Hugo Reminders
Posted on February 21, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 14 Comments
Hey there, folks — I’ve been asked to remind all you potential Hugo nominators (that would be those people who attended last year’s Worldcon, Denvention 3, and/or have registered for this year’s Worldcon, Anticipation) that there’s just a week to get your nomination ballots in, and that if you’re submitting your nominations online, sooner is rather better than later, since there’s often a last minute crush to get those nominations in, and computers, they can be twitchy. So don’t wait until the 28th: soon is good.
If you need some Hugo and Campbell nomination suggestions, I put up a thread a couple of weeks ago for people to put suggestions in. And they did! So that’s good too.
Also, and on a personal note, while there are Hugo categories I hope you might consider me for, I’ll remind folks that this year I’m actively encouraging people to nominate people other than me in the Best Fan Writer category, on the principle that there is a lot of excellent writing by fans out there (even fans who also happen to be pros), and that it would be a good thing to spread around the Far Writer Hugo so that some of that excellence can be recognized.
While I won’t specify which five people I put in the Fan Writer nomination slots (except to say I didn’t nominate myself in the category), here are some of the people I think are doing good fan writing right now, in no particular order: Chris Garcia, John Hertz, Cheryl Morgan, Kate Nepveu, Mike Glyer, Steve Silver, James Nicoll, Nicholas Whyte, Jay Lake, Elizabeth Bear, Toby Buckell, Thomas Wagner.
Those are just off the top of my head; there are others who deserve to be considered as well. Indeed, if you, gentle reader, would like to suggest someone worth nominating in the Best Fan Writer category — and who has not won the award in, oh, let’s say, the last 20 years — please add their name to the comment thread. I’m serious about getting people to nominate in this category, and recognizing good fan writing. Let’s get this Hugo in the hands of more people.
Jo Walton! Kathryn Cramer.
Sherwood Smith:
http://sartorias.livejournal.com/
WHile you specifically stated that there was no order to that Fan Writer list, my ego will take pride that it was listed first!
Oh yeah, and James Bacon, Leigh Ann Hildebrand, Claire Brialey and Taral Wayne should all be on the ballot!
Chris
I heartily agree with Mary Kay on Jo Walton and Kathryn Cramer, and with James Nicoll as a suggestion. I would personally add Lloyd Penney to the list.
Heh. I was coming over here to say, thank you very much, and if people like my writing over on Tor.com, I hope they’ll also look at Jo Walton’s too . . .
Abi Sutherland of making Light, also Patrick Nielsen Hayden.
I would suggest Abigail Nussbaum and Mark Plummer, as well as seconding Claire Brialey and Jo Walton.
[blush] Thanky, kind sir!
Robert J. Defendi
http://www.playtesting.net — his Death by Cliché podcast audio book is brilliant, hilarious, and wonderfully performed.
(Note: I take full credit for convincing him to release it in this way.)
I second Bob Defendi for Death by Clichè.
Just wondering, what exactly a “fan writer” is? I think it would be great for someone like Ralan of Ralan.com be eligible? He’s been helping writers for more than a decade, basically for free. See the website for yourself at Ralan.com. Thanks.
Nothing against any of the people John brought up, but I’d like to see Heather Massey get a nomination for best fan writer. Unlike many of the people mentioned above she is not doing fan writing on the side it is her main gig. She is working her bottom off over at Galaxy Express and as guest blogger other places around the web trying to get Science Fiction Romance some respect as a legit part of both the SF and Romance genres.
If you have never checked out her site you should give it a look.
http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2009/02/cosmic-idol-iii-final-conflict.html
Check out her SF spoofs of American Idol from last week if you really need lift.
*Blushing*. Mary, thanks for your kind words.
I know the nominations deadline has passed, but I would like to encourage everyone In The Know to vote on the FAAn Awards, to be awarded at Corflu Zed in Seattle, WA, this rapidly upcoming March 13-15, 2009. I believe the deadline is this Friday night (March 6th).