Frederation

Weekly Weimaraner, #17

Fred Warren — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:57:45 +0000

I have enough pictures like this to call them the “Sofa Series.” I’m constantly amazed at Josie’s repertoire of postures and facial expressions.

Since my middle son has come home from college, he’s been taking her on a long run every day. She seems to have mixed feelings about this.

“My aches have aches.”

New Story Online – “Door” at Avenir Eclectia

Fred Warren — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:52:03 +0000

Another episode in the continuing saga of the space colony the universe forgot—Today, we find Melanie Hunt on the run, desperately seeking safe haven in an Avenir space station that’s coming apart at the seams.

She’s also being chased by spiders.

Her brother is locked in his apartment, wired into the station’s virtual-reality game grid. Like most siblings, he’s less than helpful:

There was a rumbling sound in the distance, followed by a long, warbling shriek that climbed slowly in both pitch and volume, then stopped, as if it had been cut off with a knife.

Melanie swallowed hard and fought to keep her voice steady. “Do you have any idea what’s happening out here?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. This is a really inconvenient time to pester me. My guild’s getting ready to run the Fathomless Catacombs in Wizard’s Realm, and I still have to equip.”

“Carson…I…am…in…trouble! The whole station’s gone haywire. Things are exploding, and there are spiders everywhere!”

“How do you expect me to help? Go back to your apartment, or call an Enforcer.”

“The corridors to my apartment are sealed off, and the only Enforcers I’ve seen are running as fast as they can in the opposite direction. These spiders are aggressive…the brown ones are attracted to motion, the gray ones move in packs, and the red ones go straight for the throat. I need a safe place to hide. You’re all I’ve got.”

“Don’t be such a baby. They’re bugs. One-shot kills.”

“This isn’t a game, idiot. I don’t have a gun.”

“Fine. Step on them. Hit ’em with…with a book or something.”

Read the whole thing at Avenir Eclectia. If you’d like to find out how Melanie got into this mess from the beginning, here are links to all the stories in her thread:

“Gamer“

“Folly“

“Orca“

“Flatworm“

“Download“

“Tea“

“Problems“

And if you’d like to read all my contributions to this ongoing, interactive, multi-author, shared-world, cooperative microfiction project sponsored by Splashdown Books, here’s a link for that: Fred Warren’s stories at Avenir Eclectia

In the Middle

Fred Warren — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:05:05 +0000

My middle son graduated from college a couple of days ago. There’s a certain relief I experience as each of my kids passes one of these life milestones. Two down, one to go.

“Middle” is a misnomer when applied to this young man for anything other than his spot in the birth order. I don’t blog about him much because he’s the un-squeaky wheel among my children, a quality for which I should praise him more often. He copes well with adversity and change, and he’s comfortable in his own skin. Nothing much ruffles him. He’s insightful, eloquent, handsome, and charming. He puts people at ease, and they like him. He has good relationships with both his siblings and often functions as the bridge between them when they’re bumping heads over some trivial issue that seems enormous at the time.

I suppose there’s such a thing as being too easygoing, and if he has a flaw, that’s probably it. Not bad as flaws go, certainly not fatal. We share a love for history, art, and video games. We need our “alone time,” though he’s more gregarious than I am. We like tramping about the wilderness, and we both enjoy sports, though he’s a much more talented athlete and ardent fan than me.

I’m incredibly proud of his accomplishment. I wish the economy was better, and I’m already aching over the struggles I know he’s going to face in the transition from college to working life. A degree still opens doors, but it doesn’t go as far these days as it used to. I want to see him secure and settled, in a good position with a clearer road ahead. I’m not too worried—this one always lands on his feet—but maturity and emotional balance aren’t always rewarded in a world that runs on flash and panic.

The upside is that he’s home for awhile working small jobs and sending out resumes, and we’ll have more time together. Those were some long years away at school. I’ve missed him. I hope the feeling was mutual.

Congratulations, son. The world’s spread out before you. Go hit it in the face.

