2014 Hugo Nominee Ballot: Best Fancast
I love this category for entirely biased reasons: I’m eligible for one and a lot of my favorite shows are eligible, too. It’s also a category which I think deserves to exist. Podcasting is such a specific medium, so it really doesn’t belong in Best Fanzine or Best Related Work or Best Dramatic Presentation (unless your podcast involves audio plays or audiobooks, of course). So the fact that I get to vote in this category now is pretty awesome. But you’re here for my nominations. So here goes (in no particular order): The Coode Street Podcast This remains one of my favorites, and the only “long time fans talking about the history of sf/f” podcasts on my list. Gary and Jonathan always have something fascinating to say about whatever topic they’re covering, and their endless knowledge of the field adds considerable depth to the conversation without making it unfit for a general audience. The Writer and the Critic I’m fairly new to this show (as in the last year-ish), but it was recommended to me by so many people that I couldn’t ignore it. And for good reason, too. Their concentrated examination of individual works of sf/f is refreshing and informative. Also: it’s Australian, which is pretty cool, right? Mostly, however, I just think they are one of the best places to get in-depth analysis and discussion of sf/f works. Galactic Suburbia I came back to GS last year after a bit of a hiatus. Originally, I didn’t much care for the show because they spent so much time talking about “politics” (the word I’m using to describe the gender kerfluffles in our field). They still talk about “politics,” but I think I’m in a much different place today than I was in 2012, so either I don’t notice it as much or I agree with their take more often than not or they’ve reduced the amount of time they devote to “politics.” I have a feeling it’s the middle one. Whatever the reason, I’m now a regular listener of this show for one simple fact: their opinions on things happening in sf/f and the works we read are compelling and align with my own interests. The Incomparable Honestly, I have no idea if they’re even eligible in this category. But Fred Kiesche is absolutely correct: if you don’t know, nominate anyway and let the Hugo folks figure it out. So I’m nominating The Incomparable, which is one of my favorite shows from last year. Their insightful commentary and humor have kept me quite entertained since I started listening to them after Worldcon last year. They are not unlike The Writer and the Critic in that respect. The Skiffy and Fanty Show I’m on the show. I’m nominating it. So sue me. Why am I nominating it? Because I think it’s a good show. We’ve improved so much in the last year, and with this whole new crew, things are just getting better. Of course, I’m totally biased, so you can smack me around if you like. And that’s my list. What am I missing? ———————————– Note: I realize there are some big shows missing from the list (SF Signal, for example). The main reasons for this are either that I didn’t listen to those shows last year OR I didn’t think they were award worthy (maybe perfectly serviceable shows, but without meeting my admittedly rigid standards for what I want in a show).
2014 Hugo Nominees Incoming: Criteria and Notes
A lot of folks have been sharing their nominees. I’m going to do the same, but woefully late, such that all the information I’ll provide will be completely useless to you in the end. After all, you won’t have time to read any of the books I nominate. Oh well! In any case, I do have criteria and notes to preface these selections: You may disagree with my selections, but I hope readers of this blog will understand that they are a reflection of a) what I was able to read/view/etc. from last year, and b) my personal taste. There are enormous gaps in my reading. However, if I missed a truly exceptional work, please share it with me! I will only nominate works that I believe were “the best.” I don’t care how popular a book was in 2013; if it is not as good as a book that sold 1/100th the number of copies, then it will not get a nomination. I believe the Hugos are an award to celebrate the best, not the most popular. Some of my sections will contain empty slots for various reasons, but the most obvious will be this: I can only think of X number of things to nominate. As I’ve noted above, I will only nominate works I consider to be “the best.” If I liked a work, but I don’t think it’s award worthy, then it’s not getting a nomination. In some cases, however, I may not have enough to nominate in a category. As such, you’re free to suggest something (there isn’t much time, obviously, but I still appreciate the gesture). Some categories may be quite empty, such as fan artist. Why? Because I don’t follow that particular field and haven’t the foggiest what I should select anyway. And I really don’t have the time to go through the Internet looking, either… There will be no pissing and moaning about what others are nominating in the upcoming posts on this subject. I’m sure I disagree with what others have on their ballots, but I’m really not interested in pissing all over other people’s personal tastes this week. That’s for later (not really :P). And that’s it, really. Let the games begin!
