In between unpacking my books today, I’ve been following the various discussions about what to do about the Hugo voting this year and how to address the deeply conservative, demonstrably sexist, racist, and anti-queer movement instituting a slate-based nomination process as a way to game the system and shut out any other voices but the ones they’ve contrived to put forward (and many of whom apparently agreed to be put forward by them–when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas).
I don’t want to see a move toward counter-slates. I pretty much categorically refuse to follow a slate because my reading habits and preferences will never align with other people’s. I don’t have time to read comprehensively, and I won’t nominate something unless I’ve read it. The SP/RP contingent would say (and has said today) that this is why they won this year. They’re treating their gamification of the nomination process as a feature rather than a deeply divisive bug.
I’m sharing my Hugo nomination ballot as a protest against the SP/RP notion that they’ve won against some secret cabal that has been undermining the Hugo process for years. Thank you to all the people whose work I enjoyed this year (including those I didn’t nominate because I figured they’d have it locked and I wanted to give a nod to a personal favorite instead). I’m sorry I won’t get to vote for you.
Thank you for your nomination for the 2015 Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award.
Below is a summary of your current nominating ballot:
Your nominations for Best Novel:
The Tropic of Serpents, Marie Brennan, Tor
Ancillary Sword, Ann Leckie, Orbit
The Mirror Empire, Kameron Hurley, Angry Robot
The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter, Rod Duncan, Angry Robot
Shield and Crocus, Michael Underwood, 47 North
Your nominations for Best Novella:
Grand Jeté (The Great Leap), Rachel Swirsky, Subterranean Press
Your nominations for Best Novelette:
Mad Maudlin, Marie Brennan, Tor.com
Nine Instances of Rain, M. Huw Evans, Giganotosaurus
Spring Festival: Happiness, Anger, Love, Sorrow, Joy, Xia Jia, translated by Ken Liu Clarkesworld,
The Husband Stitch, Carmen Maria Machado, Granta
Your nominations for Best Short Story:
The Drawstring Detective, Nik Houser, Lightspeed
Daughter of Necessity, Marie Brennan, Tor.com
This is the Way I Die, Damien Angelica Walters, Nightmare
Have You Heard the One about Anamaria Marquez, Isabel Yap, Nightmare
Karina Who Kissed Spacetime, Indrapramit Das, Apex
Your nominations for Best Related Work:
Women Destroy Science Fiction, Christie Yant, et. al., Lightspeed
Women Destroy Fantasy, Cat Rambo, et. al., Lightspeed
Your nominations for Best Graphic Story:
Saga: Volume 4, Brian K. Vaughn, Image Comics
Saga: Volume 3, Brian K. Vaughn, Image Comics
Your nominations for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form):
Big Hero 6, Don Hall and Chris Williams, Disney
Captain America: Winter Soldier, Joe and Anthony Russo, Marvel
Into the Woods, Rob Marshall, Disney
Your nominations for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form):
Your nominations for Best Professional Editor (Short Form):
John Joseph Adams
Ann Vandermeer
Jonathan Oliver
Cat Rambo
Scott H. Andrews
Your nominations for Best Professional Editor (Long Form):
Marc Gascoigne
Jenni Hill
Lee Harris
Beth Meachum
Liz Gorisky
Your nominations for Best Professional Artist:
Fiona Staples Saga
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Your nominations for Best Semiprozine:
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Scott H. Andrews
Daily Science Fiction, Jonathan Laden and Michele Barasso
Shimmer, E. Catherine Tobler
Crossed Genres, Bart R. Leib & Kay T. Holt & Kelly Jennings
The Book Smugglers, Ana Grilo & Thea James
Your nominations for Best Fanzine:
Diabolical Plots, Steffen, David
Your nominations for Best Fancast:
The Skiffy and Fanty Show, Duke, Shaun
Toasted Cake, Connolly, Tina
Welcome to Nightvale, Joseph Fink, Cecil Baldwin
Your nominations for Best Fan Writer:
Foz Meadows, http://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/hypocrisy-race-and-literary-gentrification/
Liz Bourke, http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/06/sleeps-with-monsters-orphan-black-is-freaking-awesome
Your nominations for Best Fan Artist:
aimo, http://irmaahmed.tumblr.com/
Your nominations for The John W. Campbell Award (not a Hugo):
Henry Lien, 2nd year
Helen Marshall, 2nd year
Isabel Yap, 1st year
Usman T. Malik, 2nd year
Emily Jiang, 2nd year
As for the underwhelming Hugo packet I’m about to receive, I’m committing myself to read 10% of everything. Anything that isn’t at least as good as the works I nominated is not getting any more of my precious reading time, and it’s getting left off my voting ballot in favor of No Award.
Alyc Helms 