The 2015 Hugo Awards have just completed, and I have to say I am a bit dismayed. As a novice writer who hopes to one day be published, I’d really like to think that my work would be given a shot at consideration by people in the publishing world not because of who I am, where I’m from, or what boxes I check on a census form. Rather I’d really like to think that my work would be judged upon its content.
But that’s not what the 2015 Hugo Awards have told me.
The 2015 Hugo Awards have told me that if my work happens to catch the attention of someone that disagrees with or is disagreeable to certain people the content of my work will not be judged by any other merit and will summarily be excluded for consideration.
I am disappointed. I thought I was angry, but I’m not.
The people who voted No Award for entire categories because they didn’t like who suggested the nominees (despite the fact that doing so isn’t against their current rules) basically told those people nominated that their work had less merit than sending a message to basically three guys that pissed them off.
Sorry if you disagree, but I find that classless and juvenile.
I was eager to attend my first WorldCon next year until now. Now I’m not sure I want to breathe the same air as these people. If the idea to be inclusive means shutting out people like me, congratulations on a job well done.
© 2015, Joseph K Little. All rights reserved.