tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022769091032248225.post2105304292449302908..comments2024-03-22T08:58:54.753-06:00Comments on Hugo Book Club Blog: The Word For "World" Isn't AmericaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022769091032248225.post-43315303447847976592023-06-14T18:19:53.630-06:002023-06-14T18:19:53.630-06:00The Nebulas are the closest to the US recognition ...The Nebulas are the closest to the US recognition you describe. The Hugos are a fan-based award, a populist/popularity contest. It makes sense that those in China who will be attending and paying for the privilege of nominating and voting will have the lion's share of influence. Catharinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04302550985757509083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022769091032248225.post-15781765733464550752023-05-30T08:22:29.770-06:002023-05-30T08:22:29.770-06:00I for one welcome the recognition of authors from ...I for one welcome the recognition of authors from abroad. One of the things that's bugged me is how, when WorldCon is held in North America, the slate of nominees has in the past often been mediocre, not because better nominees aren't available, but because the bulk of North American fandom isn't aware of deserving work outside of our own parochial borders. This new development can only be an improvement.Helgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08246599498097260540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022769091032248225.post-39609633162506889902023-05-26T00:14:44.817-06:002023-05-26T00:14:44.817-06:00I haven't really been concerned about the Hugo...I haven't really been concerned about the Hugos for some years, and with the recent wave of wokeness that has overtaken most of the professional areas of s-f (and all too many of the fannish ones), I have very little regard for them now. It's nice when someone I think deserving gets nominated, or better yet wins, though I seldom recognize many of the names anymore. The field has exploded with authors and artists, nearly all of whom have avenues to public recognition. The coveted rocket statuettes are more a marketing tool than anything else today, a cover blurb that boosts sales rather than any patent proof of quality content. I really wish they meant more than that, as they once did. But that will never happen again in a world where everyone gets rewarded for participation. Today it seems hard to find writers who can't boast of receiving a prize or award from some group. The only thing special about the World Science Fiction Awards in this age is that the Hugos are still the most recognized honor in s-f, kind of like the copyrighted Band-Aid brand name in a wide field of similar self-adhesive bandages. The excitement is gone. Maybe a United States (NOT American) award would be a good idea, but it would also (and I think rightly) diminish what prestige is left to Uncle Hugo's namesake, just as having an annual U.S. national convention (which I might support) would detract from the Worldcon.The Voice From The Voidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16175148191731637260noreply@blogger.com