Don't Waste Your Time

At the risk of making look like I'm trying to take sides as WSFS Business Meeting Chairman this year, I will say that in my opinion, the chances of a proposal to split the Hugo Award for Best Novel into Best Science Fiction Novel and Best Fantasy Novel succeeding is quite low. Besides the "who decides?" problem (including "what if a work gets enough nominations for both categories?"), there's the matter of social precedence: Just as the Academy Awards® end with Best Picture, which category should be the last one presented at the Hugo Awards ceremony? That is, which one would be "The Big One?"

In response to those who say, "But the Locus Awards have both categories!" I say, "Yes, and they have a single editorial voice that can make arbitrary decisions. They're not responsible to thousands of members who jointly own the award." There's a real difference there that many people may not appreciate.