Let's take a moment to talk about the Hugo Awards.: seanan

Let's take a moment to talk about the Hugo Awards.

Hi.

My name is Seanan McGuire, and I'd like to talk to you about the Hugo Awards.

I'm going to be upfront here: I do have a potential horse in this race. I've posted about my eligibility for this year's awards already, and I've never made any secret of the fact that I really would love to win a Hugo for fiction. In my perfect world, this would be my year, because a Hugo for Blackout would be like a Hugo for the whole trilogy. There's no way I could make this entry without these facts being considered, because if I didn't state them up front, it might seem like I was trying to hide them, and I'm not. I just want you to set them aside for a moment, and focus on the awards as a whole.

Did you know that anyone can nominate, and vote, for the Hugo Awards? All you have to do is become a Supporting Member of this year's World Science Fiction Convention by January 31st. (You could also become a full member and attend the con, if you've been hankering for an excuse to go to Texas and see lots of cool people, like me, and Paul Cornell, and probably more than that, but let's be honest. Me and Paul in the bar for the weekend would be a pretty good time.) The Book Smugglers hosted this amazing post about the Hugos, and I want to quote one bit that really stood out to me:

"I highly encourage everyone, especially people who believe, like I do, that there’s space for YA recognition, more women, non-white, and international voices, to look at the membership options and if joining the process and the conversation around it is possible, give it a shot. See if it’s worth investing in each year. Nominate the people and things you love. Vote for the stuff you think represents the best of genre, the best of all the things that the future science fiction and fantasy fandom should remember."

We can shape the future of the genre, everybody, and that's amazing.

Now that I've made my plea for the awards in general, and made my own horses known, I'd like to bring up three horses that I have nothing to do with, but which I still think deserve your consideration, if you have the opportunity.

Fringe season four, episode 19, "Letters in Transit." Oh my sweet Great Pumpkin. This is an amazing hour of television, it's just breathtaking, whether you're a Fringe fan or someone who doesn't know the show. Fringe hasn't made the ballot before, and seriously, I think that may be a crime against televised science fiction. Please consider this episode for Best Dramatic Short Form.

Phineas and Ferb season three, episode 18, "Excaliferb." Phineas and Ferb is some of the best science fiction being made for television today, and the fact that it's primarily geared at eight-year-olds doesn't stop it from being enjoyable and accessible to an adult audience. This was the first part of the time-slip chronicles, and is basically a Princess Bride parody with a fire-breathing dragon/platypus hybrid. Please consider this episode for Best Dramatic Short Form.

And finally, my biggest horse...Mark Oshiro, of Mark Reads. Mark produces interesting, hysterical, thoughtful videos and blog posts almost daily, and has built a huge, inclusive, interactive, exciting fan community dedicated to discussing and dissecting his reviews and analysis of speculative fiction. Seriously, this is some of the best deconstruction of genre I've ever seen. Plus the man is a living reaction shot. When he is not prepared for something, he is totally not prepared. Were he to win a Hugo, his acceptance speech would probably go on to receive an Oscar nomination, because it would be the ultimate in unpreparedness. He's a great guy who runs a great blog and provides some of the best fan writing I've seen on the Internet in years. Please consider Mark Oshiro, of Mark Reads, for Best Fan Writer.

Those are the horses, and those are the reasons you should put yourself into a position to choose some horses for yourself. The Hugo Awards are a big deal, and participation, while not free (or even affordable for everyone), is well worth the cost if you can swing it. Be a part of history. Be a part of choosing what the community etches into the roll of heroes. Help somebody win a medal so big and shiny that it'll make all of Felix's medals wet their pants (did I mention that I want Wreck-It Ralph to win everything, forever?).

Thank you for your time.

spectralbovine

January 25 2013, 16:13:47 UTC 4 years ago

New comment

Mark would probably be the first gay person-of-color to be nominated for Best Fan Writer, too, I'd guess. Do it for DIVERSITY. Also because he totally deserves it. Do it for DESERVITY.

