George R R Martin is not my fandom
Huge congratulations to all the winners of the Hugos last night. Worthy winners and also rather than calling nominees Losers let’s not forget those nominated this year also represent the true excellent face of science fiction and fantasy plus the fandom. I don’t class them as ‘Losers’ a terrible clique nickname but people who work very hard in a field they love. Sadly the awards ceremony was notorious for one bloated author’s pomposity and what appears very coded finger wagging of the new wave of fandom. I now understand Martin’s fans wanting him to finish yet another of his bloated overlong epics.
The Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring is 3 hours 48 minutes long. The latest offering from New Zealand the 2020 Hugo awards presented pretty much entirely by George RR Martin managed to nearly match this - it was far less entertaining.
Over the course of the three hours Martin
continually praised Campbell the racist editor who was last year finally stripped of the now named Astounding award which fandom should have done ages ago
mispronounced many nominees’ names despite pronunciation guides being provided
went on many lengthy tangents about the good old days
I was amazed Lovecraft didn’t get in there (but perhaps winning a retro hugo was enough) by the time Robert Silverberg was I had had enough at 2 hours in it was 2am in the U.K. I gave up as I have things to do today than listen to a man who felt N K Jemisin calling out racists was disrespectful.
What I find disrespectful is two alleged ‘giants’ of the genre who decided to worship the past; praise the infamous and show snide disapproval for the future of the genre. What I consider disrespectful is that this was largely pre-recorded and so someone in ConZealand did not have the guts to say this is unsuitable; ask him to did it again or just remove his segments completely and do a short simple award ceremony. What I consider disrespectful is rather than claiming we stand on the shoulders of giants actually admit the next generation of the community is taking us much further from the past ; successfully exploring the further possibilities of the field and actually welcoming far more people into it than the white old male generation ever bothered to.
My route into fandom is dotted I didn’t click with the classics of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and Tolkein growing up. Initially I came in via tv and only by the 90s was I starting to see what the genre was now doing and I found that emotionally and intellectually more interesting than what I was told SF&F fans should read. Over the past twenty years I’ve continually learned the fandom is more varied, inventive and diverse it teaches me a lot and it shows me I still have a lot to learn. I saw that in the winners speeches but I did not see that in the establishment faces that Worldcon threw in our faces last night. I find what comes out now far more interesting than mining the past; it helps shape the future it should not define it.
Lessons will be learnt I’m sure people will say but it seems no one ever holds these to account. I have been told change these days in Worldcon is down to the members I therefore call for
Martin never be allowed to be near the Hugos again
that those involved in permitting this do not take part in the next ceremony
that the Losers party be replaced by a Hugo nominees ceremony party that has nothing to do with George R R Martin - if he wants to catch up with friends he can do whatever he wants
George RR Martin did not speak for fandom he is not my fandom - is he yours?