It Came From the Nebulas: Novelettes

Fred Warren — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:10:09 +0000

Novelettes are odd birds—too long to be short stories, too short to be novels or even novellas. I have trouble seeing any significant technical distinctiveness that makes a story a novelette rather than something else. It strikes me as publisher-speak. When I see “novelette,” I think, “really long short story.”

Anyhow, this year’s Nebula novelette candidates, like the short stories, were a mixed bag, although three of them, most disappointingly Ken Liu‘s “The Waves,” were not freely available for public reading at the time of this post. Here are the four I did read. Once again, these are my reactions as a reader, not a critique of the art and skill employed by writers well out of my league:

“Fade to White,” by Catherynne M. Valente – This story lost me almost immediately by setting itself in a post-apocalyptic alternate America where everything went to hell in a handbasket after Joe McCarthy was elected President, leading to a global nuclear war and a fertility-driven, bigoted society a few twists shy of The Handmaid’s Tale. Because we obviously deserved it. The story of two young people approaching adulthood in this benighted realm was interspersed with breathless 1950′s-style TV propaganda scripts providing, I suppose, context. Heaven preserve us from self-righteous cautionary dystopian political morality plays. Try saying that three times fast.

“Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia” by Rachel Swirsky – There’s art, there’s magic, and there’s magical art. Ms. Swirsky weaves a haunting tale of an obsessive relationship between master and protége in a Renaissance Italy where the best art mingles skill and sorcery. Renn has magic to spare, but limited talent. Brilliant artist Lisane needs magic powerful enough to accomplish her final, defining masterpiece, a self-portrait—but using magic to paint human portraits is forbidden, for good reason. She takes Renn under her wing, but does she really care about her, or is she only using her as a tool to serve her artistic ambitions? Note: Some non-explicit content, integral to the story, indicating a sexual relationship between adult Lisane and teenaged Renn, and Tor chose a provocative picture as its cover art.

“Swift, Brutal Retaliation,” by Meghan McCarron - Sibling rivalry from beyond the grave in a cheerless tale filled with interminable recitation of the minutiae that fill a preteen girl’s daily life. My childhood wasn’t exactly Thrills Central, but I don’t remember it ever being this dolorous. Maybe it would have been if I’d had a vengeful dead older brother. Ah, youth.

“The Finite Canvas” by Brit Mandelo - Probably my favorite of these stories, though not something I’d choose for light reading. Molly, a doctor working in a tiny clinic somewhere deep in the steaming malarial swamp that is Earth in this particular future, is visited by Jada, a contract killer who wants a memorial to her most recent victim scarified into her arm. It’s an illegal procedure, but the patient insists, as underworld types are wont to do. Molly agrees, on one condition: the assassin must tell her the story of that death, from beginning to end. So, the two women begin their odd interlude—one with a scalpel and a question: “Who did you kill?” The response is nearly as keen-edged: “No one you know…My partner.” And it rolls on from there in words and incised flesh, grim, tragic, and shattering, as is Molly’s response, no less breathtaking for the knowledge that there was only one way for this story to end. Note: Some disturbing imagery (including, once again, Tor’s choice of cover art), strong violence, and harsh language.

Weekly Weimaraner, #16

Fred Warren — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:04:03 +0000

Okay, that’s enough serious stuff for a while. I need a Weimaraner picture to lift my spirits, and Josie is always ready to oblige. Our freakishly wintry weather has put a damper on her weekend plans:

“Has the snow stopped yet?”

The Terror That Flaps in the Night

Fred Warren — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:19:21 +0000

I strive to avoid political commentary on this blog because I find it depressing, and nobody cares what I think, anyway. However, I encountered a news item the other day that was beginning to stir some anxiety among a few friends and acquaintances on Facebook and elsewhere, so I thought I’d provide a little context.

This runs on a bit, but stay with me. Opinions are my own, based on my personal experiences and reading of the evidence.

Here’s a link to the rather breathless and inflammatory article, from Breitbart.com legal correspondent Ken Klukowski, titled, “Pentagon may Court-Martial Soldiers Who Share Christian Faith.”

Scared now? You really shouldn’t be.