Mark Oshiro is also of Mark Watches, and he spent the last year writing about Buffy, Angel, and Dollhouse, and, without fail, he gave me a renewed and new appreciation for each show, discovering themes I'd never picked up on before and illuminating character arcs I hadn't paid much attention to. Mark makes me love things more than I already did, and, you guys, I already love things a lot.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2013, 16:16:20 UTC 4 years ago

Mark is like an overflowing ocean of love inspiration.

tygerversionx

4 years ago

shiyiya

beccastareyes

January 25 2013, 16:25:37 UTC 4 years ago

Someone (John Scalzi? Sure, let's blame him!) also suggested nominating 'Mark Reads Shadow War of the Night Dragons' for the short-form best performance. If you can fit it on your ballots for things other than Phineas and Ferb and Fringe. (Mostly I want to see more things in that category that are not Doctor Who. Because while I appreciate Doctor Who, having it have more than half the ballot slots is a bit excessive.)

January 25 2013, 16:32:45 UTC 4 years ago

Blame Scalzi for everything!

(Especially this, because it really was him.)

(And while it would be cute to get that on the ballot, Mark has a much better chance of making it on the ballot for Best Fan Writer. In 2011, it only took 30 nominations. In 2012, it took 41. I know for a fact that more than 41 people read Mark's sites! If only they all had memberships..)

reedrover

January 25 2013, 16:37:30 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you for introducing me to Mark. I had not known of him, and there he is, reading Tortall of all things. Of course I'm going to love him and hug him and call him... Mark. And I have a ballot with a nice empty line sitting in front of me just waiting for his name.

In case there are lazy LJ-readers like me out there, you can subscribe to his feed at http://markreadsnet.livejournal.com/ and have it come straight to LJ.

January 25 2013, 16:40:31 UTC 4 years ago

I will say that the comments on Mark's sites are almost as fun as—if not more fun than—the reviews, and Tamora Pierce comments on the Tortall posts.

filkferengi

wendyzski

January 25 2013, 16:53:37 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

This is the first time I've ever been eligible to nominate, and other than a few quick OMG MY FAVORITE then I started getting overwhelmed with the choices and the sheer volume of material that's eligible. Combine that with my vague confusion about what makes some of the categories different (I have never keep short story and novella straight in my head) and I had a three page ballot with like 3 things written down.

So I really appreciate people in the know who post clear not only "Here is the stuff I did that is eligible" but also "Here is stuff I think is worthy of nomination and here is where you write it down". I don't always take the advice given - sometimes either I didn't read it or I didn't like it, but it's helpful to have some actual yes/no choices laid out for me as opposed to DECIDE ALL THE THINGS!!!!!

January 25 2013, 18:04:09 UTC 4 years ago

Exactly. No one's going to stand over you and fill out your ballot ("NOMINATE THIS OR I WILL HATE YOU!!!!"), but having guides and suggestions can really help to make choices clearer, and make it more likely that the things you do want to nominate will have a shot.

tiferet

January 25 2013, 17:01:38 UTC 4 years ago

I can't afford to sign up in time to nominate unless I get a windfall before the end of the month (I just got hit with the hugest and scariest student loan thing) but I have put down the date that I have to join by in order to vote for you after you get your nomination (and I do believe you will).

January 25 2013, 18:04:19 UTC 4 years ago

jenett

January 25 2013, 17:13:20 UTC 4 years ago

Mark is awesome, yes, and yay for him getting more attention.

Also worth noting for people looking at the membership: the last several years, supporting membership has also gotten you an electronic file with as many of the nominees on the ballot as they can get permissions for. (I'm having trouble finding the complete list from last year, but it was a lot. Anyway, a bunch of really good reading.)

January 25 2013, 17:42:20 UTC 4 years ago

I'm pretty sure it covered all the fiction, including the Campbell Award, samples from the 'zines, fan writers, artists and short-form editors, plus the Related Work and Graphic Novel. The only thing it was missing was long-form editor (though a list of books they had worked on that year were included), and the Dramatic Presentations.

It was enough to keep me reading for months after I got it.

ladymondegreen

quotidian_c

jeremypreacher

January 25 2013, 17:55:22 UTC 4 years ago

I totally support, and will nominate, Mark for Best Fan Writer, and I'm super glad to see someone with a platform saying it too, because he deserves it.

