful thing and has inspired many men to do things they maybe shouldn't have. Gabriel is no exception and I get that. I even admire it. He makes the sacrifices that come with the territory in full knowledge of what the consequences are going to be. He inspires his men to follow him with them knowing what they're going to face not just if they fail, but also of they succeed.

His friends are just as crazy as he is. It seems that the Wraith corps, from which Wraithkin takes its name, is made up of people who are more than just a little off. They recruit insane individuals on purpose. The reasons for doing so are fairly obvious once you've read the book. Crazy is not just an attitude, it's a mission profile. Wraiths are people that don't matter. No one cares if they get killed. It allows the use of tactics that no real world military would even think of attempting. Seriously, if you could find a lunch table full of ten year old boys they couldn't come up with stuff this whacky. Yeah, I said it. It's to Cordova's credit that he makes it believable and engaging.

Also, I have to take a second out to talk about the Wraiths themselves. No, not the soldiers. The Wraiths pilot mecha called, well, Wraiths. I want one. Actually, I take that back. I want several. These things are fast, maneuverable, well armed and extremely heavily armored. They have manipulator arms and can handle things. I want to take a ride in one and blow some stuff up. I may be a bit too sane, but hey, that's life, right?

Cordova is a veteran and it shows in his work. Wraithkin is above all a work of Military Science Fiction. The atmosphere in the book has a strong military flavor as modifed for a total lack of sanity. Discipline is maintained while banter is conducted. The chain of command exists and has to be modified at times due to combat losses. The tactics used make sense. In this sense, it doesn't feel like a table full of ten years olds. Well, with the possible exception of one particular landing. I'll leave that to it's place in the book though.

Of course, with all of this military stuff going on, I have to mention the action and combat sequences. I loved it. There is plenty of blowuptuation to go around. The enemy is scary enough to be believable and appears to be up to more than what we're told up front. I like that. And Cordova seems to remember a saying I've heard reported often. “If you're short of everything except the enemy, you're in combat.” Seriously, it can get annoying when authors ignore that every weapon requires ammunition. And, if you've ever read anything about military planning, you're always advised to assume that your enemy is at least as smart as you are. Cordova gets that as well.

Wraithkin is the first book in a series and I can't wait to get to the rest of it. There are obvious lead-ins to what comes next. There is a mystery here. The war is still ongoing. There is something I'm not talking about. In short, there is more to come and I want to know what it is. There is literally no higher compliment I can give an author. I consumed what he had to give me and I want more. I'll be looking for it.

Bottom Line: 4.75 out of 5 Imperfect Genes

Wraithkin
Jason Cordova
Theogony Books, 2017

Wraithkin is available for purchase at the following link. If you click it and buy literally anything, I get a small percentage.

It's Time... It's Time... It's Dragon Time!

(Author's Note: For those that missed it, the Dragon Awards are a fan based science fiction award show. They're the best of the year as decided by the people who love the genre. Basically,  they're what the Hugo Awards used to claim to be before they admitted that they were only for the people who attend Worldcon. The Dragons are also part of a con (in this case DragonCon) but there is no requirement to buy a membership to vote. If you love Science Fiction and Fantasy (and otherwise, why would you be here?) you should nominate and eventually vote.)

Oops,

I just realized this was probably still earlier than it should have been, but for some reason I thought the deadline was July first when it's actually the nineteenth. Oh well. Hopefully, I don't read anything worth nominating in the next few weeks. Or, hopefully I do? I mean, I love a good book but like, I don't want to miss anything...

Ya know?

At any rate...

Is anyone interested in seeing what I nominated for the Dragon Awards this year?


Well, here you go then:

I'm thinking that's not really good enough, so let me help you out with why I picked what I did.

Uncompromising Honor is the culmination of a series of books that I, as a relative newcomer, have only been following for about fifteen years. It was amazing. It was everything I hoped it would be. And, although it is the end of the official "main line" series, it's not necessarily the end of Honor Harrington. I loved this book.