Let’s begin by parsing the Fox News report from pundit Todd Starnes that the Breitbart report is quoting. A gentleman named Mikey Weinstein, who heads an organization called the “Military Religious Freedom Foundation,” recently met with Pentagon officials to discuss a policy document identified as “Air Force Culture, Air Force Standards.” Note that the level of these Pentagon officials is not specified, so it’s unlikely we’re really talking about key decision-makers, though it’s clear they’re Department of the Air Force officials, not Department of Defense—so, there’s only one military service involved in this meeting. A related Washington Post article reports “several generals and a chaplain” were involved, which sounds more impressive, but rank and actual power in the military don’t always correlate. It’s also not the same thing for military representatives to meet with someone for a discussion versus that person being appointed as a consultant, called in to advise, etc. It appears that Mr. Weinstein’s organization requested this meeting, and the request was granted. That’s not being “tapped for vetting.” It’s a courtesy.

Here’s a link to the document in question, mis-referenced in the Fox News report: Air Force Instruction (AFI) 1-1, Air Force Standards, 7 Aug 2012. It details the Air Force’s standards of personal conduct, and is directive (rules, not suggestions). These are the pertinent paragraphs, quoted in full (emphasis mine):

2.11. Government Neutrality Regarding Religion. Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for an individual’s free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion. For example, they must avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion. Commanders or supervisors who engage in such behavior may cause members to doubt their impartiality and objectivity. The potential result is a degradation of the unit’s morale, good order, and discipline. Airmen, especially commanders and supervisors, must ensure that in exercising their right of religious free expression, they do not degrade morale, good order, and discipline in the Air Force or degrade the trust and confidence that the public has in the United States Air Force.
2.12. Free Exercise of Religion and Religious Accommodation. Supporting the right of free exercise of religion relates directly to the Air Force core values and the ability to maintain an effective team.
2.12.1. All Airmen are able to choose to practice their particular religion, or subscribe to no religious belief at all. You should confidently practice your own beliefs while respecting others whose viewpoints differ from your own.
2.12.2. Your right to practice your religious beliefs does not excuse you from complying with directives, instructions, and lawful orders; however, you may request religious accommodation. Requests can be denied based on military necessity. Commanders and supervisors at all levels are expected to ensure that requests for religious accommodation are dealt with fairly.

See anything troublesome here? Me neither.

The central issue is proselytization, which is not explicitly mentioned in AFI 1-1, but the Pentagon statement released to the press identifies proselytization as an example of a violation of the principles outlined in paragraph 2.11. The word does not mean in this context what Mr. Weinstein and his associates think it means. In terms of military policy, which hasn’t really changed on this topic in the 30+ years I’ve been associated with the military, proselytization is action to coerce conversion to a particular religious faith or creed, something our military has never sanctioned.

Creating a hostile environment toward people of differing faiths and/or using command influence to persuade individuals to adopt a particular faith (or political position, or party affiliation), is likewise forbidden. Such actions are already liable to discipline up to and including court-martial, depending on intent and severity. One’s faith can have no bearing on treatment, performance evaluations, or promotion of an individual. Thousands of men and women mirroring the diversity of religious (and non-religious) belief in the United States serve at this moment with equal skill and distinction within every military service. That’s the bottom line.

This is not the same as talking informally, even passionately, with others about what you believe, on- or off-duty. If someone asks what you believe, you can answer honestly and in detail. Off-duty attempts to convince others of the benefits of your religious faith, “witnessing,” or even handing out religious tracts are irrelevant to the military, so long as it’s not done in uniform and does not target subordinate personnel. Again, this is about using one’s position as an agent of the government to impair constitutionally-ensured freedoms by coercing a religious affiliation. We use similar language in labor regulations forbidding use of unlawful influence in the civilian workplace.

There have been isolated instances when a commander of religious bent has gotten a bit full of himself and declared a preference toward a particular faith and adherents of that faith in his official capacity as a military commander, and I know of one time this has happened at the Air Force Academy. However, such behavior has been met with harsh rebuke from higher authority and the commander censured and replaced. The vast conspiracy Mr. Weinstein attempts to paint simply does not exist. If anything, I’d say the dominant religious position across the Armed Forces is “indifferent.”

As a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), I have some passing familiarity with Mikey Weinstein (and I’m not juvenilizing him…he does go by “Mikey”). For a long time, he was the sole member of this “Military Religious Freedom Foundation,” which he created, though he’s gathered a few high-profile props since then, including controversial former U.S. Ambassador Joe Wilson. I first noticed him spilling bile across the opinion pages of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado Springs’ primary newspaper. The florid rhetoric quoted in the Breitbart and Fox articles is sadly typical of his tirades.

Mr. Weinstein is an atheist, though of Jewish descent, which is an uneasy philosophical pairing if he takes his heritage at all seriously. He claims his two sons were subjected to anti-Semitic bullying while they attended the Academy. Could this have happened? It’s possible—there are bad apples in any basket of humanity, and USAFA is no exception, though it was one of the most accepting communities of my experience, and cadets were judged by faculty and peers on the content of their character and performance of their duties, not their color, creed, or reproductive equipment (and I entered in the first year in which female cadets were present in all four cohorts within the Cadet Wing).

The distinctive Cadet Chapel houses, besides Protestant and Catholic chapels, a beautiful Jewish chapel tiled with stone from Jerusalem, as well as a Buddhist meditation space. A ring of stones accommodating Pagan religious rituals was installed in the woods nearby a few years ago. Arrangements for other traditions such as LDS and Islam are routine. Accusations of a monolithic conservative-fundamental-evangelical Protestant culture at USAFA hostile to religious minorities simply don’t hold water.

Anyhow, if what Weinstein claims about his sons’ experience is true, given his antagonism toward USAFA it seems particularly odd that he would send any of his children there, or that he would send a second son if the experience of the first was so negative, unless he was trying to prove a point or exploit his children for the advancement of his private agenda. It’s an action that is, at best, questionable.

Mr. Weinstein’s solution to what he sees as the blight of conservative, evangelical Christianity in the military is to subject it to the sort of discrimination he decries. Apparently, prejudicial treatment is fine so long as it’s directed toward people he dislikes. The sort of “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy he advocates toward Christianity will find no traction in Congress or the Department of Defense.

In summary, fear not. Mikey Weinstein is attacking a problem that doesn’t exist, as a proxy for his personal antagonism toward Christianity, the military in general, and the U.S. Air Force Academy in particular. This is the same soap he’s been selling for the past two or three decades, and nobody’s listening. He has no role or influence in forming or changing military policy, and he is not a government consultant. He’s the guy who shows up at every school board meeting with a 30-minute prepared text about how American education is failing—or why there need to be more geraniums planted around the flagpole. He is the terror that flaps in the night—he is the grain of sand under your contact lens…

No, he’s not Darkwing Duck. He could, however, learn a few things from a guy who understands the difference between crime and the Bill of Rights.

UPDATE: Here’s a report from David Gibson of the nonsectarian Religion News Service that summarizes the whole brouhaha. This incident was mostly poor media management by the Pentagon that gave opinion-spinners on both sides of the issue free rein to inflame their followers with partial or misleading information.

May Banner

Fred Warren — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:55:49 +0000

This month’s banner celebrates National Train Day, which is May 11 this year.

Events across the U.S. will remind us how trains have been an integral part of our nation’s story, almost from the beginning, and how they’re still vital to our mobility and prosperity today. Take a glance at the interactive infographics on the National Train Day webpage if you don’t believe me.

If you live anywhere near a rail line, part of the celebration may be happening near you. May 11 is a Saturday, so if you’re caught up on your yard work and not buried under a foot of snow, go check it out. You can search for a nearby event here.

Of course, in the Frederation, every day is National Train Day. Just another benefit of running on subjective time.

I Found a Cool Story the Other Day, #21

Fred Warren — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:38:10 +0000

I knew George R.R. Martin before he was cool.

Well, I knew about him.

