The winners have been announced, and they are NK Jemisin, Seanan McGuire, Ursula Vernon, Amal El-Mohtar, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Marjorie Liu…hey, wait a minute, those are all lady names. Obviously, this must mean that women are genetically predisposed to write the best science fiction and fantasy. The evidence is right there! I’m sure the people who argue that existing sex differences in anything can’t possibly be caused by socio-cultural factors will agree because they hate that kind of stuff. They’re just going to have to acknowledge that women are biologically better writers.
Oh, there was the usual effort by the Sad/Rabid Puppies to get some of their nominees on the ballot, and they did have a few works they pushed — none of them won. Not even the transparent attempt to steal credit from good authors by naming them succeeded. They nominated, for instance, China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, and the movie Deadpool…they lost, too. I suspect there might be some weak negative effect, even, where attaching Vox Day’s recommendation to an otherwise good book causes some negative votes. Not that it matters; all the winners were rewarded fairly on their own merits.
One interesting twist: the Puppies, for some reason, really really hate Rachel Swirsky’s If you were a dinosaur, my love, which was nominated for a Hugo in a previous year. I like that story a lot, so I don’t quite get the hatred, but OK, they’re allowed…but this year they intentionally went looking for an opposing story, something with dinosaurs in it, so they could simultaneously sneer at both Swirsky and Chuck Tingle. They picked Alien Stripper Boned From Behind by the T-Rex, by Stix Hiscock. You can’t hold that against Hiscock, though.
Hiscock also said she didn’t know anything about Beale, and seemed to be unaware (before the interview) that he was responsible for Alien Stripper getting on the ballot. She was a little hurt that he would use her novelette as a way to mock the Hugos, especially since it doesn’t seem like he’s even read it. (It’s possible Beale picked it specifically because of the Rabid Puppies’ hatred of the award-winning novelette If You Were A Dinosaur, My Love.) “I guess I’ll cry a little, laugh a little. But I’ll be ok. Jokes are pretty hilarious sometimes,” Hiscock said.
Still, Hiscock said it’s an honor to be nominated, even though she probably won’t be able to attend the ceremonies in Helsinki because of the expense. And even though Beale might’ve gotten Alien Stripper on the ballot due to sheer pettiness, the bank error is definitely in Hiscock’s favor. Book sales of Alien Stripper Boned From Behind by the T-Rex are through the roof.
It didn’t win, even though the author is a woman, and we now know that women naturally have superior writing skills.
But I ordered a Kindle copy of Alien Stripper Boned From Behind by the T-Rex anyway. It was free. The author seems nice. Besides, I’ve already read all the winners.
The third book in that NK Jemisen series is out on Tuesday.
I can never keep up!
Not to mention the special Best Series award won by Lois McMaster Bujold. And Campbell Award winner Ada Palmer. And that’s ignoring the editors, podcasters and artists honored.
Love Jemisen. Haven’t read enough of Bujold. Don’t know Palmer at all.
If they think that nominating feminist, queer-inclusive, Marxist China Mieville will advance their ideology, they have no idea what the fuck they are doing.
I still don’t think it’d be a good career move for me if they nominated one of my works, though.
I love Bujold’s books. Space bodice opera with brains!
Must admit my prurient interest piqued by Alien Stripper Boned From Behind by the T-Rex. First thought coming to mind is that they have such tiny hands. When I checked the Amazon for more info I noticed that those buying Alien Stripper Boned From Behind by the T-Rex also bought HALF-MAN HALF-HORSE, ALL LOVE.
Description:
“Who does not want to read a ridiculously sexy tale about an fairy and a centaur? Heat up your day with this incredibly entertaining panty melting romance!”
Both titles summed up by acronymic WTF?
Yay! The Expanse won a Hugo!
GAH!!!! What the heck was that!?! I started reading “If you were a dinosaur, my love” and it was so beautiful, and heartwarming and then BAM… RIGHT IN THE FEELS. I mean, well played, but… ow, my soul.
I’m still reading the Three body problem :(
Thanks for the hat tip. Reminded me to look to see when the sequel to the winning novel comes out… and notice it’s in three days! Preorder placed :D
Isaac Asimov edited the first several volumes of The Hugo Winners. He noted in Volume 2 that the first volume had one woman winner and the second had two women winners. He therefore extrapolated that at some point in the future there would be a volume with nothing but women Hugo winners.
BTW…love reading Jemisin. She was the great new author I discovered last year.
And the Sad Puppies weep sweet, sweet tears.
Also the increasing representation of Ursulas must indicate that eventually all the winners will be so called!