My review for Come, Seeling Night is coming soon. I sat down to write that review and then ended up writing this. Paxton Locke is a bad man. This thing cooks. I'll be sharing my thoughts in the next day or two.

The Mask Shop of Dr. Blaack is a fun little Halloween story. It's got suspense and the beginnings of romance. I need to get my daughter to read this.

Aries' Red Sky was everything I love in a Mil SF: It was realistic. It was dark. It was gritty. And most importantly, it showed the way warriors think and that they don't all have the same beliefs and values. James Young is a vet and it showed when he wrote this book.

The World Asunder was amazing. It turned a character I had hated into a character I loved. The historical research that went into this was intense. I loved it.

I don't read a whole lot of horror, but I've read everything in Declan Finn's Saint Tommy NYPD series so far because it's that damn good. (Okay, so I haven't finished Crusader yet, but I just got it.) My pick was Hellspawn because it's the best of the bunch, and I'm not even a "The First One is Always the Best One" nerd. I promise.

Deadworld: Requiem for the World is good old fashioned ass-kickery with a plot. It's a reboot and I'm not usually a fan but this one is good enough to make an exception.

Good Omens: I haven't read the book, but I love the show. I haven't done a review because lazy.

Mortal Engines didn't do as well at the box office as it should have because there just aren't that many steampunk fans. It's still the best SF/F movie I've seen this year. If you love steampunk SEE THIS MOVIE. If you're curious about Steampunk, SEE THIS MOVIE. I loved this flick. For the record, I have yet to see Endgame and my GF is probably gonna kick my ass for not nominating it.

I'm hoping that World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is eligible since it's an expansion and not an entirely new game. The new patch looks awesome. I know I never took time to review it but that's because I was too busy playing it.

In looking over my picks, it comes to my attention that I need to read some new comics. I've done some comic reading, but even the stuff I bought at the comic con from the guy who wrote it is copyright 2016. So it's time to get to my LCS.

I've been doing a lot of tabletop gaming, but all of that is stuff that's too old to nominate and I guess I just don't play enough games on my phone. Actually, that may be a good thing. I've got enough things to eat up my time.

So there's my list for the year. What does your's look like? I'll be waiting for the cheers, jeers, and thrown crockery. Leave your comments below.

Some of the products listed above are available at the links below:




 

NOMINATE, NOMINATE, NOMINATE... LATER!!!!!

Friends, Romans, Country-men, lend me your ears...

Or sumfin'. I mean, it's a cool saying and why should I have to do all of the work around here?

I mean, I write about five thousand words a month on this blog. That's almost as much as a lot of indy authors write in a day. I'm clearly overworked and have no sense of irony.

Or sumfin'.

Look, I love all of you out there in cyberspace and I love the geeky people more than most but help me out here...

Listen, I understand that, once again, the Dragon Awards nominations ballots are available. I get that it's the only award truly given by the fans. (No, the Hugo Awards are not fan awards. They're given by a cabal of professionals and have intentionally run the fans out of the nominating process). I fully support what they're doing and love the fact that theirs is truly a trophy given to someone out of the love of the people who support the product. I even get the fact that they urge you to nominate early. I'm just asking you to wait.

I see you working. Yes you, out there in some other part of reality with the red face and smoke coming out of your ears.

Or sumfin'

You're trying to conflate this with an attempt to tell people to not nominate at all, but that's just not what it is.

You're trying to say that I'm denigrating the nomination process. I'm not and in fact I will release my list of nominations later this year.

I'm just using my towering perch to reach the masses of humanity..

Or sumfin'

 Look, I've received two emails recently thanking me for "all you do for the genre" and now I'm starting to suffer delusions of mediocrity. Any more of this and I'll start believing that this blog actually matters. I don't know if I can stand the ego boost that would give me. If I start thinking that I'm good at something life gets weird.

