Objective Standards of Literary Quality

Over on File 770, some people fell into what I consider the trap of trying to measure objective quality of literary quality or excellence. I said, and believe, this:

I don’t think there’s any such thing as an objective standard for “literary quality or excellence.” You can’t measure a subjective quality objectively. You might as well ask for the weight of beauty or the length of deliciousness.

The Hugo Awards are subjective. All literary awards are subjective. They have the value that other people put on them, that's all.