Misinterpretation

[kevin_standlee]

One of the comments on the Fan Writer Hugo Controversy croggled me sufficiently that I want to quote it here. I'm not meaning to pick on the writer, who comments here and is a BASFA member, but this one sort of surprised me:

...my reading of the WSFS constitution's section on the Hugo awards, taken in its entirety, leads me to believe the purpose of the Fan Writer award is to recognize non-professional sci-fi writers.

Wow. What I'm wondering if this is a widespread opinion -- that "Fan Writer" is taken by a significant number of people as "non-professional, fan-written science fiction." Of course, it's not -- "Fan" doesn't mean "Amateur" in our field; it means "enthusiast," which is not the same thing, and that's why one can be a fan and a pro simultaneously. Nor is "Fan Writer" intended as a category aimed at recognizing "fan fiction." Fan writing is writing about science fiction, fantasy, and fandom. All of the people nominated in that category (and everyone who has been nominated in that category in my memory) have been nominated for their writing about the field, not because of any fiction they've written.

Comments

Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[ceemage.livejournal.com]

Clearly a 'Best Related Book' nominee, if worthy. Next question?

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[sethb.livejournal.com]

Assume it didn't appear as a book, but perhaps as a series of blog postings or rasf articles. Then it's clearly fanwriting.

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[ceemage.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it did appear as a book. One of my personal rules of fanwriting is 'If it hurts when you drop it on your foot, it's not fanwriting.'

Actually, if enough other people agree, we could try persuading kevin_standlee to draft it up for us as an official WSFS amendment - it would certainly exclude the 600-page slash fanfic blockbusters...

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I'm chairman of this year's Business Meeting. That means I won't introduce legislation. I will draft any proposal (even ones I oppose) for people who will be at Nippon 2007 and will introduce it. With luck, I can even draft something that won't bog us down in endless technical neepery over wording so there is substantive debate on the proposal.

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[ceemage.livejournal.com]

Well, I wasn't being entirely serious, and appreciate your position as Chairman of the Business Meeting. And in any case, there appear to be some good counter-examples further down in this (ever-expanding) thread...

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[bovil.livejournal.com]

You're forgetting Bruce Pelz's bound collections of fanzines. Once Bruce was done with a volume, they could hurt your foot...

Re: Langford's speculations about Harry Potter

[timill]

Warhoon 28... Definitely a fanzine, and IIRC weighed about 9 pounds.