... To point out a simple fact:

Works first released between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 are eligible for this year's award. Seriously. I totes stole that wording right off of the ballot. Yup, I'm a bad boy alright. I mean, that ballot could have been copyrighted. I'm a rebel!

Or sumfin'

What that also means is that any works published between now and June 30 will not be eligible for next year's award because eligibility for the 2020 Dragon Awards will start with works published on July 1, 2019.  So, if an award worthy work comes out between when you nominate and the end of the eligibility period, you don't get to nominate it. If enough of this happens, we could end up leaving out some people whose only crime was waiting until their product was ready to release it. That sucks.

Or sumfin'

Look, I'm not telling you who to nominate. I'm not telling you to avoid nominating something that has already been published. I'm just urging you to think about this:

Today's date is March 16. The end of the eligibility period is June 30.  That's three months and fourteen days away. That means that over twenty-five percent of the eligibility period is still left. That's a quarter of all the books, games, shows and movies that aren't even released to the public yet. None of us (unless you're an ARC recipient, of course) have seen them. You can't know how good something is, and thus whether it deserves an award if you haven't laid eyes up on it.

I mean, if you've got your mind made up in some categories, that's good. I know I'll be voting the most recent WoW expansion (Battle for Azeroth) for Best Video Game. I know I'll be voting Hell Spawn for Best Horror Novel, etc.

I'm just saying to give some time to people who are still hard at work on what they're doing. They deserve it and I, for one don't want to see someone rushing out product that's not ready just so that they can get it done before nominations start. We're all better off when creators take their time to get things right. No one likes their SF/F to suck. Especially me.

Or sumfin'

Now don't get me wrong.  I understand that a lot of creators and/or publishers have published lists early. That makes sense. There are people out there, The World's Most Awesome GF(TM) included, who buy everything on a nomination list and read/watch it before voting. There are others who may not buy everything but might not ever have heard of a particular creator before they get nominated. The Dragon Awards are not just an award, they're free marketing and they attract the attention of the target market for a lot of this stuff. It makes sense to try to get onto the ballot. And guys, I approve.

Publishing, whether it's books, movies/TV or games is a for-profit business. Publishers employ people who use the money to care for their families. Creators skip the middleman and use the money they make off of their work to feed their families directly. This is a good thing. We all need food in our bellies and a roof over our head and if getting their work nominated makes it easier to do that work...

Hell, I'd do it too. Seriously.

Or sumfin'.

And there might just be an ulterior motive behind my belief that the Dragon Awards should do an award for Best Fan Site. Maybe that makes me a bad guy, but at least I'm an honest bad guy.

Here's the thing though: The marketing is the marketing. One nomination is one nomination. Think about this, too: The list isn't released until after the end of the nomination period. So, even if you are helping people to promote their product and feed their families, you're not doing a better job of it by nominating earlier. It's a wash either way.  And one that doesn't even have a harpoon sticking out of it's stomach.

Or sumfin'

 So yes, send your nominations soaring into the Dragon Awards like a leaf on the wind...

But do it three months from now and not today. Because later works deserve consideration too.

Or sumfin'

And no, I'm not including a link to the ballot now. I'll do that when I post my picks in three months time. Because I practice what I preach and I'm not locking anyone out.


Some works that have been nominated for Dragon Awards past are listed below:

A Suggestion for the Dragon Awards

Listen, I'm a lover of the Dragon Awards. As the only award truly given by the fandom, I think they're both important and interesting, not to mention fun. So under no circumstances should this post be misconstrued as a nerd rage or anything. I really appreciate what the Dragons do for Science Fiction and Fantasy in all of its forms. I mean seriously, who else gives awards for SF/F card and board games? I started this blog with the premise that the Science Fiction community needs to open the umbrella and let more people and their hobbies in. The Dragon Awards have done exactly what I asked for and they've done a better job at my mission than I have. It sucks to admit that to myself, but it's true.

