Storms, conditioning and eligibility – oh my!
As my Twitter stream devolves into arguments about whether a creator should mention what they made in 2013 so that people know whether they can vote for it in various award nomination rounds, I’m here having a freak out about what to do.
You see, many people have said they need to be reminded. I myself have been grateful of not only reminders, but clarity on which category something I loved is eligible for, or if it even falls within viable dates – sometimes it’s not clear.
However, I’m British and I’m female. The first has bred a horror of self-promotion into me. The second has conditioned me to not draw attention to myself and to value – perhaps too highly – the opinions other people hold of me. The likeable character debates that rage about female characters stem from somewhere real, after all.
In a couple of weeks this will all blow over and the storm system will continue with its usual rhythm, resurging when shortlists are announced, then how the awards ceremonies are done, then who the winners and losers were.
And I’m standing here on the edge of it, thinking for the first time in my life, that I have done something – several things in fact – that are actually eligible for the awards I’ve paid attention to for so many years. That’s thrilling and terrifying. I want to go and play Minecraft instead of thinking about this because of the scary.
But ultimately, what you decide to do after reading this is up to you. I’m just going to list the relevant works and then go and have a cup of tea whilst the storm rages on.
Novels
As 2013 was really rather crazy, I have three novels that are eligible for the BSFA Awards, British Fantasy Society and Hugos. However, as they are all in the same series, let’s just say Between Two Thorns, published by Angry Robot Books.
Tea and Jeopardy, the podcast I co-write with Peter Newman, host and produce myself is eligible for the best fancast category of the Hugos.
I’m also eligible for the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer. It’s my first year of eligibility. There’s more info on that here.
Whilst I’m here, may I humbly suggest Sarah J. Coleman for best artist / best cover awards? Look at the gorgeous covers she drew for the Split Worlds series over there on the upper right hand side of this page. She is insanely talented (@inkymole on Twitter) and I would love to see her work applauded more often.
I’d also like to mention that Lee Harris, Senior Editor at Angry Robot Books and the fine chap who edited the Split Worlds series, is also eligible for a best editor award in the Hugos.
There are so many other wonderful books and artists and podcasts out there that I am going to take a leaf out of Adam Christopher’s book and list other people’s eligibility posts below as and when I stumble across them. I am so lucky to know such an amazing range of talented people. Even if you don’t intend to vote in any of these awards, these posts are a great way to discover the fantastic things people have been creating over the past year.
Right. That’s that then. Here is a link to more info about the BSFA Awards , the British Fantasy Awards and the Hugo Awards, should you need them.
And now, a nice cup of tea.
Other Eligibility Posts for your reading pleasure (please point me towards others in the comments!)
Emma, I admire your books, your work, your blog, and your honesty and generosity. I love how you always highlight other people. When you speak of your (many) accomplishments you are always very understated. (Well, you said it yourself, British and female.) Enjoy your tea!
It’s actually a sad indictment of the times that you don’t feel you can draw attention to your achievements. Well done you, I say! You’re brilliant.