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

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

David,
There's a discussion about just that in the SFWA sff.net group--that's what prompted me to post about the problem here.
Btw, I gather you're in the UK? Aren't magazines like Postscripts and Interzone and Albedo One (Irish) easily accessible? I don't know how foreign distribution works for F&SF and Asimov's and Analog. Perhaps if Gordon pops by he can tell us.

I guess what I'm partly trying to do with this blog is create a dialog about short fiction. I've never blogged before (I started the first week in September) so am playing it by ear here. I mention what I'm working on (which is usually short fiction)...how can I get potential readers more interested?
Would it be a good idea for me to mention which stories I'm taking for YBFH as I decide and try to explain why?
Mention the novels I read as I read them and the better collections, etc?
I'm definitely open to suggestions as to what anyone would be interested in seeing in my blog...(if it interests me I'll blog about it ;-))

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

"Would it be a good idea for me to mention which stories I'm taking for YBFH as I decide and try to explain why?
Mention the novels I read as I read them and the better collections, etc?"

Yes and yes.

Thanks for encouraging folk to vote!

[david-de-beer.livejournal.com]

No, I'm South African:)

It would appear Interzone and Albedo One isn't as available throughout the whole of Great Britain, as the Irish girl I mentioned knows about Interzone but has never seen one.

well, blog what you want to blog about, right? In your case, people would likely take a large interest in the reading for YBFH - stories that get taken, but also ones that come close, etc. So, yes, that would help a good deal.
Same with discussing novels, anthos, etc as and when you read them. Yes, that would likely help a great deal.

[bluetyson.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the Dozois essay on Amazon about building the Year's Best SF?

I'd like to see one of those from each of the Super-Editors. :) Same goes for your partners in crime of tje annual camel killer potential tome.

Similarly, you said you have a new Del Rey hopefully series anthology come out - how did that happen, how do you stock it, etc.?

Jay Lake had a generic 100K word anthology explanation on his livejournal which was nifty, and the Conflux podcast had Dann and Strahan and Congreve and Stevenson and the odd other talking about anthology making, so the more the merrier.

You did a magazine recently - same with that, perhaps, what is different about doing that, etc.?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Gardner's essay. Where is it?

I'm often on panels that are about putting together anthologies and I've been asked in interviews over the years, too. It's not a secret ;-) But if you (and others) think it useful to describe the process, I can do that...more later, I'll respond to your questions when I have more time.

[bluetyson.livejournal.com]

Panels and interviews that are 15,000km away may as well be secret. :)

Here's the essay (an amazon short, you have to buy it).

Building Year's Best

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I'll ask him to email it to me :-)