Now that Mr. Martin has become a juggernaut of epic fantasy with his Game of Thrones series, it’s easy to forget he was once better known for his short science fiction, and boy, did he write some doozies. I discovered him 25-or-so years ago in the pages of Analog, chronicling the journeys of an eccentric alien space trader named Haviland Tuf. Tuf was a dour, Hitchcock-like fellow with a taste for mushrooms and an affinity for cats who found himself at the helm of the Ark, a seedship of long-dead Imperial Earth. The Ark stored a library of genetic material from thousands of worlds and was an automated weapon of biotechnological terror against a rival empire, able to unleash everything from killer microbes to Tyrannosaurs onto unsuspecting enemy planets.

Fortunately for everyone, Tuf was both a practical and an ethical man. He employed the Ark as a sort of biological troubleshooter, solving problems for planets experiencing ecological challenges. At a fair price, of course. The problems were always a bit more complicated than they appeared at first glance, and Tuf was an able sleuth, among his various and sundry other skills.

These were good stories, and with my library of Analogs long since handed over to the recyclers, I despaired of ever finding them again. I was delighted to discover that, likely aided by Martin’s surging popularity, a compendium of Tuf stories was recently re-released, including the original accompanying line art from the Analog stories supplemented by even more pictures from the original artist. I found a copy on the shelves of my local Barnes & Noble this past weekend and lost a good 45 minutes thumbing through the first novelette, “The Plague Star.” It hasn’t lost its spark after all this time. The collection is called Tuf Voyaging, and even in hardcopy, it’s a steal at about $11.00.

There are rumors floating about that Martin may write more Tuf stories and/or bring them to television. I would not complain.

Martin’s best-known SF short, however, is his Hugo and Nebula Award-winning “Sandkings,” a staggering tale of hubris and horror that still makes my skin crawl. Arrogant socialite Simon Kress has a taste for exotic alien pets, and he enjoys pitting them against each other in the fashion of certain notorious celebrity animal-abusers I won’t name here. One day, Kress obtains some pets he’s told will worship him like a god. He’s about to discover the difference between being worshipped and being worshipful, and the consequences of failing at the latter.

If you have an aversion to multi-legged creeping things, you may find yourself sleeping with the lights on for a few nights after reading this story, a can of pesticide at the ready. I did.

This story was also adapted for television as an episode of The Outer Limits, with some extensive plot modifications, judging from the episode summary. I never watched it, and nothing could possess me to search it out on Netflix, thank you very much. I doubt they did the story justice, anyhow.

“Sandkings” debuted in the lamentably-departed magazine, Omni, to which I subscribed at the time. It was perhaps the most beautiful periodical of science fact and fiction ever published. Its entire run is archived in the public domain now, and it’s chock full of some of the coolest stories ever, many from writers who were just entering the big leagues of science fiction and fantasy. Check it out.

And here’s a link to the issue containing “Sandkings,” which begins on page 50. Read it. I dare you. You know you want to…

Say It Ain’t So, Christy

Fred Warren — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:29:24 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday, there are some oddities about the structure of the annual Christy Awards for excellence in Christian fiction that have stirred some heated discussion in the Christian reader/writer community and deserve closer examination.

Let me begin by saying that I believe the Christy is a legitimate award which any author can and should be proud to win. It’s widely recognized in the Christian marketplace as evidence of quality writing. The problem is that its submission guidelines and requirements of award winners reflect an archaic approach, and one that shares several unfortunate characteristics with other awards programs and publishing schemes that are not legitimate, which could damage the Christy’s credibility over time as more people become aware of the details.

Here’s a link to “The Christy Awards Official Guidelines 2013,” which I will be referencing.

The stated purpose of the Christy Awards is to “recognize and promote fiction of exceptional quality and impact.” It considers both novels and stand-alone novellas, newly published or republished by a new publisher (if not previously entered). No one can win more than four Christys, presumably to keep a popular author from dominating the award. At least ten books must be nominated in a category for that category to be considered for an award. So far, so good, though I’d like to see them add a short-story division.

Books must be “consistent with a Christian worldview and the historic Christian tradition reflected in the Apostles’ Creed.” This might be subject to individual interpretation, particularly as “Orthodoxy” is one of the judging criteria, but it seems a reasonable standard for an award focused on Christian fiction.