So no, I'm not here to lambaste a group that doesn't deserve it. I do, however, think that maybe, just possibly, the World's Most Awesome Awards could possibly open itself up to just one more category. It encompasses a group of people who labor away talking about what they love and spreading the word, often with zero compensation. I'm talking about people who spend their time promoting many of the same works that get nominated and win Dragon Awards. I'm talking about people like me.

I'm talking about people who have fan sites. Seriously. I hear you laughing out there, but think about it. The Dragon Awards are a celebration of Science Fiction and Fantasy. They are the expression of love from a fandom that is at times contentious, but is united in its love of all thing Science Fictional. I think it's time to bring attention to those who bring attention to the super talented authors and game designers, movie directors, etc. that the Dragons have.

No, I'm not going to lie to you. I really would love to win a Dragon someday. I'm also not delusional. There are many sites out there with a much bigger following than mine. I might, if I'm lucky and/or my girlfriend is feeling generous that day, receive one mention on a nomination ballot. This isn't about me.

I'm not trying to take away from the amount of work it takes to write a one hundred thousand word novel. I'm not trying to denigrate people who direct movies with huge casts and crews that probably number in the hundreds or the writers who work just as hard as novelists to get their stories on paper. I'm just saying that those of us who own and maintain websites work hard too.

Just the other day I was freaking out about ever completing a novel. I mean, fifty or sixty thousand words is a lot, right? Sort of. My favorite publishing house is Baen and they require a minimum of one hundred thousand words. Good gosh, golly-gee, how could I ever write a hundred thousand words?

Then, I thought about it. This is my one hundred and sixty-sixth post. After my first few posts, I was told that it was better for Seach Engine Optimization purposes if I did posts that were at least one thousand words long. I've written to at least that length ever since. Some are like ten words over and others are over twice that. Out of one hundred and sixty-six posts, I'm guessing (and I'm too lazy to count) that there are at least one hundred and seventy five thousand words contained within this blog. That's a lot. I'm not scared to write a novel anymore. I haven't exactly finished one either, but nobody's perfect.

And that's just the amount of work that I've put into this blog. There are much larger sites that put a lot more work in than I do. I post a couple of times a month. I'm at forty-nine posts for the year and I'm on pace to write more posts in one calendar year than I ever have before. There are sites out there with multiple contributors posting daily. They're the people telling people about these books, movies and games. They're putting in their blood sweat and tears too. I'm just thinking they might deserve a little recognition as well.

Now, to be fair, I might limit it to people who don't have works eligible in other categories. I'm a huge fan of both Sarah Hoyt and Larry Correia. I buy their books. I read their books. I've reviewed them both here. I go to their blogs. The fact remains that, were it up to me, I'd make their blogs ineligible for a Best Fan Site Dragon. I wouldn't allow sites like Baen.com or Tor.com to compete in this category either. Ditto the official Blizzard forums for games like WoW or Hearthstone, etc. Make this an award for the fans.

I'm not saying to rule out all professionals though. I mean, IO9 pays its writers and I'd be perfectly okay with them competing. I'm just saying that we need to keep this to people who write about science fiction and fantasy instead of people who write science fiction and fantasy. It should be about those of us who ordinarily wouldn't get the accolades. Seriously folks, this is one for the people.
I hate to do this, but I have to give the Hugos props here. They have a “Best Related Work” category. Now, I wouldn't do it the same way they do. I know of SF authors who have been nominated for Best Related Work. I know that the Hugos in general are controlled by one small group of nominators who get their own elected every year. I'm not asking to have the award (if it ever happens) limited to one person who sits at the right table at the awards banquet every year.I just think we should be part of the discussion.

The Dragon Awards are given at DragonCon every year. DragonCon is, at the end of the day, about connecting the fans with the content creators and having a good time doing it.  When the rubber meets the road though, the people carrying the load and doing our best to promote the hobby are the people out there, like me, who write about it. How about a little love for us too?

Some links to DragonCon related products are listed below:

Vote! Matter! Be a Dragon!

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!

The Dragon Awards

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!!

