Tag Archives: Worldcon

WorldCon Link Round-up (for those of us who didn’t make it)

Posted on September 6 2012 by Justin | 6 Comments

I didn’t make it to WorldCon this year, for a host of reasons, not the least of which was the complete unwillingness of airlines to provide me with reasonable flight times. But, after reading all of these posts I’m linking here, I feel like I was there. (Not really, but it’s SOMETHING!)

First up some news:
Cheryl Morgan updates on Hugo rules updates:

3. The raft of changes to the Fanzine and Semiprozine category were also ratified. An attempt by hardliners to exclude electronic fanzines was defeated (I keep hoping they’ll give up, but I may have to wait for them to die). The main result of these changes will be that Locus is no longer eligible in Semiprozine as it has full-time staff. Liza Groen Trombi is, of course, still eligible in Best Editor: Short Form.

It’s nice to see that blogs will be able to continue eligibility. I still believe that over time blogs will largely replace the traditional FanZine.… Read the rest

My Hugo Votes

Posted on August 2 2012 by Justin | 5 Comments

Back in June, I posted my Hugo Nominees. Suffice to say, almost nothing I nominated made the final ballot. That was disappointing, particularly because what was ultimately nominated hardly represents the best work done in 2011. But, as a Chicon 7 Supporting Member, I have a vote and I used it. Below are the categories I voted in, who I voted for, my predictions, and my justifications. I also include the work I thought should have been nominated (and won).

Best Novel Nominees

Among Others by Jo Walton
A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Deadline by Mira Grant
Embassytown by China Miéville
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey


I find China Miéville to be one of the most hit or miss writers in genre today. In The Scar and The City & The City he nailed it. I consider both to be some of the finest work of the 21st century. … Read the rest

Hugo Awards 2012 – Best Short Story

Posted on April 11 2012 by Justin | 2 Comments

After my weekend piece on the Hugo Short Lists, I decide to jump right into a category I’m not as well versed in — Best Short Story. I read shorts from time to time, but rarely is it part of my weekly reading. This year’s list for best short story includes: stalwart Mike Resnick with The Homecoming, short fiction superstar Ken Liu with The Paper Menagerie, former Jim Baen’s Universe editor Nancy Fulda with Movement, and Princeton student E. Lily Yu with The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees.

I only mention four stories because, despite John Scalzi’s popularity with the Hugo voters, I can’t take his story, Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book One: The Dead City: Prologue,  seriously. It’s occasionally clever, but doesn’t really possess a narrative thread. Even Scalzi calls it a fake-prologue to a fake-novel about a fake-dragon who isn’t as fake as everyone thought it was replete with run on sentences and incoherent names that riff on the time honored tradition of fantasy that does the same without ever actually making a new observation that hasn’t been made a hundred times before.… Read the rest

Comments on the Hugo Short Lists

Posted on April 8 2012 by Justin | 48 Comments
Last night the Hugo Awards announced their shortlists for 2012. I find myself fairly disappointed across the board, which is unfortunate and expected. In fact, of all the nominations I myself made, only a small handful made the short lists — Stina Leicht for the Campbell, Patrick Nielson Hayden for Editor (Long Form),  SF Signal for Best FanZine, and SF Signal Podcast for Best Fancast. I’m going to go through each category, offering my thoughts on the choices, and occasionally opining where there may be some missteps.

                     

Best Novel (932 ballots)
Among Others by Jo Walton (Tor)
A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin (Bantam Spectra)
Deadline by Mira Grant (Orbit)
Embassytown by China Miéville (Macmillan / Del Rey)
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Orbit)

I suppose it should come as no surprise to see George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons nominated here. I do think it sets a bad precedent to say that his worst novel in A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the five best novels of 2011.… Read the rest