Fundraiser Updatery
We’re almost one month away from the deadline for my Worldcon fundraiser for The Skiffy and Fanty Show and the World SF Tour. And we’ve got a long way to go before the thing is fully funded. As of the writing of this post, we’re $42 (ha!) $52 (aww) short of the 3rd Milestone and $1700ish from the goal. And that means I really need your help. If you’re a reader of this blog, please consider donating a little bit to the fundraiser. Even $5 goes a long way. There are milestone perks, in case you’re looking for more incentive than “I’m moderately amusing on Tuesdays.” Likewise, if you could spread the word, that would be amazing. Noise is just as important, I’m told. Now back to regular programming on WISB…
Note on Temporary Blog Silence of Doom
It is currently rather quiet around here. The main reason is a time limitation issue: I am trying to finish last minute arrangements for ICFA (the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts), where I am expected to present (on Makoto Shinkai’s The Place Promised in Our Early Days) and where I intend to conduct interviews and the like for The Skiffy and Fanty Show. On top of that, I’m working on PhD dissertation stuff, which I want to complete before heading off to ICFA. So that’s why it’s quiet. Things should resume again next week!
Call for Review Copies: World SF Authors and Creators (Books, Comics, etc.)
As you may know, my podcast, The Skiffy and Fanty Show, is hosting a year-long feature called the World SF Tour. And because I’m dedicated to world sf in general, I want to do more than just post podcast episodes and reviews of foreign films for the “2010: A SFF Film Odyssey” feature. So this is a call for review copies. I’m looking for books, movies, comics, and other forms of media that fulfill the following: They are works of speculative fiction, broadly defined (and I do mean broadly defined; the only thing I won’t read is erotica, because I’m really not the right audience for it) They are works created by people from outside the United States (I will give special attention to works outside the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom) They are works which are professionally published (note: this does not necessarily mean they must be published through traditional means) OR of professional quality (a subjective measure, I know) I cannot guarantee I can read and review everything under the sun. As such, this is what I’m offering: Reviews of 1-2 titles a month (depending on the medium; I can review more movies than books, for example) Guest post slots on my blog and The Skiffy and Fanty Show for anyone whose work I cannot review due to time restraints (so you can talk about your book, your writing, etc.) That’s it. Spread the word!
Link of the Week: “The Problem of Toni Weisskopf” by Foz Meadows
Foz Meadows has some things to say about a recent post by Toni Weisskopf on all the debates going on in sf right now. It is what I’d call essentially reading at this point. Here’s one of my favorite parts: “…intentionally or not, Weisskopf has begun by framing both SFF itself and the current tensions within the community as being a purely American concern, grown from American politics and American culture. The fact that much of what she’s observing stems rather from a deliberate rejection of this attitude – from the idea that SFF is a global community – seems completely to have escaped her…But in the age of international blogging and social media platforms, where it’s possible to communicate daily with fans and authors from all over the world; where Tor Books is about to publish Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem, the first Chinese SF novel ever translated into English; where Japanese anime and manga have so long been staples of global fandom that it’s impossible to try and deny their relevance; where award-winning authors like Nnedi Okorafor, Aliette de Bodard and Helen Oyeyemi are writing (among other things) about cross-cultural politics through an SFFnal lens; where there are whole conventions dedicated to diversity and inclusivity, like WisCon and Nine Worlds; and where many of the field’s best writers are anything but straight, white and male, then acting as though every conversation and argument surrounding these issues is simply the result of Americans misunderstanding each other is, to put it bluntly, utterly wrongheaded.” Go on. Read the whole thing.