The competition is limited to English-language books or books republished in English during the prior year. This could be seen as dismissive of foreign-language writers, but judging across multiple languages is a significant logistical problem. Still, I think consideration of more stories from authors beyond the English-speaking world would be a good idea, and some responsibility for this falls on the publishers.

Books must be case-bound or paper-bound. Electronic copies or books published solely in electronic format are excluded, which, given the present ubiquity of tablets and e-readers, seems like an unnecessary measure which inflates the total cost of entry and distribution of books to judges.

There are 9 submission categories: Contemporary Fiction (stand-alone novels), Contemporary Fiction (novels in a series, or novellas), Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense, Historical, Historical Romance, Suspense, Visionary (science fiction, fantasy, futuristic, and allegory), First Novel, and Young Adult. There is significant overlap among some of these categories, but the guidelines make a reasonable attempt to distinguish, for example, Historical from Historical Romance. Books entered in multiple categories pay multiple entry fees and must deliver the required number of review copies for each category, a point which becomes significant later.

Self-published novels are admissible, but only if the self-publisher meets a set of criteria that make him/her indistinguishable from a small independent press (catalog of publications, professional editor, publishing multiple authors). It seems disingenuous to declare self-published books admissible while excluding the self in self-publishing.

Now we get to the entry process, where the problems start to appear. The entry fee for each title is $175, per category. This fee is nonrefundable, even if the entry is subsequently determined by the administrators to be ineligible. Seven review copies of each book must be shipped at the publisher’s expense to the award administrators, per entered category. For example, if a single book is entered as both Young Adult and Visionary, the entry fee is $350 and 14 review copies are required, so that increases the total price of entry to around $400, depending on the size and cost of the book.

For comparison, here are the entry fees for other top-tier literary awards:

Hugo Award: $0.00

Nebula Award: $0.00

World Fantasy Award: $0.00, plus six copies for judging

Newbery Medal: $0.00, plus two copies for judging

Caldecott Medal: $0.00, plus two copies for judging

Pulitzer Prize: $50.00, plus four copies for judging

For large brick-and-mortar publishers, the Christy entry costs are small potatoes. Small independent publishers, on the other hand, quickly reach a point where entering even one book is cost-prohibitive. There is no limit to the number of entries allowed from any single publisher or division within a publishing house, so deep pockets are a huge advantage in this competition—and there’s another shoe yet to drop.

Publishers must agree, in advance, to contribute $1000 per title “for marketing of Christy Award Winners via a specific Christy Award Marketing plan,” due within 30 days, should their entries win. That might be cheap marketing in the larger scheme of things, but again, it’s not pocket change for a small publisher, and it’s mandatory to sign up for this just to step onto the court.

To reiterate, should you win a Christy Award, you incur a 30-day deadline to pay the Christy Award administrators $1000 for the mandatory inclusion of your book in the Christy Award marketing program. You also gain the right to buy Christy Award emblems to stick on your book covers. And there’s one more thing—you sign away a variety of rights in perpetuity, as follows (emphasis mine):

“The Christy Award Advisory Board shall have the permanent right in any and all media to use and exploit all radio, television, merchandising, promotional and publicity rights that publisher and author may have in connection with their participation in The Christy Awards competition without further consent or payment. Publisher and author also release any claim they might have either by virtue of their participation in The Christy Awards for use of their respective photographs, names, likenesses, voice, or appearances in connection with The Christy Awards, and each consents to the permanent right of The Christy Award to publish or broadcast the content of the Christy Awards ceremony.”

Some of those provisions may be prudent and necessary for the Christy Award organization to manage its financial liability and carry on marketing of itself as an entity, but “permanent” is a very long time. Writers these days are continually warned against signing away any rights to their intellectual property or image for more than a couple of years, but forever? That’s the sort of contractual language we’re told to recognize as a distinguishing characteristic of the scam artist and the vanity press. I don’t think it’s the sort of image the Christy Awards wants to portray.

