Vote vote vote--and rec rec rec rec

[ellen_datlow]

Ok. Here's my impassioned plea/push/nag for anyone who reads this blog and is eligible to recommend stories and or novels for the various peer group science fiction, fantasy, and horror awards.
I know that some people feel that awards themselves are a bad thing and that they should all be abolished. I'm not talking to you. I don't believe that and I know I'm not going to change your minds.

Awards are NOT going to go away but they could become less visible (which I think is a bad thing). As an editor I really appreciate it when the stories/books I edit make final award ballots and win awards. And I think most writers are even more appreciative of this. It gives a sense of validation for what you're doing by your peers (for the Nebula and Stoker).

Right now is "award rec season" and there are discussions on both the SFWA Bulletin Board and the HWA Bulletin Board about how their respective awards are dying --not enough members are recommending works to even make a preliminary ballot.

Now some people think that this might be because no one likes the work being published.
Others that no one is reading enough short fiction to be interested in recommending works in those categories.
I have a really difficult time believing the first reason. I've been reading sf/f/h short fiction for twenty five years and have found no drop off in quality in any of those fields.

I can't answer for the second but I hope it's not true because if so my profession will die and I love editing short fiction.

If you care at ALL for the genre short story then I urge you to recommend the stories that you think are worth bringing to the attention of your peers.

This is totally off the cuff and I know if I thought about it more I'd have more to write--but I'd also probably just delete the whole post...

Comments welcome!

Comments

[jasminehammer.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a quality issue or even having less readers. I love reading short fiction and come across stuff I love all the time. I wish there were an award I could recommend these stories for, but I'm not a member of the organizations you mentioned. I'd join SFWA if I was eligible just for voting priviledges!
Are there fan-based awards that we should all be recommending for?

[david-de-beer.livejournal.com]

>I'd join SFWA if I was eligible just for voting priviledges!


really? hmm, I don't know, that seems wrong to me, like it should be a (small) side-aspect of the SFWA, and yet...this is the only genuine reason people appear to want to join.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping she doesn't mean it's the only reason she'd join...

Jasmine--if you attend any Worldcon you can nominate and vote for the Hugos. See Cheryl's post upstream (or maybe downstream)....

[jasminehammer.livejournal.com]

You're correct--I didn't mean that was the ONLY reason I would join! Just that it would be a consideration in getting me to actually do so.
Though I think David's point was also that there ARE people out there who only keep their membership to SFWA for voting rights...and that's a whole other conversation thread...
And if I can make it to the next WorldCon, I will surely vote!