January 25 2013, 18:05:07 UTC 4 years ago

Agreed.

groblek

January 25 2013, 18:30:39 UTC 4 years ago

I just visited Mark's site for the first time, and read his post on chapter 20 of Deadline. He's managed to communicate my reaction to that chapter much more coherently and funnier than I could. I suspect I'll be spending a lot of time on his site over the next few days, and will totally nominate him.

January 25 2013, 20:20:04 UTC 4 years ago

Yay!

serge_lj

January 25 2013, 18:41:05 UTC 4 years ago Edited: January 25 2013, 18:44:43 UTC

I was thinking of nominating "Discount Armaggedon".
It's a tossup between your two novels.

January 25 2013, 19:00:37 UTC 4 years ago

You mean three novels. Discount Armageddon, Ashes of Honor, and Blackout. Well, four, since Velveteen counts too.

calico_reaction

January 25 2013, 19:48:59 UTC 4 years ago

Fringe season four, episode 19, "Letters in Transit." Oh my sweet Great Pumpkin. This is an amazing hour of television, it's just breathtaking, whether you're a Fringe fan or someone who doesn't know the show. Fringe hasn't made the ballot before, and seriously, I think that may be a crime against televised science fiction. Please consider this episode for Best Dramatic Short Form.

OMG YES. I'm totally campaigning for that one!

Did you catch the series finale last week? Thoughts?

January 25 2013, 20:20:49 UTC 4 years ago

I did, and I cried so hard. Like, gasping, choking, ugly crying.

How about you?

purpleranger

January 25 2013, 20:04:52 UTC 4 years ago Edited: January 25 2013, 20:05:17 UTC

I might also suggest joining

hugo_recommend if you're interested in sharing recommendations with a group that is more likely to be involved in the nominating process.

January 25 2013, 20:21:27 UTC 4 years ago

It's a great community, but I feel a little invasive going into fannish space and putting my recommendations down. By posting here, you can comment or not, but I haven't come into YOUR space and tried to make my opinions matter.

markbernstein

January 25 2013, 21:12:09 UTC 4 years ago

First, thanks for the reminder. I'd forgotten about the deadline. I just bought my supporting membership.

Looking at an episode guide for Fringe, yeah, I'm with you on "Letters of Transit". It works well on its own, not just as part of a larger arc, and it's really, really good.

I'll probably go for different Phineas & Ferb episodes. "Excaliferb" has the advantage of being double-length (though even there, I preferred "Meapless in Seattle"), but the ones that stick with me most are the amazing narrative jumping in "Remains of the Platypus" and the sheer weirdness of "Ferb TV".

Of course, I imagine a couple of slots will go to "Doctor Who" again, maybe "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "The Angels Take Manhattan". And deservedly so.

January 30 2013, 16:34:21 UTC 4 years ago

I'm not sure "Excaliferb" is the best, but I feel like if we don't come together, the show will once again not even make the ballot, you know?

dulcimeoww

January 25 2013, 22:11:32 UTC 4 years ago

Phineas and Ferb is definitely awesome, but I'm not sure I agree about Excaliferb being the best of their time slip episodes or particularly a Princess Bride parody. Though admittedly it is framed in a way that parodies the Princess Bride. Personally, I love the caveman episode, though I don't think I'd nominate it for any awards, I just enjoy geeking out whenever it's on.

January 30 2013, 16:34:47 UTC 4 years ago

I love the caveman cover of "Gitchee Gitchee Goo."

agrumer

January 25 2013, 22:41:39 UTC 4 years ago

I hadn’t heard of Mark Reads before. I’m just browsing through his posts on reading The Princess Bride now, and … does Oshiro ever catch on that the whole “S Morgenstern” framing device is fiction? Or am I misreading him, and he’s in on the joke, and straight-facedly passing it on?

January 25 2013, 22:49:27 UTC 4 years ago

Ah, going further in, it looks like yeah, he’s in on it. And some of his commenters are having fun with it, too, talking about Florinese history journals.