In summary, the Christy Awards, as currently configured:

Fail to acknowledge the realities of modern electronic publishing, limiting entries to books published in paper, and multiplying submission costs
Create an environment where small independent publishers and authors are unable to compete for recognition on a level playing field with large traditional publishing corporations and their authors
Establish a bizarre protocol in which award winners are forced to pay a premium for Christy Award marketing, or be disqualified
Require award winners to permanently relinquish a variety of rights in conjunction with their participation in the Christy Awards, including rights to use of names, photographs, likenesses, voices, or appearances.

So, there’s the beef. I don’t see anything fraudulent or malevolent going on here, mostly some mindsets and boilerplate in need of revision. The Christy Awards have a good reputation—it’s something you look for when confronted with a stack of Christian fiction, like the old commercial about looking for the Union label so you’d know a product was made with skill by people who cared about quality. That’s a reputation you want to protect at all costs, but it’s easy to lose through carelessness or by failing to keep up with the times.

A few minor changes to level the playing field for small publishers, reduce entry costs, and make the submission requirements look less like a one-sided marketing contract that protects the Christy Awards at the participants’ expense would go a long way toward calming suspicions and keeping this program as admirable and credible as its namesake.

Speaking of Awards…

Fred Warren — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:26:41 +0000

A Major Award.

Though I’m paying particular attention to the Nebula Awards at the moment, various and sundry other awards are in the offing or have been recently announced for worthy works of literature, both speculative and literary.

Some people look askance at the whole awards culture, which can devolve into a popularity contest, circular back-pat, or narcissistic me-fest, but I think it’s worth recognizing writers and stories that rise above the mundane to the magnificent. Heaven knows authors struggle against what often feels like an eternal gale of criticism, and if history is any indication, many of our finest may only be recognized as such posthumously.

There’s a cheery thought.

Here are a few awards I keep an eye on, as they relate to speculative fiction and/or Christian fiction:

The Hugo Awards: Another of the “Big 3″ science fiction and fantasy awards. The Hugo focuses on science fiction, plus related works, television, movies, and graphic media. Unlike the Nebulas, which are voted on by the membership of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Hugos are selected by the World Science Fiction Society, composed of the membership of the previous, current, or next year’s World Science Fiction Convention (this year, it’s LoneStarCon3, in San Antonio, Texas, in September). There’s usually some overlap among Nebula and Hugo nominees, and I’ll cover this year’s Hugos in a later post.

The World Fantasy Awards: This is the equivalent of the Hugo or Nebula for fantasy stories and art. Nominees are selected by a panel of judges and members of the current World Fantasy Convention (in Brighton, U.K. this year, at the end of October). Winners are selected by the panel of judges.

The Christy Awards: Named in honor of author Catherine Marshall, and her classic novel, Christy, the Christys recognize “excellence in Christian fiction” across a variety of genres, recognizing and promoting works “of exceptional quality and impact.” The Christy website explains the process: “Every year publishers are invited to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards. Each novel is entered in one of several genre categories and/or the first novel category. Each category of novels is then read and evaluated against a ten-point criteria by a panel of seven judges composed of librarians, reviewers, academicians, literary critics, and other qualified readers, none of whom have a direct affiliation with a publishing company.”

Administration of the Christy is a little odd and has stirred some consternation among readers and writers of Christian fiction who know about it. More to follow on this issue in a separate post.

The Carol Awards: Presented by the American Christian Fiction Writers (a professional organization of Christian writers “devoted to the craft of Christian Fiction”) to recognize “the best Christian fiction published by traditional publishing houses.” Stories are evaluated against a standardized scoresheet by a panel of judges appointed by the ACFW.

The Clive Staples Award: Administered by the Speculative Faith online forum, the Clive Staples Award is an annual “readers’ choice” award for excellence in speculative fiction written from a Christian worldview, with nominees and winners chosen by vote of the readership at large (if you read, this means you, whatever size you happen to be, and the nomination process is underway right now), based on criteria explained here.

The Sir Julius Vogel Awards: Huh? Never heard of this one? That may be because it’s presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand for excellence in science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing by New Zealanders. It also considers anthologies published in New Zealand containing works by New Zealand authors. Among this year’s nominees is Splashdown Books’ Avenir Eclectia anthology, which includes some of my stories.

I’ll let you know how that turns out.