Once again, it’s that time of the year. Award season.
And there’s one award that stands out above all the others.
It’s voted on by the fans. And not just fans in the US, either. Fans from all over the world can vote on it, making it an international award.
All fans are welcome.
The award comes with a gorgeous trophy.
It seeks to recognize the best writing and artistry in the field.
And if you didn’t know already, I’m talking about the David Gemmell Award. (Please note this is a new domain name.) Voting on the preliminary ballot is now open. There are three categories:
David Gemmell
The Morningstar Award for Best Debut Fantasy Novel in English
The Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art
and The Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
The shortlist for the Hugos has been announced. And modified after some of the nominees withdrew. And modified again, and…I’ve lost count on what iteration of declining the nomination we’re on.
The sh*tstorm that erupted even before the final ballot was announced (how did they know?) hasn’t died down. The accusations and insults and threats have been flying fast and furiously for weeks now and show little sign of abating. Rather than try to summarize all that’s happened, I’ll let you Google it. It’s going to change by tomorrow anyway. I’ll limit myself to a few brief remarks. These are my general opinions and are subject to change without notice.
Hugo Gernsback
It appears the Hugos are locked in a battle between a small group of fans who want to maintain the control their clique has over the awards and a group (or groups) who want a wider range of representation. At least that’s my take on it. Don’t think for a second that everyone agrees with that interpretation.
It looks to me that the Hugos have gone from being a circle jerk to a cluster f*ck. (Hey, that’s good catchy click-bait kind of title for a blog post…Nah, I’ve got too much to do to deal with all the trolls that will attract.) I’ll not get into all of that now. Maybe in a few weeks, when I’ve got a little more time, and the big post I’m working on will be finished, I’ll give it a try. Or maybe not.
Anyway, if you’re at all interested in heroic fantasy and sword and sorcery, check out the longlists for the Gemmell Awards. And vote. The deadline for voting on the longlist is May 15. The final ballots will be announced and voting opened for them on June 1.
And for those of you who may be wondering about Round I, it can be found here.
I am ashamed to say I only discovered Gemmell last year, but I have reading him consistently ever since. I love his voice and stories and characters.
As for the Hugos, you pretty much nailed it. I think the intention to make it more representative is admirable and I even agree with it, but this has now turned into a fiasco that has left a sour taste in my mouth. I’ve seen conduct from certain people I had hoped I’d never see, and now I need brain bleach.
So, let’s focus on awesome writers and their stories so I can disappear into those imaginary worlds and pretend this one doesn’t exist.
“So, let’s focus on awesome writers and their stories so I can disappear into those imaginary worlds and pretend this one doesn’t exist.”
This.
You nailed it.
The Gemmells is the only award I give a damn about simply because they represent my favorite books!
Yes, the Gemmells and the Shamus in the detective genre.
Thanks Keith! Didn’t know about this award either.
You’re welcome. For being a fairly new award, it’s got a pretty good track record.