As a (admittedly lacking) science fiction reader/author, I’ve been following the rumpus surrounding the 2015 Hugo Awards for Science Fiction. Simply put, they’re fan-based awards, given to works of science fiction* that exemplify the best talent in the industry.
* Or at least, that’s what it used to be. In the last 2 years, we’ve discovered it was a thinly disguised club who used it to promote works that were neither science fiction, nor the best that the industry had to offer.
Naturally, people were upset about this and pressed back, and so the Hugo Awards ended up burning themselves to the ground instead of letting “unapproved” authors and editors get their coveted awards.
Honestly, Larry Corriea explains it perfectly here.
I’ve noticed over the last year or so, with GamerGate and now the Hugo Awards, that being a moderate in these areas is ineffective and counterproductive. Not wanting to hurt people’s feelings ends up backfiring 99% of the time, because the people you’re trying not to offend don’t care if they offend you.
So as believers, do we simply smile and back away? Do we take our toys and go play in another sandbox? Or do we put our foot down, insist on playing by the same rules, and beat them at their own game? Continue reading “My Thoughts On the 2015 Hugo Awards”