Or sumfin'

Listen guys. I've been over this before. The Hugos are not a fan award. They are an award given out by publishing insiders. That's all there is to it. They have no interest in the opinions of actual fandom or anyone under the age of sixty. Oh sure, they'll take your money but try to vote against established groupthink and you're done for. Try it. We did last year and they No Awarded half the damn categories because we didn't nominated who they wanted. That's seriously what that whole kerfuffle was about. Well, at least up until they passed out wooden assholes at the award ceremony to let everyone know what they think of us. But hey, I've been called worse, believe me. This year I expect them to lose their collective shit once again. We'll see if there will even be a Hugo Award going forward. There may be. Tor is doing its best to make sure that the Hugo survives and becomes a house award. Good luck to them I guess. But that's not why I'm posting. This is actually a celebratory post. Wanna know why? Good, I'll tell you.

Dragoncon is making an attempt at actual fan-driven awards. All you have to do is vote to register. I'll be voting tonight. I know I've received my ballot via email. Here is the complete ballot:


1. Best Science Fiction Novel
Raising Caine by Charles E. Gannon
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
Agent of the Imperium by Marc Miller
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwitheriing Realm by John C. Wright
The Life Engineered by J-F Dubeau

2. Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)
Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia
Asteroid Made of Dragons by G. Derek Adams
Blood Hound by James Osiris Baldwin
Changeling’s Island by Dave Freer
Grave Measures by R.R. Virdi
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

3. Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
Updraft by Fran Wilde
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Trix and the Faerie Queen by Alethea Kontis
Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley
Changeling’s Island by Dave Freer
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

4. Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
Allies and Enemies: Fallen by Amy J. Murphy
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler
Blood in the Water by Taylor Anderson
Chains of Command by Marko Kloos
The End of All Things by John Scalzi
Wrath of an Angry God: A Military Space Opera by Gibson Michaels
Hell's Foundations Quiver by David Weber

5. Best Alternate History Novel
1636: The Cardinal Virtues by Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt
Bombs Away: The Hot War by Harry Turtledove
Deadlands: Ghostwalkers by Jonathan Maberry
1635: A Parcel of Rogues by Eric Flint & Andrew Dennis
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
Germanica by Robert Conroy

6. Best Apocalyptic Novel
The Desert and the Blade by S.M. Stirling
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A Time to Die by Mark Wandrey
Dark Age by Felix O. Hartmann
Ctrl Alt Revolt! by Nick Cole
Chasing Freedom by Marina Fontaine

7. Best Horror Novel
Chapelwood by Cherie Priest
Honor at Stake by Declan Finn
Souldancer by Brian Niemeier
Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay
An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
Alice by Christina Henry

8. Best Comic Book
DC Universe: Rebirth
Daredevil
Astro City
Ms. Marvel
Civil War II
Saga
Providence

9. Best Graphic Novel
Chicago by Glenn Head
The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman
Virgil by Steve Orlando
Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia
March: Book Two by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin
Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine

10. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
Game of Thrones - HBO
Jessica Jones - Netflix
Doctor Who - BBC
The Flash - CW
The Expanse - Syfy
Outlander - Starz
Daredevil - Netflix

11. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Crimson Peak
Deadpool
Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens
The Martian
Captain America: Civil War
Ant-Man

12. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game
Fallout 4 by Bethesda Softworks
Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios
Undertale by Toby Fox
XCOM 2 by 2k Games
Overwatch by Blizzard Entertainment
Metal Gear Solid V by Konami Digital Entertainment

13. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes by Electronic Arts
Quaser One by Emre Taskin
Fallout Shelter by Bethesda Softworks
Hyper Burner by Patrick Cook
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist by Outerminds Inc.



14. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

Codenames by Vlaada Chvatil
Monopoly: CTHULHU by USAopoly
Pandemic: Legacy by ZMan Games
Blood Rage by Cool Mini or Not
Talon by GMT Games
Star Wars: Rebellion by Fantasy Flight Games



15. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game
Star Wars: Armada by Fantasy Flight Games
Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th Edition) by Chaosium Inc.
Mousguard 2nd Edition by David Petersen & Luke Crane
Magic the Gathering: Battle of Zendikar by Wizards of the Coast
Magic the Gathering: Shadows over Innistrad by Wizards of the Coast
Deluxe Tunnels Trolls by Flying Buffalo

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game
Congrats to all of the nominees!


Here are my votes and why:

1.) Best SF Novel: Raising Caine by Chuck Gannon. Simple. Chuck Gannon's writing is fast paced and entertaining. Caine Riordan is an awesome character and this book just rocks.

2.) Best Fantasy Novel: For those of you out there who may not be Larry Correia fans, he constantly states that every author's mission statement should include the words GET PAID. This one has a terrific new world, an awesome main character and a story that has enough mystery that I want to read more. Congratulations, Mr Correia. You're going to GET PAID when you get my money for the next installment.

3.) Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel: Honestly, I haven't read any of these. I did buy Changelings Island, but being a YA title it got pushed to the back of the queue. I won't be voting in this category.

4.) Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel: Hell's Foundations Quiver by David Weber because OMFG SAFEHOLD ROCKS!!! Epic  cast. Epic Action. Epic Heroes. Epic Villains. God, I love this series.

5.) Best Alternate History Novel:  Bombs Away: The Hot War Harry Turtledove. I'll tell the story of how I came to love Turtledove's work on the blog sometime. For now, just know that Turtledove is the master of Alt-Hist and this is another gem.

6.) Best Apocalyptic Novel: Control Alt Revolt by Nick Cole. Computer takeover. It's like the Cylons a few centuries early. Loved this thing. Look for a review here soon.

7.) Best Horror Novel: Honor at Stake by Declan Finn. See my review. 'Nuff said.

8.) Best Comic Book: I haven't done much comic reading this year for financial reasons. I won't be voting in this category.

9.) Best Graphic Novel: Ditto

10.) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Series: Doctor Who, because Dr Who. I want a sonic screw driver.

11.) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens because blatant fan bias. I went with my mom to see Return of the Jedi in 1983 during its original release. I've been a fan ever since. I loved this flick.

12.) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Video Game: I spend a massive amount of time gaming but I'm a WoWhead and that's all I really play. I have neither the time nor the money to adequately research this and so I won't be voting.

13.) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game:  Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes by Electronic Art. I checked this out and loved it. It's something to play when I'm not at home and can't get to my WoW account.

14.) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game: 
Monopoly: CTHULHU by USAopoly because I will play it and so will my oldest daughter.
Magic the Gathering: Battle of Zendikar by Wizards of the Coast. I don't do many of these types of things but I walked up to the comic shop near my home and checked this out while some other people were playing it. It's a good time.

15.)  Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game: 
Magic the Gathering: Battle of Zendikar. I'll be honest. My card playing is fairly minimal but I have wandered into the comic shop next to my house a couple of times and I've enjoyed this. Some of the guys were nice enough to loan me their deck.

Now, the disclaimer: Should you vote for what I did? Well, maybe. I'm certainly not telling anyone not to vote for who I did. On the other hand, I don't want anyone voting for something just because I did. I definitely wouldn't want anyone to leave something blank because I did. Make up your own mind. Read, watch, play, love. Make up your own mind and make your choices known.  There's no reason not to. There is no cost associated. Just go to this link and register to vote if you haven't already. I'm stoked. It's about time SF/F got some awards that were actually chosen by the fans and not based on who sat with who at least year's award banquet. Here's our chance. Now is our time. VOTE DAMMIT!!!


Some of the products I voted for are listed below. I'd list everything but I've only got a few minutes left on my lunch at work:

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:

• 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

I stole those categories from this press release. I wanted to make sure I got them right. View them for yourself and make your own judgments about what's there, what's not there and what should be. Here's what I see though:

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: