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Sasquan Opens Hugo Voting

May 4, 2015 at 10:28 pm
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For those who are already members of worldcon, Sasquan has opened Hugo voting. With the electronic ballot, you can go and post some preferences and votes now, then return a day later, or a week later, or a month later, and change them, or add some more rankings. Your vote does not get counted until balloting closes.

The ballot is here: http://sasquan.org/hugo-awards/voting/

If you have not voted the Hugo Awards before, please note that it is an “Australian ballot,” a preferential system whereby one ranks the nominees. You don’t just vote for one. You can rank NO AWARD as if it were any other finalist; ahead of some nominees, behind others.

(Which is the way I believe one should use NO AWARD. As I have stated previously, I am opposed to the nuclear option of just blindly voting NO AWARD in every category).

Of course, you need to member to vote. Supporting Memberships will cost you $40. You can sign up to buy one at https://sasquan.swoc.us/sasquan/reg.php

In addition to voting privileges, a Supporting Membership will get you the convention’s program book (usually a handsome item, though it varies from year to year) and other publications.

LOCUS Nominations Announced

May 4, 2015 at 7:20 pm
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LOCUS has just released its list of finalists for this year’s Locus Awards. I am pleased and proud that ROGUES, last year’s big crossgenre anthology from Gardner Dozois and yours truly, earned a nomination for Best Original Anthology.

In addition, three of the stories in the ROGUES have also been nominated in their respective categories: “The Lightning Tree” by Patrick Rothfuss in Novella, and Joe Abercrombie’s “Tough Times All Over” and Scott Lynch’s “A Year and a Day in old Theradane” in Novelette.

You can find the complete list of finalists here:

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2015/05/2015-locus-awards-finalists/

While this year, admittedly, may be different due to the influence of the slate campaigns, over most of the past couple of decades the Locus Poll has traditionally had significantly more participants than the Hugo nomination process. Looking over the Locus list, one cannot help but think that this is probably what the Hugo ballot would have looked like, if the Puppies had not decided to game the system this year.

Is it a better list or a worse one? Opinions may differ. The proof is in the reading.

In any case, congratulations to Scott, Patrick, and Joe, and thanks to everyone who nominated their stories, and ROGUES. We’re glad you liked the book. Gardner and I loved doing it.

OLD VENUS Audio

May 4, 2015 at 3:55 pm
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Any audiobook fans out there?

Somehow, with Puppygate and the Cocteau and travel and cons WILD CARDS and (yes!!!) working on WINDS, I neglected to mention the OLD VENUS audiobook, which came out a few months ago.

So I am mentioning it now. We have a really astonishing line-up of readers on this one. Take a look for yourself:

Gardner Dozois Introduction & Author Bios SCOTT BRICK
Joe Haldeman !œLiving Hell! W. MORGAN SHEPARD
Garth Nix !œBy Frogsled and Lizardback!¦! HARRY LLOYD
Michael Cassutt !œThe Sunset of Time! MATT FREWER
Allen Steele !œFrogheads! JAKE WEBER
David Brin !œThe Tumbledowns of Cleopatra Abyss ! WIL WHEATON
Matthew Hughes !œGreeves and the Evening Star! STEPHEN FRY
Tobias Buckell !œPale Blue Memories! PRENTICE ONAYEMI
Lavie Tidhar !œThe Drowned Celestial! ROY DOTRICE
Joe R. Lansdale !œThe Wizard of the Trees! MICHAEL DORN
Ian McDonald !œBotanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts…” DAME DIANA RIGG
Eleanor Arnason !œRuins! MANDY WILLIAMS
Paul McAuley !œThe Planet of Fear! TISHA DONNELLY
Elizabeth Bear !œThe Heart’s Filthy Lesson! JANIS IAN
Gwyneth Jones !œA Planet Called Desire! JAKE STORMOEN
Stephen Leigh !œBones of Air, Bones of Stone! GETHIN ANTHONY
Mike Resnick !œThe Godstone of Venus! RON DONACHIE

Happy listening.