Fan Hugos

[kevin_standlee]

At SF Awards Watch we have closed the "Pros in the 'Fan' Hugo categories" poll. The results show that 62% of the 151 people who expressed an opinion want the 'fan' categories left as is, while 11% are for scrapping the categories entirely. The remaining 27% voted for one of the various ways of changing things.

That 62% want things left as is comes from combining the "Yes, anyone can be a fan" (42%) and "Leave it up to the voters" (20%) answers. These both have the net effect of "no rule change," but take different approaches to get there.

This can be spun in different ways: "Nearly two-thirds of respondents think fan categories should be left as is," or "Over one-third of respondents unhappy with fan Hugos." The latter is why we probably here so much complaining about those categories in particular. A significant minority* are unhappy with the fan categories in some way. As it happens, they're unhappy for different and sometimes radically opposed reasons, but they're still unhappy. And they do complain. Still, if this poll (which is not scientific!) has any relationship to WSFS Business Meeting fandom, it means that we could see a proposal for changes of some sort in the fan Hugos, and that it would end up being debated, but probably wouldn't have the votes to pass.

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*A "significant minority" is defined in Robert's Rules of Order as "more than one third" because it can block the debate-quashing motions, in particular the dreaded Objection to Consideration.

Comments

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

My opinion that the "people" categories are seriously flawed has never changed. The "work" categories are much easier to understand, and less easy to turn into a 100% popularity contest.

With that said, someone who makes a living selling their SF/F writing is often just as much of a fan as someone who writes fanfic...and sometimes even more of a fan. "Pro" is not the opposite of "fan." Saying that a "pro" isn't eligible in the "fan" categories merely perpetuates the misconception that they are opposites.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

So maybe "Best Fan Writer" and "Best Fan Artist" should be changed to "Best Fan Writing" and "Best Fan Art"? Sounds okay to me, although I'm sure there'd have to be a lot of elaboration on when and where the writing and art were published.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Besides, we have experience with attempting to create a category for specific works of art: it doesn't work. You don't get enough nominations to justify the category. You'd have the same problem if you were trying to create an award for specific pieces of fan writing or fan art.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Well, currently there seems to be a mix of awards for specific works and awards for people. Even in the fan categories, isn't Best Fanzine restricted to fanzines that have appeared in the past year?

[timill]

Fanzine is for established current fanzines - ones that have produced 4 or more issues and at least one in the year in question.

Perhaps the 'people' categories should be restricted to people born in the appropriate year.

Best Fannish Kitten, anyone? I think Leopold would be in favour...

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Best Fannish Kitten would probably get the most voters, although it might plunge all fandom into war as well.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

It's not that I don't like the people categories on the fannish side. I don't like *any* of the people categories. My preference would be that we honor work done -- it's easier to judge work on its own merits.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Without stating an opinion on the substantive question (I'm undecided), I note that eliminating the "people" categories would please those people who complain that there are too many awards and that the ceremony is too long, because there would then only be nine categories instead of fifteen.

[davidshallcross.livejournal.com]

Are you counting the Campbell not-a-Hugo award, or am I forgetting a category?

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

*headsmack* No, I was being lazy and forgot that looking at the highest numbered subsection in Section 3.3 ropes in Special Category, which shouldn't be counted for this purpose.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I'd be more interested in getting rid of Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine, myself. If we want to trim up the awards categories. Say, that would make an interesting poll. I wonder which category is least liked.