What I'll Consider for the 2015 Hugo Awards

I've thought long and hard about how I'd respond to the Sad/Rabid Puppies slate-voting debacle (at the Hugo Awards, for those who don't know). Some have argued that those of us who oppose slate voting should send a message by voting No Award in every category; others suggest we should only consider works outside the highly correlated S/RP slates. But I don't think I can, in good conscience, penalize those who: (a) never asked to be on those slates; (b) had nothing to do with the construction or mobilization in favor of those slates; and (c) produced award-worthy work in 2014. So I'll consider anything provided it's not:

1. Directly (and demonstrably) associated with someone who organized or publicly advocated for S/RP.
2. Too shit to be taken seriously. 

If anything falls under these categories, I will not place them on my ballot, placing No Award in their stead.* I understand that this doesn't send the strongest message, but the fact is that I like Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing, I like Black Gate and I like Andromeda Spaceways. I'm not going to deprive them of the chance to win an award that, for many people in SF/F fandom, is the culmination of a life-long labor of love--just because someone else decided to turn them into political footballs.

In practical terms, since I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the S/RP process or its principal ideologues (outside the obvious four, two of whom have recused themselves from award consideration), #1 doesn't really cut that much from the list. And since I haven't read most of the stuff on S/RP, I can make even fewer cuts based on #2 at this moment. There are some, based on past experiences, that I imagine will end up in #2, but I won't make that call until I've read/engaged with the nominated work.

Similarly, as I become more aware of how this thing was organized, a greater number of nominees may end up in #1. But I'm going to define "organized or publicly advocated for" in narrow terms. Saying "thanks for including me on this list" in the comments section of some S/RP-related blog post isn't enough for me, nor is defending S/RP or slate voting in the course of a public conversation. Rather, for someone to fit into #1, they need to be or have been an activist. If there is demonstrable proof, in the way of URLs or screencaps, showing S/RP nominees engaging in pro-slate activism, then I'll update the list that comes at the bottom of this post with their names and/or works removed. And, of course, if something is too shit to be seriously considered for an award, it won't matter what it's about. But without either of those things, I'll consider any nominee valid unless proven otherwise.

On to my list, revised as of 4/30/15:

BEST NOVEL

• Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson (Tor Books)
• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Sarah Monette) (Tor Books)
• Lines of Departure by Marko Kloos (47North)
• Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Roc Books)

BEST NOVELLA

• “Flow” by Arlan Andrews, Sr. (Analog, Nov 2014)

BEST NOVELETTE

• “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Earth to Alluvium” by Gray Rinehart (Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, May 2014)
• “Championship B’tok” by Edward M Lerner (Analog, Sept 2014)
• “The Journeyman: In the Stone House” by Michael F. Flynn (Analog, June 2014)
• “The Triple Sun: A Golden Age Tale” by Rajnar Vajra (Analog, Jul/Aug 2014)
• “The Day The World Turned Upside Down” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Lightspeed Magazine, April 2014)

SHORT STORY

• “Goodnight Stars” by Annie Bellet (The End is Now (Apocalypse Triptych Book 2), Broad Reach Publishing)
• “On A Spiritual Plain” by Lou Antonelli (Sci Phi Journal #2, Nov 2014)
• “Totaled” by Kary English (Galaxy’s Edge magazine, July 2014)

BEST RELATED WORK

• Letters from Gardner by Lou Antonelli (The Merry Blacksmith Press)
• “Why Science is Never Settled” by Tedd Roberts (Baen.com)
• Wisdom from my Internet by Michael Z. Williamson (Patriarchy Press)

BEST GRAPHIC STORY

• Ms. Marvel Vol 1: No Normal written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona and Jake Wyatt, (Marvel Comics)
• Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery written by Kurtis J. Weibe, art by Roc Upchurch (Image Comics)
• Zombie Nation Book #2: Reduce Reuse Reanimate by Carter Reid (The Zombie Nation)
• Saga, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
• Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick written by Matt Fraction, art by Chip Zdarsky (Image Comics)

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM)

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, concept and story by Ed Brubaker, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo ((Marvel Entertainment, Perception, Sony Pictures Imageworks)
• Edge of Tomorrow screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, directed by Doug Liman (Village Roadshow; RatPac-Dune Entertainment; 3 Arts Entertainment; Viz Productions)
• Guardians of the Galaxy written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, directed by James Gunn (Marvel Studios, Moving Picture Company)
• The Lego Movie written by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, LEGO System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures, Warner Bros. Animation (as Warner Animation Group))

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM)

• Doctor Who: “Listen” written by Steven Moffat directed by Douglas Mackinnon (BBC Television)
• The Flash: “Pilot” teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, story by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, directed by David Nutter (The CW; Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television)
• Game of Thrones: “The Mountain and the Viper” written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, directed by Alex Graves ((HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
• Grimm: “Once We Were Gods” written by Alan DiFiore, directed by Steven DePaul (NBC; GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV)
• Orphan Black: “By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried”written by Graham Manson, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions, Space/BBC America)

BEST EDITOR (SHORT FORM)

• Jennifer Brozek
• Mike Resnick
• Bryan Thomas Schmidt

BEST EDITOR (LONG FORM)

• Sheila Gilbert
• Jim Minz
• Anne Sowards
• Toni Weisskopf

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

• Julie Dillon
• Kirk DouPonce
• Nick Greenwood
• Alan Pollack
• Carter Reid

BEST SEMIPROZINE

• Abyss & Apex, Wendy Delmater editor and publisher
• Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight Magazine, Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Association Incorporated, 2014 editors David Kernot and Sue Bursztynski
• Lightspeed Magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams, Stefan Rudnicki, Rich Horton, Wendy N. Wagner, and Christie Yant
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies, edited by Scott H. Andrews
• Strange Horizons, Niall Harrison Editor-in-Chief

BEST FANZINE

• Elitist Book Reviews edited by Steve Diamond
• Journey Planet edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Alissa McKersie, Colin Harris and Helen Montgomery
• The Revenge of Hump Day edited by Tim Bolgeo
• Tangent SF Online edited by Dave Truesdale

BEST FANCAST

• Adventures in SF Publishing Brent Bower (Executive Producer), Kristi Charish, Timothy C. Ward & Moses Siregar III (Co-Hosts, Interviewers and Producers)
• Dungeon Crawlers Radio Daniel Swenson (Producer/Host), Travis Alexander & Scott Tomlin (Hosts), Dale Newton (Host/Tech), Damien Swenson (Audio/Video Tech)
• Galactic Suburbia Podcast Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
• The Sci Phi Show Jason Rennie
• Tea and Jeopardy Emma Newman & Peter Newman

BEST FAN WRITER

• Jeffro Johnson
• Laura J. Mixon

BEST FAN ARTIST

• Ninni Aalto
• Brad Foster
• Elizabeth Leggett
• Spring Schoenhuth
• Steve Stiles

CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2013 or 2014, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).

• Wesley Chu
• Jason Cordova
• Kary English
• Rolf Nelson