Sick

Sick today. I've been feeling a bit under the weather all week, but yesterday afternoon my thort started to hurt, and things went downhill form there. I spent most of this morning in bed.

Hugo Award Finalist Thoughts

I should probably be napping like a responsible sick person. Instead I'm online looking at the Hugo Awards Finalists which were announced today.

I have lots of feelings:

Very happy to see both Benjanun Sriduangkaew and Sofia Samatar on the Campbell ballot. The best fan writer ballot is amazing 4 women and 1 queer man of color. (They are all also great writers!) Also this may be the 1st year that best professional artist has gender parity. All three women on the ballot are great!

In fiction land I'm sad very few of my favorite short fiction pieces were nominated. Oh well, the I've read few of the other things and they are also good. “If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love” is just far too dark for my tastes. (Oh well, the voters tend to like things grimmer than I do.)

Some people who have behaved in disgusting ways online* had their fiction nominated. No way I could read it and give a fair judgment. Lots of other people seem to feel the same way. I suspect that the No Award rules are going to get a work out. (These are complex, but I think if more people rank No Award higher than a finalist then that finalist won't win. I tried reading the WSFS constitution, but I'm sick and it was confusing. I believe articulates 3.11.3 and 6.5 are the ones that mater here.)

I'm not sure how I feel about the Wheel of Time being nominated as a novel. Not sure it is really fair to compare with a shorter work. (To either WoT or the other novels.) Sets an interesting precedent anyways.

*This is an understatement, but I don't want to get into it.